Although never a household name, the Nuns were one of the earliest punk bands to feature female members, which opened doors for acts like Siouxsie & the Banshees and later, the B52s. They were formed in 1976 when the sultry vocalist and keyboardist Jennifer Miro (nee Jennifer Anderson) decided to embrace the growing punk movement with drummer Richie Detrick and bassist Jeff Olener.
On guitar was Alejandro Escovedo, who would later go on to become a legendary country punk pioneer. Escovedo is from an impressive musical family. His parents came from Mexico and immigrated to Texas, and his brothers, Coke and Pete, would go on to become members of Santana (and Latin music stars in their own right), while his niece, Sheila E, would become a star and long-time associate of Prince. Escovedo would only spend a few years in the Nunsand to date, he's a successful solo artist, continuing to record and tour regularly.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the Nuns would see numerous personnel changes (including the deaths of two members), but maintained its pretense with Miro and Olener (a transplanted Transylvanian gypsy) as the core members. During their heyday, the band was considered the West Coast response to Blondie, but their music was too brooding and lyrical themes far too dark to be as commercially viable as their New York City counterparts.