Agroupie is a fan of a particularmusical group who follows the band around while they are on tour or who attends as many of their public appearances as possible, with the hope of meeting them. The term is used mostly describing young women, and sometimes men, who follow these individuals aiming to gain fame of their own, or help with behind-the-scenes work, or to initiate a relationship of some kind, intimate or otherwise. The term is also used to describe similarly enthusiastic fans ofathletes, writers, and otherpublic figures.
The wordgroupie originated around 1965 to describe teen-aged girls or young women who began following a particular group or band of musicians on a regular basis. The phenomenon was much older;Mary McCarthy had earlier described it in her novelThe Company She Keeps (1942).[1] Some sources have attributed the coining of the word toThe Rolling Stones bassistBill Wyman during the group's 1965 Australian tour;[2] but Wyman said he and his bandmates used other "code words" for women on tour.[3] Possibly the earliest song to refer to groupies was "Motherly Love" byThe Mothers of Invention, recorded on March 9th, 1966.[4]
A prominent explanation of thegroupie concept came fromRolling Stone magazine, which published an issue devoted to the topic,Groupies: The Girls of Rock (February 1969), which emphasized the sexual behavior of rock musicians and groupies.[5]Time magazine published an article, "Manners And Morals: The Groupies", later that month. Also that year, journalists Jenny Fabian andJohnny Byrne released a largely autobiographical novel calledGroupie (1969). The following year, a documentary film titledGroupies (1970) was released.
Female groupies in particular have a long-standing reputation of being available to celebrities, pop stars, rock stars, and other public figures.Led Zeppelin singerRobert Plant is quoted as distinguishing between fans who wantedbrief sexual encounters, and "groupies" who traveled with musicians for extended periods of time, acting as a surrogate girlfriend, and often taking care of the musician's wardrobe and social life.[6] Women who adopt this role are sometimes referred to as "road wives".Cynthia Plaster Caster,Cleo Odzer,Barbara Cope (The Butter Queen) andThe GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously), withPamela Des Barres, in particular, as de facto spokeswoman, are probably the best-known groupies of this type.
A characteristic that may classify one as a groupie is a reputation for promiscuity.Connie Hamzy, also known as "Sweet Connie", a prominent groupie in the 1960s, argues in favor of the groupie movement and defends her chosen lifestyle by saying, "Look, we're not hookers, we loved the glamour". However, her openness regarding her sexual endeavors with various rock stars is exactly what has enhanced the negative connotations surrounding her type. For example, she stated in theLos Angeles Times article "Pop & Hiss" (December 15, 2010): "Hamzy, unlike the other groupies, was never looking to build relationships. She was after sex, and she unabashedly shared intimate moments with virtually every rock star—even their roadies—who came through Arkansas."[7] However, some groupies also downplayed the sexual connotations of the term. Speaking about the "groupie" label, former baby groupieLori Mattix stated, "I feel like it's been degraded somewhere along the way, and it was never meant to be negative. Groupies in the old days were girlfriends of the band. They were classy and sophisticated, but now you hear the word groupie and you think of hookers and strippers."[8]
Des Barres, who wrote two books detailing her experiences as a groupie—I'm with the Band (1987)[9] andTake Another Little Piece of My Heart: A Groupie Grows Up (1993)[10]—as well as another non-fiction book,Rock Bottom: Dark Moments in Music Babylon, asserts that a groupie is to a rock band asMary Magdalene was toJesus.[11] Her most recent book,Let's Spend the Night Together (2007), is a collection of wildly varied interviews with classic "old school" groupies including Catherine James,Connie Hamzy,Cherry Vanilla, DeeDee Keel, andMargaret Moser. Des Barres described Keel as: "One of the most intimidating dolls ... a slim strawberry blonde who won the highly prized job ofWhisky office manager after her predecessorGail Sloatman met Frank Zappa and became what we all wanted to be." Keel was one of the few who has stayed connected in Hollywood and with bands for nearly four decades. Des Barres, who married rock singer/actorMichael Des Barres, also persuaded cult actressTura Satana, singer and modelBebe Buell, actressPatti D'Arbanville, andCassandra Peterson, better known as "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark", to talk about their relationships with musicians.
