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Ever wondered what it is like to sleep with, service, travel or live with a rock star — or maybe a whole band of them?
Tonight, VH1 introduces you to the groupies who have done just that — or, should I say, have done just them?
Pamela Des Barres — author of five best-selling books on and about her time as the traveling companion, sometime girlfriend and sometime one-night stand of the most infamous rockers — tracks down the other groupies who made their names on their backs, backing up the best bands of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.
“We were,” Des Barres says, “the ‘sex’ in the drugs, sex and rock and roll.”
Des Barres, in fact, slept with Mick Jagger, has been onstage with the Rolling Stones and The Who (while they performed “Tommy”) and traveled with Led Zepplin.
But this rockumentary is not just about her. It’s about the other, more infamous groupies who hopped between Jimmy Page, David Bowie, Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Plant and even Elvis Presley.
When she was a teen model, Lori “Lightning” Maddox stole Jimmy Page from under Des Barres’ nose after the Led Zeppelin guitarist had Maddox kidnapped and brought to his hotel — while girlfriend Des Barres stood on the curb waiting.
Today, Page would be in jail! But the man who took Maddox’s virginity before that? David Bowie!
Des Barres travels to Utah to meet Tura Satana, who was the first Japanese exotic dancer in America and Presley’s obsession. She taught him how to, well, you’ll have to see it for yourself. Her age at the time? Fifteen.
Then, it’s on to Portland, Ore. to meet Michelle Overman, Steven Tyler’s high school girlfriend. She dropped him and fell for then-married Robert Plant.
In Chicago, it’s the notorious Cynthia “Plaster Caster,” who began as a teen to take plaster casts of the manhoods of hundreds of rock stars (and still does).
In California, Des Barres reunites with Catherine James, who lived with Jagger — for starters.
She also tracks down Cassandra Peterson, who you may know as the TV personality “Elvira: Mistress of the Dark.”
In her early years, Peterson was a Vegas showgirl and held the record as the longest-running virginal groupie. Elvis changed her life — but not her sexual status.
Remember that Grand Funk Railroad line about “Sweet, sweet Connie” who had “the whole band?” Connie Hamzy was so great at one sexual talent that she was flown to concerts to service the rockers on the road.
Connie is still at it, by the way.
Do these women — all in their fifties and early sixties now — have any regrets about it all?
Are you kidding?