Happy Birthday Jackie Fox

Jackie Fox was the best-known bassist of the groundbreaking all-female hard rock group the Runaways, performing on their first two studio albums. Fox was born Jacqueline Fuchs on December 20, 1959, in Los Angeles. Set to enter UCLA early, she instead joined the Runaways in late 1975, initially auditioning for the lead guitar slot but ending up on bass instead. Fox remained with the group for its first two albums, The Runaways and Queens of Noise, which most critics regarded as the band's best work; she also appeared on the concert document Live in Japan. Fox left the Runaways in 1977 as their summer tour of Japan was winding down. She recorded a few demos of solo material with future Slaughter bassist Dana Strum, but nothing further ever materialized on this front. Fox worked as a promoter around the L.A. music scene, and even for Tony Robbins for a time, before finally returning to UCLA to study linguistics. She later graduated from Harvard Law School, where her classmates included future president Barack Obama, and launched a successful career as an entertainment attorney under her real name. Fox reunited with Runaways bandmates Cherie Currie and Sandy West for a one-off concert in 1994, and ten years later co-produced the Runaways documentary film Edgeplay, which was directed by her replacement in the band, Vicki Blue. ~ Steve Huey

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