Hello, My Name Is Lita
Q&A With Lita Ford
IE: I’ve noticed a lot of Runaways imports in the record stores. That seems to be really hot right now. What is your involvement, if any, in the upcoming Runaways biopic?
Lita Ford: We’ve had a bit of a falling out, and I just don’t care to be a part of it . . . I don’t know if it’s going to have much to do with rock ‘n’ roll, which to me, if I were to do a movie, it would be about rock ‘n’ roll music — not [about] being a lesbian or whatever you want to call it. Not that I have anything against lesbians. I don’t.
IE: With your music video “Kiss Me Deadly,” you were marketed as a sex symbol. Do you regret that?
LF: I think rock ‘n’ roll is a very sexy type of music, whether you’re a girl or a guy. I don’t regret that at all. I think it’s fantastic. I’m very flattered.
IE: What should we expect with Wicked Wonderland?
LF: It’s really heavy. It’s really high energy. Love, hate, sexual bondage — we’ve opened the doors to our bedroom, so to speak. It’s awesome. It’s the best album I’ve ever done.
IE: “Close My Eyes Forever” has to be the darkest ballad of the pop-metal era. Did the PMRC ever get on your back?
LF: Never. We had a bit of picketing at one of the Mississippi shows, which is kind of the Bible Belt of the United States. That was about it, really. That song was just written in fun. Me and Ozzy were playing pool, and we just kind of accidentally wrote it. I guess that’s how the best things come out.
IE: In the liner notes to Lita, you wrote, “Follow your heart and you will last forever.” Do you still feel that way?
LF: I really do. I think you need to follow your heart. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t go with it. If something feels right, then you gotta go with it. It’s like listening to your intuition. People were always telling me: “Don’t play guitar like that. It’s too heavy. Don’t wear that. You’re wearing too much blush. You have too much eyeshadow.” It’s like: “You know what? Fuck you. This is who I am. This is who I want to be.”
IE: What is the one question everyone always asks you?
LF: “Have you seen Joan lately? What’s Ozzy like?”
IE: And your answer?
LF: “Go ask them!”
Lita Ford is planning to self-release Wicked Wonderland in mid-September. She plays Bridgeview Musicfest on July 4th. Q&A by Mike Meyer.
