There have been so many members of Heart through the years, it rivals the cast of Ben-Hur. I decided to go through all of them and list out my top 5 favorite members of Heart, or anyone who has played with them for a significant amount of time. NOTE: I will not be including any current member of the band, so this excludes Craig Bartock, Dan Rothchild, Ben Smith, Chris Joyner, and of course, Ann and Nancy Wilson. This list is not who I like the least, I love every member and it is all out of adoration. Let me know what you think of this list in the comments!
5) Roger Fisher
The original guitarist of Heart and one of the founding members, Roger Fisher was a talented guitarist who contributed some of Heart’s most iconic riffs. However, drugs and alcohol hindered his ability to play, and after a strained relationship with Nancy, he was asked to leave the group in 1979.
4) Debbie Shair
The only other woman to be a member of Heart, Debbie Shair was always fun to watch on the keyboards in her tenure from 2004-2012. Her signature hairstyle and bopping rhythm were always entertaining. She added new life into songs like “Alone” and The Who’s “Love, Reign O’er Me.”
3) Sue Ennis
Now, an avid Heart fan would know that Sue Ennis has never been official member of the band. However, Ennis was in Ann and Nancy’s side group, The Lovemongers. All three women were friends growing up, and Sue Ennis helped the Wilsons write some of their most successful songs, including “Dog and Butterfly” and “Straight On.”
2) Andy Stoller
Who is Andy Stoller, you might ask? Stoller is the bass player for Ann’s side project The Ann Wilson Thing!. He is a great bassist and his timing is impeccable. I’ve personally met his a couple times and he is just as much a nice guy as he is a good musician.
1) Howard Leese
Howard Leese is one of the original members of Heart and currently holds one of the longest tenures of the group. He was with the group from 1976-1995. He is very talented on the guitar and keyboards. Leese was an integral part of their production team as well. While he has gone on to play shows with Bad Company, Paul Rodgers, and some tribute shows in Las Vegas, his talent and energy are still missed in Heart to this day.