A few days before the start of the US tour with Queensryche, Lita Ford speaks about her dynamic return in the music field, her brand new album called “Wicked Wonderland”, her last European tour (that made a stop at Greece, too), about Michael Jackson and many more…

Interview: Dimitris Kazantzis 

Rockpages.gr: Hi Lita, we’ve met a couple of weeks ago backstage in Italy…

Lita Ford: Oh yeah…I remember that we travelled a lot and we had to get on stage immediately after we arrived in Italy…no shower, no food, I was so tired and exhausted. Also, we had to leave right after the show so…it was pretty rough. I was upset because I love Italy and I wanted to stay a little bit longer…you know, hang out, go to the stores…I didn’t do anything and it was my son’s birthday on that day, too.

Rockpages.gr: Before we talk about the new album, let’s go back to your appearance in Athens, last summer. How was your 1st contact with the Greek audience?

Lita Ford: Oh my God, the Greek audience was crazy! I love the Greek fans…it was such a wonderful experience and we had a great time. We got to stay in Greece for a while…I think that we were there for four days, we visited lots of places, we walked in the city, took pictures…all in all, a wonderful experience. I had my kids with me, too.

Rockpages.gr: Are you in Louisville right now, starting the tour along with Queensryche?

Lita Ford: Yes. We are gonna play a couple of songs with them on stage. I am really excited about the whole thing. They start the show and then halfway through the show, I get on stage and sing with Geoff Tate. I’ve never heard of any bands doing that. For me, it’s very new and exciting.

Rockpages.gr: “Close My Eyes Forever”…with Ozzy or Geoff…?

Lita Ford: Oh (laughs)! I don’t know…they are both very different, talented…so I can’t choose. Ozzy helped me write the song, so it was Ozzy’s song first. But, it’s also wonderful to be able to sing with Geoff Tate. He really sings it well. I don’t know…I can’t choose (laughs)!

Rockpages.gr: Let’s go now to the “Wicked Wonderland”. How much has the music industry changed since your last album? “Black” was released fifteen years ago.

Lita Ford: Yes…I think “Wicked Wonderland” is much heavier. It has more energy, it’s more sexual…it has more depth to it. It’s an “overall” album, I think. When “Black” came out, I was really tired and bored. I wanted to do something different…I wasn’t ready to make another record. I was sick and tired of everything and everybody in my life. At that time…that’s when I got married to Jim Gillette. I had my first child and I wanted to be a good mother. I wanted to be there for my children. Some mothers prefer to hire baby-sitters, nannies, housekeepers…they never see their kids. Other people take care of their children. I didn’t want to be like that…it’s a very American thing to do. I still have my kids with me when I am on tour. I take them with me everywhere I go. I think that’s the best school. 

Rockpages.gr: Do your kids buy c.ds or do they download?

Lita Ford: We buy c.ds and we don’t want to download everything. We listen to stuff on the net, but we prefer to go out to a store and buy the c.d. We like the whole package…the booklet and the infos, you know…who wrote the song, who played guitar on a song, who did the production etc. They study everything thus it’s more interesting for them to buy the c.d. than download the tracks.

Rockpages.gr: Listening to the songs off your new album, I discovered your passion for being creative again. Do the songs represent your thoughts and feelings of these fifteen years, or do they simply represent Lita Ford in 2009?

Lita Ford: 2009! We didn’t write for 15 years…I didn’t listen to any music, I didn’t buy any rock n roll record, I didn’t watch MTV…I had really turned off the radio and television. We really just became different people. We tried to make a record as honest as possible. We didn’t have a clue what was out there….We didn’t listen to…let’s say Lady Gaga. I wanted to make a record like Madonna…without following any trends. In a way, I think that this was good to me because I remained true to myself as an artist…I still play like Lita and nothing else!

Rockpages.gr: How easy or difficult it was to stop playing music after the release of “Black”?

Lita Ford: It wasn’t easy at all. It was very hard! I missed it a lot. At the same time, I was happy to get out of USA and get out of the music business and not do anything apart from being a mother. For me that was the best decision. But, it was also most challenging.

Rockpages.gr: We will see you in Europe after the U.S. tour?

Lita Ford: I really hope so! We are trying to work things out and actually book some shows in Greece, too. We don’t have anything set in stone, yet, so I can’t give you an exact date but we have to keep trying until we have something concrete. Keep your fingers crossed for me and we will come back!

Rockpages.gr: Which were the bands that you were listening to when you were young?

Lita Ford: Wow…I grew up with Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin…all the guitar heroes! Deep Purple with Ritchie Blackmore…these were the guys that I grew up with…these were my heroes! They made me who I am today. Did you listen to those bands?

Rockpages.gr: Sure, these are my heroes, too. Now, let’s talk about your early days in solo career. Which album do you think as the most complete? Which one would you recommend to the younger fans, which have heard your latest effort, liked it and want to discover your early works?

Lita Ford: Oh boy…which one…well, I think “Wicked Wonderland”…it’s the best piece of work I’ve done so far. I love it because it’s heavy, it’s so sexual and it’s very rocking…so, I have to say “Wicked Wonderland: is my favorite album of mine.

Rockpages.gr: Some bands from the eighties managed to survive till now, most of them didn’t make it. What do you think was the major factor to this?

Lita Ford: I think timing had a lot to do with this….also, if you have a good record company and a good management that helps! But, music industry changes so much that towards the 90s things were really difficult for lots of bands regardless of who they were…even if they were established acts, they had to struggle! It was like a depression of rock n roll…they couldn’t follow the grunge movement…Grunge music took over! I didn’t like it that much…I liked some of it…Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Nirvana but otherwise, I think that it was boring and for me personally it was really the time to get out of music in general. My first album was released when I was seventeen! I’ve been playing for 27 years! So, after 27 years of doing the same thing I wanted to do something different…move on! So, we moved on to the Caribbean and stayed there!   

Rockpages.gr: Michael Jackson passed away on 24th of June. What was your first thought about it?

Lita Ford: I couldn’t believe it! I thought that it was some kind of weird stunt that he was doing just for publicity! After all, he had done some crazy things in the past. But, when I found out that it was true I cried, I was in shock, really! After that, I watched television for a good two weeks! I wanted to find out and see what people were saying about him. I was very upset! I am a fan! I think that he has written some great songs. I grew up with his songs. It was the soundtrack of my life! 

Rockpages.gr: Is there something you haven’t done in your career? Something that you think “Oh God, I should have done that”?

Lita Ford: Oh boy! Maybe, a movie, a documentary of Lita…I have to make it really interesting.