ArtistInfo

Roni Lee

Band, *1956 US
Singer / Musician of Rock
A.k.a. Ronnie Lee (3)

Roni Lee (a.k.a Ronnie Lee) was born Rhonda Lee Ryckman, November 15, 1956 in Los Angeles, California, is an American guitarist, singer-songwriter. She is most associated with her affiliation with Kim Fowley's first mixed gender punk rock band Venus and the Razorblades released on Spark Records as the female lead guitarist and vocalist. Her relationship with producer and creator Kim Fowley led to co-writing the Runaways (album) hit "I Wanna Be Where The Boys Are" released on the "Live In Japan" album in 1977 winning the Recording Industry Association of Japan Gold Record. Roni Lee, Kim Fowley, and the members of the Runaways Joan Jett, Lita Ford are all part of a movement that led the way in the music industry for women in rock. The Woman's International Music Network founded by Laura B. Whitmore gives credit to these pioneers, a genre that was once dominated mostly by men. In 2009 "The Runaways" movie was released. The film depicts how difficult the music industry was during that era for women. The ground breaking lyrics of the Fowley/Lee song "I Wanna Be Where The Boys Are" is a running theme during the film. In 2013 Roni Lee was granted an endorsement with Paul Reed Smith guitars for her distinctive style of playing as well as her place in punk rock's early history during the 1970's

Members

Lynn Sorensen b, bvoc, eb