Joan Jett has said that she won’t let disgraced singer Gary Glitter’s child sexual abuse claims stop her from performing her cover of his hit “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)”.
Jett – who rose to fame as a member of the Runaways in the Seventies – covered the 1973 hit on her solo album Bad Reputation, seven years after Glitter wrote and released it.
Glitter’s career ended in 1999, when he was convicted of downloading child sexual abuse material. Seven years later, he was found guilty of committing obscene acts with two girls, aged 10 and 11, and in 2015, he was convicted of attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one of having sex with a girl under the age of 13.
Despite Glitter’s crimes, Jett – real name Joan Marie Larkin – confirmed that she still performs “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)”.
When asked by The Telegraph whether “what we now know about Glitter” bothers her, Jett, 67, replied: “Of course it bothers me. But that’s not the context in which I’m singing it.”
She added: “If we want to start investigating everybody… One of my favourite bands is the Rolling Stones,” highlighting that they previously sung about “a 15-year-old”. The band’s 1968 track “Stray Cat Blues” tells the story of a man lusting after a 15-year-old groupie.
“I’m not condoning it at all,” Jett continued. “And if you listen to the words I sing. I’m singing different words from what he’s saying. I try to make it my own. But am I going to drop it after the fact, after I’ve had my own career with the song? No.”
She continued: “And if people want to come at me for that, do it. I’ve been come at for [more].”
Jett performed with The Runaways until 1979, at which point she went solo – with her first album, Bad Reputation, being well received. She went onto found Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, releasing 12 albums with the group.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Often referred to as the Godmother of Punk, Jett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 and continued to tour with the Blackhearts – with their UK tour starting on 2 July.
Glitter, now 82, was released from prison in 2023 after serving half of his 16-year sentence for one count of attempted rape, one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and four counts of indecent assault. However, he was incarcerated again after breaching the licence conditions of his parole by allegedly enquiring how to access the dark web.
It was reported in March 2024 that he was serving his sentence in HM Prison Risley, while last year, he was reportedly made bankrupt after failing to pay over £500,000 in damages to one of his abuse victims.