Also according to Des Barres' book, there is at least one male groupie, Pleather, who followed female celebrities such asCourtney Love and members of the 1980s pop groupThe Pandoras.[8]
The "groupie" label, as it was used in the music scene, has been criticized by some feminist scholars for diminishing the role that women played in supporting and creating music. Norma Coates, a scholar of media and cultural studies, notes thatRolling Stone's 1969 special report on groupies also included profiles of women who were not groupies at all but rather musicians in their own right.[12] According to model and groupie Bebe Buell, groupies sometimes became music celebrities in their own right. Speaking about "baby" groupiesSable Starr and Lori Mattix, she stated, "Every rock star that came to L.A. wanted to meet them, it wasn't the other way around."[13] Music criticRalph J. Gleason noted that as the prominence of the most well-known groupies increased, they became the "people that others looked to when determining whether a band was 'cool.'[14]
During theMercury,Gemini, andApollo American space programs in the 1960s, women would hang around the hotels ofClear Lake in Houston, home to many astronauts, andCocoa Beach in Florida near the rocket launching site at Cape Canaveral, "collecting" astronauts. Joan Roosa, wife ofApollo 14 Command Module PilotStu Roosa, recalled: "I was at a party one night in Houston. A woman standing behind me, who had no idea who I was, said 'I've slept with everyastronaut who has been to the Moon.' ... I said 'Pardon me, but I don't think so.'"[15]
Groupies also play a role in sports. Apuck bunny is anice hockeyfan whose interest in the sport is primarily motivated bysexual attraction to the players rather than enjoyment of the game itself.[16] Primarily a Canadian term, it gained popular currency in the 21st century, and in 2004 was added to the second edition of theCanadian Oxford Dictionary which defines it as follows:[17]
Puck bunny: a young female hockey fan, especially one motivated more by a desire to meet the players than by an interest in hockey.[18]
The term is somewhat analogous to the term "groupie" as it relates torock and roll musicians. Sociological studies of the phenomenon in minor league hockey indicate that self-proclaimed "puck bunnies" are"'proud as punch' to have sex with the [players]", as it confers social status on them. However, these transitory relationships are often contrasted with those ofgirlfriends, with whom players have more stable, long-term relationships.[19]
"Buckle bunnies" are a well-known part of the world ofrodeo.[20] The term comes from a slang term for women ("bunnies"), and from the prizebelt buckles awarded to the winners in rodeo, which are highly sought by the bunnies.[21] According to one report, bunnies "usually do not expect anything more than sex from the rodeo participants and vice versa".[20]
In a 1994Spin magazine feature,Elizabeth Gilbert characterized buckle bunnies as an essential element of the rodeo scene, and described a particularly dedicated group of bunnies who are known on the rodeo circuit for their supportive attitude and generosity, going beyond sex, to "some fascination with providing the most macho group of guys on Earth with the only brand of nurturing they will accept".[22]
Recently, in Irish sport, particularly inGaelic Athletic Association sports the term "Jersey Puller" or "Jersey Tugger" has been used to describe females who are romantically interested in players.[23] The term refers to the pulling of a player's top. The term can range from individuals who look to be romantically linked with senior intercounty players to local players playing for their parish.[citation needed]
Almost Famous (2000) depicts groupies who call themselves "band aids".
The Banger Sisters (2002) depicts two middle-aged women who used to be friends and groupies when they were young.
School of Rock (2003), referenced when Dewey Finn (Jack Black) (when creating a band and crew composed ofprep school students) gives three schoolgirls the roles of groupies, until one of them—Summer Hathaway (Miranda Cosgrove)—learns what a groupie is and is appalled; Dewey subsequently gives her the more important role ofband manager.
Secret Lives of Women: Groupies (2009), a reality television spot featured the Beatle Bandaids (a modern day vintage groupie troupe), Pamela Des Barres, and the Plastics (professional groupies).
The GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously), is a band organized byFrank Zappa in the late 1960s, composed of seven groupies:[citation needed] Miss Pamela (Pamela Des Barres de facto spokeswoman), Miss Sparky (Linda Sue Parker), Miss Lucy (Lucy McLaren), Miss Christine (Christine Frka), Miss Sandra (Sandra Leano), Miss Mercy (Mercy Fontentot), and Miss Cynderella (Cynthia Cale-Binion)
"Pick Me, I'm Clean" and "Road Ladies", both by Frank Zappa.
