Hilary talks with June Millington of Fanny (the first “all-female” rock band signed to a major label in 1969) about the Institute for the Musical Arts, how playing guitar is like being a nun, and music as a tool for overcoming shyness.  [replay interview]

New content: Hilary covers the problem with “nagging wife” guitar memes.

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BIO

June Millington “one of the hottest female guitarists in the industry” (Guitar Player Magazine) has been making music since she was a child playing ukulele in her native Philippines. Having moved from Manila to California in the early sixties, she and her sister, bassist, Jean, turned in their folk guitars for electric and formed a succession of all-girl bands. By ’69 they were in Hollywood with their band, Fanny, which was one of the first all women’s rock bands to be signed to a major label (Warner Brothers). As David Bowie said of the group in an interview in Rolling Stone: “They were one of the finest fucking rock bands of their time… They were extraordinary: They wrote everything and they played like motherfuckers… They are as important as anyone who’s ever been, ever.” (January, 2000)

Fanny played with major artists like Chicago, BB King, Dr. John, the Kinks, the Staples Singers, Ike & Tina Turner, & Chuck Berry- and recorded at Apple Studios with Geoff Emerick, the Beatles’ engineer. June left the band in 1973 and continued to record and perform both with her sister and on a number of solo albums. She has also produced many artists including Cris Williamson, Holly Near, Mary Watkins, Melanie DeMore, Bitch and Animal, and Joel Zoss. She is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Institute for the Musical Arts (IMA), a non-profit organization for women and girls which hosts Rock ’n Roll Girls Camps in the summer.

June released her autobiography “Land of a Thousand Bridges: Island Girl in a Rock ’n’ Roll World” in June of 2015 resulting in articles in Pitchfork, MS Magazine, Newsweek, and NPR. She continues to perform, write, and record and teaches at the IMA, as well as colleges and universities in North America.

JUNE’S MENTIONS

Angela Davis / Roma Berin / Laurie Anderson / Leslie Ann Jones / Skywalker Sound / LeeAnne Ungar / Kathryn Willmore / Carol Kaye / The Svelts / Sister / Rosetta Tharpe / Gibson / Fender / Richard Perry / Jeff “Skunk” Baxter / Lowell George / Sneaky Pete Kleinow / Elliott Randall / Steely Dan / Kent Henry / Stepphenwolf / Holly Near / Cris Williamson / Bonnie Raitt / Maria Maldar / Isis / Birtha / May Pang / John Lennon / Pete Seeger

JUNE’S LINKS

June’s IMA Fundraiser

Induct Fanny Into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame FB Group

June’s Podcast

Institute for the Musical Arts

MID-RIFF LINKS

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Email Newsletter

Blog

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED

Psychology Today Therapist Finder

Zencare

BetterHelp

CREDITS

June’s Bumper Track: “Play Like a Girl” by June Millington

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri