Lita Ford
I often saw pinups of Lita Ford in my rock magazines but really had no clue what she was all about. Was it a chick gimmick? You know. Dress her up all sexy so the guys love her even if she can’t play. Or was she a true musician? I remember a female saxophone player looking all slutty on her album cover just to sell her album. Yeah, I know. Sex sells. I didn’t buy the album. She didn’t really play that well and I didn’t like how she made herself a whore just to sell her album. Anyway, back to Lita Ford. Turns out this chick is the real deal. Read on.
Born in London (“IN LONDON!!” I hear Joey Tribianni’s voice.) on September 19, 1958, Lita Rossana Ford moved to Long Beach, California when she was in the second grade. She began playing guitar shortly after, at age 11, after being inspired by the guitar playing in Deep Purple. Isn’t everyone’s first guitar song Smoke on the Water?
The Runaways
Lita Ford was so awesome that she was recruited for the all-girl group The Runaways when she was only 16. I was still playing in the dirt when I was 16. There was a difference of opinion as to what direction the group should move in. The Runaways member Joan Jett wanted to do punk rock but Lita wanted to continue doing hard rock. The group eventually ended in 1979.
Solo Lita
Lita Ford began working on a solo career once The Runaways ended. Her first solo album came out in 1983 and pretty much flopped, but Lita was persistent. Her second album did a bit better and had a single from that album chart. She was movin’ on up. Lita released the album, Lita, in 1988 and it was a huge success.
Lita Trivia
- She is three days older than Runaway’s band mate Joan Jett. Jett was born September 22, 1958.
- Lita dated Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue in the 80’s. I think everyone dated Nikki Sixx.
- Guitar Magazine voted her Best Female Guitarist in 1989. Umm….were there a lot of female guitarists back then?
- Lita was engaged to Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath.
- Lita has been married twice. Her first marriage was to W.A.S.P. member Chris Holmes.
- She has two sons with her second husband, Jim Gillette.
- Her most successful album, Lita, went platinum.
- She released her autobiography in 2016. The introduction to “Living Like a Runaway” was written by Dee Snider of Twisted Sister.
At the age of 60, this rocker chick seems to still be doing her thing. Rock on, sistah sistah.
Check out the Lita pinups available in my eBay store.