Cherie Currie

Early life

Currie was born to Don Currie and actress Marie Harmon. She was raised in Encino, California. She has an identical twin sister, Marie Currie.

Currie and her twin sister were given a role on an episode of My Three Sons at the age of two. They were due to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" with Fred MacMurray but they froze during filming and their part was cut from the show. Before Currie and her twin sister rose to fame, they appeared on American Bandstand as background dancers.

Career

The Runaways

In 1975, when she was 15 years old, Currie joined the all-female rock band the Runaways, performing as lead vocalist. Her bandmates were Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Sandy West, Jackie Fox and Vicki Blue. Bomp! magazine described her as "the lost daughter of Iggy Pop and Brigitte Bardot".

Solo

Currie recorded three albums with The Runaways, The Runaways, Queens of Noise and Live In Japan. She signed a four-album deal with Mercury, but left The Runaways after the third album. To fulfil her contract, she recorded Beauty's Only Skin Deep for Polygram Records as a solo artist. Marie Currie was featured on the track "Love At First Sight".

Cherie and Marie Currie

After Currie left The Runaways at age seventeen, she performed in clubs in Los Angeles. Marie joined her onstage for encores, which drew a positive response from audiences. When Marie joined Cherie on a promotional tour in Japan, they had the idea of recording an album together. They recorded Messin' With The Boys for Capitol Records, released in 1979. "Since You Been Gone", a cover of the Russ Ballard song, reached number 95 on the charts.

Cherie and Marie performed on television shows in the 1980s including Sha Na Na, The Mike Douglas Show, and The Merv Griffin Show. They wrote and produced songs for the soundtrack of the 1984 film The Rosebud Beach Hotel. They acted and sang together in the film. In 1991, Cherie and Marie Currie performed a tribute concert to Paula Pierce, a member of The Pandoras. For the final song, the remaining Pandoras backed the Curries. Currie performed at The Runaways' reunion in 1994 with Jackie Fox and Sandy West. Her sister Marie joined the three Runaways on stage and performed with the band.

In 1998, Cherie and Marie held a concert at the Golden Apple, in support of their re-released version of Messin' With The Boys. Cherie's ex-bandmate West joined Cherie on stage to perform some of the Runaways songs. The Curries and West signed autographs after the show. In 1998, the compilation Young and Wild was released. Another compilation, 80s Collection, was released in 2000 by Times Square Productions.

Film and television

Cherie starred in the film Foxes in 1980 with Jodie Foster, and received strong reviews for her acting debut. She also appeared in Parasite, Wavelength, Twilight Zone: The Movie, The Rosebud Beach Hotel (with Marie Currie), and Rich Girl. She made guest appearances on television series including Matlock and Murder, She Wrote. In 1984 Currie was cast as Brenda in Savage Streets, but was replaced by Linda Blair. She was also cast as the lead singer of the fictional band the Dose in the film This Is Spinal Tap, but her character was cut out of the film. Cherie was considered for a part in the 1985 film Explorers but, according to her autobiography, she was in the throes of drug dependency and could not make it to a meeting.

Later years

Currie was a guest vocalist on Shameless's 2013 album, Beautiful Disaster. Currie released singles with ex-bandmate, Lita Ford and Glenn Danzig the same year. On October 19, 2013, Currie won the Rock Legend Award at the sixth annual Malibu Music Awards. The award was presented to her by ex-bandmate, Lita Ford. That night Currie and Ford played on stage together for the first time in 37 years. Currie released another studio album, Reverie, in 2015. The album features guest work from ex-bandmate, Lita Ford, Currie's son, Jake Hays, and Currie's ex-manager, Kim Fowley. Cherie toured the UK in November 2015, to support her new album. While in the UK, Currie recorded "Midnight Music In London", a live album that features a special live appearance by Suzi Quatro. It was released in 2016. In late May and early June 2016 Currie toured Australia and New Zealand. In 2018, Currie and her son were nominated for the Marshall Hawkins Award for Best Original Score for the film Take My Hand.

In 2019, Currie's album Blvds Of Splendor was released on April 13. The album featured guests including Slash, Billy Corgan, Juliette Lewis, and the Veronicas. On August 2, The Motivator, her album with Brie Darling, was released.

In 2020 Cherie Currie released an audio version of her memoir, Neon Angel. It reached number 1 on Amazon's Best Biographies of Punk Rock Musician. In the same year, Currie contributed her vocals to the song "Flatten the Curve" for the band FTC.

On April 27, 2025, Currie appeared as a speaker at a WalkAway campaign rally in Beverly Hills, alongside Matt Gaetz and conservative activists Jairo Tomico.

Currie is now a wood-carving artist, using a chainsaw to create her works. She has been doing chainsaw art since 2002 and opened her own gallery in 2005 in Chatsworth, California. As a chainsaw artist, Currie has competed in and won awards at three world Chainsaw Art competitions.

Personal life

Currie struggled with drug addiction for much of her younger life, a major factor in the abrupt ending of her career. She wrote a memoir, Neon Angel, recounting life in the band and her traumatic experiences with drug addiction, sex abuse, and her broken family. In the 1980s, Currie began working in drug and psych facilities, later becoming a counsellor.

