Pamela Des Barres - Rock Bottom

F irst, I want to thank all the souls who gave up their earthly lives to rock and roll. I love you, Elvis. Jim, Moonie, Bonzo, Gram. But I also want to graciously thank those who didnt find it necessary to split the scene Lou Reed, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Joan Jett, Pete Townshend, James Brown, Ray Davies, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, Robbie Robertson, the remaining Beatles, Ray Charles, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Keith Richards, Tina Turner, Ozzy Osbourne, Brian Wilson, Elton John, David Crosby, the Everly Brothers, Al Greene, Little Richard who still live the life, but have managed somehow to hang on to their bodies and keep on rocking.

Thank you to my friend Gene Simmons, who gave me the idea for this book. He may have a very long majestic tongue, but he still thinks in dollar signs. Many thanks to Frankie Gaye, Eddie Cochrans family, Johnny Thunderss sister Marion, Sharon Sheeley, Richard Cole, the late Monika Danneman, Jan and Gertie Berry, Linda Alderetti, Legs Larry Smith, Sam Andrew, the Nelson family, Karen Lamm, Paul Ferrara, Todd Schifman, Nina Antonio, Mr. Super Freak himself, Rick James, Nancy Parsons, Carol Clerk, Kathy Etchingham, B. P. Fallon, Merle Allin, and Miss Mercy, for opening hearts full of memories for me to poke into. Bravo to my editor, Jim Fitzgerald, for braving the rock-and-roll storm with me. Special thanks to Adam Wolf, David Portnow, Carol Clerk, and Chris Marlowe for much-needed assistance. And deep gratitude to those who carry the blazing rock torch into the twenty-first century: Terence Trent DArby, Oasis, Shirley Manson, Perry Farrell, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dwight Yoakam, Beck, Rage Against the Machine, Supergrass, Courtney Love, Prince, Eddie Vedder, Springsteen (always), Kim Gordon, and Sean Lennon. And I bow to Bob Dylan. Thank you for being on the planet the same time as I am. Your presence has blessed my uproarious life.

Kiss man Gene Simmons. Hes seen it all before.

(Richard Creamer)

BOOKS

Antonio, Nina. Johnny Thunders: In Cold Blood. The Official Biography. London: Jungle Books, 1987.

Arnold, Gina. Route 666: On the Road to Nirvana. New York: St. Martins Press, 1993.

Azerad, Michael. The Story of Nirvana: Come As You Are. New York: Doubleday, 1993.

Bashe, Phillip. Teenage Idol: The Complete Biography of Rick Nelson. New York: Hyperion, 1992.

Bockris, Victor. Keith Richards. New York: Poseidon, 1991.

Bromberg, Craig. The Wicked Ways of Malcolm McLaren. New York: Harper & Row, 1989.

Butler, Dougal. Full Moon: The Amazing Rock and Roll Life of Keith Moon. New York: William Morrow, 1981.

Caserta, Peggy. Going Down with Janis. Secaucus, N.J.: Lyle Stuart, 1973.

Clark, Alan. Eddie Cochran: Never to Be Foruotten. West Covina, Calif.: The National Rock and Roll Archives, 1991.

Cole, Richard. Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored. New York: Harper & Row, 1992.

Davis, Stephen. Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga. New York: William Morrow, 1985.

Evans, David. Freddie Mercury: This Is the Real Life. London: Britannica, 1992.

Fong-Torres, Ben. Hickory Wind: The Life and Times of Grain Parsons. New York: Pocket Books, 1991.

Friedman, Myra. Janis Joplin: Buried Alive. New York: William Morrow, 1973.

Gaines, Steven. Heroes and Villains: The True Story of the Beach Boys. London: Macmillan, 1986.

Green, Jonathon. The Book of Rock Quotes. New York: A Delilah Putnam Book, 1982.

Griffin, Sid. Gram Parsons. Pasadena, Calif.: Sierra, 1985.

