Fanny

Germany, October, 1972

Photo by Heinrich Klaffs

June Millington: Guitar & vocals
Jean Millington: Bass & vocals

Nickey Barclay: Keyboards & vocals

Alice de Buhr: Drums

FANNY was a truly pioneering rock band, the first of its kind. The first all-female rock act to record an entire album for a major record label, and in fact recorded and released five albums for major labels. FANNY was the first all-female rock act to rise to real prominence in the US and Europe. Acknowledged by both the press and their many fans as an awesome live act,

Photo by Heinrich Klaffs

"The reason to drive 70 miles that night for a concert was the opening group. One of the few all girl groups which made a real good rock music were FANNY. We where driving to Frankfurt to see the worlds best Female Rock Band of that time. I can remember little about the concert."

Klaus Hiltscher: Mannheim, Germany

FANNY toured tirelessly for up to nine months of every year. In a career that stretched from 1970 to 1975, they had a string of hit singles and also played on the studio recordings of some legendary artists. In addition to their many live gigs, they performed on top music and variety television shows of the time, including The Old Grey Whistle Test, the Sonny and Cher Show, American Bandstand and The Beat Club, Germany’s most famous band program.

"Fanny was a girlband. They had a hit, I don’t remember the title but it was on a sampler LP, I think it was called 'Let It Rock For Release'. Their performance was really good, but the band didn’t really make it here."

Rolf Thalmann

Despite their success, FANNY were never quite superstars, but they prepared the way for women in rock. When they started out, the idea of young women as rock players was as unthinkable as the idea of women having the vote had been to earlier generations.

FANNY: Their career broke down the barriers for female musicians in rock, a legend whose legacy lives on in the women rock musicians of today.

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Thanks are due to Heinrich Klaffs whose photographs can be found on flickr. Much more info on Fanny at http://fannyrocks.com/ 

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