The Runaways were a rock and roll phenomenon in the1970s.

Before The Go-Gos and The Bangles broke into the mainstream, this teenage, all-girl group summarized riot-grrrl empowerment well ahead of its time with blazing guitars and bombastic beats. The Runaways quickly gained notoriety. With a line-up that included guitarist Lita Ford and Cherie Currie on vocals, the Runaways had no shortage of dynamic personalities. Within a year, they were touring Europe in support their debut album.

Bands like Cheap Trick, Talking Heads, and Van Halen were opening for them. The Runaways’ second European show, in 1976, was in support of “Brum Rock,” an annual festival in Birmingham, England. (Brum is a locals’ slang name for Birmingham.) In the1960s, Birmingham was a hotbed of developing talent: The Moody Blues, The Move, Black Sabbath and others trace their origins to Brum. Of all the Runaways alumni, Jett has had the most enduring and broad success.

With the Blackhearts, she’s had nine Top 40 singles (including the #1 hit “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll”) and eight Platinum and Gold records. She’s starred in film (most notably “Light of Day” with Michael J. Fox) and on stage (she was in the original Broadway production of “Rocky Horror Picture Show”).