SUQUAMISH — Lita Ford has been called a queen of heavy metal, a pioneer in female rock music whose work in the 1970s with the Runaways (“Cherry Bomb”) and her solo career that followed helped change perceptions of women and women in rock.
But at the time, she and her Runaways bandmates — which included Joan Jett — didn’t know they were breaking new ground.
“We just wanted to rock,” she said May 31. “We just wanted to play music. That was the goal … We were having a lot fun being teenagers; it was just part of who we were. It wasn’t, ‘Let’s get together and change the world,’ although now, so many years later, they’re giving me the award for changing the world, which is cool. But it just happened that way.”
Comparing today to then, though, she said of women rockers and the music industry: “It’s a lot easier to be taken seriously.”
Ford is now 58, a mom and an author, but still — in looks, voice and guitar artistry — resembles the blonde rock rebel of 30 years ago. She brings some new music with — in her words — “badass lyrics” and a “killer band” to Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort at 6 p.m. June 8. For tickets, go to www.clearwatercasino.com/whats-happening/entertainment.
Ford has recorded eight studio albums, two live albums, and one compilation album. Her 1988 single, “Kiss Me Deadly,” peaked at No. 12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
She took a 10-year break to raise her sons, started writing new music in 2010, and recorded the album “Living Like a Runaway” in 2012. Her autobiography of the same name was published in 2016 by Dey Street Books. Rolling Stone called it “Fearless. … A vivid account of life as ‘the one-and-only guitar-playing rocker chick who could shred like I did.’ ”
In reviewing her book, The Washington Post called Ford “Heavy rock’s first female guitar hero.”
“It’s a story about a girl growing up in the rock world,” Ford said. “It’s done real well on Amazon and did really well on our book tour. I’m really proud of it.
“The album I released in 2012, ‘Living Like a Runaway,’ was my comeback. The songs on that album describe what I went through and it made for some badass lyrics.”
Concertgoers will experience some of that on June 8 at Clearwater. “We usually play for a couple of hours, or until they throw us off the stage,” she quipped. “It’ll be a good couple of hours of jamming. Bobby Rock is a monster drummer; he plays a killer drum solo. I play some dueling guitars with Patrick Kennison. Marty O’Brien is on bass. It’s a great band; we could play anything and it would sound great.”
Suquamish is the fourth stop on Ford’s 2017 tour that is taking her to 12 states and Norway. She’ll begin 2018 at sea on the Monsters of Rock Cruise from Miami to Jamaica.
“You don’t always get a lot of sleep,” she said of touring. She’s familiar with the Evergreen State; she’s performed in Washington and, she added, the Metropolitan Grill in Seattle is one of her favorite restaurants.
She reviewed changes in the music industry since her days with the Runaways.
“Music is recorded differently. A lot of it is digital instead of analog, and there are so many things that do things for you. It takes away from you having to use your brain and think, because you have devices that do it for you.
“And it’s not just music — the way we build cars has changed. Cars talk to you: ‘Stop, you’re about to run someone over.’ In the ’70s, cars were beefy and if you hit something, you were safe. Now, even driving a new 2017 car, it’s like driving in a Coors can.”
She regrets that fewer schools are teaching music. “Music is a universal language. It needs to be brought out,” she said.
She was jazzed by this social advancement she was exposed to while flying.
“I was in a plane and something was wrong with the weather and the plane couldn’t take off,” she said. “The pilot came on and it was a woman. I freaked — ‘A woman is piloting the plane. How cool is that?’ ”
Free concert series
The resort hosts a series of free concerts on the lawn Thursdays in July and August.
July 6: Petty Thief (music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers).
July 13: Mullett (Tribute to the ’80s).
July 20: Jones & Fisher, voted No. 1 country band in Washington by “King 5’s Best of …” They’ve opened for Big & Rich, Trace Adkins, and Kelsea Ballerini.
July 27: DSB (Journey Tribute).
Aug. 3: Danny Vernon, Illusion of Elvis.
Aug. 10: Bonfire (AC/DC Tribute).
Aug. 17: Good Vibrations (Tribute to the Beach Boys).
Aug. 24: American Fool (Tribute to John Cougar Mellencamp).
Aug. 31: Ritmos Caliente (salsa and dance music).
The outdoor summer lawn concerts are family friendly; doors open at 5 p.m. and concerts start at 7 p.m. Bring blankets or lawn chairs. Food and drink are available on-site; outside food and drink are not permitted.
Fourth of July party
Clearwater’s Red, White & Boom Party in the event center begins at 7 p.m. July 4 and is open to guests 18 and older.
The night will feature a DJ, food and bar, a grand fireworks show and a live performance by 112. This R&B quartet from Atlanta, Georgia had the most success in the late 1990s and early 2000s. You may know them for hits such as “Only You,” “Anywhere,” and “Peaches and Cream.”
Would you like a chance to meet 112? Book a night’s stay the Fourth of July in Clearwater Resort Hotel and get two VIP tickets; this package can only be booked by phone. Call 360-598-8700.
For more information, go to ClearwaterCasino.com. Purchase tickets to the Red, White & Boom Party on Etix.com or at the Clearwater Casino Gift Shop.
