Complete List Of Joan Jett And The Blackhearts Band Members

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Few bands have embodied the raw power and rebellious spirit of rock and roll quite like Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1979 as Joan Jett sought to continue her musical career after The Runaways disbanded. With producer, songwriter and longtime business partner Kenny Laguna helping guide the project, Jett assembled the Blackhearts and built a band that would undergo many lineup changes while maintaining a consistent identity centered on direct, guitar-driven rock.

The Blackhearts emerged during a pivotal period when female-fronted hard rock groups were still rare, making Joan Jett a trailblazing figure for generations of musicians who followed. After Jett’s self-titled solo debut was rejected by 23 major labels in the United States, Jett and Laguna released it independently through Blackheart Records and pressed copies themselves, sometimes selling records out of the trunk of Laguna’s Cadillac after concerts. That do-it-yourself approach became part of the band’s identity as commercial success followed in the 1980s with songs including “I Love Rock ‘n Roll,” “Crimson and Clover,” “Fake Friends,” “Light of Day,” “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” “Little Liar,” “Good Music,” and “Everyday People.”

In 2015, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Joan Jett, Gary Ryan, Kenny Laguna, Lee Crystal and Ricky Byrd recognized on the group’s Hall of Fame plaque. The band’s influence extends well beyond record sales, and its history includes another unusual milestone: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts became the first rock band to perform a series of shows at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Their longevity has depended on a long list of musicians who brought punk attitude, hard-rock weight and classic rock structure to Jett’s songs.

Jett has continued to carry the Blackhearts name through changing musical eras without abandoning the direct sound and independent-minded approach that established the group in the first place. By 2026, the current lineup consisted of Joan Jett on vocals and rhythm guitar, Dougie Needles on lead guitar, Kenny Laguna on keyboards and backing vocals, Hal B. Selzer on bass, and Michael McDermott on drums.

Joan Jett

Joan Marie Larkin was born on September 22, 1958, at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, to James and Dorothy Larkin, and would grow to become one of rock music’s most influential figures. Often referred to as the “Godmother of Punk,” she became a rock icon through a career that combined punk attitude, glam-rock influence and the direct force of classic rock and roll.

Jett co-founded and performed with The Runaways from 1975 to 1979 before moving into a solo career and forming the Blackhearts as her backing band in 1979. Her determination to continue making music on her own terms led to one of rock’s longest-running artist-and-band partnerships. As the leader of The Blackhearts, she has remained the group’s rhythm guitarist, lead vocalist and central songwriter across every era of the band.

Jett’s songwriting and performance style drew from classic rock, punk and glam influences, creating a sound that was both rebellious and accessible. Her best-known recording remains “I Love Rock ‘n Roll,” a song originally written and recorded by the Arrows. Jett and the Blackhearts transformed it into a defining anthem that spent seven weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982.

Beyond her work with The Blackhearts, Jett has maintained an extensive career as a producer, songwriter and activist. She produced the Germs’ only studio album, (GI), and Blackheart Records later released recordings by a wide range of artists, including Metal Church and Big Daddy Kane. Outside music, Jett starred in the 1987 film Light of Day and has made numerous television appearances, including voice work on Steven Universe.

Rolling Stone included Jett on its 2003 and 2023 lists of the greatest guitarists of all time. Her career has produced eight platinum and gold records and nine Top 40 singles, while her reputation as a fiercely independent artist has become as important to her legacy as the chart statistics. Her 2015 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Blackhearts formalized a legacy that had already influenced multiple generations of rock musicians.

Jett also remained active as a producer and label owner, using Blackheart Records to support artists from outside the narrow stylistic lane associated with her own music. The label’s catalog has ranged from hard rock and punk to releases by Metal Church and rapper Big Daddy Kane. She remained active with the Blackhearts in 2026.

Kenny Laguna

Kenny Laguna stands as Joan Jett’s longest-running creative partner, serving as producer, songwriter, business partner and, in later decades, a performing keyboardist and backing vocalist with the Blackhearts. In 1979, while Jett was fulfilling an obligation connected to an unfinished Runaways film project, manager Toby Mamis brought Laguna in to help her write and record material. Their collaboration quickly grew into a long-term partnership.

