Roni Lee (born Rhonda Lee Ryckman, November 14, 1956 in Los Angeles, California) is an american guitarist, and singer-songwriter. She is most associated with her affiliation with Kim Fowley´s first mixted gender punk rock band Venus and the Razorblades as the female lead guitarist und vocalist. Her relationship with producer and creator Kim Fowley let to cowriting The Runaways hit "I Wanna Be Where The Boy Are" released on the Live In Japan album in 1977 winning the Recording Industry Association of Japan Gold Record.
Roni Lee, Kim Fowley, and the members of the Runaways Joan Jett, Lita Ford are all part of a movement that led the way in the music industry for woman in rock. The Woman´s International Music Network foundet by Laura B. Whitmore gives credit to these pioneers, a genre that was once dominated mostly by men.
After Venus and The Razorblades disbanded, Roni collaborated and performed with Randy California and Ed Cassidy (Spirit) as well as Mars Bonfire and Jerry Edmonton (Steppenwolf) from 1977 to 1978. After spending time recording and performing on the East Coast, Midwest and Montreal,Canada, Roni formed her first power trio and moved to Seattle, Washington and signed a recording contract with Mushroom Records (Canada) but the company went bankrupt when vice president and creative director Shelly Siegel died in 1979.
In 2009 The Runaways movie was released. The Film depicts how difficult the music industry was during that era fpr women. The groundbreaking lyrics of the Fowley/Lee song "I Wanna Be Where The Boys Are" is a running theme during the Film and Roni Lee ans is listed in the credits at the end of the film for her music contribution.
In 2013 Roni Lee was granted an endorsment with Paul Reed Smith guitars for her distinctive style of playing as well as well as her place in punk rock´s early history during the 1970´s. She has been an invited guest to perform at the Los Angeles NAMM Show since 2012.
In 2014 "The Roni Lee Group" was nominated for "Best Hard Rock Band" at the San Diege Music Awards. Her current band is a Power trio consisting of bassist/violinist Lynn Sorensen, former bassist for Paul Rodgers and Bad Company and drummer Jeff Kathan. Roni is also the founder of Play Like a Girl records which focuses on empowering femals artists.
She has recorted on numerous gospel, funk and rock albums as well as her own recordings. Her current original rock album "Heroes" was produced by Warren Huart and recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders Studios in Hollywood with Lynn Sorensen on bass and drummer Kenny Aronoff.