Kim Fowley: The Mind Behind ‘The Runaways’ And Innovator of Girl Rock, Dead at 75
Hollywood rock icon and star maker Kim Fowley, best known for producing the all-girl rock band The Runaways, died at 75 on Thursday after a long battle with cancer. Peermusic CEO Ralph Peer made the announcement on Thursday, stating, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Kim Fowley. It’s been an honor to have Kim be a part of the peermusic family and we will always remember his spirit and creativity.”
“With a career in the music business spanning over fifty years, Fowley was a singularly unique figure in the realms of rock history.”
Kim Fowley’s friends and colleagues turned to Twitter to mourn and remember his death.
Kim was a friend, he taught me so much. I am very sad.
— Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (@joanjett) January 16, 2015
Kim Fowley was a Mentor, Producer and above all My Friend. I will Miss Him and Honor His Memory with My Performances pic.twitter.com/YArhRuqORB
— TheFabulousMissWendy (@TheFabMissWendy) January 16, 2015
The guy who booked me my first gig in West Hollywood when I was 15, RIP Kim Fowley. You are a legendary weirdo and I'm grateful I met you.
— Liz Huett (@lizhuett) January 16, 2015
Kim began his dubious career by writing songs for both himself and other acts, producing and working behind the scenes in various ways. Fowley had a style all his own and compromised for no one. If you look, you will see how Fowley put his fingerprints all over the Hollywood music scene.
In 1960’s, Kim helped a string of odd hits and artists land airtime. Fowley was behind the success of The Rivington’s hit single “Papa Oom Mow Mow,” then went on to work with Paul Revere and the Rangers, The Byrds, and Frank Zappa. Most notably, Fowley wrote songs for both Alice Cooper and Kiss. He also released his own proto punk album, Outrageous, which was well ahead of its time.
As he was seeking to tap the well of resources in Hollywood, the gangly, orange-clad Kim Fowley discovered Joan Jett. He then created The Runaways by introducing Joan Jett to drummer Sandy west. After bringing in front girl Cherie Currie, lead guitarist Lita Ford, and Jackie Fox on bass, Fowley not only had a talented rock band, but also group of young attractive girls he could exploit to mutual benefit. He then went on to produce the group’s music. Fowley even co-wrote their biggest hit, “Cherry Bomb,” as a way for Cherie to audition for the group.
The figure of Kim Fowley is not without controversy. Fowley had Cherie dress and act as provocative as the others were aggressive. It was a winning formula, and no matter how inappropriate it was to dress a 16-year-old in fishnet stockings and corset, it grabbed the world’s attention and propelled them to fame. After just two short years, the band imploded, thanks in no small part to Fowley’s relentless harassing of Currie and turning the rest of the girls against one another.
Kim Fowley understood that in order to be real rock n roll band, you had to understand the fundamentals of stage presence and have attitude. Kim would go as far as to regularly insult the girls and throw garbage cans at them during rehearsals because “it might happen one day in Germany.” Despite the fiendishness of his method, Kim Fowley had a talent for creating an impression and cultivating a great performance.
It’s no secret that there was a lot of tension in the band as a result of Kim Fowley’s mix of abrasiveness and genius, and as a result, years after the band broke up, Cherie was embroiled in a bitter lawsuit with Fowley. Nevertheless, it was Cherie who was at his bedside, nursing him as he battled his cancer.
Despite the controversy surrounding the life of Kim Fowley, he is a figure that will be missed. Those who knew Fowley say that he was a good producer and a good friend. It can even be said that he invented girl rock. In the end, Kim summed up his presence rather well during an interview in 2012 with the San Diego Reader.
“It’s necessary for a band to have charisma, and it’s necessary for a band to have a Kim Fowley in there someplace. The behind-the-scenes people are as much a part of rock ‘n’ roll as the guys onstage…. Kim Fowley is a necessary evil.”
