The Runaways stretched out on a Los Angeles beach in April 1976. Left to right: Lita Ford, Cherie Currie, Jackie Fox, Sandy West and Joan Jett.
Joan Jett and drummer Sandy West started the band in Los Angeles in 1975 with Kim Fowley behind them, and by 1976 the classic lineup was in place. Their debut album, The Runaways, came out that year, opening with "Cherry Bomb," sung by a 16-year-old Cherie Currie.
They never broke big at home, but they were a sensation in Japan. All five went on to long careers in and out of music, with Joan leading the Blackhearts to "I Love Rock 'n Roll" and Lita scoring solo hits of her own.
We lost Sandy West in 2006, at just 47.
Photo: Michael Ochs Archives
🎸 The Runaways were huge in Japan, where their 1977 tour produced the album Live in Japan. Did you ever see The Runaways live? 🎸
ALT The Runaways, five young women lying side by side on a sunny beach smiling at the camera, ocean and cliffs behind them.