LITA FORD Says THE RUNAWAYS 'Carved The Path' For Women In Today's Rock Scene

'80s hard rock queen Lita Ford was recently interviewed on "The Five Count" radio show in Mankato, Minnesota. You can now listen to the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether she ever second-guessed her choice to leave THE RUNAWAYS:

Lita: "No, I never second-guessed anything. I knew exactly what I was doing and I knew exactly… I followed my vision of what I heard and what I saw in my future. Going through THE RUNAWAYS was… it was almost like going to college to learn how to be whatever it is that you wanna be in life, and mine was heavy metal rock and roll. So, as a guitar player, and as a female, it was a challenge; it still is."

On whether it was tough for her to gain respect from her peers and be seen as an equal when she was first starting out:

Lita: "Not really. I mean, it was for some people… Some people would give me a bad… You know, 'Girls don't play guitar.' They would give me some cocky attitude. But mostly, my fellow musicians were very supportive. Record companies were so-so. They would say, 'Lita, take some of that makeup off,' or, 'Put some pants on,' and I would just say, 'No. That's not who I am. I'm not this Little Goody Two-Shoes; I'm a rock and roll, guitar-slinging chick, and that's who I am. If it doesn't work for you, then maybe I'm on the wrong record label.' So I had to fight to be who I am. I had to fight to get over those hurdles and learn how to stick up for myself and take no crap from people who were trying to create somebody that they saw in a different light. It was a journey."

On women being more prominent in the rock scene today compared to how it was in the '70s and '80s:

Lita: "I think THE RUNAWAYS carved a path for these women. Obviously… If you look at some of them, they almost look identical to us, which is great. I'm very happy about it, and glad that there's more women today in the rock scene. But I think THE RUNAWAYS carved the path, and now the other girls get to walk it. And I'm sure they still have their ups and downs, because it's a man's world; it always will be, I think. And us women, we have to stick together. So it's a challenge. But I love a good challenge."

Lita will release a new album, "Time Capsule", on April 15 via SPV/Steamhammer. The CD is a "throwback" record that boasts identifiable voices and brilliant players jamming without any planning or pressure. Some of the album's highlights: Billy Sheehan (bass),Rodger Carter (drums),Dave Navarro (mandolin),Jeff Scott Soto (vocals),Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander (backing vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass).

"Lita Ford - Living Like A Runaway: A Memoir" came out on February 23 via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books),an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. In this 272-page hardcover book, which was originally expected in 2014, the former lead guitarist of THE RUNAWAYS opens up about the '70s and '80s music scene, and her extraordinary life and career.

Photo credit: Dustin Jack