The Runaways Legacy

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About The Runaways

In the early 1970s there weren't a lot of all female bands playing rock music. Many teenagers longed for a group that could personify their lives. In 1976 they got one, and the music industry got a band that would cultivate a legion of fans and inspire thousands of musicians over the next several decades.

Music producer Kim Fowley wanted to work with an all girl rock band. Drummer Sandy West and guitarist Joan Jett wanted to form an all girl band. When they got together the story of The Runaways began. Along with lyricist Kari Krome, Fowley, Jett and West started looking for other teenage girls that shared their vision.

Michael Steele joined the band in 1975 as a bass player and vocalist. They recorded several demos that would later be released as the Born To Be Bad album.

After several shows guitarist Lita Ford joined the band after originally trying out on bass. In the span of one week she quit before returning for good.

The band continued to play in Hollywood and Laguna Beach, but soon experienced their first departure. Michael Steele left and would pop up again in another successful all female band: The Bangles. Bassist Peggy Foster came in to take her place.

Jett and Fowley were on the lookout for a lead singer and found her at a popular teen disco called The Sugar Shack. Twin sisters Cherie and Marie Currie stood out, and while Marie declined the chance to audition, Cherie jumped and became the band's new singer.

After Foster left, bassist Jackie Fox joined the group. The Runaways were now solidified with a guitarist who had tried out on bass and a bassist who had originally tried out on guitar. The original five piece recording lineup was in place.

In early 1976, The Runaways were signed to Mercury Records and the media immediately gave them the name "Jailbait Rockers." Soon the band claimed the cover of Who Put The Bomp! magazine and released their first album in June. Dissension was already starting to form, heightened by the solo shot of Cherie on the album's cover.



Undeterred, they hit the road and started putting together a hardcore fan base. In September their signature song, "Cherry Bomb," appeared in the movie Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway. The following month they toured Europe. They started amassing more press, posters and magazine covers.

Touring continued through early 1977 and didn't stop after their second album hit shelves. Queens of Noise was a strong second effort and lead to a famous tour of Japan.

Seven shows from that tour were mixed and mastered in Tokyo and released as Live In Japan but Jackie Fox would not be around to support it. She left the band after the Japanese tour and was replaced by Vickie Blue. Soon after, Cherie Currie left the band as well, and Jett took over the position of lead vocalist.

The new group toured extensively for the Waiting For The Night album but it failed to chart. Fowley left abruptly and new management was hired. In September of 1978 And Now...The Runaways was released with another lineup change: Vickie Blue left and was replaced by Laurie McCallister. This lineup would record the videos for "Mama Weere All Crazy Now" and "Saturday Night Special," but in early 1979 the band would break up for good.



The Runaways were only together for a few years but their impact still resonates. Joan Jett would go on to form The Blackhearts and has been releasing albums and touring ever since. Lita Ford went solo in the mid 80s and recorded regularly until 1995. After releasing a live album she left the industry to focus on her two sons, but has recently started performing again. Cherie Currie released several solo albums of her own and embarked on a career as an actress. Jackie Fox became an attorney while Vicki Blue entered the world of filmmaking. Michael Steel had a run on the charts with The Bangles and Laurie McCallister recorded with The Orchids. Sandy West continued to play and formed The Sandy West Band but sadly passed away from cancer in 2006.

West's death helped shine a light on what The Runaways legacy is today. Fans packed The Knitting Factory in Hollywood for her tribute concert in December of 2006, and a loaded roster of bands including The Donnas, The Bangles, Cherie Currie, Kanary, Michael Des Barres and legendary drummers Carmine and Vinny Appice played for hours in her honor. News of her death appeared in papers, magazines and television shows all over the world.

In 2007 a renewed push began, spurred by fans, to get The Runaways inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Time will tell if that will happen but one fact remains: over 30 years after their formation, The Runaways still impact modern music. Dozens of bands still highlight them as influences, and thousands of musicians across the world trace their inspiration back to the day they heard "Cherry Bomb," "Queens of Noise" or "Neon Angels On The Road To Ruin" for the first time. The Runaways legacy is not yet complete. The fans won't allow it.

Bio written by Christy Lindsay, © 2009, all rights reserved.