Joan Jett: ‘When I’m away I FaceTime my two cats’
Something hit me physically, hearing a guitar. When I reached pre-puberty, 11, 12, rock’n’roll started to break through on the radio, and my ears picked up where they didn’t before. I started to notice songs like Bang a Gong by T Rex, or All Right Now by Free. I wanted to make those sounds. That was how it started.
The Runaways were hardcore, man. I had a clear vision: I wanted to form a girl rock’n’roll band. There’s no reason girls can’t do it. Girls just weren’t supposed to because it wasn’t “lady-like”. Our first gig was at a house party. I don’t really remember it. Once we were a five-piece line-up – me, Lita Ford, Cherie Currie, Micki Steele, Jackie Fox – everything felt more comfortable. Everything felt right.