Kim Fowley, who created, managed and produced girl rock band The Runaways, has died at the age of 75.
He’d been fighting bladder cancer for some time, and had been cared for by Runaways frontwoman Cherie Currie in recent years – despite a history of acrimony and legal battles.
Fowley is also remembered for co-writing a number of successful songs, including Runaways anthem Cherry Bomb, Alice Cooper’s Escape and Kiss’ King Of The Night Time World and Do You Love Me.
Currie said last night: “Just before 8am this morning, Kim passed away at home with his wife Kara by his side.
“I am so blessed that I got to know you again, Kim – really get to know you on a personal level, and that we became friends. Mostly, that you spent time here at my home. It’s a time I will never forget.
“The last record you made is in good hands, and I’m so glad that record is mine. Thank you for starting my career when I was just a child. You are a genius. You are loved. Rest in peace, my friend.”
Bandmate Lita Ford tweeted: “My first manager, my start in the music industry, my first band put together by Kim. Sometimes I wonder if there would ever have been a Lita Ford without Kim Fowley.”
Three years ago the impresario announced he was “preparing for death,” adding: “Every six months wires, cameras and instruments of pain go in through the penis all the way up to my stomach. They take out elements of my body. To deal with that kind of Auschwitz intrusion on your body in a hospital setting is horrifying.”
He was played by Michael Shannon in the 2010 movie The Runaways, based on Currie’s autobiography, and described the actor’s work as “the performance of a lifetime.”
