There arent very many all-girl bands that achieve the kind of success The Runaways did in the late-70s. Unfortunately, fame and stardom lead to egos, and the girls parted ways just two years after releasing their first album. Their story was so unique it was made into the 2010 film that shared the band's name. The girls partied hard and argued even harder, over everything from musical direction to finances. Their breakup started with the departure of Kim Fowley, who the band accused of verbal abuse and being a control freak. The dissolution continued, with key members falling away one-by-one. Finally, Joan Jett left over musical disagreements with Lita Ford and Sandy West, permanently ending one of the boldest all-girl bands in rock history. If many of the names sound familiar, its because they are like The Yardbirds, The Runaways proved to be a breeding ground for future rock and roll megastars. All former members remained active, joining up with bands like The Bangles. Lita Ford became a popular heavy metal performer, and among her career highlights are a duet with Ozzy Osbourne. Joan Jett, meanwhile, formed The Blackhearts and dominated much of the early 80s. Knowing how big these names became after The Runaways broke up, its not hard to imagine one single band being unable to contain them for long.
Kyle Schmidlin is a writer and musician living in Austin, TX. He manages the news blog at thirdrailnews.wordpress.com. Follow him at facebook.com/kyleschmidlin or twitter.com/kyleschmidlin1.
