"Thank you, Sandy. We love you."

Sandy West: 1959-2006
The photo montage with its brief inscription on The Runaways Web site tells the story with stark simplicity. Sandy West, drummer for the notorious all-female band, has died at the age of 47.

She was just 16 when The Runaways -- West, Joan Jett, Cherie Curry and Lita Ford -- burst on the rock scene in 1975. After the band dissolved four years later, West, who was known for her hard-driving drumming style, pursued a solo career as a vocalist.

West died at a hospice near Los Angeles, about a year after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

_{Album cover image courtesy Cherry Red Records}