Metal's maidens on Mother's Day

Happy MOTHER'S DAY to all of the mothers out there! Including mine -- HI MOM!
Nobody else is up yet today, so before we celebrate Mother's Day with JILL, I am banging my head to the hardest-rockin' female combo I know -- the extraordinarily excellent GIRLSCHOOL.
School mates Kim McAuliffe (vocals/guitar) and Enid Williams (bass) formed the all-female band Painted Lady in 1977 in South London, playing school parties and such.
By March 1978, guitarist Kelly Johnson and drummer Denise Dufort joined the band, renamed Girlschool.
Touring Britain, the band also released a debut singe, "Take it all Away," in January 1979.
Metal giants MOTÖRHEAD took notice, and offered Girlschool a management and publishing deal, as well as a support spot on the "Overkill" tour.
Girlschool had arrived!
Although there must have been some curiosity surrounding the band during the glory days of the NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL (NWOBHM), Girlschool's records (I have "DEMOLITION" and "HIT AND RUN") are no novelties.
They could hold their own with any boy's heavy metal band.
Still going strong, Girlschool celebrated their 30th anniversary last year.
Check out their Web site by clicking here. It includes a tribute page to Johnson, who passed away from cancer in 2007.