Kim Fowley
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Kim Vincent Fowley (July 21, 1939 – January 15, 2015) was an American record producer, songwriter and musician who was behind a string of
novelty Novelty (derived from Latin word ''novus'' for "new") is the quality of being new, or following from that, of being striking, original or unusual. Novelty may be the shared experience of a new cultural phenomenon or the subjective perception of an ...
and
cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
singles in the 1960s, and managed
the Runaways The Runaways were an American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. Formed in 1975 in Los Angeles, the band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are " Cherry Bomb", " Holl ...
in the 1970s. He has been described as "one of the most colorful characters in the annals of rock & roll", as well as "a shadowy cult figure well outside the margins of the mainstream".


Early life

Born in Los Angeles,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, Fowley was the son of character actor
Douglas Fowley Douglas Fowley (born Daniel Vincent Fowley, May 30, 1911 – May 21, 1998) was an American movie and television actor in more than 240 films and dozens of television programs. He is probably best remembered for his role as the frustrated m ...
and actress Shelby Payne. His parents later divorced and Payne married William Friml, son of composer
Rudolf Friml Charles Rudolf Friml"Mrs. Rudolf Friml to Receive Divorce"
...
. Fowley attended University High School.


Career

In 1957, he was hospitalized with
polio Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...
and, on his release, became manager and publicist for local band the Sleepwalkers that included
Bruce Johnston Bruce Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who is a member of the Beach Boys. He also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bruce & Terry, the Rip Chords, and ...
, drummer
Sandy Nelson Sander Lloyd Nelson (December 1, 1938 – February 14, 2022) was an American drummer. Nelson, one of the best-known rock and modern jazz drummers of the late 1950s and early 1960s, had several solo instrumental Top 40 hits and released over 30 ...
and, occasionally,
Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter who is best known for pioneering recording practices in the 1960s, followed by his trials and conviction for murder in the 2000s. S ...
. He spent some time in the armed forces and, by his own account, worked in the sex industry in Los Angeles in the late 1950s. In 1959, he began working in the music industry in various capacities for both
Alan Freed Albert James "Alan" Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965) was an American disc jockey. He also produced and promoted large traveling concerts with various acts, helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout Nor ...
and
Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), also known as Berry Gordy Jr., is an American retired record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record label and i ...
. His first record as producer was "Charge" by the Renegades, a group comprising Johnston, Nelson, Nik Venet and Richard Podolor. He promoted records for the duo Skip & Flip ( Skip Battin and Gary S. Paxton), including the No. 11 hit "
Cherry Pie Cherry pie is a pie baked with a cherry filling. Traditionally, it is made with sour cherries rather than sweet cherries. Sour Cherry, Morello cherries are one of the most common kinds of cherry used, but other varieties such as the black cherr ...
".


