Jane Wiedlin (born May 20, 1958)
is an American musician,
singer-songwriter, and actress. She is best known as the
rhythm guitarist of the all-female multi-platinum
New Wave band
The Go-Go's in the 1980s. Wiedlin's songwriting skills and unusual voice (typically used in harmony with Belinda Carlisle) contributed to the Go-Go's signature sound.
Career
The Go-Go's
As Wiedlin describes it, she was around "pretty much from the beginning"
[Interview with: Jane Wiedlin conducted by Alice Bag in September 2005, from Bag's website] of the
Los Angeles punk scene. "Jane Drano"—as she came to be known then
[A photo of Wiedlin taken by Alice Bag during her "Jane Drano" days is available on Flickr here.]—started out designing punk-style clothing sold at “
Granny Takes a Trip,” a
Sunset Boulevard store.
She became part of a scene that spawned bands like
X,
The Germs and
The Weirdos.
She and
Belinda Carlisle formed The Go-Go's as a punk band in 1978, with Margot Olaverra on bass, and Elissa Bello on drums.
