Lita Ford
Lita Ford
Lita Ford’s trailblazing career began in 1976 as the lead guitarist of the groundbreaking all-girl punk rock band, The Runaways, whose hard rock/punk edge spawned cult classics like “Cherry Bomb”, “Wasted” and “Queens of Noise.” Additionally, the band contributed a great Slade cover to the annals of rock with their rendition of “Mama We’re All Crazy Now”. Their legacy was re-ignited in 2014 when “Cherry Bomb” was featured in Marvel/Disney’s Guardians of the Galaxy. This earned a Grammy nomination, cementing the band’s enduring influence on rock music. In addition to the Guardians movie, Lita’s “Kiss Me Deadly” was part of the 2019 Captain Marvel movie soundtrack, which had Captain Marvel cast in a female role.
After The Runaways broke up in 1979, Lita had to reinvent herself. Lita influenced the shock rock world with her leather costuming (thank you Neil Merryweather) influencing bands like Motley Crue and WASP. Even her signature BC Rich guitars caught on with the aforementioned bands.
She launched her solo career in 1983 with Out for Blood, establishing herself as the premier female force in hard rock and heavy metal. Her follow-up album, Dancin’ on the Edge (1984), earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and produced her hit, “Gotta Let Go.” By 1988, she had become a household name upon the release of her multi-platinum, self-titled album, LITA XX. This huge album was produced by Mike Chapman (The Sweet, Tina Turner, Pat Benatar and featured the chart-toppers “Kiss Me Deadly” and “Close My Eyes Forever” (a duet with the late Ozzy Osbourne), the latter spending 25 weeks on the Billboard Top 10; a first ever top 10 for Ozzy. Lita is also proud to have been the first female on the cover of Lonn Friend’s RIP magazine – this was also to be the largest selling edition ever printed.
Lita went on to release Stiletto (1990), Dangerous Curves (1991), and Black (1995), producing more hits like “Hungry,” “Playin’ with Fire,” and “Shot of Poison”—and earning further Grammy nominations. The year 2012 gave us Living Like a Runaway and in 2014, including the Guitar Player Lifetime Achievement Award and the Guitar Player Certified Legend Award, she was also inducted into the Guitar Player Hall of Fame. Finally, Lita Ford was honoured as the First Lady of Rock Guitar at the She Rocks Awards in 2017.
Lita has appeared in film, television, and video games, and her 2016 Harper Collins memoir, Living Like a Runaway became a national bestseller, earning her the “Outstanding Writer” award by the Producers Choice Honors. Her iconic and influential B.C. Rich Warlock guitar was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s permanent collection in 2021.
Now more active than ever, Lita Ford is extensively touring across the United States and Europe. In addition to her relentless tour schedule, Lita is set to release a highly anticipated new album in 2026 which promises to deliver the fierce energy and signature guitar work fans around the world have come to love. This new album boasts a wealth of writing and production talent including Gary Hoey, mixing Max Norman, and including a duet written, produced, and sung with Jean Beauvoir.
With a legacy that spans nearly five decades, Lita Ford continues to inspire generations of musicians—solidifying even more, her place as an icon, pioneer, and true Queen of Rock.