1960s

During the early 1960s, Fowley was involved as co-producer/co-publisher with a string of successful records produced in Los Angeles. With Gary S. Paxton he recorded the novelty song "
Alley Oop ''Alley Oop'' is a syndicated comic strip created December 5, 1932, by American cartoonist V. T. Hamlin, who wrote and drew the strip through four decades for Newspaper Enterprise Association. Hamlin introduced a cast of colorful characters and ...
", which reached No. 1 on the charts in 1960 and was credited to the non-existent group the Hollywood Argyles. In 1961 he co-produced the instrumental "Like, Long Hair", arranged by Paxton, which became a No. 38 hit for
Paul Revere and the Raiders Paul Revere & the Raiders (also known as Raiders) were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boise, Idaho, in 1958. They saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s. The band was known for inclu ...
. He arranged " Nut Rocker" for B. Bumble and the Stingers, which became a No. 1 hit in the UK in 1962 and talent scouted "
Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" is a novelty nonsensical doo-wop song by the Rivingtons in 1962. It peaked at number 48 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and number 35 on the '' Cashbox'' charts. The band released two similar follow-up songs over the next sev ...
", a No. 48 hit for
the Rivingtons The Rivingtons were a 1960s doo-wop band, known for their 1962 novelty hit "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow". The members were lead vocalist Carl White (June 21, 1932 – January 7, 1980), tenor Al Frazier (died November 13, 2005), baritone Sonny Harris an ...
. The following year he produced " Popsicles and Icicles" by the Murmaids, which reached No. 3 in the charts in 1963 and which was written by a pre-
Bread Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...
David Gates David Ashworth Gates (born December 11, 1940) is a retired American singer-songwriter, guitarist, musician and producer, frontman and co-lead singer (with Jimmy Griffin) of the group Bread (band), Bread, which reached the top of the musical ch ...
, then a
session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...
and songwriter who had met Fowley while Kim was
hitchhiking Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Signaling ...
in Los Angeles. During the mid-1960s, Fowley publicized/consulted singer P.J. Proby and relocated for a time to London, England. Fowley wrote the
lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, ...
for the song "Portobello Road", the
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
of
Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion st ...
' first single, " I Love My Dog". He produced a Them spin-off band led by two ex-Them members, brothers Pat and Jackie McAuley (who were only allowed to use the band name Other Them in the UK, but called themselves Them on the European continent, releasing an album called ''Them Belfast Gypsies'' and a single "Let's Freak Out" under the name Freaks of Nature); an early incarnation of
Slade Slade are a rock band formed in Wolverhampton, England in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The '' British Hit Singl ...
known as the N'Betweens;
Soft Machine Soft Machine are an English Rock music, rock band from Canterbury, Kent. The band were formed in 1966 by Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Larry Nowlin. Soft Machine were central in the Canterbury scene; they became o ...
(he produced " Love Makes Sweet Music", their first single); and the Lancasters, an
instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...
rock group featuring a young
Ritchie Blackmore Richard Hugh Blackmore (born 14 April 1945) is an English lead guitarist. He was a founding member and the guitarist of Deep Purple, one of the pioneering bands of hard rock. After leaving Deep Purple in 1975, Blackmore formed the band Rainbow ...
. He worked with an up-and-coming band, the Farinas, and renamed them "
Family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
". In London around 1967 Fowley collaborated with
the Seekers The Seekers were an Australian folk music, folk-influenced pop music, pop group originally formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the Unit ...
' guitarist/arranger
Keith Potger Keith Leon Potger (born 21 March 1941) is an Australian musician, who was a founding member of the Australian folk-pop group the Seekers. He was born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and is of Burgher descent. In 1969, Potger and his business partne ...
. Together (with Potger writing under the nom de plume John Martin) they wrote the lyrics to "
Emerald City The Emerald City (sometimes called the City of Emeralds) is the capital city of the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's ''Oz'' books, first described in '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). Fictional description Located in the center of ...
". Potger has said the song was originally quite unlike the eventual Seekers single, and that he heavily "Seeker-ized" the arrangement before presenting it to the group. The tune was based on the "Ode To Joy" theme from Beethoven's ninth ("Choral") symphony. Fowley worked on occasion as a recording artist in the 1960s, issuing albums such as ''Love Is Alive and Well''. In 1965, he wrote and produced a song about the
psychedelic experience A psychedelic experience (known colloquially as a trip) is a temporary altered state of consciousness induced by the consumption of a psychedelic substance (most commonly Lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD, mescaline, psilocybin mushrooms, or N,N- ...
, " The Trip". In 1966 Fowley and Gail Sloatman (later Gail Zappa) recorded a spoken word single as "Bunny and Bear". The record is a satire of
Sonny and Cher Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s, made up of spouses Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector. The pair first ac ...
. With Brian Parker, Fowley co-wrote "
Sea of Faces ''Sea of Faces'' is the second full-length album released by Christian rock group Kutless, released through BEC Records in 2004. The song "Treason" was once the No. 1 song on ChristianRock.net, and Sea of Faces in the Top 5. The album reache ...
" for UK group, Unit Four Plus Two when he was living in England with P.J. Proby. The group recorded the song but it was never released. Another group, The Ways and Means who were managed by Ron Fairway recorded it and it was released on Pye 7N 17277. It became a minor hit for the band making it to no.39 on the Radio City City Sixty chart for the Sunday 1 to Sunday 8 January 1967 period, and to no. 41 on the
Radio Caroline Radio Caroline is a British radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly and Allan Crawford, initially to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopol ...
chart on the 21st. He was credited for "hypophone" on
the Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as the Mothers) were an American rock music, rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an ...
's first album ''
Freak Out! ''Freak Out!'' is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Mothers of Invention, released on June 27, 1966, by Verve Records. Often cited as one of rock music's first concept albums, it is a satirical expression of guitarist/bandle ...
'' When asked later about this, band leader
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...
said that "The hypophone is his mouth, 'cause all that ever comes out of it is hype." Other singles by Fowley as a recording artist included "Animal Man" from his popular 1968 album '' Outrageous''; during the song he remarks, "It's too dirty, it'll be banned". All his efforts as a solo artist since 1970 have become cult items, both in reissue and bootleg formats. In 1968, Fowley joined forces with a young band, St John Green, from Topanga Canyon in California, to produce their only album, which contains songs, musical soundtracks, comedy and dark poetry. The band members were: Ed Bissot (bass), Bill Kirkland (guitars), Vic Sabino (vocals, harmonica and percussion), Michael 'Papabax' Baxter (keyboards, arranger), and Shelly Scott (drums). The album was engineered by Michael Lloyd. Fowley later claimed it to be "one of the great lost records...Somebody will reissue it someday and people will start crying and jacking off and smoking dope to it. It's a great record. There's only a handful of records that I've made that are great." The album was released by
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
on the Flick Disc label, but the group disbanded soon afterwards. He is credited with being the inspiration behind promoter John Brower's call to
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
that resulted in the last-minute appearance of the
Plastic Ono Band The Plastic Ono Band was a rock band and Fluxus-based artist collective''John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band'' book by Yoko Ono and John Lennon, published by Thames & Hudson Ltd, October 2020, pp. 17-19 formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1968-9 fo ...
at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival on September 13, 1969, where Fowley was the MC. At this event, Fowley invited the audience to light matches and lighters to welcome a nervous John Lennon to the stage. In 1969, Fowley produced the album ''I'm Back and I'm Proud'' for
Gene Vincent Vincent Eugene Craddock (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971), known as Gene Vincent, was an American rock and roll musician who pioneered the style of rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his backing band the Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-a-Lula", is ...
. He co-wrote for
Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer and songwriter. His most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money" and "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner". All t ...
's first
solo album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century ...
, '' Wanted Dead or Alive''. Fowley collaborated with his friend Skip Battin during Battin's membership as bassist with
the Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...
on a number of songs which appeared on their early 1970's albums: "The Hungry Planet", "You All Look Alike", "Tunnel of Love", "Citizen Kane", "Absolute Happiness", "Precious Kate", and "America's Great National Pastime". The latter song was released as a single in late 1971. When Battin moved on to the
New Riders of the Purple Sage New Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco in 1969 and its original lineup included several members of the Grateful Dead. The band is sometimes referred to ...
in 1974, Fowley and Battin co-wrote five songs for the New Riders: "On the Amazon", "Big Wheels", "Singing Cowboy", "Neon Rose" and "Strangers on a Train".


