The elite among the elite of the groupies often had VIP privileges to clubs, hotels, and even special events that were mostly reserved for celebrities. However, getting inside the exclusive lives of rock bands and music stars was no walk in the park. In celebration of these fame-seeking creatures, we’ve compiled a list of the most notorious of them all. Join us on a voyeuristic adventure into the world of rock n’ roll’s most infamous groupies.
Pamela Anderson
Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson has a graceful spot on our list. She tied the knot with Tommy Lee, drummer of the band Motley Crue, and raised two children with the rockstar for three years. After her break up with Tommy in 1998, she had a relationship with Bret Michaels, and tied the knot for a second time with Kid Rock, back in 2006.
Since splitting from Kid Rock, though, the Canadian-American actress and model slowed down from her rock n’ roll groupie days. Today, she manages her own charity, that supports individuals and animals.
Lori Maddox
Lori Maddox entered the world of rock n’ roll groupies at a very young age, and was known during her time as a member of the fabled “baby groupies.” While she was rumored to have had a dalliance with David Bowie, what made Lori Maddox famous was her enigmatic relationship with Jimmy Page, guitarist and founder of the legendary rock band, Led Zeppelin.
The English rock n’ roller was apparently very fond of Lori, to the point of obsession (you can see Page’s frustration with their relationship in the song “Sick Again”). Nevertheless, their romance crumbled as time went by, and the once party-going Maddox was no longer too keen on living the rockstar life. Before she left, however, she was linked with Mick Jagger, of The Rolling Stones.
Anita Pallenberg
For almost ten years, Anita Pallenberg managed to bewitch countless rock icons and legends with her stunning looks and magnetic charm. The Italian actress, artist, and model was a style icon, and known as the muse of The Rolling Stones for reasons we’ll leave you to guess!
She was the romantic partner of multi-instrumentalist Rolling Stones member, Brian Jones, for three years, and later on the band’s guitarist, Keith Richards, with whom she had three children. It was also rumored that Pallenberg had a brief affair with Mick Jagger, the band’s lead vocalist, during the filming of “Performance.”
Bebe Buell
Bebe Buell is not your ordinary rock n’ roll groupie. The Virginia native is a popular singer in America and a former fashion model. She came to New York with the hopes of becoming a professional singer but instantly fell into modeling because of her youth and inherent appeal.
The American singer/model enjoyed a long, albeit unstable, relationship with Todd Rundgren that lasted for seven years, from 1972 to 1979. On top of that, she was linked to numerous other rockstars and music artists as well, starting with Paul Cowsill, when she was still a teenager, to Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Jimmy Page, and ultimately, Steven Tyler, with whom she created her beautiful daughter, Liv Tyler.
Pamela Des Barres
Pamela Des Barres grew up in a family of music aficionados, so it’s not so much of a shock that a big portion of her life revolved around concerts and discos. She was an avid fan of Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles, worshipping all of them from a distance. Little did she know that she would later become close to them – the closest any fan could ever dream of!
Fast forward to adulthood and Pamela would find herself babysitting for Frank Zappa and hanging out with up-and-coming artists in the Los Angeles area. Although her first taste of the rock n’ roll lifestyle was with The Rolling Stones and The Byrds, Des Barres was also known to have relationships with Keith Moon, Jimmy Page, and Jim Morrison. She was also the inspiration behind the famous Beatles song, “Penny Lane”, and the character played by Kate Hudson in the movie "Almost Famous".
Tawny Kitaen
Julie “Tawny" Kitaen had a somewhat intriguing history. She started her career as a beauty pageant participant and later achieved celebrity status as an actress. Some of her most infamous films included an adult-only movie, "Gwendoline"; the horror movie, "Witchboard", and (less controversially) "Bachelor Party", which also starred legendary actor, Tom Hanks.
While she was a well-known actress, Tawny’s life didn’t revolve solely around the Hollywood scene. In fact, she appeared in several music videos, including Whitesnake’s hit, “Still of the Night”, and “Here I Go Again.” She was married to the band’s lead vocalist, David Coverdale, for a few years, from 1989 to 1991.
