The story of Lita Ford - from her early years to The Runaways and a dizzying solo career
Содержание
Lita Ford - internationally acclaimed American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Her path to stardom Ford started out as a lead guitarist The Runaways. Later, the band would break up, and Lita would go on alone... She would embark on a successful solo career that peaked at the end of the 80-х. Over the decade, she would release a slew of hit singles and albums that would achieve a certain amount of success. However, her biggest breakthrough to this day remains her high-profile duet with "the godfather of heavy metal," Ozzy Osbourne.: track 1989 "Close My Eyes Forever" achieved the most success of Ford's solo career, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Where did the metal veteran's journey begin? We suggest to find out together!
Early years
In his interview. New York Times Ford said she chose the profession for a reason, recognising its solitary nature:
"I don't know why there are so few female metalheads... Yeah, face it: it's not a female industry. Hard rock is not a woman's music or job. But women like to listen to it, and I play a lot of songs that reflect the fact that I think like a woman, not a man..."
Lita Ford was born in 1958 year in Englandbut has grown in Long Beach, California. Her mother, Lisa, was a dietician at a local hospital, and it was she who encouraged her daughter to develop her musical abilities. When Ford was 11 years oldshe began taking guitar lessons. Soon she wrote her first song... Lita's mother recalled it this way:
"It was a beautiful Spanish play. I loved it..."
Discovering for the first time Jimi Hendrix As a teenager, Lita quickly changed her taste in music! She started listening to music by similar artists, including bands like Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. In their work she found a great source of inspiration ....
A breakthrough with the Runaways
Teenager Ford was invited to join the group Runaways as a guitarist. The novelty of an all-girl rock band, coupled with the talents of the members and the lead singer Joan Jett in particular, have rewarded the Runaways with success! Having released four studio albums and the iconic the hit "Cherry Bomb", the young ladies scattered... Ford's charisma prevented her from becoming a mere amateur, and influenced by the solo breakthrough of her idol Jimi Hendrix, she declared that she "wanted to be able to sing and play just like any man like Hendrix does!"
While exploring her voice, in parallel Ford struggled to support herself by working at a petrol station and selling perfume...
"I love money. And it sucks when you don't have a job!" - Lita recounted in one of her interviews.
She shared a flat with the future bass player. Mötley Crüe Nikki Sixom in Los Angeles, where they dined mostly on macaroni and cheese. Before her career took off, Ford worked as a fitness instructor at a gym, which largely explains her beautiful figure. However... she very often endured abuse from male metal guitarists. Her ex-husband, a guitarist. Chris Holmes told People magazine the following:
"She hates it when guys say chicks shouldn't play guitar. And that's totally fair. She plays better than 90 per cent of the guys I know..."
Solo career: the main stages of creativity
Influence Runaways is preserved in Ford's debut album, titled Out for Blood: she displayed the same brash, hard-edged approach to rock 'n' roll and black look Jett on romance.
Her second album Dancin' on the Edgerecorded with the drummer Randy Castilloand a keyboard player. Aldo Nova and the bass player Hugh MacDonald, contains the scores "Dressed to Kill," "Lady Killer," and "Run with the $.".
As critics noted, these songs convey "the general idea that we're not talking about sweet and tender things here." Though they called Ford "a first-rate rock guitarist" at the time, the 1984 year, they called her playing "thoughtful light metal tinged..."
Success with Lita!
В 1986 a career Ford has taken a sharp turn for the better with the release of her third album Lita! The platinum-selling record featured two top ten songs, including the gold single "Close My Eyes Forever" and popular "Kiss Me Deadly"…
Yes, yes! Exactly Ozzy Osbourne joined Ford in "Close My Eyes Forever"! Critical responses have been enthusiastic ....
New entries and new successes
Her next release, StilettoFord's image in the metal scene was only strengthened! Although the guitarist herself claimed that the album was boring and contrived, the critics were quite warm about it....
Stiletto was followed by the release of Dangerous Curveswho presented the singles "Shot of Poison" and "Black Widow.".
Personal life
In the middle of 1980s Lita Ford was engaged to Tony Iommi! He co-produced her album, which never came out... By the way: their relationship didn't work out either.
В 1990-х Ford married a guitarist Chris Holmes' WASPbut they divorced after a while. She later started dating the former lead singer of Nitro, Jim Gillette. The couple soon married after knowing each other for only a few weeks... They ended up having two sons. James and Rocco. They moved in Turks and Caicos Islandswhere Jim started a small property business. For ten years, Ford stayed away from music as she devoted time to her family and homeschooled her children for several years. Unfortunately, after 17 years together, Ford announced that she was filing for divorce... She claimed that Gillette incited her sons to physically assault her.
Conclusion...
Over the course of his career. Lita Ford Ford has experienced both dizzying highs and lows... However - the harsh critics never discouraged the heavy metal star from recording new albums! Ford has stood the test of the hard rock public, for which she already deserves respect...
"If you're good and you can stand your ground, they like you. Not so much, but I've had situations where the audience have tried to see if I'm going to break... They'll shout, insult... Just get over it, there's nothing wrong with that. I'm not going to cry and run off stage!"