Rock music has always been a male-dominated industry, but in the 1960s, Fanny, an all-women band from Sacramento, broke through the barriers of race, gender, and sexuality to become one of the most influential bands in rock history.
David Bowie loved them, so why don’t you?
David Bowie was one of Fanny’s earliest and most vocal fans. Unfortunately, despite releasing 5 critically acclaimed albums over 5 years, Fanny’s groundbreaking impact in music was written out of history… until now.
Watch Fanny and learn more about Asian Pacific Heritage Month!
Fanny: The Right to Rock, a documentary film written and directed by Bobbi Jo Hart, tells the story of this legendary band and their struggle to claim their rightful place in the halls of rock ‘n’ roll fame. The film premieres on PBS on May 22, with streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app. Prior to its PBS broadcast, the film will screen at CAAMFest on May 19th, followed by a special performance in San Francisco on May 20.
To celebrate the premiere, Fanny will reunite for a one-time special performance at the Whisky A-Go-Go on May 17, made possible in part with support from AARP.
Yeah, you heard that right. The AARP is getting wild in 2023.
Special guests at that concert include Kathy Valentine from The Go Gos and The Runaways Cherie Currie.
The film includes incredible archival footage of the band’s rocking past intercut with its next chapter, releasing a new LP today. It also features interviews with a large cadre of music icons, including Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, Bonnie Raitt, The Go-Go’s Kathy Valentine, Todd Rundgren, The Runaways’ Cherie Currie, Lovin’ Spoonful’s John Sebastian, The B-52s’ Kate Pierson, Charles Neville, and David Bowie guitarist and bassist Earl Slick and Gail Ann Dorsey.
The women of Fanny fought early barriers and paved the way for future female rock stars. They are now fighting ageism and are ready to reclaim their place in music history. As David Bowie once said, “Revivify Fanny. And my work is done.”
Fanny: The Right to Rock is co-produced by Bobbi Jo Hart and Robbie Hart, with executive producers Katherine Buck, Anne Pick, Catherine Bainbridge, Ina Fichman, Randy Lennox, and Glen Salzman. Director of Photography is Claire Sanford, and the editor is Catherine Legault. The film’s music is by Fanny, with original music and sound mix by Daniel Toussaint, and online post-production by Digital Cut.
