From teenage trailblazer to legendary icon, Lita Ford’s journey is one of rock’s most compelling transformations. As the fiery lead guitarist of The Runaways in the mid-1970s, Ford shattered barriers in a world that rarely welcomed women with electric guitars.
Her searing riffs gave the band its hard edge, and when she stepped into the 1980s as a solo artist, she forged a new identity, glamorous, powerful, and unapologetically loud. Over the years, Ford became a symbol of both rebellion and resilience, inspiring generations of women to pick up the guitar and be loud and unapologetic.
Lita grabbed her guitar, claimed her place in rock and never looked back. These pictures trace her evolution, from fearless teenager with a dream to a true queen of rock stardom.
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Before the fame, Lita was just a California teenager with a dream too loud to ignore.
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A teenage Lita unaware she would soon help redefine women in music.
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Her wild ride into rock was side by side with her parents supporting her.
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In The Runaways, Lita Ford helped kick open the door for women in rock, carving her place in music history before she was even twenty.
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Lita and Cherie Currie rocking Hollywood in 1977.
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With Joan Jett, making The Runaways' raw and revolutionary sound.
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Her time in The Runaways forged her identity as a guitar-legend.
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Breaking away from The Runaways, she reinvented herself with a harder edge.
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She became the face of 80s rock rebellion.
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A candid moment of Lita in her tour bus.
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Even in her teens, her focus and intensity made her get what she wanted.
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Ford’s solo performances established her as one of the most powerful guitarists of the decade.
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Every note came with fury.
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Her duet with Ozzy on ‘Close My Eyes Forever’ became her biggest hit.
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Sharing stages with legends, Ford proved she belonged in the pantheon of great guitarists.
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She thrived in balancing her image and musicianship.
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Unapologetic, larger-than-life, and unstoppable.
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Lita Ford proved that women could rule the music world on their own terms.