Hopkins, Jerry. The Lizard King. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1992.

Hopkins, Jerry, and Danny Sugerman. No One Here Gets Out Alive. New York: Warner Books, 1980.

Hotchner, A. E. Blown Away. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990.

Jackson, Laura. Golden Stone: The Untold Life and Tragic Death of Brian Jones. New York: St. Martins Press, 1992.

Joplin, Laura. Love, Janis. New York: Viking, 1992.

Kaufman, Phil. Road Mangler Deluxe. California: Montrose, 1993.

Kent, Nick. The Dark Stuff. London: Penguin, 1994.

Marsh, Dave. Before I Get Old: The Story of the Who. New York: St. Martins Press, 1983.

Mitchell, Mitch. Jimi Hendrix: Inside the Experience. New York: St. Martins Press, 1990.

Monk, Noel, and Jimmy Guterman. 12 Days on the Road with the Sex Pistols. New York: Quill, 1990.

Patoski, Nick. Stevie Ray Vaughan: Caught in the Crossroads. Boston: Little, Brown, 1993.

Paytress, Mark. Twentieth-Century Boy: The Marc Bolan Story. London: Sidgwick & Jackson Limited, 1992.

Pike, Jeff. The Death of Rock and Roll. Boston: Faber & Faber, 1993.

Prochnicky Jerry, and James Riordan. Break On Through. New York: William Morrow, 1991.

Rawlings, Terry. Who Killed Christopher Robin? The Truth Behind the Murder of Brian Jones. London: Merlin, 1994.

Redding, Noel, and Carol Appleby. Are You Experienced?: The Inside Story Behind the Jimi Hendrix Experience. London: Picador, 1990.

Rees, Dafydd. Rock Movers and Shakers. New York: Billboard, 1991.

Ritz, David. Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye. New York: Da Capo Press, 1995.

Sanchez, Tony. Up and Down with the Rolling Stones. New York: William Morrow, 1979.

Savage, Jon. Englands Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock and Beyond. New York: St. Martins Press, 1992.

Schaffner, Nicholas. Saucerful of Secrets: The Pink Floyd Odyssey. New York: Harmony Books, 1991.

Shapiro, Harry, and Caesar Glebbeck. Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy. New York: St. Martins Press, 1990.

Sky, Rick. The Show Must Go On: The Life of Freddie Mercury New York: Citadel Press, 1992.

Spungen, Deborah. And I Dont Want to Live This Life. New York: Fawcett, 1983.

Sugerman, Danny. Appetite for Destruction: The Days of Guns N Roses. New York: St. Martins Press, 1991.

Thompson, Dave. Never Fade Away: The Kurt Cobain Story. New York: St. Martins Press, 1994.

Watkinson, Mike. Crazy Diamond: Syd Barrett and the Dawn of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus, 1991.

Willans, Caron, and John Thomas. Marc Bolan: Wilderness of the Mind. London: Xanadu, 1992.

Wolf, Daniel. You Send Me. New York: William Morrow, 1994.

NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES

The Clear Lake Mirror Reporter (Iowa)

Entertainment Weekly

Evening Standard (London)

Daily Sketch (London)

The Guardian (London)

Jet

The Los Angeles Times

Melody Maker

New Musical Express

The New York Times

People

The Rocket

Rolling Stone

Seattle Weekly

Spin

Spy

St. Charles Journal (Louisiana)

Vibe

Village Voice

The Washington Post

I feel so alone sometimes.

The night is quiet for me.

Id love to be able to sleep.

I am glad that everyone is

gone now. Ill probably

not rest. I have no need

for all this. Help me Lord.

a note written by ELVIS PRESLEY, December 1976

God let me come along at this time.

ELVIS PRESLEY

R ock and roll is over four decades old. Frightening but true. When Etta James belted out Roll with Me, Henry in 1955, she was boldly begging for some all-night-long S-E-X. Insistent savagery is how the 1956 Encyclopaedia Britannica