Living Like A Runaway- An Interview With Lita Ford On Staying Confident Onstage, Girls In Rock and Guitars

Without Lita Ford, Joan Jett, Cheri Currie, Sandy West & Jackie Fox , women would not be accepted in the Rock genre today. It’s just that simple. The Runaways broke down barriers for women in the boy’s world of rock. They have opened the door for more women to get involved in the music industry, inspiring so many girls to rock out. They essentially made rock ‘okay’ for girls.

Lita Ford is by far the most iconic, talented female guitarist to have ever set foot on a stage. Lita, the former lead guitarist of The Runaways, started playing guitar when she was 11, influenced by the likes of Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix & Deep Purple. Since the breakup of The Runaways in 1979 , she has made a name for herself as a solo artist. Throughout the years, she has continued to put out hit after hit, working with the likes of Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue, Sixx AM) & Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath).

Her newest & 3rd live album, The Bitch Is Back, was recorded at The Canyon Club in Agoura, California ,featuring most of her greatest hits, including “Close My Eyes Forever” & “Kiss Me Deadly”, as well as a cover of her idol Elton John’s song , “The Bitch Is Back”.

TRACKLIST:

01. The Bitch Is Back
02. Hungry
03. Relentless
04. Living Like A Runaway
05. Devil In My Head
06. Back To The Cave
07. Can’t Catch Me
08. Out For Blood
09. Dancing On The Edge
10. Hate
11. Close My Eyes Forever
12. Kiss Me Deadly

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Lita Ford took time out of her busy schedule for an interview with us about everything from staying confident onstage & working with Ozzy to women being accepted in rock and the five albums that have been most influential to her throughout her career.

How do you stay confident onstage? You need to make sure you feel good with your self before you go on stage , so when you hit the stage , you are warmed up right from the get go. Ready to take on an audience. Make sure you look good, you sound good, a sound check is always helpful, make sure you have clothes and shoes , ”wardrobe” you feel comfy in, your favorite guitars and amps. Then let it fly. Never lose your focus on your band or the audience.
Do you like coffee and if so what is your favorite kind? I like coffee a lot. Especially in the morning, A White Choc Mocha, Sweet and creamy. Like my men.
What are your best and worst onstage experiences? I’ve never really had too many bad experiences on stage I never could handle. We try to keep it together on stage .
What advice do you have for aspiring musicians? Stay original and true to yourself. Don’t be a copy cat.
What are the 5 most influential albums for you?Black Sabbath, Are You Experienced?, The Who’, Who’s Next?, Deep Purple in Rock , Elton John, Yellow Brick Road. These were the albums I grew up on, but there were a lot more than five.
Out of everyone you’ve toured with, who has been your favorite?My favorite would have been The Ramones.
The Runaways were a groundbreaking band in rock music as far as helping make rock ‘okay’ for girls. How accepted do you think women are in rock today? Well, we are accepted now, which is huge, but we are not included in the same category as men. They have a female category and a male category. They don’t have an interracial category , so why should women be separated from the men? It’s not a down hill race. It’s only music. We should be equal. In equal categories.
What’s your favorite guitar that you own and what is included in your onstage set up/effects?I love my old BC Riches. They are iconic instruments, and identifiable . The double neck is one of a kind . Prototype. The effects on that guitar are built in. A Flanger in the 12 string neck , and a pre – amp in the bottom neck. I use the double neck for Close My Eyes, and Kiss Me Deadly. The Hamer Explorer takes you back to The Runaways days. The Warlocks take you back to the 80’s.
In the 80s , you had the opportunity to work with Ozzy Osbourne on “Close My Eyes Forever”. What was that like? Ozzy is a great talent. Crazy, but a great talent.
Who is your favorite guitarist? My favorite guitarists vary from year to year , right now I’d say it’s me and my guitarist Mitch Perry. The two of us together are a fantastic dueling vision to watch and to listen to.
How do you think the LA music scene has changed since the 70s & 80s? Everyone grew up. But we are mostly all ”still here rocking out”. Everything has changed , today is different no matter what it is… If I could go back in time, I would.
What’s your favorite song to play live and why? I don’t really have a fave song. I just love the rush of playing live. I’ve got a kick ass band. We are like rolling thunder together. That rocks my boat.