In Hollywood, it's easy to spot "groupies" ; they're omnipresent along the Sunset Strip, as well as, at Rock Concerts. This has been an established fact for well over forty years. In fact, it's hard to imagine R0CK 'N' ROLL without the outrageously adorned sexpots, in full regalia, sexually flaunting their beautiful, young assets, in vain attempts to seek admission to restricted concert areas, in order to be closer to their cherished idols. The fact that "groupies" have become such an integral part of the LA R&R music scene is due to the tenacity of a music-loving teenager from Reseda, "Miss" Pamela Miller (Des Barres), and her sister GTO's, residing together in the Laurel Canyon Log Cabin. As members of a loosely assembled "free-form dance troupe", the girls were able to easily secure access to their favorite groups' coveted  band members.
It's unknown who first coined the term "Groupie", but I'm confident that it was in reference to a GTO.  

LA'S FIRST GROUPIES

       
            "MISSES" - {above-from left} Christine, Mercy, Lucy, Sandra, Sparky, Pamela & Cynderella                             

GTO's
"The GTO's (which stands for Girls Together Outrageously) were a loose collection of groupie-chicks that collected around the Frank Zappa/Mothers of Invention/L.A. Rock-N-Roll scene in the late 60's/early 70's. The point of this amalgamation of super-groupies was to attract as much attention as possible (which they did) from rock gods and other celebrities, via a combination of freaky makeup, clothes and behavior (which was often spurred by rampant drug use and abuse). In terms of originality and inventiveness, most of the GTO's looked pretty rad...".     - Extract from Pamela Des Barres' website (© 2002)

The seven girls who were the original (and only) members of Frank Zappa's
"Girls Together Outrageously"    {see above photo for all seven members}

Miss Pamela

 Pamela Miller - Des Barres
Miss Sparky Linda Sue "Sparkie" Parker
Miss Christine Christine Frka
 Miss Sandra Sandra Leano
Miss Mercy Mercy Fontenot
Miss Lucy Lucy Offerall
Miss Cynderella Cindy Wells

"The GTO's were a collection of groupies from the late 60's L.A. music scene.
The group started out as "the Cherry Sisters"
                             - from official Frank Zappa website

The  

Though I'm sure there have been ardent female music fans at least as far back as the "Flappers" in "the roaring 20's",  none went to the lengths of GTO, Miss Pamela.  Once her sights were set on a particular musician, it was just a matter of time before she would snare her unsuspecting prey. The tenacity & determination of her relentless, youthful, pursuit took the term "avid fan" to a new level, resulting in the requirement to coin a new word which fully spells out such a female. If Miss Pamela, along with her GTO sisters aren't recognized as the "First Groupies", at least their pioneering efforts deserve acknowledgement among the "Elite Groupies" of our era. It is these "Elite Groupies" of Rock'N'Roll, which I'll introduce on this page -

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE GTO'S PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.laurelcanyonstories.com/gtos.htm
http://www.laurelcanyonstories.com/logcabinstories1.asp#GTOs
http://www.laurelcanyonstories.com/gtospermdamage.htm

"Sweet, Sweet" CONNIE HAMZY - Little Rock, Arkansas - DOB: 01/29/53

Connie became the South's most notorious Groupie thanks to
Grand Funk Railroad's 1973 smash hit single about groupies -
"We're An American Band" - Verse One:
Out on the road for forty days
Last night in Little Rock, put me in a haze
Sweet, sweet Connie was doin' her act
She had the whole show and that's a natural fact

     {Connie W/'The Boss'}
 Connie is the world's most notorious rock'n'roll groupie, with a sexual resume that dates back to 1970. Her list of conquests reads like the selections on a biker-bar jukebox, including (she claims), members of the Who, Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, the Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top, Bad Company, and the Allman Brothers Band (she claims sex w/27 members-during their set).

In 1974, when Ms. Hamzy was 19, her groupie escapades were detailed in a Cosmopolitan magazine profile, and in 1992, she wrote a tell-all article for Penthouse magazine. Her juicy 1995 Rock & Roll, sexual tell all, autobiography, ‘Rock Groupie: The Intimate Adventures of "Sweet Connie" from Little Rock’ is now out of print.
The 56 yr. old, self-proclaimed "Oral Specialist", still resides in Little Rock, Arkansas, where her raspy, tobacco ravaged, laughter can often be heard echoing from her favorite local rock & roll bar, "Sticky Finger'z Rock'N'Roll Chicken Shack".

CYNTHIA & THE PLASTER CASTERS

Unlike 'Sweet Sweet Connie' {above}, whose claim to groupie fame is the astounding number of  penises she has sucked (musicians, roadies, guitar techs, managers, laborers, bodyguards, bus drivers, janitors...), Cynthia "Plaster Caster"  is notorious for her own unique artistry.

