The Story Of: The Runaways

During one night in Sugar Shack, 15-year old Cherie Currie met Kim Fowley, Joan Jett and Sandy West. Manager and girls needed a singer for a band they were forming. Short audition with Cherie followed, one in which Jett started writing „Cherry Bomb” a song that would later define Currie and become their trademark. When it was over, Cherrie was asked to join a band.

"I was thrust into fronting a band," she later recalled. "I'd never really sang. I'd never been on stage with a live band. It was like being in the center of a hurricane, everything was moving so fast."

She had all good reasons to feel that way. A couple of weeks later band singed contract with 'Mercury Records'. Few weeks later in 1976 they were in the studio recording songs for their self titled album.

Band members included Joan Jett on rythm guitar and vocals, Sandy West on Drums, Lita Ford on lead guitar, Jackie Fox on bass and Cherrie Currie as lead singer..

„Queens of Noise” their second studio album and „Live in Japan” were released over the next year (1977). Band never topped any charts in the U.S. , however their influance was clearly seen especially in Japan where they had some kind of comercial success.

Unfortunatly nothing lasts for ever. After just 3 years in 1979, The Runaways officialy broke up mainly because of diffrences in musical point of view. Joan Jett wanted the band to change their style and to play more punk/glam rock music. While Sandy and Lita wanted to continue with the genere they started with. Neither would accept the others course of thinking .

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