Jan Kuehnemund

Jan Kuehnemund
Birth name Janice Lynn Kuehnemund
Born (1953-11-18)November 18, 1953
St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Died October 10, 2013(2013-10-10) (aged 59)
Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Genres Hard rock, Glam metal, Pop rock
Occupation(s) Guitarist, Singer
Instruments Guitar, backing vocals
Associated acts Vixen (1973–2013)

Janice Lynn "Jan" Kuehnemund (November 18, 1953[1] – October 10, 2013) was an American lead guitarist who founded the all-female hard rock/glam metal band Vixen.

Life and career

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Kuehnemund formed Vixen in St. Paul in 1973. She moved the band, along with singer Janet Gardner, to Los Angeles in 1981.[2] The band gained notice by appearing in the 1984 teen film Hardbodies under the on-screen name Diaper Rash.[3] She eventually added Roxy Petrucci on drums and Share Pedersen on bass, the lineup that signed to EMI Records. They released their self-titled debut, Vixen, in 1988. The band toured with the Scorpions, Ozzy Osbourne, and Bon Jovi, and appeared in Penelope Spheeris' 1988 film, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years.[4]

The album Rev It Up followed in 1990, along with tours with Kiss and Deep Purple. The band's album sales declined and they were dropped from their record label. Vixen disbanded in 1991, but formed again in 1997 without Kuehnemund,[3] while she was working on side project Drawing Down the Moon. Kuehnemund sued and won the rights to the band's name.[5] She then continued the band in 2001 with new members, and toured and released Live & Learn in 2006. Gardner, Petrucci, and Pedersen formed their own band JanetShareRoxyGina (aka JSRG) with guitarist Gina Stile. The group's most well-known lineup did reunite in 2004 to perform for VH1's Bands Reunited.[4]

Kuehnemund died in Colorado Springs, Colorado on October 10, 2013 after a 10-month-long battle with cancer. Her age at the time of her death was widely reported as 51.[4] St. Paul's Pioneer Press published that she was 59.[3] The United States Social Security Death Index supports that age, listing her birth as 18 Nov 1953.[6]

Discography

Studio albums
Live albums
Compilation albums

References

  1. ↑ "Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VCNT-C6F : 6 May 2014), Janice Lynn Kuehnemund, 18 Nov 1953; from "Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2004); citing Ramsey, Minnesota, United States, Minnesota Department of Health, Minneapolis.
  2. ↑ Reimenshneider, Chris (October 18, 2013). "Obituary: Jan Kuehnemund - St. Paul rocker led Vixen to MTV". Star Tribune. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Raihala, Ross (November 11, 2013). "Memorial for Vixen guitarist this week in North Branch". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 Stingley, Mick (October 11, 2013). "Jan Kuehnemund, Guitarist for All-Girl Metal Band Vixen, Dies at 51". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  5. ↑ "VIXEN Guitarist Talks About Band's New Lineup". Blabbermouth.net. June 28, 2005. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  6. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HJ4-8GX : 20 May 2014), Janice L Kuehnemund, 10 Oct 2013; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
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