Together, Jett and Laguna formed Blackheart Records after Jett’s first solo album was rejected by 23 major labels in the United States. Laguna’s role extended far beyond conventional producing duties. He helped Jett form the Blackhearts, shaped the band’s sound, co-wrote material, financed touring through outside production work and helped build the independent distribution system that kept Jett’s career moving when the major-label system had turned her away.

Jett and Laguna used their own resources to press copies of the Joan Jett album, with Laguna famously drawing on money that had been set aside for his daughter’s college education. They sold records directly at shows, including from the trunk of Laguna’s Cadillac. That grassroots distribution effort became one of the defining stories behind Blackheart Records and an early example of an artist-controlled label operating outside the traditional major-label structure.

Laguna remained central to the Blackhearts as producer and collaborator throughout the band’s career and later joined the performing lineup on keyboards and backing vocals. In 2015, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Joan Jett and the classic Blackhearts lineup. His partnership with Jett has now spanned more than four decades.

Gary Ryan

Gary Ryan was born Gary Moss and adopted his stage name upon joining the Blackhearts while still a teenager. Ryan was part of the Los Angeles punk scene and had played bass with local artists including Top Jimmy and Rik L. Rik before joining Jett’s new band. John Doe of X sat in on bass during the auditions held at S.I.R. studios in Los Angeles and pointed Jett toward Ryan, who had recently been staying with him.

Ryan had been a fan of The Runaways and Jett for years, and Jett recognized him at the audition. Despite his young age, his talent and familiarity with Jett’s music made him an ideal fit for the band’s rhythm section. Ryan became the Blackhearts’ bassist and remained through the group’s breakthrough and much of its most commercially successful era.

His bass work can be heard on key recordings from the early and mid-1980s, including I Love Rock ‘n Roll, Album, Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth and Good Music. Ryan’s playing provided the solid foundation that allowed Jett’s rhythm guitar, vocals and the band’s lead guitar work to retain a strong punk edge without losing the straightforward drive of rock and roll.

Before joining The Blackhearts, Ryan had run away to Hollywood at age fourteen because of his determination to pursue music. For roughly six months he lived in a shuttered Hollywood basement rock club that later became a rehearsal space, and for another period he lived in a Santa Monica Boulevard apartment with members of the band X. Those experiences placed him directly inside the Los Angeles punk community before he was old enough to have a conventional professional career.

After leaving the Blackhearts in the late 1980s, Ryan stepped away from the music industry and became a school teacher, a striking change from the years he had spent touring internationally as part of one of the decade’s most visible rock bands. He nevertheless remained connected to his former bandmates and returned to the Blackhearts orbit around the time of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

In 2015, Ryan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. His contribution during the group’s breakthrough period cemented his place as one of the essential members of the classic lineup.

Lee Crystal

Lee Jamie Sackett, better known as Lee Crystal, was born on February 3, 1956, in Brooklyn, New York, and became one of the most important drummers in The Blackhearts’ history. He grew up in Coney Island, across from the Cyclone roller coaster. When he was seventeen, he was hit by a car while riding a bicycle, and the settlement he later received helped him purchase his first drum kit.

Crystal studied with drummer Bernard Purdie and developed the disciplined backbeat that later became central to his work with Joan Jett. Before joining The Blackhearts, he had been a member of The Boyfriends, who recorded for Bomp Records and opened for bands including the Ramones and the Dead Boys at New York clubs such as CBGB and Max’s Kansas City. He also worked with former members of the New York Dolls before auditioning for Jett.

Crystal joined The Blackhearts in 1981 and played through the band’s peak commercial period, including I Love Rock ‘n Roll and the title track that spent seven weeks at number one in 1982. Crystal later summed up the attraction of the band simply when he said, “Joan Jett was what I needed. I wanted to play real rock ‘n’ roll.” His powerful, straightforward drumming provided the backbone for songs including “I Love Rock ‘n Roll,” “Crimson and Clover” and “Everyday People.”

In 1993, Crystal was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which eventually ended his performing career. After leaving the music business, he sold furniture in Manhattan and gave drum lessons from his home. One of the practical pieces of advice he gave students was to “get real familiar with your drums, because you’ll be hitting them,” a line that reflected the direct approach he had brought to the Blackhearts.

Crystal died from complications of multiple sclerosis on November 5, 2013, at age 57. His death came less than two years before the Blackhearts’ Hall of Fame induction, which preserved his place beside the other central figures from the band’s classic era.

Crystal was one of the Blackhearts recognized in the group’s 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. His name appears on the Hall of Fame plaque with Joan Jett, Gary Ryan, Kenny Laguna and Ricky Byrd.

Ricky Byrd

Ricky Byrd was born Richard Scott Bird on October 20, 1956, and became one of the most important guitarists in The Blackhearts’ history. At age twenty-one, Byrd joined the power-pop band Susan in 1977. Susan released Falling in Love Again! on RCA Records in 1979 and toured with artists including Graham Parker.

In 1981, when Joan Jett was looking for a guitarist to replace Eric Ambel, Byrd auditioned and immediately connected with the band. He joined the Blackhearts during the recording of I Love Rock ‘n Roll, playing lead guitar and singing backing vocals on the album that turned the group into international stars.

Byrd served as the Blackhearts’ lead guitarist from 1981 to 1991. During that decade he recorded guitar and vocals and co-wrote songs for albums including Album, Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth, Good Music, Up Your Alley, The Hit List and Notorious. His guitar work was heard on many of the recordings that turned the Blackhearts from a hard-touring club band into an international act, and his lead style helped define the group’s combination of punk directness and classic rock guitar playing.

During his time with The Blackhearts, Byrd struggled with drug and alcohol addiction but became sober in 1987 and remained with the band for another four years. After leaving in 1991, he signed with Sony Music Publishing and went on to work with artists including Roger Daltrey and Ian Hunter while building a solo career of his own.

After leaving The Blackhearts, Byrd continued to record, tour and share stages with an unusually wide group of artists. His career has included work with Roger Daltrey and Ian Hunter as well as appearances with musicians such as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and other major rock figures. He also developed a solo catalog that increasingly drew on his own experience in recovery.

Byrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in 2015. His years with the group represented his greatest commercial success, but they also became the foundation for a long career as a guitarist, songwriter and recovery advocate.

Eric Ambel

Eric Ambel served as The Blackhearts’ original guitarist before being replaced by Ricky Byrd during the recording of I Love Rock ‘n Roll. Gary Ryan recommended Ambel, who was also part of the Los Angeles punk scene and had played with Rik L. Rik. That connection helped shape the first Blackhearts lineup around musicians rooted in the same late-1970s punk community.

Ambel’s tenure was relatively brief but important in establishing the band’s early identity. He played the first Blackhearts shows, toured with the group and helped develop the raw, guitar-driven sound Jett wanted as she moved beyond The Runaways. The lineup built its reputation through heavy touring before the breakthrough album was completed.

The transition from Ambel to Byrd occurred at a pivotal moment as the Blackhearts were preparing the material that would become I Love Rock ‘n Roll. Although Ambel’s recorded contributions with the band were limited, his role in the formation period remains an important part of the Blackhearts’ history. He continued an extensive career as a guitarist, songwriter and producer after leaving the band.

Danny “Furious” O’Brien

Danny “Furious” O’Brien served as The Blackhearts’ original drummer before Lee Crystal joined the band. O’Brien came from the San Francisco punk scene and had played with The Avengers, bringing the aggressive, driving rhythmic approach of late-1970s punk into Jett’s first Blackhearts lineup.

That early lineup played shows at venues including the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, California, and the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood before touring Europe. The performances helped establish the Blackhearts’ live identity during the period when Jett was moving from her Runaways past toward the band she wanted to lead in the 1980s.

O’Brien left after the first touring period, and Jett, Gary Ryan and Eric Ambel moved to Long Beach, New York, where auditions brought Lee Crystal into the band. O’Brien’s time with The Blackhearts was brief, but he was part of the original lineup that helped launch the group’s live career.

Later Members and Current Lineup

Following the departure of members from the classic early lineup, The Blackhearts underwent repeated personnel changes as Joan Jett continued the band with new musicians. The rhythm section changed dramatically in the late 1980s when Thommy Price took over drums and Kasim Sulton moved into the bass position, while Ricky Byrd remained on lead guitar through the beginning of the 1990s.

