Born Carmelita Rossana Ford, the British-born musician who later became an American Rock sensation was born on the 19th of September, 1958 in the city of London, England. She grew up in the city of Los Angeles. She later became the lead guitarist for the hard rock band comprising of all-girls, The Runaways. They released their debut album in 1976. With their provocative stage outfits, rebellious lyrics, and punkish sound the band shocked a vast majority of the people in the rock world, while at the same time achieving some mild popularity until their break up in 1979. Lita Ford then enjoyed a rather successful solo career playing heavy metal, with hits such as "Close My Eyes Forever" and "Kiss Me Deadly".
Brief History
Lita was born in 1958 to an Italian mother and British father in London. When she was four, her parents immigrated to the U.S., finally settling in L.A. She started playing the guitar aged 11. At the age of 16, Ford auditioned for the all-girl band, The Runaways. It was produced by Kim Fowley, and was a mixture of punk rock and teenage sex appeal. The other members of the group were so impressed with her talent that they made her the lead guitarist. Ford also performing at some of the local parties in California’s Long Beach. After releasing their first album, the band received much criticism for their wild style but gained much popularity in Japan.
Solo Career highlights
The Runaways later broke up in the year 1979. This prompted Ford to take voice lessons and go solo. She supported herself by doing various odd jobs, where she worked as a perfume saleswoman and fitness instructor. She broke into music as a heavy metal singer again in 1983 and produced her first solo album by the name “Out for Blood”. This was followed by “Dancin' on the Edge” the next year. She then went silent for the next few years and produced her most successful album yet, Lita, in 1988. The album featured her first hit by the name “Kiss Me Deadly” and her duet with the famous Ozzy Osbourne, "Close My Eyes Forever". Pop-metal had by this time broken through to the mainstream audiences, and her popularity skyrocketed.
Her success was quite short-lived. She stepped away from the spotlight for over a decade. She re-emerged in 2009 with her new studio album by the name “Wicked Wonderland”. Later that year, she toured the country with the heavy metal band by the name Queensryche.
Personal Life
In the late 80s, Ford married guitarist Chris Holmes, only to divorce after two years. In 1994, she married the singer from the Nitro band, Jim Gillette. They had two sons: James, who was born in 1997, and Rocco, in 2010. Ford moved away from the spotlight for a while and homeschooled her children while focusing on her marriage. In 2001, she and her husband got a divorce. This inspired her newest album titled Living like a Runaway.
Why her music is meaningful
Lita has one the most unique styles of all times. Her music is based on her personal experiences and is also quite entertaining. Many of the experiences she went through shaped her music career and inspired many of her songs. She also had an almost average life, especially when compared to other musicians in her genre of music. Unlike many of the other female musicians from her time, she never gave up even when the going got tough. Many of her songs are very personal and a reflection of her personality and style. Her music is not meant to please the masses and she does not bother to give the audience what is popular. Her uniqueness is what makes her phenomenal.
Works Cited
Ford, Lita. Lita Ford-NAMM 2013 Dean Markley. 31 January 2013. Print.
Vandome, Agnes F. Lita Ford. New York: VDM Publishing, 2010. Print.
