Renegade (band)

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Renegade is an American rock band from Whittier, California, formed in 1983 by drummer Luis Cardenas and manager/producer Kim Richards. The group’s core members are Luis Cardenas, Kenny Marquez, and Tony De La Rosa. They became one of the most successful Hispanic or Chicano rock acts of the 1980s and are known in Latin America as Los Renegados.

The band faced early barriers because of their ethnicity. Los Angeles club owners sometimes refused to book them, but Richards persisted. He got Renegade booked at venues like Bill Gazzarri’s, helping the band build a following and secure strong concert turnouts.

Renegade chose to celebrate their Mexican-American heritage instead of changing their names to something more Americanized. Richards promoted their music in Latin America, where the single “Girls, Girls, Girls” helped launch their international breakthrough. Their first album, Rock N’ Roll Crazy!, followed the success of the single and boosted their worldwide profile.

They released four albums: Rock n' Roll Crazy, Renegade II – On the Run, Nuns on Wheels, and Renegade Live. The band gained fame beyond the United States, while also appearing as teen idols in the US with coverage in magazines such as Tiger Beat, 16 Magazine, and Bop, and on TV shows like Dance Fever. They played major festivals, including the Los Angeles Street Scene in 1985 and 1986, drawing large crowds.

Renegade also made notable media and charity appearances. In 1990, MTV aired a 98-minute Renegade Special. They headlined charity events in 2001 at the Staples Center and in 2002 at the Hollywood House of Blues, which was filmed for a DVD. In 1986, drummer Cardenas set a world record for the largest drum kit and released a solo album, Animal Instinct. Its lead single, a cover of Runaway, reached the Billboard Hot 100 (peaking at 83), and its video was nominated for a Grammy.

Renegade is remembered as a pioneering Latino rock band that achieved international success in the 1980s and helped open doors for Mexican-American artists in rock music. They have remained active in various forms since the 1980s.