Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway

Foreword by Joan Jett

“Details the band's short, messy history and the struggle with addiction that nearly claimed Currie's life.” —Entertainment Weekly

At the tender age of fifteen, Cherie Currie became the lead singer for The Runaways, an all-girl punk rock group formed in 1975. Cherie and her bandmates—Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Jackie Fox, and Sandy West—were quickly catapulted from playing small LA clubs to selling out major stadiums during an amazing time in punk rock. With her signature Bowie-haircut and fishnet stockings, Cherie lit up the stage, singing hits such as “Cherry Bomb,” “Queens of Noise,” and “Born to Be Bad.” She toured with bands such as the Ramones, Van Halen, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Cheap Trick, and Blondie, and hung out with the Sex Pistols.

The Runaways were the first all-girl rock band to have hit songs, record platinum albums, and tour internationally. But behind the scenes they were still five teen runaways, thrown into a decadent, high-pressure world. Neon Angel is a no-holds-barred look at their fascinating rise, filled with stories of sex, drugs, violence, exploitation, and rock ‘n roll.

“Jett was raw, Currie refined. Jett looked like a biker, Currie like a porcelain doll. Jett was punk before anyone called it punk, while Currie had a sometimes-unaccountable affection for sappy ballads. But as with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, this combination worked.” —San Francisco Chronicle