It was a night of surprises and heartwarming moments backstage at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, as feminist punk legend Kathleen Hanna met with Paramore’s Hayley Williams for a candid chat in front of a sold-out crowd.
Both stars, known for their unapologetic advocacy for women’s voices in music, captivated the audience during a conversation celebrating Women’s History Month and the opening of the Rock Hall’s new Revolutionary Women in Music exhibit.
The ticketed event, which sold out in just 20 minutes at $100 a pop, saw Hanna, 56, decked out in a “bird cage” hairstyle—an iconic look courtesy of the Rock Hall’s styling team.
The two musicians shared a palpable connection that left fans speechless—though, as Hanna shared, it’s almost unbelievable they only just met in person that night.
“We had emailed a couple of times before tonight,” Hanna confessed to PEOPLE after the on-stage interview. “I just said, ‘Hey, I love your work,’ and she responded. Then I asked her if she’d blurb my book, and she said, ‘Oh yeah, totally.’”
Hanna’s memoir, Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk, is a raw look into her life and the feminist punk movement she ignited in the ’90s. Williams, 36, was visibly moved throughout the event, clutching her heart at every sincere compliment Hanna showered upon her.
Hanna continued, saying, “She kept emailing me and telling me, ‘This part of the book made me feel this way.’ Her words came at the perfect time. I was in this isolated space while finishing my book, and it really lifted my spirits.”
The pair’s bond grew even stronger during their interaction, especially after the emotional support Williams offered as Hanna completed her memoir, which the punk icon admits was a deeply challenging experience. “It was painful to write,” Hanna explained. “I went to therapy twice a week during it.
I was living through so many intense emotions and receiving constant feedback from Hayley helped me push through.”
The women’s camaraderie didn’t stop there. Despite Hanna’s massive role in shaping feminist music, she had her own musical influences—and one of them happened to be the Spice Girls.
She humorously shared her reaction when the British pop band took the “girl power” mantra to the mainstream, a phrase originally coined in one of Bikini Kill’s fanzines. “It was very weird,” she laughed. “I was broke and punk, and they were everywhere in sequins!”
But despite the odd feelings at the time, Hanna eventually realized the power of the Spice Girls’ message, explaining, “It’s cool that they gave a voice to the idea that it’s okay to care about your friends over your boyfriend. A lot of people can relate to that.”
Hanna’s appearance and her heartfelt exchange with Williams underscored how influential these women have been to one another, transcending the barriers of genre and generation.
From emails to deep friendship, their bond is one for the history books, and it’s clear they’ll be continuing to lift each other up for years to come.
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