1970s

In 1970, Fowley moved to
Helsinki, Finland Helsinki () is the capital and most populous city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipality, with  million in the capital region and ...
, where he worked with the progressive rock band
Wigwam A wigwam, wikiup, wetu (Wampanoag), or wiigiwaam (Ojibwe, in syllabics: ) is a semi-permanent domed dwelling formerly used by certain Native American tribes and First Nations people and still used for ceremonial events. The term ''wikiup'' ...
, whom he called "The Finnish Beatles." Fowley produced the band's second album '' Tombstone Valentine,'' which was released in Finland on the Love Records label. The album was released as a double album in the US by Verve Forecast, with a second LP of extra tracks from the band's previous catalog. According to Fowley, he gave a copy of the LP to
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
, who allegedly utilized the production style of the album for his next album (1971's '' Hunky Dory''). Fowley then moved to Sweden and produced the group Contact's album ''Nobody Wants to Be Sixteen'' for Swedish label MNW (Music Network) Records, which landed in the Swedish Top 20. MNW released the Kim Fowley solo LP ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' the same year. Upon returning to Los Angeles, Fowley co-wrote the song "Michoacan" which was recorded by the
Sir Douglas Quintet The Sir Douglas Quintet was an American Rock music, rock band formed in San Antonio, Texas in 1964. With their first hits, they were acclaimed in their home state. When their career was established (subsequent to working with Texas record produ ...
and appeared in the 1972 movie '' Cisco Pike'' starring
Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a m ...
. In 1971,
The Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...
recorded three songs for the album '' Byrdmaniax'' that were co-written by Byrds member Skip Battin and Kim Fowley. Fowley produced a re-recording of one of these songs, "Citizen Kane," with Battin later in the year. The re-recording featured the rest of the members of The Byrds (minus
Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (; born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician, best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as a member of the band. As a so ...
) as sidemen and was used in the soundtrack of the
Edie Sedgwick Edith Minturn Sedgwick Post (April 20, 1943 – November 16, 1971) was an American actress, model and socialite who was one of Andy Warhol's superstars, starring in several of his short films during the 1960s.Watson, Steven (2003), "Factory Ma ...
film ''
Ciao! Manhattan ''Ciao! Manhattan'' is a 1972 American avant garde film starring Edie Sedgwick. Written and directed by John Palmer and David Weisman, Warhol superstar Susan Bottomly (International Velvet) was initially intended to star in the film. When Sedgw ...
'' (1972). Signpost Records signed Battin to a solo recording contract in 1972, and the Battin/Fowley team co-wrote every song on the resultant solo album ''Skip Battin'' (aka ''Skip''). Fowley produced the
Boulder, Colorado Boulder is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city in Boulder County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the most ...
-based rock and roll revival act Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids for a television appearance in early 1972. The group signed a contract with Epic Records in September of that year, and Fowley produced their self-titled debut LP for the label at
Gold Star Studios Gold Star Studios was an independent recording studio located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, California. In its entire history, Gold Star was one of the most successful commercial recording studios in the world. Founded by David S. Gold ...
in Los Angeles. Fowley also produced three recordings by Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids that were included in the film ''
American Graffiti ''American Graffiti'' is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz and Lucas, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat ...
'' (1973). These songs were "
At the Hop "At the Hop" is a 1950s pop song written by Artie Singer, John Medora, and David White and originally released by Danny & the Juniors. The song was first issued circa October 1957 on a small Philadelphia label (Singular 711) and included a ...
", " She's So Fine" and "
Louie Louie "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a Standard (music), stand ...
". The first two tracks were also featured on the film's soundtrack album. In May 1972, Fowley was signed to
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
for a long-term solo recording contract. Capitol released Fowley's LP ''I'm Bad'' in June of that year. Fowley's follow-up solo LP, ''International Heroes,'' was mixed in February and released in March 1973. While on tour to promote his solo album ''I'm Bad'' in the summer of 1972, Fowley met Boston disk jockey Maxanne Satori, who introduced him to a pre-fame Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers. Fowley returned to Boston after the completion of the tour and arranged to have engineer Stuart "Dinky" Dawson record a demo with The Modern Lovers in Dawson's home studio. Later in autumn 1973, Fowley worked with the band again, this time recording them in Los Angeles at
Gold Star Studios Gold Star Studios was an independent recording studio located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, California. In its entire history, Gold Star was one of the most successful commercial recording studios in the world. Founded by David S. Gold ...
on behalf of
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
. Tracks from these sessions were released as bonus tracks on later issues of ''
The Modern Lovers The Modern Lovers were an American rock band formed in Natick, Massachusetts in 1970 by Jonathan Richman. The original band existed from 1970 to 1974 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist ...
'' (1976), the album '' The Original Modern Lovers'' (1981), and the Warner Bros. Loss Leaders compilation ''Troublemakers'' (1980). In 1973, Fowley assembled the
Hollywood Stars The Hollywood Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early- and mid-20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles–based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels. Hollywood Stars ( ...
, his first "conceptual band". Musician, songwriter and future Hollywood Stars member, Mark Anthony, was working as Fowley's chauffeur at the time. At one point, Anthony spoke to New York Dolls manager Marty Thau at a party and asked him how the New York Dolls were formed. Thau stated that the members were "a bunch of broke street kids hanging around." Upon hearing this, Fowley decided to create a West Coast answer to the New York Dolls in a similar manner, taking the band name from the minor league baseball team of the same name. Upon assembling the group, Fowley rented a studio in the
San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...
and put the band on a rigorous rehearsal schedule, utilizing songs written by songwriter Mars Bonfire, and by himself and producer/songwriter Peter Lion. The band played an invitation-only concert at Studio Instrument Rentals in Hollywood, which brought a crowd of 380 people, including representatives of the labels
Liberty Records Liberty Records was a record label founded in the United States by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Alvin Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous rev ...
,
A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...
and
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
. A&M and Columbia began bidding against each other to sign the band. Columbia signed The Hollywood Stars on March 28, 1974, and
Bill Szymczyk William Frank Szymczyk (; born February 13, 1943) is an American music producer and recording engineer best known for working with rock and blues musicians, most notably the Eagles in the 1970s. He produced many top albums and singles of the ...
was brought in to produce the band's debut album, which was recorded at
The Record Plant The Record Plant was a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and last operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it produced highly influential albums, including the New York ...
over the course of 34 days. Early in the recording process, Szymczyk abandoned the project, leaving the engineer to produce the album. Soon afterward, Columbia dismissed The Hollywood Stars' A&R representative in an internal staffing change, decided not to release the album and dropped the group from the label. Despite the band's local popularity, internal tensions and industry stigma from the failure of the Columbia Records deal led to the decision to break up the band. The group played their final performance headlining the
Whisky a Go Go The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed The Whisky) is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boulev ...
on November 10, 1974. In December 1973, Fowley connected the Hollywood Stars with producer
Bob Ezrin Robert Alan Ezrin (born March 25, 1949) is a Canadian music producer and keyboardist, best known for his work with Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Kiss, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Peter Gabriel, Andrea Bocelli and Phish. As of 2010, Ezri ...
, who worked with the band on arrangements for their song "Escape", which was co-written by Fowley and Hollywood Stars member Mark Anthony. Although Ezrin initially passed on working with the band further, he expressed interest in utilizing two of their songs. Just before the band's breakup in 1974, Fowley went back to Bob Ezrin and offered him usage of the two songs. Ezrin then took "Escape" to
Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...
, who made changes to the lyrics and included the song on '' Welcome to My Nightmare'' (1975). Similarly, Ezrin took "King of the Night Time World" (also co-written by Fowley and Anthony) to
Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
, who altered the lyrics slightly and recorded the song for the album ''
Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
'' (1976). Ezrin also asked Fowley to write lyrics for "Do You Love Me?," another song that was recorded for Kiss' ''Destroyer'' LP. Fowley worked on the lyrics for the latter song in 1975 while assembling the band The Runaways with
Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin; September 22, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actress. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music#J, Godmother of Punk", she is regarded as a Pop icon, rock icon and ...
. Fowley produced and wrote songs for the
Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a show business family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on ra ...
albums '' Ear Candy'' (1977) and '' We'll Sing in the Sunshine'' (1978). He also co-wrote songs with
Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock a ...
during this period. In 1978, Fowley formed the Orchids, another all-female rock band, with Laurie McAllister, the last bassist from The Runaways, and Sandy Fury, a 13-year-old rock prodigy on rhythm guitar and vocals. In 1979, Fowley signed new artists, such as Tommy Rock, the Popsicles, and the Orchids. Fowley promoted "Kim Fowley Night" featuring these bands at the
Whisky a Go Go The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed The Whisky) is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boulev ...
. Fowley brought Stiv Bators & the Dead Boys, the Popsicles, and the Orchids into Leon Russell's Cherokee Recording Studio in Hollywood to record "LA, LA (I'm on a Hollywood High)". Also in 1979, Fowley produced the five man group Streettalk at Mandrill Studios in
Auckland, New Zealand Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
.


The Runaways 1975–1978

Fowley had an idea for assembling an all-female rock band in a time when, according to guitarist Joan Jett, "there were no young girls at all playing guitar or any sort of instruments." In early 1975, Fowley met lyricist Kari Krome at a party held for
Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...
, put her on salary, and had her begin looking for female performers. Krome met Joan Jett and brought her to Fowley. Jett successfully auditioned for Fowley by playing
ukulele The ukulele ( ; ); also called a uke (informally), is a member of the lute (ancient guitar) family of instruments. The ukulele is of Portuguese origin and was popularized in Hawaii. The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and con ...
to a
Sweet Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketones, ...
album, and picked up
rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a guitar technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse (music), pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., d ...
as her instrument. Soon afterward, Fowley met Sandy West in the parking lot of the Rainbow Bar and Grill, who agreed to play drums. Fowley had Jett rehearse with West at the latter's home in Huntington Beach, and auditioned the pair on the telephone to music journalist Ritchie Yorke. He then turned to two radio stations to advertise for further auditions, which brought bassist Micki Steele (later of
The Bangles The Bangles are an American all-female band, all-female pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, in 1981. They are known for hit singles during the 1980s that made them one of the most successful pop rock groups of the decade. The band’s biggest ...
) and guitarist Lita Ford to the group. Steele left due to creative differences, and was replaced by Jackie Fox, whom Fowley colleague
Rodney Bingenheimer Rodney Bingenheimer (born December 15, 1946) is an American radio disc jockey who is best known as the host of ''Rodney on the ROQ'', a radio program that ran on the Los Angeles rock station KROQ-FM from 1976 to 2017. In the early 1970s, he als ...
found in the parking lot of the West Hollywood nightclub the Starwood. Just before adding Fox, Fowley and Jett discovered
Cherie Currie Cherie Ann Currie (born November 30, 1959) is an American singer, musician, actress, and artist. Currie was the lead vocalist of the Runaways, a rock band from Los Angeles, in the mid-to-late 1970s. She later became a solo artist. Currie and h ...
at the teen nightclub The Sugar Shack and brought her in as
lead vocalist The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...
for the group. Fowley touted the new group The Runaways as "an all girl answer to Grand Funk," and the band signed to Kim Fowley Productions for management in September 1975. The lineup of Jett, West, and Steele made its live debut at the Whisky a Go Go September 28–29, opening for the newly reformed Hollywood Stars. Phonogram/Mercury Records' West Coast director of A&R Denny Rosencrantz agreed to sign The Runaways on December 12, 1975. The band finished their debut album ''
The Runaways The Runaways were an American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. Formed in 1975 in Los Angeles, the band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are " Cherry Bomb", " Holl ...
'' in May 1976. The album is listed as "Produced and directed by Kim Fowley", and gives Fowley arrangement and numerous songwriting credits. Mercury released the album in June 1976 to an initial position of #188 on the ''Cash Box'' top albums chart, favorable reviews, and numerous radio and album adds, as well as sales of 70,000 units. The Runaways were the subject of a writeup in ''
People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
'' magazine in September 1976. A week later, Fowley severed his ties with the band, and forfeited his rights, titles, claims and merchandising ownership to Mercury Records. Mercury refused to accept Fowley's stakehold in the band and turned it back to him the following week. Fowley and the band reconciled in November, and returned to the studio to record their followup album '' Queens of Noise''. The album was released in December 1976, was co-produced by Fowley and Earl Mankey, and again co-credited Fowley for arrangements and songwriting. In June 1977, The Runaways toured Japan, recording the album '' Live in Japan'' while on the tour. ''Live in Japan'' included several songs written by Fowley. Jackie Fox left mid-tour and was replaced by bassist Vicki Blue when the group returned to America. While the band was still a five-piece and with Blue as a new member, Fowley had the band learn the Arrows song "
I Love Rock 'n' Roll "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker (musician), Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows (British band), Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. A 1981 cover version by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, ...
," which would go on to be an international number one hit for
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts Joan Jett and the Blackhearts is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1979 as a conjunction of lead musician, singer and songwriter Joan Jett and the backup band. It has undergone many lineup changes since its inception, w ...
in 1982. Cherie Currie left the band in August 1977. Fowley recorded The Runaways' third LP, '' Waitin' for the Night'', at Larrabee Studios the same month, with the band as a four-piece and with Joan Jett on vocals. Cherie Currie contractually owed an album to Fowley's management, so just a few weeks after leaving The Runaways, she went into Larrabee Studios to record her debut solo album '' Beauty's Only Skin Deep'', with Fowley co-producing. The album featured Currie going in an MOR direction, which Fowley chose in order to play on Currie's liking for mellower music. Fowley co-wrote "Beauty's Only Skin Deep", "Science Fiction Daze" and "Young and Wild". One song on the album, "Love at First Sight", featured Cherie's twin sister Marie Currie on harmony vocals. Fowley sent conflicting stories to Japan about whether or not Cherie did indeed have a twin sister who sang on the track, creating a frenzy of interest when Cherie and Marie arrived to Japan for a two-week tour to support the album. The album was released in 1978 to Japan and to Europe but was not released in the United States. In October 1977, Fowley and Joan Jett appeared on an episode of ''
The Tomorrow Show ''The Tomorrow Show'' (also known as ''Tomorrow with Tom Snyder'' or ''Tomorrow'' and, after 1980, ''Tomorrow Coast to Coast'') is an American late-night television talk show hosted by Tom Snyder that aired on NBC in first-run form from October ...
'' hosted by
Tom Snyder Thomas James Snyder (May 12, 1936 – July 29, 2007) was an American television personality, news anchor, and radio personality best known for his late night talk shows '' Tomorrow'', on NBC in the 1970s and 1980s, and '' The Late Late Show'' ...
. The show aired October 11, and was dedicated to the topic of punk rock. While on the show, Snyder mentioned that Fowley will be "quitting orking with Jettin 48 hours," which Fowley affirmed as correct. In a feature on the Runaways dated November 12, 1977, '' Sounds'' magazine writer Sandy Robertson confirmed that "Kim Fowley will no longer be producing The Runaways, the new album ''Waiting For The Night'' icbeing his last work with them." The Runaways' ''Waitin' For the Night'' was released in October 1977. The album is listed as "Produced and directed by Kim Fowley", with the tracks "Wasted", "School Days" and "Waitin' for the Night" written by Fowley. In February 1978, a spokesman for Fowley corrected information stating that Fowley had exited The Runaways as producer, claiming to the contrary that Fowley was still with the group and "to be considered its producer of record". The Runaways signed with American Entertainment Management for personal management the following month. Fowley followed this up with the publication of several legal notices claiming ownership of "The Runaways" service mark, recording authorization, and merchandising rights.


1980s

In the 1980s Fowley moved to Australia where he announced that he was "looking for the new
Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
or
ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...
". His search turned up power pop band Beathoven who were still under a
recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording act (artist or group), where the act makes an audio recording (or series of recordings) for the label to sell and ...
with
EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
. Changing their name to the Innocents, he secured a new record deal with Trafalgar Records and produced several songs for the group. They too became a cult band in later bootlegs/reissues. Fowley produced the first demos for the iconic power pop band,
Candy Candy, alternatively called sweets or lollies, is a Confectionery, confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, also called ''sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, including chocolate, chewing gum ...
, which featured
Gilby Clarke Gilbert J. Clarke (born August 17, 1962) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is known for having a three-year tenure as the rhythm guitarist of Guns N' Roses, replacing Izzy Stradlin in 1991 during the Use Your ...
and Kyle Vincent. Vincent was Fowley's personal assistant. Producer Fowley and attorney David Chatfield recorded the first album for Steel Breeze at Rusk studios in Hollywood and got Steel Breeze their recording contract with RCA. Casey Kasem, on the edition of March 12, 1983, of American Top 40, describes how Fowley discovered Steel Breeze while going through approximately 1200 demo tapes that were about to be discarded by a local Hollywood nightclub, Madame Wong's. "You Don't Want Me Anymore" was the first single from the band's self-titled album and quickly jumped into the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 supported by a video that was a favorite of early MTV, and peaked at # 16. The next single, "Dreamin' Is Easy", also made it into the Top 40. In 1984, still owning rights to the name "the Runaways", Fowley rebuilt the image around Gayle Welch, an unknown teenager from
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. Adding Denise Prior, Missy Bonilla (then a typist for Denny Diante at what was CBS Records) and Cathy DiAmber (Catherine Dombrowski) with David Carr on keyboards, a Chicago guitarist Bill Millay and numerous
session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...
s. Fowley, assisted by New Zealander Glenn Holland, sought to cash in on the fame of the former Runaways members who had gone on to significant success in their individual solo careers. In 1985, he returned to the United States and recorded further songs with the Innocents' David Minchin. In 1986, Fowley spotted the band Shanghai (consisting of Eric Leach and Taz Rudd of
Symbol Six Symbol Six is an American rock and roll band formed in Santa Monica, California, United States, in 1980 by Eric Leach (musician), Eric Leach, Phil George, Mark Conway, Donny Brook (original bass player for Necros), Taz Rudd, and Steve Cooper. Or ...
, Brent Muscat of Faster Pussycat, Patrick Muzingo, and Todd Muscat of Decry) at the Troubadour. After seeing their performance he asked, "Are you ready to make a record?!" They immediately moved in with Fowley and began writing and recording songs. David Libert,
Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...
's ex-road manager and agent for George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, was recruited to come in to handle the day-to-day babysitting chores. Shanghai played the reopening of the
Whisky a Go Go The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed The Whisky) is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boulev ...
in April 1986 with
Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...
and Faster Pussycat. Their last show was at the Scream in Los Angeles in 1987.


2000s

Fowley is featured in '' Mayor of the Sunset Strip'', a 2003 documentary about the disc jockey
Rodney Bingenheimer Rodney Bingenheimer (born December 15, 1946) is an American radio disc jockey who is best known as the host of ''Rodney on the ROQ'', a radio program that ran on the Los Angeles rock station KROQ-FM from 1976 to 2017. In the early 1970s, he als ...
. Also in 2003, Fowley made a return trip to London, where he made an in-store appearance at Intoxica Records on Portobello Road and curated and performed an evening of music and entertainment at the Dirty Water Club at its then base at the Boston Music Room in North London. Fowley became an experimental filmmaker after the DVD release of ''Mayor of the Sunset Strip''. His written and directed works include: ''Black Room Doom'', ''Dollboy: The Movie'', ''Satan of Silverlake'', ''The Golden Road to Nowhere'', ''Frankenstein Goes Surfing'', ''Trailer Park's On Fire'' and ''Jukebox California''. Video clips/scenes from these movies can be seen on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
and
Myspace Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
, and feature a cast of regulars including but not limited to musical oddities such as the Fabulous Miss Wendy, Giddle Partridge, Richard Rogers (Crazy White Man) and Clown Porn Queen Hollie Stevens. Fowley released the 21-track solo album ''Adventures in Dreamland'' on WEED/ Innerstate Records in 2004. It contains the songs "Mayor of the Sunset Strip", "Terrors in Tinseltown", and "Ballad of Phil Spector". In 2008, Fowley was reunited with Cherie Currie at
Harry Houdini Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts. Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...
's mansion in Los Angeles. He played three dozen gigs between June 2007 and February 2009 as the act ''Crazy White Man'', a duo featuring him on vocals and Richard Rogers on guitar. The bulk of the Crazy White Man shows took place during 2008 and included the Tribute to Gidget Gein, which raised funds for Gidget's Hollywood Forever memorial. Capitol re-released several of his titles, and director
Guy Ritchie Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter known primarily for British comedy gangster films and large-scale action-adventure films. Ritchie left school at the age of 15, and worked in e ...
used his song "The Trip" in the 2008 film ''
RocknRolla ''RocknRolla'' is a 2008 crime comedy film written and directed by Guy Ritchie, featuring an ensemble cast that includes Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandiwe Newton, Mark Strong, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Toby Kebbell, Jeremy Piven and ...
''. Fowley was regularly heard on
Sirius Satellite Radio Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio ( SDARS) service that operated in the United States and Canada. Sirius launched in 2002, and primarily competed with XM Satellite Radio, until the two services merged in 2008 to form Sirius XM. Li ...
with a four-hour show on Saturdays and Sundays. Currie wrote a memoir of her time in the Runaways, which was turned into the film, ''
The Runaways The Runaways were an American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. Formed in 1975 in Los Angeles, the band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are " Cherry Bomb", " Holl ...
'', released on March 19, 2010. The film featured
Michael Shannon Michael Corbett Shannon (born August 7, 1974) is an American actor. Shannon received two Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nominations, for '' Revolutionary Road'' (2008), and '' Nocturnal Animals'' (2016). He received Screen Actors Guil ...
as Fowley, alongside
Kristen Stewart Kristen Jaymes Stewart (born April 9, 1990) is an American actress and director. She has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and a César Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe ...
as Jett and
Dakota Fanning Hannah Dakota Fanning (born February 23, 1994) is an American actress. Fanning is known for her roles in blockbuster films and independent features, both as a child actor and as an adult. Her accolades include nominations for a Golden Globe A ...
as Currie. In 2012, Fowley won the Special Jury Prize at the 13th
Melbourne Underground Film Festival The Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF) is an Australian independent film festival featuring mostly genre, controversial, transgressive and avant garde material. History The Melbourne Underground Film Festival was formed out of disagreem ...
for his two feature projects – ''Golden Road to Nowhere'' and ''Black Room Doom''.


