Goodbye, girl

SANDY WEST never scored a Top 40 hit, landed at No. 1 on the album chart or sold out a U.S. football stadium. But when she died of cancer Oct. 21, she took a little piece of rock ‘n’ roll history with her.

West, 47, was the drummer for the Los Angeles-based Runaways, the all-girl, ‘70s teen rock band that also included Joan Jett and Lita Ford. Although the Runaways’ time in the spotlight was brief, the band cast a long shadow over myriad female rock groups that followed.

More than 15 acts will pay tribute to West on Saturday in an all-ages show at the Knitting Factory co-hosted by former Runaways lead singer Cherie Currie. Among those on the bill are the Bangles, the Donnas, the Adolescents, Carmine and Vinnie Appice, Rhino Bucket and Michael Des Barres. Neither Jett, who is on tour, nor Ford is on the slate.

Count the Bangles’ Debbie Peterson among those who felt the Runaways’ influence. Until she learned about West when she was 15, the only female drummer Peterson knew of was Karen Carpenter. “My sister had a copy of one of the Runaways’ records,” the drummer recalls. “They were one of the pioneers of female bands. Sandy could kick ass. It’s one of the reasons I got into [music].” (Footnote: Former Bangles bassist Michael Steele was an early member of the Runaways under the name Micki Steele.)

The Runaways had a short shelf life: The group’s four-year run, which began in 1975, flamed out due to infighting, a rocky relationship with manager-producer Kim Fowley, drug use and a revolving lineup.

But the highlights were many: Fowley secured the group a record deal with Mercury, which led to the cult hit “Cherry Bomb”; touring with the Ramones among others, traveling the world, and playing the Tokyo Music Festival -- they were stars in Japan long before Paris Hilton.

Their underage status saddled the band with the tag “jailbait rockers” -- Currie’s penchant for performing in a corset and garters also could have had something to do with that -- and much of the media focused on the novelty rather than on their raw charm and inchoate talent.

“No one could take us seriously in the beginning and by the time they did, it was too late,” Currie says.

West’s career never gained traction after the Runaways’ demise.

“When Sandy lost all of us, she lost faith in herself,” Currie says. “She could have played with the best. For some reason, she couldn’t get over the grief of losing the band.”

West fervently hoped for a reunion, and the band came close twice over the last decade. Both times, Currie says, Ford could not come to terms with the rest of the group. “It was very close, we had a tour set up, we had a record company we were going to sign with. Lita walked away and that was it,” Currie says of the first attempt. Ford could not be reached for comment.

History has looked back kindly on the Runaways.

Dozens of artists have covered “Cherry Bomb” and many acts such as L7 and Bikini Kill give a nod to the Runaways as a major influence.

TORRY Castellano, drummer for the Donnas, discovered the Runaways while in high school in the mid-’90s. “We would watch old videos of them and I just really thought they were really cool and that Sandy was a great drummer,” Castellano says.

Castellano recalls with awe the night West showed up at a Donnas show at the Troubadour and the two spoke briefly. “I kind of regret that we didn’t get to talk about drums because I’ve always thought she was great with fills and beats and cowbell,” she says.

For Currie, the positive feedback is still not enough. “Hell, no,” she replies, when asked if the Runaways have received their due. She adds that she and Jett are developing a movie based on an updated version of Currie’s autobiography, “Neon Angel.”

West also finished her memoirs. Mara Fox, who managed West for the last 10 years, may shop them once editing is complete.

“Edgeplay,” a 2004 documentary directed by former Runaways bassist Vicki Blue, included a poignant scene when West pleads for her former bandmates to come together again.

West’s family never understood the influence of the band and the role it played in her life, Currie says: “They almost wish [the Runaways] had never happened because she went in and out of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. She could never get a handle on it. To me, a lot of it was she just loved and hoped and dreamed and it was a constant letdown and she couldn’t find her way out of this dark hole.”

The family’s decision to hold a private funeral led to the Knitting Factory event. “There were so many people that needed to express their love for her,” Fox says.

Although not billed as a fundraiser, all acts are playing free and any money left over after expenses will go to the Citrus Valley Hospice program through the newly established Sandy West Foundation.

West remained close to Currie, who is now a chainsaw wood carver with her own gallery in Chatsworth. One of West’s last outings was to see Athens, a band led by Currie’s 15-year-old son, Jake Hays. Athens will also play at the tribute. “She went bald and she sat there, close to the stage,” Currie recalls. “They had a very loving relationship.”

Her voice catches as she recalls the advice West frequently gave Hays that she herself could not seem to take: “Never stop believing in yourself.”

weekend@latimes.com

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Sandy West Tribute Concert

Where: The Knitting Factory, 7021 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood

When: 7 p.m. Saturday

Price: $15

Info: (323) 463-0204; www.knittingfactory.com