Renegade is an American rock band from Whittier, California. Though the band’s members (Luis Cardenas, Kenny Marquez and Tony De La Rosa) were all born in the United States, they are of Hispanic descent, which became a big part of the group’s identity and contributed to their sustained popularity in Latin America (where they are known as “Los Renegados”). Formed in 1983 by drummer Luis Cardenas and the band’s manager Kim Richards, the band struggled to book shows due to their ethnicity. The release of their single “Girls, Girls, Girls” in Latin America proved to be the lightning rod they needed to become a household name. The group became massively successful, playing for audiences of 150,000 at the Los Angeles Street Scene Festival in 1985 and 1986. They achieved “teen idol” status, making appearances in magazines such as Tiger Beat and Bop. In 1986 they were invited by Kenny Rogers to appear with Lionel Richie and Lee Greenwood for the Hands Across America event. The group went on to release four albums: Rock n' Roll Crazy, Renegade II - On the Run, Nuns on Wheels and Renegade Live. In 2001, the group was honored at an event for record sales of over 30 million copies worldwide.
