By M&C News Oct 24, 2006, 13:49 GMT
Runaways drummer Sandy West, who co-founded all-female iconic rock band with punk rocker Joan Jett in the 1970s, died on Saturday of lung cancer at a hospice in San Dimas – east of Los Angeles. West, who was 47, started the Runaways at 16 years old with Jett – the group’s singer and guitarist. The band also included fellow rock icon Lita Ford, and Cherie Currie. They saw huge success with hits like "Cherry Bomb" and "Born to Be Bad."
"We shared the dream of girls playing rock and roll. Sandy was an exuberant and powerful drummer," Jett said in a statement. "I am overcome from the loss of my friend. I always told her we changed the world."
West was born in 1959 and raised in Huntington Beach. She began her career on the drums after her grandfather bought her a drum kit. The Runaways, whose influence can be seen in current rock bands like The Donnas, headlined tours with other iconic bands like Cheap Trick and Tom Petty as the group’s opening acts.
West formed the Sandy West Band in 1979 after the Runaways broke up, and also released a solo CD. West also completed her memoirs before her death, but there is not set date for the book to be published.
"Sandy West loved her fans, her friends and family almost to a fault," Currie said in a statement. "It will never be the same for me again to step on a stage, because Sandy West was the best and I will miss her forever."
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