Carmen Electra
Tara Leigh Patrick, better known as Carmen Electra, is a Baywatch babe to grace this list of famous groupies. She first started dating Chicago Bulls legend, Dennis Rodman, and later tied the knot with the eccentric basketball player (the marriage only lasted for a year). After their breakup, she went on to enjoy a series of romantic relationships with several rock n’ roll stars.
Although she was wedded to Dave Navarro, the famous guitarist of the band Jane’s Addiction, Carmen had numerous relationships with other rockers before him. Carmen Electra has been rumored to have been in a relationship with Motley Crue drummer, Tommy Lee, and Prince (who was instrumental in her first record release).
Nancy Spungen
Nancy Spungen was widely remembered as the American girlfriend of English Sex Pistols bassist, Sid Vicious; although her life as a groupie goes far beyond the punk star. Born in Philadelphia, she flew to London at just 15 years old and met Sid Vicious during the golden years of punk rock. The rough lifestyle she lived was also what led to her becoming acquainted with prominent bands like The Ramones, The New York Dolls, and Aerosmith.
In October of 1978, Nancy Spungen tragically passed away and was found inside a room at the infamous Chelsea Hotel. A case was filed against Sid Vicious for being responsible for her passing, but the rockstar joined her before he ever reached a court trial.
Erin Everly
Not all groupies were hooked on The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Guns N’ Roses were the cause for many adolescents becoming groupies well into their 20s. Anyone who knows anything about Guns N’ Roses and groupies will immediately be thinking of Erin Everly and her infamous relationship with the band’s legendary lead vocalist, Axl Rose.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Erin Everly was the famous spouse of Axl Rose. The two even lived together for a year from 1990 to 1991. Although their relationship was short-lived, it had its romantic moments. As a matter of fact, the Guns N’ Roses singer was so deeply in love with Erin that it inspired him to compose one of the band’s most celebrated songs: “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull came from an elite background. She was raised by a father who was a big player in British Intelligence and a professor of Italian Literature, and a mother who was the daughter of an Austro-Hungarian nobleman. Faithfull was an avid singer and songwriter, and this eventually led her to the acquaintance of Andrew Loog, manager of The Rolling Stones. From Loog, it was just a short skip and a jump to the one and only, Mick Jagger.
Although the majority of her affection for the band was directed towards Jagger, rumors flew about her involvement with other members. As you should have come to expect by now, Faithfull's romance with Mick reached an inevitable breaking point. Marianne went on to date other rockstars. These relationships were a mixed bag, with some that went on fine and others that were shrouded with controversy.
Pattie Boyd
Pattie Boyd was blessed by the gods with exquisite looks and charm. Boyd was featured on the cover of the renowned fashion magazine, Vogue. Outside of her decorated career as a model, Boyd was also a successful photographer. In fact, her photographs of legendary musicians, Eric Clapton and George Harrison, have been showcased all over the world.
Naturally, Pattie Boyd had a strong appeal with numerous stars in the rock n’ roll world. As a matter of fact, she was married to George Harrison for ten years, from 1966 until 1977, and then to Eric Clapton after their divorce. It’s known that the powerful song “Layla” was rooted in Clapton’s marriage with Boyd. The two separated in 1989.
Bianca Jagger
Bianca Jagger carried a kind of flair with her, and this unique trait was quite magnetic to many rockstars. Her vibrant personality also led her to a number of private gatherings, including lavish parties at the high-end Studio 54. She was so charismatic that every action she made, even if it appeared originally stupid, was amazingly elegant.
Bianca was introduced to the bright lights as Mick Jagger’s original spouse. They divorced after a brief marriage, although Bianca maintained a prominent figure in the club scene of the 80s. Bianca Jagger has since lived her days working on human rights campaigns and other worthy endeavors.
Sable Starr
Sable Starr was a notorious groupie, often dubbed as the "queen of the groupie scene" in the City of Los Angeles, back in the 70s. In an interview by Star Magazine, in June of 1973, she revealed her personal relationships with rock n’ roll icons like Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, and Marc Bolan. She bared all in the interview, revealing her early encounters with Spirit guitarist, Randy California, and openly discussing confrontations with “rival groupies.”
Starr also claimed to have shared an intimate relationship with Robert Plant, lead singer, and lyricist of Led Zeppelin. Sadly, the infamous queen of groupies passed away in 2009, at the age of 51, after having been diagnosed with a severe medical condition.
