Los Angeles-born Cherie Currie entered rock history on November 30, 1959, as the lead vocalist for the groundbreaking all-girl band the Runaways. The initial offer to join had gone to her twin sister Marie Currie after Kim Fowley and Joan Jett spotted her in a club, yet Marie declined, allowing Cherie to audition and secure the front-woman position. A record contract followed quickly, though the group faced dismissal as a mere novelty act, an impression reinforced by Currie’s provocative stage outfits. She appeared on the band’s first three albums—The Runaways, Waitin’ for the Night, and Live in Japan—the last of which documented their strongest commercial breakthrough, complete with multiple gold certifications and an intensely devoted fan base in that country. Domestic sales remained modest, with the records barely registering on American charts, but the Runaways’ stature later grew as critics recognized their foundational role in shaping subsequent generations of women in rock.
Currie exited the lineup in 1977 amid reported friction with Fowley and guitarist Lita Ford. Despite the strained relations, Fowley still helmed her 1978 solo debut, Beauty’s Only Skin Deep, which nevertheless failed to expand her reach. Two years afterward she teamed with Marie Currie for Messin’ with the Boys, recruiting seasoned session musicians including members of Toto; the album likewise made little commercial impact. Currie then turned toward acting, landing a part in Foxes opposite Jodie Foster, already on her way to an Academy Award. Her depiction of a troubled adolescent drew favorable notices and opened doors to further screen work, among them an uncredited cameo in This Is Spinal Tap—later reinstated for the DVD edition—and the lead in the 1983 cult science-fiction feature Wavelength, along with numerous voice-over assignments.
In 1989 she co-wrote the memoir Neon Angel: The Cherie Currie Story, which later served as source material for a 2010 film about the Runaways. A 1998 anthology titled Young & Wild gathered tracks from her Runaways tenure and solo releases, while in 2001 she produced and performed on an album by Katt Lowe & the Othersyde.
