39 Years After ‘Heaven Is a Place on Earth’: Belinda Carlisle Looks Stunning at 68!

Belinda Carlisle began her musical career in 1977 as the drummer for the punk band Germs under the name Dottie Danger, but she soon had to leave the group due to an illness—mononucleosis. After a brief stint as a backup singer for Black Randy and the Metrosquad, she joined the Go-Go’s in 1978. There, she became a defining voice of the California rock ’n’ roll scene.

When the Go-Go's broke up for the first time in May 1985, Belinda Carlisle took the plunge into a solo career. At the same time, she managed to temporarily get her cocaine addiction under control, even though, by her own account, she didn’t fully overcome it until she was 47. This turning point laid the foundation for her later solo image.

In June 1986, she released her first solo album, *Belinda*, and in the music video for “Mad About You,” Belinda Carlisle appeared significantly more elegant than she had during her time with the Go-Go’s. The raw punk sound gave way to noticeably catchier pop with light rock accents. That same year, she married Morgan Mason, son of actor James Mason, who also appeared in her music videos.

October 1987 brought Belinda Carlisle’s biggest hit with the album *Heaven on Earth* and the single “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” which climbed to number one in the U.S., the U.K., and numerous other countries. The accompanying music video was directed by actress Diane Keaton, who featured Carlisle with red-dyed hair for the first time.

The album *Runaway Horses*, released in October 1989, fell short of expectations in the U.S. but once again reached the Top Five in the U.K. and Australia. The single “Leave a Light On” became another Top 5 hit there, confirming just how much more popular Belinda Carlisle was in Europe than in her native America. The song “La Luna” continued this trend in Germany in early 1990.

In late 1990, the Go-Go's reunited for a greatest-hits tour, during which Belinda Carlisle, along with the band, supported the animal rights organization PETA and an anti-fur campaign. In April 1992, during the Los Angeles riots, her son James Duke Mason was born. Because of her pregnancy, she decided not to go on tour for her album “Live Your Life Be Free.”

Following the success of the rock-oriented album “Real,” released in 1993, the Northridge earthquake struck Los Angeles in January 1994. Belinda Carlisle subsequently moved with her family to the south of France, while the Go-Go’s reunited briefly later that same year for a promotional tour. The move marked a deliberate retreat from the California spotlight.

Belinda Carlisle’s sixth album, *A Woman and a Man*, marked a major comeback for her in the United Kingdom and Australia in late summer 1996, with support from songwriters such as Brian Wilson and Per Gessle. The singles “In Too Deep” and “Always Breaking My Heart” both reached the British Top Ten, her biggest hits since 1990.

For her contributions as a member of the Go-Go's, Belinda Carlisle received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 11, 2011. The honor capped off a career that spanned from the punk scene to global solo success and several band reunions. It was a well-deserved recognition of one of the most iconic voices of the 1980s.

In 2026, at the age of 68, Belinda Carlisle will look back on a career that spans from the punk band Germs to the Go-Go’s and her solo global hit “Heaven Is a Place on Earth.” She remains an icon of the glamorous pop scene of the late 1980s and is celebrated for her musical versatility. Thirty-nine years after her biggest hit, fans still celebrate her distinctive voice and eventful life story. Not only does she still look great, but she also released another album (“Once Upon a Time In California”) in 2025.