The Runaways, a 2010 biographical drama film executive-produced by Joan Jett, focuses on the group's beginnings and explores the relationship between Currie and Jett. Dakota Fanning portrays Currie.

Currie married actor Robert Hays on May 12, 1990, and they had one son together, the musician Jake Hays. Currie and Hays divorced in 1997.

In May 2024, Currie expressed support for Gays Against Groomers and did a collaboration to sell merchandise with the group later that month.

Influence on pop culture

In 1979 an alternative cover photo of Currie's album Beauty's only Skin Deep appears in the background of the feature film Rock 'n' Roll High School. It appears when the Ramones are backstage.

Characters in the 1997 film Gummo, sisters Dot, Helen, and Darby (played by Chloë Sevigny, Carisa Glucksman, and Darby Dougherty) were influenced by the Currie twins. Writer and director Harmony Korine, stated that, "Dot and Helen were based off a combination of Cherie and Marie Currie, home schooling, and the Shaggs."

In a season 3 episode of The O.C., Marissa makes an entrance to "Cherry Bomb". She does so while dressed in a provocative schoolgirl outfit.

Discography

With the Runaways

Studio albums

• 1976 – The Runaways
• 1977 – Queens of Noise

Live albums

• 1977 – Live in Japan

Solo

Studio albums

• 1978 – Beauty's Only Skin Deep
• 1980 – Messin' with the Boys (with Marie Currie)
• 1998 – Young and Wild (with Marie Currie)
• 1999 – 80's Collection (with Marie Currie)
• 2015 – Reverie
• 2019 – Blvds of Splendor
• 2019 – The Motivator

Live albums

• 2013 – Live in Los Angeles 8/30/13
• 2016 – Midnight Music in London

EPs

• 2007 – Cherry Bomb

Guest appearances

• 1978 – Yesterday & Today – Struck Down
• 1981 – 707 – The Second Album
• 1984 – various artist – The Rosebud Beach Hotel Soundtrack (with Marie Currie)
• 1991 – various artist – Rich Girl Soundtrack
• 1990 – Tater Totz – Stereo: Sgt. Shonen's Exploding Plastic Eastman Band Request
• 1993 – Atsushi Yokozeki Project – Raid
• 1998 – Precious Metal – What You See Is What You Get: The Very Best of Precious Metal
• 2001 – Katt Lowe & the Othersyde – Katt Lowe & the Othersyde
• 2004 – Texas Terri Bomb! – Your Lips...
• 2006 – Rick Derringer – Rock 'n' Roll Hoochie Coo: The Best of Rick Derringer
• 2007 – Dee Dee Ramone / Johnny Ramone / Marky Ramone – Ramones Solo Performances
• 2008 – The Ramones – The Family Tree
• 2003 – The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs – Maximum Overdrive
• 2013 – Shameless – Beautiful Disaster
• 2013 – Warehouse 13 – Runaway
• 2013 – Glenn Danzig – "Some Velvet Morning"
• 2018 – Fanny Walked the Earth – "When We Need Her"
• 2020 – FTC – "Flatten the Curve"
• 2020 - Cherie Currie and Dave Schulz - "What The World Needs Now Is Love"
• 2020 - Ryan Cassidy - "Small Price (featuring Cherie Currie)"
• 2021 - Ryan Cassidy - "Second Chance (featuring Cherie Currie)"
• 2023 - Ten Cent Revenge - "Need To Know"

