Believe in yourself: Matters of the heart with Runaways rocker Cherie Currie
Cherie Currie definitely knew that rock ‘n’ roll was in her DNA after witnessing David Bowie soundly trounce his would-be competitors on the hallowed Diamond Dogs Tour in 1974. Within a year and a half, at the urging of controversial manager-producer Kim Fowley and the incomparable Joan Jett, the all-female, still influential Runaways were born. While immediate bona fide success eluded them in the states, Japan was another story, with sold out concerts, all-night parties, trashed hotel rooms, and intoxicating drugs on every corner.
Inner band turmoil, financial mismanagement, and substance abuse governed Currie’s hand-wringing decision to leave the band in late 1977. A largely unrealized short solo career and a stalled acting career — although Foxes with a teenage Jodie Foster is worthy of rediscovery — gave way to wilderness years in the ’80s. Currie found personal happiness when she beat her addictions, became a mother, and gained a handsome paycheck to boot as a talented — believe it or not — chainsaw chick.
In 2010 the punk rockers were immortalized by Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning on celluloid, reviving interest in Currie’s musical aspirations. She experienced a tentative return to recording with digital singles “Some Velvet Morning” and the piston pumpin’ “Rock This Christmas…
