Hot Happenings:

Lita makes a guest appearance on the new album by national recording artist LOU. The track "I Want To Be Loved" co-written by Lita, Lou and long time Lita collaborator Michael Dan Ehmig features Lita on Vocal and guitar. The song is featured on Lou's new album "The Other Side" and is available in stores everywhere. The track is also available on Itunes.

Lita  was born on September 19, 1958, in London, immigrating to the U.S. as a young child. She started playing the guitar at age 11.  At age thirteen she went to her first Black Sabbath concert, the seeds of her love for metal being firmly planted. Five years later at age 16, she joined The Runaways a hard rock  band with a punk edge. Performing
"Highway Star " during her audition, Lita was brought in as lead guitarist. ( Fellow band member Joan Jett  was on rhythm guitar and later became lead vocalist for the group )  Although The Runaways failed to score higher than the bottom of the charts in the U.S. they were very popular in Japan and embarked on a successful tour in Japan. Lita
stayed with the band until it's demise in 1979.

Lita took voice lessons, supporting herself through a variety of jobs gas station attendant, perfume salesperson, fitness instructor, hairdresser while pursuing her solo career. Her debut album, "Out for Blood",  came out in 1983  followed by Dancin' on the Edge in 1984.

In 1985 Lita received a Grammy nomination  for "Gotta Let Go" in the Best Female Rock Performance category and was later voted Best Female Guitarist in 1989 by Guitar magazine.

But it was not until 1998 with the release of " Lita" did she score a hit.  "Kiss Me Deadly" and the duet with Ozzy Osbourne entitled "Close My Eyes Forever," were hits. The latter scoring both artists their first top ten hit.  

On her fourth album, Stiletto, Lita released a touching tribute to her mother Lisa who passed away in 1991 just a few short years after Ford lost her father. The video was filled with images of Lita and her mother who had been her biggest supporter.

Since than Ford has released several more albums but has not been able to match the success of Lita released in 1988. Lita's career has also inspired countless women to follow in her footsteps.

© January 2005 The Cover Zone