LEE AARON
The Hamilton Spectator - January 24, 1992


Sexy rocker Lee Aaron cleans up her act:

WHO: Lee Aaron

WHERE: Legends, 1911 Barton St. E.

WHEN: Tonight

TICKETS: $13 at the door

LEE AARON wasn't happy.

After a decade of struggling to build a career based on integrity, the leather-lunged hard rock singer was shocked when she turned the page of music industry trade weekly The Record and saw a full-page ad for her recent hit, Sex With Love.

'The ad said something like, 'Hear sex on the radio. Watch sex on TV. Have you had your sex today?,' recalls Aaron. 'I thought it was unbelievably tacky, and I stormed into the record company offices very livid.

'Rather than listening to the song, which presents a light message about old-fashioned morals, they missed the boat completely. Maybe that's what the market reflects, but that's not what I want to be about.'

'Not everyone is going to see things from the same set of eyes,' continues Aaron. 'But you think everyone would be working towards the same goal. Occasionally you feel they're not listening.'

In a male-dominated business where attractive women are often judged on their sexuality before their talent, Aaron has been working on a perception reversal.

'I know I'm a victim of the trappings,' said Aaron. 'But that's what Bodyrock was all about. The idea was, 'Let's take all the cliches and make them fresh and funny so they wouldn't be cliches anymore.'

The experiment worked, for Bodyrock was Aaron's breakthrough album and sold over 200,000 copies in Canada. Her latest album, Some Girls Do, has surpassed gold (50,000 copies) and is nearing platinum (100,000 copies).

But even better news is that Aaron may finally be on the verge of a U.S. deal. She returned earlier this week from a European music industry conference in France, where she headlined a Canadian talent showcase.

As a result, the powerful U.S. majors are finally knocking on her door.

'One label wants to release the album in February,' reports Aaron, who christens Legends tonight.

Both the Bodyrock and Some Girls Do albums might be combined for the U.S. release, with tracks being remixed, she added.

If it happens, there isn't anyone who deserves it more. Aaron has been at it for over 15 years and seven albums. She survived a gruelling road grind of over 330 dates a year at the start of her career. She's also endured the mistakes of a controversial pin-up shoot in a skin mag and the stigma of being stereotyped a 'metal queen.'

As a survivor, Aaron finds her creative output the most rewarding.

'When you're making albums that you're proud of,' said Aaron. 'A lot of it's due to (songwriting partner and guitarist) John Albani, as well as myself. Things always fluctuate, but at least I have a career. I'm making a good living doing something I really enjoy.'

Aaron, who finished her European tour last fall and will undergo promotional tours in Australia and Japan as well as the U.S., says things have never looked better.

'I feel I'm just on the verge on my career breaking wide open.'

NICK KREWEN
The Hamilton Spectator ©