NAMM 2020: She Rocks Awards deliver powerful performances from Gloria Gaynor, Suzi Quatro and more
The 8th Annual She Rocks Awards took over House of Blues Anaheim on Friday night, honoring Linda Perry, Lzzy Hale and more.
Lzzy Hale performs during the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Put together each year by the Women’s International Music Network founder Laura B. Whitmore, the 2020 She Rocks Awards was hosted by Yahoo Entertainment music editor Lyndsey Parker and saxophonist-vocalist Mindi Abair.
“For me, I feel like the Grammys came a week early,” Parker said of the event.
The evening’s top honor, the Legend Award, went to Gloria Gaynor, who blended the past with the future with two stunning performances that included her ’70s disco anthem “I Will Survive” and the funk and soul-filled “Talkin’ ‘Bout Jesus,” which is nominated in the gospel performance/song category of at the Grammy Awards this year.
Gloria Gaynor accepts the Legend Award at the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Linda Perry accepts the Powerhouse Award during the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Lzzy Hale performs during the She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Gloria Gaynor poses for a photograph on the red carpet of the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Mindi Abair performs during the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Ebonie Smith accepts the Mad Skills Award during the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Mindi Abair performs during the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Lisa Loeb and Roey Hershkovitz pose for a photograph on the red carpet of the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Lzzy Hale accepts the Inspire Award during the She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Suzi Quatro performs during the She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Gloria Gaynor performs “I Will Survive” during the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Jenna Paone performs during the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Beatie Wolfe performs during the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Suzanne D’Addario Brouder accepts the Champion Award during the She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Suzi Quatro accepts the Icon Award during the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Myrna Sislen accepts the Trailblazer Award during the She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Cherie Currie poses for a photograph on the red carpet of the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
From left, Linda Perry and Beatie Wolfe pose for a photograph on the red carpet of the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Lzzy Hale poses for a photograph on the red carpet of the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Lzzy Hale performs during the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
The band D_Drive performs during the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
The band Rock Sugah poses for a photograph on the red carpet of the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
From left, Laura Whitmore and Jenna Paone pose for a photograph on the red carpet of the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Myrna Sislen poses for a photograph on the red carpet of the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Suzi Quatro poses for a photograph on the red carpet of the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
The band D_Drive poses for a photograph on the red carpet of the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Tal Wilkenfeld accepts the Vision Award during the 8th annual She Rocks Awards at the House of Blues Anaheim on Friday, January 17, 2020. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)
Her voice is still so strong and the 70-year-old performer seemed genuinely humbled by her award.
“I’d like to thank She Rocks and I hope you will continue to recognize and commend admirable and exemplary ladies,” she said during her acceptance speech. “I hope you continue to be the paver for the way of others to honor women and give them their due in more and more and more areas of life.”
Suzi Quatro was equally as excited to receive her Icon Award and far more colorful in her language. The pioneering bassist and actress was ready to rock right out of the gate after she was introduced by the Runaways’ Cherie Currie, who made it clear that “The Runaways and Joan Jett would not exist without Suzi Quatro, and that’s a fact.”
“Let me clear up a little myth about women,” Quatro said, proceeding to explain that women are just as competent and able to rock as men though she did this using much more colorful language.
Now 70, Quatro said when she was 55 a male journalist asked her “When are you going to retire?” She said she replied with a smile and added, “When I turn my back on the audience, shake my [backside] and there’s silence.” She proceeded to turn around, shake that backside and got thunderous applause from the She Rocks audience. She sounded fantastic through a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” Guess she’s not retiring anytime soon.
Vocalist-guitarist Lzzy Hale of the heavy rock band Halestorm stole the show with her performance of the band’s songs “I Get Off” and “I Miss the Misery.” Her vocal range and overall stage presence make it easy to see why She Rocks wanted to honor her with the Inspire Award. She thanked her idols, including Lita Ford, Pat Benatar, Janis Joplin and Ann and Nancy Wilson. She also thanked her dad who was in the audience and “the only person here wearing zebra pants.”
“It wasn’t a career choice, it was a primal need,” she said of becoming a musician. “Rock and roll chose me, not the other way around.”
“I’ve always felt like I was going to create or cause damage,” she said as she picked up her award. “I never identified as a female, male, anything. I’ve just always been Linda Perry.”
She proceeded to champion singer-songwriter Willa Amai who jumped behind the piano to play a song. Perry then delivered an emotional version of “Not My Plan” on piano, followed by the song she wrote and gifted to Christina Aguilera, “Beautiful,” on acoustic guitar.
Singer-songwriter Beatie Wolfe received the Innovator Award and took her time to remember her friend and mentor Allee Willis, the award-winning L.A. singer-songwriter credited with writing the “Friends” theme song who suddenly passed last month at the age of 72.
“It’s great to be recognized as a musical weirdo and visionary,” she said while noting that Willis was very much the same.
“You brought joy to more people than you’ll ever know,” she added. “I adore you with every inch of this completely broken heart.”
The She Rocks Awards ran smoothly and on time this year and also included performances by the house band Rock Sugah, Japanese instrumental rock quartet D_Drive and Jenna Paone and Laura Clapp. Tara Low, editor and founder of Guitar Girl Magazine, received the Dreaming Out Loud Award and said she started the publication because she was tired of hearing, “You’re pretty good … for a girl.”
Myrna Sislen, owner of Middle C Music, who snagged the Trailblazer Award, said she “always wanted to be a rockstar even as a classical guitarist.” Ebonie Smith, founder and president of Gender Amplified, Inc. and Atlantic Records audio engineer and producer, picked up the Mad Skills Award; Suzanne D’Addario Brouder, executive director of the D’Addario Foundation, was given the Champion Award; Judy Schaefer, marketing director for PRS Guitars, was awarded the Excellence Award; and singer-songwriter Tal Wilkenfeld was given the Vision Award.
