Lita Ford Talks JVC Mobile Entertainment's "Turn Me On 4: Decades" and More

"The new songs are coming out really kickass," says Lita Ford of her forthcoming music.

Is that really any surprise though? Ford has been kicking ass (and taking names) since forming The Runaways and then shooting to rock superstardom in the '80s with hits like "Close My Eyes". She's still penning arena-ready anthems and rocking crowds in the process. It's fitting that Ford plays a key role in JVC Mobile Entertainment's Turn Me On 4: Decades campaign alongside Candlebox, Puddle of Mudd, and Rev Theory. All of the other musicians undoubtedly look up to her, and she brings a swagger all her own to the video.

Lita Ford spoke to ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino in this exclusive interview about JVC Mobile Entertainment's Turn Me On 4: Decades and so much more.

What attracted you to the JVC Mobile Entertainment Turn Me On 4: Decades campaign?

The fact that I was included with these different generations attracted me. I actually came from the '70s and The Runaways days, when you really think about it. A lot of people look at me as coming from '80s since that's when I had my bigger hits like "Close My Eyes" and "Kiss Me Deadly". Those were all from the '80s. The JVC campaign was very well put together. I think it's going to be a wonderful thing for a lot of people from different generations. I talked to Wes Scantlin from Puddle of Mudd for a long time, and he was really cool! We were talking about our dogs, what we like to eat, and all of this whacky stuff [Laughs]. When they were filming, they told us just to act like we were having a conversation. Then we started rocking out when the band began playing. It was a lot of fun! I had a blast. It's a really cool video.

Did your segment of the video bring back a lot of memories?

It was hard to wear my hair like that [Laughs]. They poofed up my hair like I used to wear it in the '80s. I was like, "Oh my God, look at my hair! I've got to brush this out. I want it soft, shiny, and silky!" Instead, it was all aqua-netted out and sticking up like I slept upside down or something. It was totally how I used to wear it. They even put the black pieces under because I used to dye my hair black underneath. When we filmed it, the whole car was full of hair [Laughs]. You see a couple of faces bopping out, but it was mainly hair.

What was your favorite moment from the shoot?

They put me in an old red Camaro on the back of trailer. They pulled the trailer with a truck. The cameramen were on the side of the trailer filming me and the girls rocking out in the car. It was like we were driving, but we weren't. It was so much fun! I could just rock out. I was trying to make it look like I was really turning and stomping on the brakes. I hand the girl the Candlebox CD, and they cut from the '80s to the '90s. It was a perfect idea.

What was your signing story?

First of all, we were underage, and nobody really knew what to do or how to handle it. We didn't know how to hire an entertainment lawyer or anything like that. You've got to have an adult with you at all times when you're 16-years-old. We weren't allowed to play a lot of the venues that we played without adult supervision because they served alcohol. The bass player's mom toured with us, which was a riot. We ended up in these tiny clubs, and people like Tom Petty and Cheap Trick would open for us. We got to hang out with a lot of cool people like Alice Cooper, Queen, and Deep Purple. I remember growing up with all of the local bands on the Sunset Strip—Ratt, Mötley Crüe, Van Halen, and Guns N' Roses. It was the place to be.

—Rick Florino
06.03.11

Photo Credit: Heather Detert

Kevin Martin of Candlebox discusses the video here!

Rich Luzzi of Rev Theory talks about it here!

Oh, and you can watch it here!