THE RUNAWAYS Bassist Laurie McAllister Dead At 53
September 6, 2011, 12 years ago
Los Angels Times reports:
Laurie Hoyt, who called herself Laurie McAllister when she hoisted the bass in L.A. bands THE RUNAWAYS and THE ORCHIDS, died August 25th in Eugene, Ore., according to her mother, Lavonne Hoyt. She said McAllister’s death was the result of asthma.
Born June 26th, 1957, Laurie was the last in an illustrious line of foxy bass players to pass through The Runaways, the legendary all-girl band depicted in the 2010 movie The Runaways. She joined guitarists-vocalists JOAN JETT and LITA FORD and drummer Sandy West in 1978 and performed with the band live, but the Runaways broke up several months later. “Best job ever,” it said on McAllister’s Facebook profile, regarding her Runaways days.
“I am so sorry to hear of Laurie's passing,” Jett said in an emailed statement. “She was a good person and a good bass player. It was a great experience being in a band with her, as she was the last Runaways bass player before her own band, The Orchids, formed. I was still in touch with her and saw her last year at a show. It was as if no time had passed.“My heart goes out to her family and friends, and most of all, to Laurie. Rock on girl.”
After the Runaways, McAllister played bass and sang for The Orchids, another all-girl band. Like The Runaways, The Orchids were managed and produced by the infamous Sunset Strip legend Kim Fowley. They recorded one self-titled album for MCA. “Second best job ever,” Hoyt-McAllister’s Facebook profile said of the Orchids.
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