The late-1980s period produced one of the band’s biggest commercial successes, Up Your Alley (1988), which included “I Hate Myself for Loving You.” The preceding Good Music album had also reflected the band’s broad network of collaborators, with appearances connected to artists including the Beach Boys, the Sugarhill Gang and Darlene Love.

As the 1990s progressed, Tommy Byrnes followed Ricky Byrd on lead guitar before Tony “Bruno” Rey took over the position. Bass duties passed through Phil Feit and Kenny Aaronson, and later lineups introduced Sean Koos, Sami Yaffa, Enzo Penizzotto and Acey Slade. Notorious in 1991 included a contribution from Paul Westerberg and marked the end of one major-label phase before Jett moved into the Warner Bros. period and continued reshaping the Blackhearts around new personnel.

The band remained active into the 2020s. Changeup was released on March 25, 2022, as the Blackhearts’ first acoustic album, and the six-song Mindsets EP followed on June 2, 2023 with the band’s first set of newly written songs in a decade. By 2026, the lineup consisted of Jett, Dougie Needles, Kenny Laguna, Hal B. Selzer and Michael McDermott.

Thommy Price

Thommy Price became one of the longest-serving drummers in Blackhearts history after joining during the mid-1980s. A Brooklyn-born drummer who had already worked with Scandal and Billy Idol, Price brought a powerful, polished approach to the band and played through the era that produced Up Your Alley, The Hit List, Notorious, Pure and Simple, Naked, Sinner and Unvarnished.

Price’s time with The Blackhearts stretched across decades, making him one of the musicians most strongly identified with the band after the original classic lineup. His work outside the group was equally extensive. He played with Scandal, Billy Idol and Blue Oyster Cult and recorded or performed with artists including Debbie Harry, Roger Daltrey, Ronnie Spector and others.

Price also formed the Price/Sulton project with longtime friend Kasim Sulton, stepping out from behind the drum kit to play guitar, sing and write original songs. The project reinforced the musical relationship between two players who would both become important parts of Jett’s post-classic Blackhearts lineup.

Price died on October 10, 2025, at age 68. Joan Jett remembered him as part of the Blackheart family and as a musician whose relationship with the band had spanned four decades.

Kasim Sulton

Kasim Sulton joined The Blackhearts on bass during the late 1980s after Gary Ryan’s departure. Already widely known through his work with Todd Rundgren’s Utopia and as a session musician, Sulton brought a high level of experience to the band during a period of major commercial visibility.

He worked with Jett during the transition into the Up Your Alley and The Hit List era and also maintained the Price/Sulton project with drummer Thommy Price. Sulton’s versatility as a bassist, singer and multi-instrumentalist gave the late-1980s lineup a different character from the Ryan-Crystal rhythm section that had preceded it.

Sulton’s time in The Blackhearts was part of the lineup shift that proved the band could continue successfully after the departure of key members from the early 1980s. He later continued a long career with Todd Rundgren and numerous other recording and touring projects.

Phil Feit

Phil Feit played bass with The Blackhearts in the early 1990s after earlier work with artists including Billy Idol and Riot. His tenure came during the period around Notorious, when Jett’s lineup was again changing after the late-1980s commercial resurgence.

Feit’s time with The Blackhearts was relatively brief, but it forms part of the chain of bassists who kept the band active through the transition from the CBS-associated years into the Warner Bros. period.

Kenny Aaronson

Kenny Aaronson became a Blackhearts bassist during the early 1990s and played with Jett during the Pure and Simple period. By then he had already built an extensive career with artists including Billy Idol, Billy Squier, Foghat, Brian Setzer, Dave Edmunds and Bob Dylan.

Aaronson was part of the lineup with Thommy Price on drums and Tony “Bruno” Rey on guitar. He appeared on Pure and Simple and toured with The Blackhearts during a period when Jett continued to combine punk-rooted material with straightforward hard rock. His career outside the group included work with Bob Dylan, Billy Idol, Brian Setzer, Billy Squier, Foghat and many other artists, making him one of the most experienced players to pass through the Blackhearts.

Tommy Byrnes

Tommy Byrnes became the Blackhearts’ lead guitarist after Ricky Byrd left the band in the early 1990s. Joan Jett identified the Notorious-era touring lineup as Thommy Price on drums, Kenny Aaronson on bass and Byrnes on guitar, placing him directly in the band during that transitional period.

