Pamela des Barres new book tells 24 mostly-uplifting tales of extreme fandom and groupies.
TextDino Gollnick
"Real groupies are just fabulous girls who want
to spend time with groups. They're uplifted by the music and inspired
by it and want to in turn uplift and inspire the musicians they hang
out with" explains Pamela Des Barres, author of cult book I'm With The
Band, an honest expose of her lives and loves which, amongst others,
included Jimmy Page, Keith Moon and Frank Zappa, and Godmother of the
original groupie movement of the 60s.
Des Barres' unexpurgated new book about the groupie phenomenon Let's Spend The Night Together, tells 24 mostly uplifting tales of extreme fandom starting with Elvis' one time lover Tura Satana: "I met her at a party. I was really hoping to find someone who'd been with Elvis to start the book out with. She taught Elvis how to kiss and give head and dance". Covering recollections of groupies and muses from the 50's onwards, says Des Barres: "What I learned is that the desire is exactly the same now as it was then. They want to meet the guy of their dreams and the music means everything".
Although for the most part a fun read, Des Barres makes sure not to rose tint her characters' recollections. She asserts that Cassandra Peterson, better known as Elvira, "…had some pretty rough experiences with Eric Burdon and Tom Jones but she had great experiences too. She just wanted to be where the action is".
These days Pamela is still in touch with ex-lovers and friends, including Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin, who she saw not long ago for tea, and hasn't entirely left the lifestyle behind, now muse to the country musician Mike Stinson. And, as well as holding writing workshops, being a journalist and author, Des Barres has also been ordained as minister and married, amongst others, Gram Parsons' daughter Polly. "I'm very spiritually inclined so it made sense for me to do that. I've always loved Jesus; he always said the right things". And, as she points out in her latest book, Mary Magdalene was the first real groupie.
Let's Spend The Night Together is out now.
Des Barres' unexpurgated new book about the groupie phenomenon Let's Spend The Night Together, tells 24 mostly uplifting tales of extreme fandom starting with Elvis' one time lover Tura Satana: "I met her at a party. I was really hoping to find someone who'd been with Elvis to start the book out with. She taught Elvis how to kiss and give head and dance". Covering recollections of groupies and muses from the 50's onwards, says Des Barres: "What I learned is that the desire is exactly the same now as it was then. They want to meet the guy of their dreams and the music means everything".
Although for the most part a fun read, Des Barres makes sure not to rose tint her characters' recollections. She asserts that Cassandra Peterson, better known as Elvira, "…had some pretty rough experiences with Eric Burdon and Tom Jones but she had great experiences too. She just wanted to be where the action is".
These days Pamela is still in touch with ex-lovers and friends, including Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin, who she saw not long ago for tea, and hasn't entirely left the lifestyle behind, now muse to the country musician Mike Stinson. And, as well as holding writing workshops, being a journalist and author, Des Barres has also been ordained as minister and married, amongst others, Gram Parsons' daughter Polly. "I'm very spiritually inclined so it made sense for me to do that. I've always loved Jesus; he always said the right things". And, as she points out in her latest book, Mary Magdalene was the first real groupie.
Let's Spend The Night Together is out now.
