The Runaways

The Runaways were an American all-female hard rock band that was active from 1975 to 1979. The group, initially consisting of Joan Jett, Michael Steele, and Sandy West, gained assistance from producer Kim Fowley. Over the years, the band experienced several lineup changes with various bass players such as Peggy Foster, Jackie Fox, Vicki Blue, and Laurie McAllister. Lita Ford joined as lead guitarist within the first year of the band's formation after auditioning for bass. Cherie Currie later joined as lead vocalist.

Disagreements among band members arose regarding their musical style. Joan Jett wanted to shift towards punk rock/glam rock while Lita Ford and Sandy West preferred to continue playing hard rock/heavy metal music. Unable to reach a compromise, these differences ultimately led to the band's breakup in April 1979 after their final concert on New Year's Eve in 1978.

In 1984, Kim Fowley assembled a new lineup under The Runaways name which included Gayle Welch, Missy Bonilla, Denise Pryor, and Kathrine Dombrowski. This incarnation released one single called "Heavy Metal Nights" (1984) and one album titled "Young And Fast" (1985) before disbanding shortly after.