2010s

In his last years, Fowley worked on writing and publishing his autobiography, which he divided between three distinct books. He released the first volume of his autobiography, ''Lord of Garbage'', published by Kicks Books, in 2012. It covers the years 1939–1969 and describes his early childhood and beginning years in the music business. The second volume of his autobiography was intended to be called ''Planet Pain'' and to cover the years 1970–1994. The last volume was intended to be finished on his deathbed and to be released posthumously because, as the 2010s began, Fowley was terminally ill. On September 24, 2014, Fowley married longtime girlfriend and music executive Kara Wright-Fowley, in a private ceremony in Los Angeles.


Death

Fowley died of
bladder cancer Bladder cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the bladder. These cells can grow to form a tumor, which eventually spreads, damaging the bladder and other organs. Most people with bladder cancer are diagnosed after noticing blood in thei ...
in Hollywood, California on January 15, 2015, at the age of 75. He is interred at
Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematorium, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries ...
.


Sexual misconduct allegations

In a 2001 interview,
Michael Steele Michael Stephen Steele (born October 19, 1958) is an American politician, attorney, and political commentator who served as the seventh lieutenant governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007 and as chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) f ...
of
The Bangles The Bangles are an American all-female band, all-female pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, in 1981. They are known for hit singles during the 1980s that made them one of the most successful pop rock groups of the decade. The band’s biggest ...
claimed Fowley fired her from
The Runaways The Runaways were an American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. Formed in 1975 in Los Angeles, the band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are " Cherry Bomb", " Holl ...
for refusing his sexual advances. In July 2015, six months after Fowley's death, Jackie Fuchs (who had performed under the stage name Jackie Fox with The Runaways) claimed that Fowley had raped her in 1975 during a New Year's Eve party while he was involved with the band. Fox also alleged that
Joan Jett Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin; September 22, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actress. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music#J, Godmother of Punk", she is regarded as a Pop icon, rock icon and ...
and
Cherie Currie Cherie Ann Currie (born November 30, 1959) is an American singer, musician, actress, and artist. Currie was the lead vocalist of the Runaways, a rock band from Los Angeles, in the mid-to-late 1970s. She later became a solo artist. Currie and h ...
witnessed the rape. Jett and Currie both denied seeing the incident, but songwriter Kari Krome, as well as other bystanders who did not intervene, have corroborated it. ''Look Away'', a documentary about sexual abuse in the rock music industry features Fuchs' story. In 2023, Kari Krome filed a lawsuit against Fowley's estate alleging that he had repeatedly sexually assaulted her when she was 14 or 15 years old.


