Lzzy Hale pays tribute to ‘inspiring’ Lita Ford

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Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale says going on tour with Lita Ford made her realise she’d made the right career choice

Lzzy Hale
Lzzy Hale (Image credit: Getty)

Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale has called Lita Ford an inspiration, and says she couldn’t have had a future in the music industry without Ford’s trailblazing career.

The pair were on tour together across the US earlier this year – and Hale says seeing the former Runaway in action had a profound impact on her as she watched from the sidelines.

Hale tells Guitar World: “She’s like one of my foremothers of rock. This woman is one of the few that never quit, that never gave up regardless of what she had to go through.

“We had a lot of talks on tour about how she literally kicked the door down. She was telling me stories of things she had to go through – just because she was a girl in rock – that I’ve never had to go through. The reason I never had to go through them is because she had to. So I owe a lot to this woman.

“There were so many times along the way where she could have said, ‘Fuck this, I’m out.’ But she’s still doing it, at 57, in her bright red leather pants. It was like, ‘Man, I have no excuse at all to not keep going.’ It was very, very inspiring to play with her.

“She made me realise that I’m supposed to be here, and I’m supposed to do this – this is where I need to be.”

Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale has called Lita Ford an inspiration, and says she couldn’t have had a future in the music industry without Ford’s trailblazing career.

The pair were on tour together across the US earlier this year – and Hale says seeing the former Runaway in action had a profound impact on her as she watched from the sidelines.

Hale tells Guitar World: “She’s like one of my foremothers of rock. This woman is one of the few that never quit, that never gave up regardless of what she had to go through.

“We had a lot of talks on tour about how she literally kicked the door down. She was telling me stories of things she had to go through – just because she was a girl in rock – that I’ve never had to go through. The reason I never had to go through them is because she had to. So I owe a lot to this woman.

“There were so many times along the way where she could have said, ‘Fuck this, I’m out.’ But she’s still doing it, at 57, in her bright red leather pants. It was like, ‘Man, I have no excuse at all to not keep going.’ It was very, very inspiring to play with her.

“She made me realise that I’m supposed to be here, and I’m supposed to do this – this is where I need to be.”

Ford admits she hadn’t heard Halestorm until a week before the tour began, but says when she did, she regarded it as her “payoff” for years of forging her own path in the music world.

Ford adds: “Once I heard them, it was like, ‘This was meant to be.’ This is the payoff for fucking kicking open that door. Lzzy is such a Lita fan, and standing next to her onstage, I could feel that. It’s mind-blowing for me.

“It’s the ultimate compliment. There’s my reward – I just soak it up. I love her so much. She’s down to earth and real. There’s no arrogance about her, or anything like that. She’s so cool.”

Ford launched her book Living Like A Runaway: A Memoir in April, while Halestorm are currently on the road across North America.

Halestorm 2016 tour dates

Jul 22: Kansas City Starlight Theatre, MO
Jul 23: St. Louis Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, MO
Jul 24: Fort Wayne Parkview Field, IN
Jul 26: Rogers Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion, AR
Jul 27: Tulsa BOK Center, OK
Jul 29: New Orleans UNO Lakefront Arena, LA
Jul 31: Austin Cedar Park Center, TX
Aug 02: Bossier City CenturyLink Center, LA
Aug 04: Nashville Ascend Amphitheatre, TN
Aug 07: Brooklyn The Amphitheater at Coney Island, NY
Aug 10: Columbia Merriweather Post Pavilion, MD
Aug 12: Gilford Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, NH
Aug 13: Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena, CT
Aug 14: Erie Erie Insurance Arena, PA
Aug 16: Chicago First Merit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, IL
Aug 18: Detroit DTE Energy Music Theater, MI
Sep 01: Canfield County Fair, OH
Sep 07: Sao Paulo Maximus Festival, Brazil
Sep 10: Buenos Aires Maximus Festival, Argentina
Oct 06: Dallas Gas Monkey Live, TX
Oct 08: Colorado Springs Pikes Peak Center, CO
Oct 09: Salt Lake City The Complex, UT
Oct 11: Tempe The Marquee, AZ
Oct 12: San Diego House Of Blues, CA
Oct 14: Reno Silver Legacy Casino, NV
Oct 15: Sacramento Ace Of Spaces, CA
Oct 17: Spokane Knitting Factory, WA
Oct 21: Billings Shrine Auditorium, MT
Oct 22: Minot State Fair Center, ND
Oct 23: Duluth Pioneer, MN
Oct 25: Kalamazoo State Theatre, MI
Oct 26: Toronto Phoenix, ON
Oct 28: Montreal Metropolis, QC

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Scott Munro
Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.