Lita Ford on Last Week's Rumors That She Had Died -- Exclusive Interview

Posted on Sep 1st 2011 10:00AM by Chris Epting Comments

Lita Ford

"It was horrible!" She's laughing a little today, but a few days ago it was a little eerie for the legendary blonde rocker Lita Ford as her phone blew up with messages from family and friends, all wanting to know if it was true - was she killed in a jet ski accident near an island resort? The internet rumor raced around the world at warp speed, catching her off guard in Minneapolis.

As she explained to Noisecreep, "All of a sudden, one after another, I start getting calls from people I hadn't spoken to in a long time, along with people I speak to every day. I look at my phone and I see Joan Jett is calling. Then Dee Snider. Then Rikki Rockett. My manager. My bass player. On and on and. I was crying. It was totally insane, but hey in the end, when all you get are lemons, make lemonade. So I took the opportunity to catch up with some people."

Ford said she had no idea how or why the rumor got started, but on her website she posted some lyrics from a Rick Derringer tune that Johnny Winter made famous "I'm still alive and well, I'm still alive and well - Every now and then it's hard to tell but I'm still alive and well."

Watch 'Back to the Cave' from Lita Ford

In the midst of recording a new album (which is being produced by Gary Hoey), Ford also shared that she's never been so excited about a collection of her own songs before. "At night I'll grab my cell phone, where I have some of the working demos. And I'll lay in bed with that cell phone on my chest, listening to these songs. I just love them. I'm in the middle of a divorce now so I think there's a ton of substance in these songs that people will relate to."

Fans developing personal bonds with her music is something Ford cherishes. "Beyond musicians telling me I was an influence, I love when other people tell me that my music inspired them in some way to pursue their own dreams, or that it helped them cope with a tragedy, or brought them joy on a wedding. That's the absolute best part of what I do. Hearing things like that from fans."

Ford is also preparing for an appearance at the Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp being held in Los Angeles this November. "I love it," Ford said. "David Fishoff has done an amazing job with the concept and for me it's always a blast to help people become rock stars; to transport them into this very cool world.

Watch Lita Ford perform 'Kiss Me Deadly' at the Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp jam session

And if she had a chance to attend as a camper, who would she most like to be coached by?

"The Rolling Stones." she said without missing a beat. "No question - they were always the coolest, they always had that sense of mystery." Though she's never met the full band, she did meet Keith Richards in an elevator once on a night when they were both appearing at an awards show.

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