Selected discography

;Solo work *1967 ''Love Is Alive and Well'' *1968 ''Born to Be Wild'' *1968 '' Outrageous'' *1969 ''Good Clean Fun'' *1970 ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' *1972 ''I'm Bad'' *1973 ''International Heroes'' *1974 ''Automatic'' *1975 ''Animal God of the Streets'' *1978 ''Living in the Streets'' *1978 ''Sunset Boulevard'' *1979 ''Snake Document Masquerade'' *1981 ''Son of Frankenstein'' *1984 ''Frankenstein and the All-Star Monster Band'' *1993 ''White Negroes in Deutschland'' *1994 ''Hotel Insomnia'' *1995 ''Bad News From The Underworld'' *1995 ''Mondo Hollywood'' *1995 ''Kings of Saturday Night'' (with Ben Vaughn) *1995 ''Let the Madness In'' *1996 ''Worm Culture'' *1997 ''Michigan Babylon'' *1997 ''Hidden Agenda at the 13th Note'' (with BMX Bandits) *1998 ''The Trip of a Lifetime'' *1999 ''Sex, Cars and God'' *2003 ''Fantasy World'' *2004 ''Strange Plantations'' *2004 ''Adventures in Dreamland'' *2013 ''Wildfire – The Complete Imperial Recordings 1968–69'' ;Producer or writer *1959 The Renegades: "Charge b/w Geronimo" *1960 The Hollywood Argyles: "
Alley Oop ''Alley Oop'' is a syndicated comic strip created December 5, 1932, by American cartoonist V. T. Hamlin, who wrote and drew the strip through four decades for Newspaper Enterprise Association. Hamlin introduced a cast of colorful characters and ...
" *1961
Paul Revere and the Raiders Paul Revere & the Raiders (also known as Raiders) were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boise, Idaho, in 1958. They saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s. The band was known for inclu ...
: "Like Long Hair" *1962 B. Bumble and the Stingers: " Nut Rocker" *1963 The Murmaids: " Popsicles and Icicles" *1964 The Hellions (featuring
Dave Mason David Thomas Mason (born 10 May 1946) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester, who came to prominence in 1967 as a founding member of the rock band Traffic. While with Traffic, he wrote and sang lead vocals on two of the b ...
& Jim Capaldi) *1965 Kim Fowley – "The Trip" *1966 Kim Fowley: " They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha-Haaa!" *1967 Elf Stone: "Louisiana Teardrops" *1967 The Fire Escape: ''Psychotic Reaction'' *1967
Soft Machine Soft Machine are an English Rock music, rock band from Canterbury, Kent. The band were formed in 1966 by Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Larry Nowlin. Soft Machine were central in the Canterbury scene; they became o ...
: "Feelin' Reelin Squeelin" (B-side of " Love Makes Sweet Music") *1967
The Seekers The Seekers were an Australian folk music, folk-influenced pop music, pop group originally formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the Unit ...
: "Emerald City" *1968 The Seeds: "Falling Off the Edge of My Mind" b/w Wild Blood *1968 St John Green - album *1969
Gene Vincent Vincent Eugene Craddock (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971), known as Gene Vincent, was an American rock and roll musician who pioneered the style of rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his backing band the Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-a-Lula", is ...
: ''I'm Back and I'm Proud!'' *1970
Wigwam A wigwam, wikiup, wetu (Wampanoag), or wiigiwaam (Ojibwe, in syllabics: ) is a semi-permanent domed dwelling formerly used by certain Native American tribes and First Nations people and still used for ceremonial events. The term ''wikiup'' ...
: '' Tombstone Valentine'' *1971 Scorpion (Swedish Band) – Album *1972
The Modern Lovers The Modern Lovers were an American rock band formed in Natick, Massachusetts in 1970 by Jonathan Richman. The original band existed from 1970 to 1974 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist ...
: Some tracks included on 1981 album ''The Original Modern Lovers'' and on later CD reissues of ''
The Modern Lovers The Modern Lovers were an American rock band formed in Natick, Massachusetts in 1970 by Jonathan Richman. The original band existed from 1970 to 1974 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist ...
'' *1973
American Graffiti ''American Graffiti'' is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz and Lucas, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat ...
Soundtrack –
At the Hop "At the Hop" is a 1950s pop song written by Artie Singer, John Medora, and David White and originally released by Danny & the Juniors. The song was first issued circa October 1957 on a small Philadelphia label (Singular 711) and included a ...
,
Louie Louie "Louie Louie" is a rhythm and blues song written and composed by American musician Richard Berry in 1955, recorded in 1956, and released in 1957. It is best known for the 1963 hit version by the Kingsmen and has become a Standard (music), stand ...
, & She's So Fine *1974 Wide World of Entertainment ( ABC) – Music for Desi Arnaz, Jr. Special *1975
Blue Cheer Blue Cheer was an American rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009. Based in San Francisco, Blue Cheer played in a psychedelic blues rock or acid rock style. The ...
: "America Nights" and "Fighting Star" *1975
Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...
Welcome to My Nightmare: "Escape" *1976
KISS A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
-
Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
: "King of the Night Time World" and "Do You Love Me?" *1976
The Runaways The Runaways were an American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. Formed in 1975 in Los Angeles, the band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are " Cherry Bomb", " Holl ...
: ''
The Runaways The Runaways were an American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. Formed in 1975 in Los Angeles, the band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are " Cherry Bomb", " Holl ...
'' *1977 The Runaways: '' Queens of Noise'' *1977 The Runaways: '' Waitin' for the Night'' *1977
Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a show business family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on ra ...
: ''Ear Candy'' *1977 The Quick: ''Mondo Deco'' *1977 Vicky Leandros: ''Vicky Leandros'' *1977 Venus and the Razorblades: ''Songs from the Sunshine Jungle'' *1978 Dyan Diamond: ''In the Dark'' *1979 ''Vampires from Album Space'': Album *1980 The Orchids: ''The Orchids'' *1981 Jon and the Nightriders ''California Fun'' (single - producer) *1981 ''Hollywood Confidential'': Compilation (LP) and iTunes *1982 Steel Breeze: ''Steel Breeze'' *1986 London (band): '' Don't Cry Wolf'' (LP - producer) *1986 Child'ƨ Play: '' Ruff House'' P*1987 Agent X – ''Rock n Roll Angels'' (Demon Doll Records) *1988 Leather Nun: ''International Heroes'' *1996 ''Blowtorch - Automotivation'' (producer) *1999 ''Underground Animal'': Compilation (LP and CD) Dionysus Records/ Bacchus Archives *2003 ''Impossible but True – The Kim Fowley Story'': Various artists (Ace Records) *2009 ''Kim Fowley – "Another Man's Gold"; "Lost Treasures from the Vaults 1959–69 Volume Two"'' *2011 – Next Year Fails : "Timaras Bitchn" *2011 With John York: "West Coast Revelation" (GRA Records) *2012 The Fabulous Miss Wendy: "No One Can Stop Me" *2014
Ariel Pink Ariel Marcus Rosenberg ( ; born June 24, 1978), professionally known as Ariel Pink, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter whose work draws heavily from the popular music of the 1960s–1980s. His lo-fi aesthetic and home-recorded al ...
: '' pom pom''


Bibliography

*


References


External links

* * * * (archived 2013) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fowley, Kim 1939 births 2015 deaths American male singer-songwriters Singer-songwriters from California Record producers from California American music managers University High School (Los Angeles) alumni Alive Naturalsound Records artists Deaths from bladder cancer in California Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery The Runaways Capitol Records artists The Hollywood Argyles members Polio survivors