Byrnes later stepped away from a Blackhearts tour when his daughter was being born, and Tony Bruno filled in for him. Bruno later recalled that the temporary substitution became permanent after Byrnes moved on to work with Billy Joel. Byrnes subsequently became a longtime guitarist and musical director for Billy Joel, making his Blackhearts period an important bridge between the Ricky Byrd and Tony Bruno lineups.

Tony “Bruno” Rey

Tony “Bruno” Rey became the Blackhearts’ lead guitarist during the early 1990s after Tommy Byrnes’ period with the band. Also known professionally as Tony Bruno, he had worked with bands including Saraya and Danger Danger before joining Jett.

Rey played on Pure and Simple and became an important part of the band’s live presentation during the decade. He later developed a major career as a guitarist, producer and musical director, working with artists including Enrique Iglesias, Rihanna and Cher.

Sean Koos

Sean Koos became the Blackhearts’ bassist during the second half of the 1990s and remained into the early 2000s. He was part of the period when Joan Jett and the Blackhearts continued touring steadily while the band’s recorded output became less frequent than it had been during the 1980s.

Koos appeared with Jett in live and video work and later remained active in rock music outside The Blackhearts. His tenure helped bridge the lineup from the mid-1990s into the band that would record again in the 2000s.

Dougie Needles

Dougie Needles, born Douglas Cangialosi, became the Blackhearts’ lead guitarist around the turn of the century and developed into one of the longest-serving musicians in the band’s history. Raised on New York City’s Lower East Side, Needles grew up listening to bands including The Who, the Ramones and The Clash and brought that punk-rooted approach directly into his guitar playing.

Needles played on later Blackhearts recordings including Naked, Sinner and Unvarnished, and his songwriting credits with Jett and Kenny Laguna include material from the Unvarnished era. He remained the Blackhearts’ lead guitarist in 2026.

Sami Yaffa

Finnish bassist Sami Yaffa joined Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in 2002 after a career that had already included Hanoi Rocks and several other rock projects. He toured with Jett through 2004 and played on Naked.

Yaffa left The Blackhearts when he joined the reunited New York Dolls in 2004. He later continued working extensively with Michael Monroe and maintained a solo career alongside his long history in punk and hard rock.

Enzo Penizzotto

Enzo Penizzotto joined The Blackhearts on bass after Sami Yaffa’s departure and became part of the lineup that toured through much of the second half of the 2000s. He played alongside Jett, Dougie Needles, Thommy Price and Kenny Laguna during a period that included renewed attention surrounding Sinner and the film The Runaways.

Penizzotto’s heavy bass sound fit the band’s direct live approach and helped anchor a lineup that remained highly active on the road. He also worked with Thommy Price in projects outside The Blackhearts.

Acey Slade

Acey Slade joined The Blackhearts on bass after Enzo Penizzotto and remained through the first half of the 2010s. Slade had previously played with bands including Dope and Murderdolls and brought a background in punk, hard rock and metal to Jett’s touring band.

He played bass on Unvarnished in 2013, an album that also featured Joan Jett, Dougie Needles, Thommy Price and Kenny Laguna. Slade later continued working with projects including Dope and various Misfits-related performances.

Hal B. Selzer

Hal B. Selzer became the Blackhearts’ bassist in 2015 and brought extensive experience as a performer, songwriter and producer into the band. He joined during the period immediately surrounding Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction and became a fixture in the group’s modern touring lineup.

Selzer remained the Blackhearts’ bassist in 2026. His playing, together with Michael McDermott’s drums, provided the rhythm section behind Jett, Dougie Needles and Kenny Laguna during the band’s recent touring years.

Michael McDermott

Michael McDermott became the Blackhearts’ drummer in 2016 after previously spending many years with punk band The Bouncing Souls. His background in punk gave him a natural fit with the direct, high-energy style that has always driven Joan Jett’s music.

McDermott remained the Blackhearts’ drummer in 2026 and continued performing alongside Jett, Dougie Needles, Kenny Laguna and Hal B. Selzer. His arrival established the rhythm section that carried the band through its most recent era.

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