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Lita Ford, a name synonymous with the world of hard rock, was a trailblazer in a predominantly male world. As she once explained, “Rock and roll is basically a man’s world. You have to play, sing and shake your ass on stage – and not be afraid to let your make-up run”.
h/t: vintag.es
Born on 19 September 1958 in London, England, Ford moved to the United States at a young age and began playing guitar at the age of 11. At the tender age of 17, she became a founding member of the legendary all-female hard rock band The Runaways. After the group disbanded in 1979, Ford embarked on a solo career in which her guitar skills earned her the respect of her peers.
Ford’s first two albums, Out for Blood and Dancin’ on the Edge, were relatively successful. In 1985 she was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Performance for ‘Gotta Let Go’. By the late 1980s, however, the “arena metal rock” genre was in decline.
After a four-year hiatus and a switch from Mercury Records to RCA Records, Ford returned with her most commercially successful album, 1988’s Lita. The album featured her first commercial hit, “Kiss Me Deadly”, and a duet with Ozzy Osbourne, “Close My Eyes Forever”, which gave both artists their first top ten single.
Ford’s journey in the male-dominated world of heavy metal has been nothing short of extraordinary. She has not only survived but thrived by simultaneously fulfilling the stereotypes of both sexes. Her legacy as a hard rock queen continues to inspire many young artists today.
Here are some amazing photos of a young Lita Ford on stage in the 1970s and 1980s