On December 16, 2014, KXNG Crooked, a.k.a.Crooked I of Slaughterhouse (Shady Records) released a song called "Groupie" featuring Shalé, produced by Jonathan Hay and Mike Smith from the albumSex, Money and Hip-Hop.[25]
The song "La Groupie" featured byReggaetón singersDe La Ghetto, Ñejo, Lui-G 21 Plus,Nicky Jam andÑengo Flow contains explicit vocabulary and expressions for women considered as groupies.
New Riders of the Purple Sage recorded a song titled "Groupie". The chorus goes "She really ain't no groupie/She said so in a movie/At least that's what she said to me."
Bonnie Bramlett andLeon Russell wrote a song they titled "Groupie", which was recorded byDelaney & Bonnie. The song was covered byThe Carpenters under the title "Superstar" and it became one of their most popular hits. Besides the title change, the duo changed the lyric in the second verse from "I can hardly wait to sleep with you again" to the somewhat less suggestive "I can hardly wait tobe with you again."
Grand Funk Railroad recorded their song "We're an American Band", which included the line "Sweet, sweet Connie was doing her act/She had the whole show and that's a natural fact." This lyric is referring to groupie Connie Hamzy.
The song "Little Miss Honky Tonk" byBrooks & Dunn praises the singer's girlfriend stating "I wouldn't give her up for a thousand buckle bunnies."
The song "Star Star" byThe Rolling Stones, originally titled "Starfucker", from their albumGoats Head Soup (1973) is an infamous, profanity-laden song that speaks candidly of the groupie scene of the early 1970s.
The song "Groupie Love" byLana Del Rey, featuringA$AP Rocky off her albumLust for Life (2017), connotes the relationship between an artist with a type of fan—usually a young woman which seeks for emotional or sexual intimacy, involved in obsessive adoration of entertainers such as musicians, actors, athletes, and even political figures.
The song "Famous Groupies" by the bandWings on the albumLondon Town (1978) tells about a pair of groupies and the damage they leave behind.
The song "Summer '68" by the bandPink Floyd on their albumAtom Heart Mother (1970) was written about keyboardist Richard Wright's encounter with a groupie.
Stan Rogers described his song "You Can't Stay Here" on his albumNorthwest Passage (1981) as "[a]n only slightly tongue-in-cheek look at the 'groupie' problem".
The song "Psycho" by the bandSystem of a Down on their albumToxicity (2001) makes several references to groupies, such as the line "So you want to see the show? You really don't have to be a ho. From the time you were a Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy."
TheKing Crimson song "Ladies of the Road", included on their 1971 albumIslands, details sexual fantasies about various groupies.[27]
InSons of Anarchy, the groupies who hang around the fictional SOA motorcycle club are referred to as "Crow Eaters"; inseason 6,Jax's ex-wife Wendy tellsTara, Margaret, and Lowen she was a "Crow Eater" for a year before marrying Jax.
^Ulrich, Charles (2018).The Big Note: A Guide to the Recordings of Frank Zappa. Vancouver, Canada: New Star Books Ltd. (published March 11, 2018). p. 168.ISBN978-1554201464.
^Rhodes, Lisa L. (2005).Electric Ladyland: Women and Rock Culture. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 156–176.ISBN9780812238402.
^Davis, Stephen.Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga (1985)
^abDes Barres, Pamela (2007).Let's Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies. Chicago: Chicago Review Press.ISBN9781556529795.
^McNeil, Legs; McCain, Gillian (2006).Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk. Grove Press.ISBN9780802125361.
^Gleason, Ralph J. (1969). "Like a Rolling Stone". In Eisen, Jonathan (ed.).The Age Of Rock: Sounds of the American Cultural Revolution. New York: Random House.ISBN978-0394414164.
^Watkins, Billy; Fred Haise (2007).Apollo Moon Missions: The Unsung Heroes. Bison Books. p. 248.ISBN978-0-8032-6041-2.
^Nallainathan, Maurika (November 16, 2006)."Puck Bunnies".The Vancouver Observer. Archived fromthe original on October 11, 2007.
^Gwen Florio, "Whoa There, Little Lady, Eyes Forward: Cowgirls Can't Help Staring At Size Of A Cowboy's Buckle".Rocky Mountain News, January 15, 2005. Copy availablehere(subscription required) ("Rodeo cowboys might jealously compare the length of their rides, but for the women who love them, it's all about a real big buckle. Emphasis on real ... A dedicated 'buckle bunny' (sounds so much nicer than 'groupie') can tell at a glance who's gone the distance and who's never even gotten out of the chutes.")
