Lita Ford Essentials

Guitarist and singer Lita Ford first blew away rock fans with her driving riffs as a founding member of The Runaways. That all-female band became a cult sensation in the ‘70s, with legions of punk and metal fans paying homage to this day. Though she was never afraid to express her sexuality with the full-tilt excess of rock 'n' roll, Ford also never compromised as a musician. Her chief influence as a guitarist was Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore, and though her style is all her own, Blackmore's beefy crunch can be heard in her playing—she still records with a pick he gave her decades ago.