Musical Heroes - Cherie Currie

I have been thinking a lot lately about what exactly makes a musician a hero. Simply getting on stage and singing about dumping their boyfriend may be empowering, but it takes more than inspiring lyrics to be a hero in my book. It takes courage, determination, and the ability to get back on your feet after even the most trying of times. Upon going through my (surprisingly vast) back catalog of favorites, one name stuck out far more than the others: Cherie Currie.

You may be thinking why I thought of Cherie as my hero. To me, it was an obvious choice, but to an outsider looking in, it may be confusing. First off, Cherie was able to accomplish so much from a young age. In her mid teens she was an international rock star. She was on top of the world, and practically took over Japan, much to the dismay of some of her band mates.

Sadly, this fame didn't last long. Just as quickly as she and her fellow band mates in The Runaways reached success, they fell apart. Different sources cite different reasons, but the bottom line is they broke up, leading to a downward spiral for Cherie. I bet you are wondering why this makes her a hero. You see, it's not about the fall, but the rise back up. She was able to pick herself up from the ashes and make a new life for herself.

Sometimes the music career can be a poisonous environment, and I really think Cherie knew this. She released a solo album with her sister and soon vanished from the music scene entirely. She kept in touch with her fans, letting us know that she was doing OK, in the form of a memoir, a Runaways movie, and her Facebook page. As a new career, she has taken up sculpture making with chainsaws. Awesome, right?

Cherie has been my hero since I was a kid. At first I was fascinated with her stint in The Runaways. Later, I came to admire her strength as a person. Both her autobiography and the movie in which she was heavily involved in show her hit rock bottom emotionally and physically, but she was able to pick herself up and prove that it wasn't the end of the world. I think everybody can relate to that or at least draw inspiration from the story itself.

On the plus side, her music was good both with her and and on her own. It's been one of my goals to find an original Runaways vinyl (which I've had little luck with). She continues being an artist today, but in a different way, proving that there are always options and ways to keep going as long as you have the passion and the drive.

I guess what I am trying to say is Cherie Currie is my hero.

Become a fan of hers on Facebook to check out all of her sculptures as well as all the current happenings in her life.

The Rise And Fall Of Shakin' Stevens (And His Superstardom)

It was 1998 when I fell in love for the first time. I was in grade school, and it started off a little rocky. Aqua wasn't exactly the picture of bad-assery when the splashed into the US scene. A seven-year-old boy liking a girl-centric singing group was bad enough, but their only hit being "Barbie Girl" (and what people instantly associate them with) just put it over the edge. This was definitely something I didn't boast about back in the day. I followed them avidly for years, letting my love for them grow and prosper. "This," I thought "is the standard by which all music should follow." Ok, guys, seriously I was in like second grade. Don't judge me.

Face it, America, this song was a hit!

Then, out of the blue, they broke up. I thought that my life would end right there... Ok, so I wasn't that dramatic, but still, I was pretty upset. In the wake of this tragedy, one shining object shown through. A short while after their break, a few live recordings surfaced from one of their last shows containing material said to be put on their third album that was canned mid-production. Of these five or so songs, one stood out. This track was an ode to an amazing, and often overlooked crazy-talented musician: Shakin' Stevens.