The Ted Nugent/Joan Jett guitar discourse continues, with The Nuge going on the offensive following Jett’s recent remarks about the Motor City Madman.
To bring you up to speed: Nugent made some comments during a December 2021 YouTube livestream about how he disagreed with Jett’s inclusion on a Rolling Stone list of the greatest guitarists of all time and thought other guitarists deserved to be on it instead of her.
Nugent said, in part, “You have to have s— for brains and you have to be a soulless, soulless prick to put Joan Jett…[I] love Joan Jett — ‘put another diamond in the jukebox, baby’; great rock and roller — but as a top 100 guitar player, but you don’t list Rickey Medlocke or Dave Amato [REO Speedwagon]. Really?”
When Nugent’s comments were brought up to Jett during a recent interview with NME, she fired back with, “Neither should he. Is that his implication that he should be on the list instead of me? Well, that’s just typical – it’s what I’ve dealt with my whole life, being written off. Ted Nugent has to live with being Ted Nugent. He has to be in that body, so that’s punishment enough.”
She continued, referring to claims he evaded the draft during the Vietnam War, “He’s not a tough guy. He plays tough guy, but this is the guy who s— his pants – literally – so he didn’t have to go in the Army…So this is the tough guy who’s running around America, stirring things up against each other?”
Nugent has since responded to Jett’s remarks in a new YouTube video (below) where he says, in part, the following:
“I’m talking about top 100 guitar player list in ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine, and I mention that Joan Jett…I love Joan Jett and I mention how I love Joan Jett. I love her music! she’s the Real McCoy, down-and-dirty garage band. Joan, I love you! It’s real rock and roll. It’s awesome. Plus, I love lesbians. I think it’s cool. So, I praised her and I saluted her. I just said that Mark Farner should be on the list before Joan Jett because Joan Jett’s not a real fiery guitar player…
…I said nothing but nice things about her. But, Joan Jett can’t be on the Top 100 Guitar Players [list] before Rik Emmett of Triumph. She just can’t be, and Joni Mitchell’s on the Top 100 Guitar Players [list] on ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine, but not Derek St. Holmes, not Ricky Medlocke, not John Sykes, not Chris Duarte, not Jimmy McCarty.
I never mentioned me! Let’s pretend I play keyboards. [Laughs] I never said I should be on the list! I just said there’s a lot of killer guitar players that are really killer guitar players, and Joan’s just a good guitar player. She makes great music. It’s not as adventurous as I like, but she’ awesome! So, then she got wind of it and viciously attacked me personally, [saying] that I was jealous because I was not on it. I never mentioned I should be on it…
…With all due respect, Joan. I love you. I said I love her, but she’s on the greatest guitar player list, but Derek St. Holmes isn’t, Ricky Medlocke isn’t, Mark Farner isn’t. Jimmy McCarty’s not on the list, but Joni Mitchell is? I love you, Joni; for those who love folk music, you are the best. I love you! I’m not jealous that I’m not on, it’s just let’s be honest! How about some honesty?!”