Singles

Album charts

Filmography

Bibliography

References

References

1. "Neon Angel – Interview with The Runaways' Cherie Currie".
2. (March 22, 1980). "Cherie And Marie Double The Fun". [[Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine).
3. "To Cherie and Marie Currie, Two Blondies Are Better Than One".
4. (September 23, 2018). "Marie Currie interview". Church of Rock radio show.
5. (April 21, 2006). "The Runaways - Cherie Currie Interview".
6. (April 9, 2010). "Runaways rock the big screen: New film revisits all-girl band that broke gender barriers three decades ago". Postmedia Network.
7. Richie Unterberger. "Beauty's Only Skin Deep".
8. "To Cherie and Marie Currie, Two Blondies Are Better Than One".
9. (1999). "[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music". [[Virgin Books]].
10. "1979 Cherie and Marie Currie – Messin' With The Boys {{!}} Sessiondays".
11. (November 22, 2011). "THE PANDORAS – Hell On High Heels".
12. (March 17, 2013). "Cherie Currie (Outtake from Episode #580)". Reality Check TV.
13. "Cherie Currie Makes Another Run At Rock".
14. "Cherie Currie - Young & Wild Album Reviews, Songs & More".
15. (2000). "Cherie Currie - 80's Collection".
16. Tom Demalon. "Cherie Currie - Biography - AllMusic".
17. (February 23, 2015). "11 Things You May Not Know About 'This Is Spinal Tap'".
18. Currie, Cherie. (March 16, 2010). "Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway". [[HarperCollins]].
19. (December 3, 2013). "Lita Ford & Cherie Currie - Rock This Christmas Down".
20. (October 29, 2013). "Former THE RUNAWAYS Bandmates LITA FORD And CHERIE CURRIE Reunite On Stage At MALIBU MUSIC AWARDS".
21. (March 16, 2015). "iTunes - Music - Reverie by Cherie Currie".
22. "Cherie Currie Midnight Music in London Live CD". The Official Shameless Store · Online Store Powered by Storenvy.
23. "Cherie Currie 'The Voice Of The Runaways' - DRW Entertainment".
24. "RSD '19 Special Release: Cherie Currie - Blvds of Splendor".
25. (May 24, 2020). "ALBUM REVIEW: Cherie Currie – Blvds Of Splendor".
26. (June 16, 2020). "Cherie Currie talks new music, reviving 'Queens Of Noise' and how wielding chainsaws is therapeutic".
27. (June 23, 2020). "Album of the Week: Cherie Currie's Blvds of Splendor".
28. (June 12, 2020). "The Runaways' 'jailbait' rocker who questions #metoo".
29. (September 3, 2019). "Cherie Currie and Brie Darling Announce First-Ever Tour Together".
30. (November 27, 2019). "Female Rock Icons, Cherie Currie and Brie Darling, Bring Their First Ever Collaboration The Motivator Tour To City Winery".
31. (November 8, 2019). "The Runaways and Fanny stars on MeToo, the 1970s and Suzi Quatro".
32. (July 25, 2019). "How two fearless rock pioneers survived the '70s and found each other four decades later".
33. (May 29, 2019). "Cherie Currie & Brie Darling Rip Through T. Rex's 'The Motivator': Video Premiere".
34. (June 26, 2019). "Cherie Currie & Brie Darling - The Motivator (Blue Elan Records)".
35. (April 8, 2020). "Cherie Currie Releases New Rendition of Runaways' 'Queens of Noise'".
36. (July 16, 2019). "THE MOTIVATOR: Cherie Currie and Brie Darling On Making Beautiful Music Together!".
37. (June 2, 2020). "The Real Cherry Bomb Talks! Cherie Currie Interview".
38. (July 1, 2020). "L.A. Musicians Flatten the Curve with New Video".
39. Punknews.org. (2025-04-21). "Cherie Curie to appear at Far Right 'American Restoration Tour' with Matt Gaetz and others".
40. (2025-04-27). "Conservative Group Rallies in Beverly Hills".
41. "Welcome!".
42. "About the Artist - Cherie Currie".
43. (July 12, 2015). "Cherie Currie on standing by during Jackie Fox's alleged rape: "I am innocent"".
44. "Jackie Fox Of The Runaways Opens Up About Her Traumatic Rape".
45. "Nonfiction Book Review: "Neon Angel" by Cherie Currie, Author; Neal Schusterman, Author; Brenda Jackson, Author; (Price Stern Sloan) $4.95 (176p) ISBN 978-0-8431-2348-7".
46. (April 2, 2010). "The Runaways' Cherie Currie tells all in her book 'Neon Angel'".
47. (March 30, 2010). "Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway". [[Harper Collins]].
48. (1989). "Neon Angel". Price Stern Sloan.
49. Valentish, Jenny. (April 21, 2016). "'It was the end of a nightmare': Cherie Currie on putting the ghosts of the Runaways to rest". The Guardian.
50. (August 19, 2010). "Cherie Currie rocks with biopic - LA Daily News".
51. Strauss, Bob. (March 19, 2010). "Cherie Currie rocks with biopic". [[Los Angeles Daily News]].
52. Cherie Currie. (May 1, 2024). "I LOVE Gays Against Groomers!! Absolutely the most courageous, LIFE SAVING organisations in my lifetime! See you tomorrow!! WooHoo!!".
53. Cherie Currie. (May 6, 2024). "LOVE IT! And I LOVE Gays Against Groomers!".
54. (March 13, 2015). "UNCULTURED: GUMMO". Doomrocket.
55. "The Runaways Singer Cherie Currie The 80's Collection CD 15 songs • $25.00".
56. Fiala, Marek. "80's Collection - Cherie Currie".
57. "Cherie Currie Live at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles 8/30/2013 Exclusive 10 Song CDr".
58. "Cherry Bomb: Cherie Currie Of the Runaways: MP3 Downloads".
59. "Struck Down - Yesterday & Today - Credits - AllMusic".
60. (1981). "707 - The Second Album".
61. "Mono Stereo - Tater Totz - Credits".
62. "What You See Is What You Get: The Very Best of Precious Metal - Precious Metal - Credits".
63. "Ramones Solo Performances - Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Marky Ramone - Credits".
64. "The Family Tree - The Ramones - Credits - AllMusic".
65. (May 5, 2020). "Mike Watt, * Cherie Currie, Eddie Spaghetti Team for COVID-19 Relief Song 'Flatten the Curve'".
66. "Messin' with the Boys - Cherie & Marie Currie - Awards - AllMusic".