Sandy West of The Runaways

I got home last night from the excitement of seeing The New York Dolls to find an email with the sad news that Sandy West has died of cancer. The message was:

Sandy West, drummer for the influential 70s band The Runaways, has died after a long battle with lung cancer. She left an indelible mark on rock music as a founding member of The Runaways, which featured fellow rockers Joan Jett, Lita Ford and Cherie Currie, and as a leading inspiration for a number of notable musicians, both male and female. Many young musicians can trace their inspiration directly to the first time they heard "Cherry Bomb." She will be remembered by more than one generation of fans as a strong part of their musical landscape. But Sandy's impact was felt far outside of the music industry as a loyal friend, loving confidante and strong defender of those she loved most. Her strength as a player, passion as a person, and dedication as a friend will be remembered always by friends, fans and fellow musicians alike.

Runaways vocalist and life-long friend, Cherie Currie had this to say, "Sandy West was by far, the greatest female drummer in the history of rock and roll. No one could compete or even come close to her, but the most important was her heart. Sandy West loved her fans, her friends and family almost to a fault. She would do absolutely anything for the people she loved. 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."

Now, I'm not going to pretend I was a big Runaways fan or even that I knew her name - I didn't. It's partly that that makes this news so sad. I've merrily bounced along to 'Cherry Bomb' over the years and particularly earlier this year when I re-discovered it - it's a great track and The Runaways were an important band - but I didn't know who any of them were other than Joan Jett (for her work after she left them) and Cherie Currie (for wearing lingerie onstage - well, I was young!). Who ever knows the names of drummers? And that makes me a little bit sad. I know her name now when it's too late.

I'm listening to their 'Best Of' at the moment, nice and loud - the Queens of Noise, indeed.