Sandra Sue Pesavento, known professionally as Sandy West (July 10, 1959 – October 21, 2006)[1][2] was an American singer, drummer and songwriter.

She was one of the founding members of The Runaways, the first teenage all-girl hard rock band to record and achieve widespread commercial success in the 1970s.

[7] Driven by her ambition to play professionally, she sought out fellow musicians and other industry contacts in southern California with the idea of forming an all-girl band.

In 1975, she met producer Kim Fowley, who gave her the phone number of another young musician in the area, guitarist Joan Jett.

[8] The women subsequently played for Fowley, who agreed to help them find other female musicians to round out the band, most notably Lita Ford and Cherie Currie.

[11][12] In other parts of the Edgeplay interviews, she alludes to having engaged in criminal activity in order to make ends meet (e.g., she describes how she had to break someone's arm for money they owed).

[17] In 2009, a memorial monument dedicated to West—a mermaid playing the guitar with a plaque—was installed at Kenny's Music Store (24731 La Plaza) in Dana Point, California.

[19] The film also featured Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning and Scout Taylor-Compton, who portrayed Joan Jett, Cherie Currie and Lita Ford, respectively.