Lita Rossana Ford is an American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. She was the lead guitarist for the all-female rock band the Runaways in the late 1970s, and then embarked on a successful glam metal solo career that hit its peak in the late 1980s. The 1989 single "Close My Eyes Forever", a duet with Ozzy Osbourne, remains Ford's most successful song, reaching No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Ford performing in 2023
Ford performing with The Runaways in 1976
Ford performing on 19 December 1988 in the 'Olympiahalle' venue of Munich, West Germany
Ford performing on 27 June 2009
The Runaways were an American all-female rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. Formed in 1975 in Los Angeles, the band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are "Cherry Bomb", "Hollywood", "Queens of Noise" and a cover version of the Velvet Underground's "Rock & Roll". Never a major success in the United States, the Runaways became a sensation overseas, especially in Japan, thanks to the single "Cherry Bomb".
The Runaways in 1976 (clockwise from top left): Lita Ford, Sandy West, Jackie Fox, Joan Jett, Cherie Currie
Joan Jett in the 1980s
Micki Steele in 2003
Cherie Currie in 2010