- Pamela Des Barres
Pamela Des Barres aka "Miss Pamela" (born Pamela Ann Miller on
September 9 ,1948 ) is a formerrock and roll groupie , author, and magazine writer.Des Barres was born in Kentucky. During elementary school, her father moved the family to southern California."I'm With the Band", Pamela DesBarres] Her mother was a housewife and her father worked for
Anheuser-Busch and occasionally worked as a gold miner. She idolizedThe Beatles andElvis Presley as a child, and fantasized about meeting and dating her favorite Beatle,Paul McCartney ." [http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/entertainment/music/groupie_010703.shtml Nobody did it better...] ", BBC]A high school acquaintaince introduced Pamela to Don Van Vliet, better known as
Captain Beefheart , a musician and friend ofFrank Zappa . Vliet in turn introduced her toCharlie Watts andBill Wyman of theRolling Stones , which drew her to the rock music scene on theSunset Strip inLos Angeles . She started to spend her time withThe Byrds and other bands, and when she graduated from high school in 1966, she took various jobs that would allow her to live near the Sunset Strip and pursue relationships with rock musicians. She famously paired up withJim Morrison ,Mick Jagger ,Jimmy Page ,Keith Moon Harris, Sarah (2007) " [http://arts.independent.co.uk/books/features/article2985964.ece Pamela Des Barres: Her latest book celebrates the outrageous, unsung exploits of her fellow 'band-aids'] ",The Independent ,23 September 2007 ]Nick St. Nicholas ,Noel Redding ,Chris Hillman ,Gram Parsons , and actorsBrandon de Wilde ,Michael Richards andDon Johnson .She was also a member of
The GTOs , an all-girl singing group formed by Zappa. [Templeton, David (2002) " [http://www.metroactive.com/urbanview/10.03.02/talk-pix-0240.html Groupie Hug: The world's most famous rock 'n' roll muse sizes up 'The Banger Sisters'] ", Oakland's Urbanview] The group started out as the Laurel Canyon Ballet Company, and began performing as an opening act for Zappa and theMothers of Invention . The group's act was performance art, a mix of music and spoken word, since none of its members could sing or play an instrument. They released an album, "Permanent Damage" in 1969, backed by Zappa andJeff Beck . The group dissolved a month after the album's release because some of its members were arrested for drug possession.In the 1970s Des Barres decided to pursue a career as an
actress , and acted in a few movies, including Zappa's "200 Motels ", commercials, and a year acting on thesoap opera "Search for Tomorrow " in 1974. After a downturn in her acting career she went to work as a nanny for Zappa's children, Dweezil and Moon Unit.On
October 29 ,1977 , she marriedMichael Des Barres who had been lead singer for Detective (the first band signed toLed Zeppelin 'sSwan Song Records label),Silverhead , and, briefly, for Power Station. They have a son, Nicholas Dean Des Barres (GameFan magazine 'sNick Rox ), who was born onSeptember 30 ,1978 . The couple divorced in the summer of 1991, due to Michael Des Barres' alleged infidelities.Des Barres wrote two memoirs about her experience as a groupie, "
I'm with the Band " (1987) and ' (1993), as well as two other non-fiction books, ' and "Let's Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies" (Chicago Review Press, 2007). "I'm with the Band " was re-released as a "updated edition" in 2005.Des Barres currently writes articles for online and print publications and teaches in Los Angeles. Her students have become known as "Pamela's Girls," and have achieved their own notoriety in the music industry. She has also become an ordained minister and performs weddings. She is a breast cancer survivor and yoga devotee. [" [http://www.nardwuar.com/vs/pamela_des_barres/transcribed/index.html Nardwuar Vs Pamela des Barres] ", Nardwuar.com]
References
External links
*imdb name|id=0589086|name=Pamela Miller
* [http://www.pameladesbarres.com/ Official website]
* [http://punkcast.com/1177 PUNKCAST#1177] Reading at Soho McNally Robinson NYC, July 9 2007. (Realplayer ,mp4 ,Flash)
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