The young Chicago groupie is best remembered for her predilection for making "Plaster Casts" of rock stars' genitalia  {see left}.
    Plaster Casters {1968} 

  Cynthia "Plaster" - Leader of Chicago's infamous groupie clan.

Understandably, there was an initial reluctance to Cynthia's bizarre requests by the rock musicians she encountered. It was while Cynthia was visiting The Laurel Canyon Log Cabin in 1968, that she met legendary rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix, who was intrigued by the young groupie's unusual request. Hendrix will forever be memorialized in Rock History as an innovator of new & unusual electric guitar techniques & styles,  but the pioneering guitarist is also acknowledged as a pioneer in "Plaster Casting".  Once word got around about Hendrix's 'Plaster Penis',  rockers were eager to offer their 'privates' to be immortalized in plaster by Miss Cynthia & her 'Plaster Casters'. In fact, Cynthia was further immortalized by KISS bassist, Gene Simmons, after he submitted to her peculiar "hobby". He proudly wrote & sang his testimonial song "Plaster Caster" on the famed Kiss album "LOVE GUN".

Some recent shots of Cynthia:  {below}
                                                                                                           {the pair in '99}            
        
       Cynthia Plaster Caster
       and Pamela DesBarres

 


As these photos will attest: the effervescence that is Cynthia's has grown over the years...
 (refer to black & white teenage photos above}.

Cynthia still makes plaster casts of penises and breasts, but now she picks and chooses her own subjects, no longer doing jobs on commission.

"Caster" does occasional art shows, lectures, and she is available to tutor interested parties in the obscure art of casting body parts.

Cynthia was the subject of a documentary shot around 2000 - 2001, entitled Plaster Caster. The author was unable to locate a copy for review, but has been told the documentary can still be found (if willing to search) on DVD.

Cynthia is completing work on her autobiography, which is slated for future publication,

MORGANA WELCH

Another renowned groupie was the young & beautiful Miss Morgana Welch.
{*also included in the Led Zeppelin party @ Rodney's photo - click }

*The author, who considers himself an authoritative source on the subject of "Rock Groupies", was not familiar with Morgana until reading about her in Michael Walker's finely researched book, "LAUREL CANYON -
The Inside Story of Rock & Roll's Legendary Neighborhood". 

Morgana considered herself a member of the "Rainbow-Whisky" clique of LA Groupies.
Morgana began hanging with the rock stars, while still a Beverly Hills High School student. She became the ringleader of a 'groupie clique', known as the "LA Queens".  Much like the GTO's, this second generation of LA Groupies hung around the numerous rock clubs along Sunset Boulevard, during the heyday of the Sunset Strip Rock & Roll Bar Scene.
Morgana points out that she was acknowledged as “a preferred consort of Led Zeppelin.”

{recent Morgana photo}

Morgana is another literate groupie survivor, who aspires for professional recognition on the level achieved by 'Miss' Pamela Des Barres.

Currently a web consultant living in Arizona, Welch is finishing up a book on her Rock & Roll sexual experiences, titled, 'Hollywood Diaries'.

To keep up with her progress, or to see what else Morgana's been up to,
visit her MySpace page.

HONORABLE MENTION - PATTI BOYD
Though technically not a groupie as defined by the other ladies listed above,
Patti Boyd deserves inclusion on this page due to her amazing 'music'  love life.

She is best remembered as the woman who was married to Beatles guitarist, George Harrison, before her affair (and later marriage), with former Cream axeman, Eric Clapton. The affair was the source of great suffering for all concerned. The two famed guitarists were close friends (they co-wrote Cream's "Badge" & Clapton subbed for George on the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"), and both deeply loved Patti. In fact, the emotional turmoil of the situation drove Clapton deeper into heroin addiction, and put his stellar music career on hold for years.
Patti was the inspiration for several songs; "Layla" and "Wonderful Tonight", among the better known pieces. The infamous affair (and divorces, etc.) was followed closely by the rock media, with fans worldwide voicing their opinions of Patti, both pro and con. But the Clapton affair was not Patti's first; she had also been involved with other rock idols during her marriage to George Harrison, most notably, John Lennon and Ron Wood.

After Patti’s divorce from Clapton in 1989, she refocused on her earlier career in photography. In 1991, she co-founded SHARP (Self-Help Addiction Recovery Programme) with Barbara Bach (Ringo's mate), which aids both drug addicts, and alcoholics. Thanks to her key position within the music industry, her photos included a wide selection of personal moments in in the lives of Rock's hierarchy. Her first gallery exhibit of photographs was in San Francisco in 2004.

Now in her late 50's, Patti is the signature model for the well known British clothing and textile company, 'Viyella'. She lives in England with her partner of more than fifteen years, real estate developer, Ron Weston.

For more  - Visit: Lori Maddox & Bebe Buell