She could not simply listen to the soundtrack of the 60s. She had to find a way inside of it… or, at least backstage. She is Glorious Groupie Goddess, Pamela Des Barres and she joins Weezy and Lisa for a captivating conversation about love, music and the cultural revolution that forever changed us all.
Pamela reflects on coming of age as the buttoned-up 50s gave way to the clothing optional 60s, when rock music moved minds, stirred loins and invited adventure.
Her “Meet The Beatles” album was not just a revelation. Pamela read it as an instruction. At 14, she and her Beatle besotted besties made their way into the hills of Bel Air, spotted a kid on a bike who looked like he lived there. He did. He was Jerry Lewis’s son, Ronnie, and he let the girls into his backyard where they crawled through the Beatles-mansion-adjacent bushes and remained there all night until they were picked up, in the morning, not by the Beatles, but by the cops.
By age 18, Pamela’s tactics had blossomed into: 1) Look cute. 2) Be legally of age. 3) Knock on the stage door. Her subsequent friendships and romances with rock superstars are chronicled in her groundbreaking memoir, I’m With The Band. Here, Pamela reveals remarkable details about her relationships with Keith Moon, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Gram Parsons, Frank Zappa, Jim Morrison and the legends of Laurel Canyon.
Frank Zappa was so taken by the music muses that he fashioned Pamela and her fellow fangirls into a dance troupe called GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously). They set the dance tone at The Whiskey and The Shrine, eventually recording their own album!
Today, Pamela continues to inspire new generations through her women's writing workshops, rock-and-roll tours, one-woman shows, and live events.
She also hints at her next book, 'Sex, God and Rock 'n' Roll', revealing how a lifelong interest in spirituality has paralelled her passion for music.
Plus, we challenge Pamela with a round of Rock Star Boyfriend Trivia!
In media recommendations --
Lisa: Lifestyle influencer Stephanie Joplin, @betterwithchardonnay
Weezy: The series, A Woman Of Substance on Britbox
Path Points of Interest:
Pamela Des Barres on Wikipedia
Pamela Des Barres on Instagram
I'm With The Band by Pamela Des Barres