Tura Satana
Besides her perfect body, dance moves, and acting prowess, there was a lot of intrigue surrounding Tura Satana. The Japanese American artist was featured in a number of Hollywood movies, such as "Faster, Pussycat" and "Kill! Kill!". First on the list of Satana’s rockin’ love stories is none other than the king of rock n’ roll himself: Elvis Presley.
The king was apparently drawn to her while witnessing her dancing at Follies Theatre in Chicago. After that moving encounter, Satana and Presley instantly fell into a romance. Although it was short-lived, there are those who say that Tura Satana’s dalliance with Elvis makes her the mother of the groupie scene.
Courtney Love
As a rock n’ roll groupie, Courtney Love is famous for her marriage to the legendary Kurt Cobain of the grunge music band, Nirvana. Although to be fair, by the time the two were wed, Love had already had a notorious track record of relationships with other rockstars.
Prior to her relationship with Cobain, she was linked to several names, like Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, as well as Michael Stipe of REM. Outside the infamous groupie tag though, Courtney was a successful artist, particularly as the lead vocalist of her band, Hole.
Donna D’Errico
Sliding comfortably into this list is a Baywatch regular, Donna D’Errico, who also happens to be a Playboy Playmate of the Month. Naturally, Donna was fairly popular amongst the musicians whose talents she admired.
The American actress and model started her connection to the music industry with her marriage to Nikki Sixx, co-founder, bassist, and main songwriter of the band, Motley Crue. The pair lived together for almost a decade, and raised a child, until their break up in 2007. Today, Donna D’Errico works as an actress in Hollywood films and shows.
Brandi Brandt
Nikki Sixx, of Motley Crue fame, had numerous love affairs with different groupies, and another one of them was Brandi Brandt. The rock n’ roll life fit Brandi like a glove, after being raised by a mom who played the drums for a band called The American Girls. With no talent for music, however, she made a name for herself in the world of modeling and acting.
Brandi Brandt was featured in numerous music videos, including “Love in an Elevator” by Aerosmith. Brand and Sixx lived together for seven years and had three children. The celebrity couple later separated in 1996.
Bobbi Brown
Flaunting her silky smooth, blonde hair and stunning figure, Bobbi Brown easily stood out in any group. Prior to her rise to prominence in the groupie ranks, the American model artist was already known for her good looks. In fact, she even won Miss Louisiana Teen USA back in 1987 and was featured in several shows.
In terms of love affairs with famous musicians, Brown was quite the expert. In her heyday, you could find her parading in the music video of the band Warrant. In fact, Brown was on the cover for the band’s album, ‘Cherry pie’. Outside the groupie life, she’s also written and hosted a VH1 docu-series, published a memoir, and started a clothing line.
Connie Hamzy
In the outside world, she simply went by the name of Connie Hamzy, but inside the world of rock n’ roll stars and musicians, she was called “Sweet Connie.” A lot of this had to do with how she handled herself as an easy-going lass from Arkansas who could brighten up a rockstar’s gloomy day by just being around. Hamzy quickly rose to prominence within the rock n’ roll scene, and her name and unique effect on rockstars were even mentioned in a song by Grand Funk Railroad.
A few prominent figures in the industry who were linked to Connie included Keith Moon, Alice Cooper, and John Bonham. Her experiences living with rockstars were so extensive that she wrote a whole book about it, titled Rock Groupie: The Intimate Adventures of “Sweet Connie” from Little Rock.
Kendra Jade
Kendra Jade Rossi was a model, actress, and dancer. With an impressive résumé, it was easy for her to draw the attention of numerous rockstars. She entered the groupie scene during her early 20s, as a young woman from Massachusetts who was trying to make her way in the vibrant atmosphere of California.
Rossi eventually found her “calling” in lavish parties and the glitz and glamor of the rockstar lifestyle. She found solitude when she tied the knot with Canadian rock musician Lukas Rossi in 2007. The two adopted a son in 2015.
Josie Stevens
In reality, Josie Stevens wasn’t able to penetrate the circle of rock icons like Mick Jagger, but nevertheless, she was known as a notorious groupie, mostly in the 1980s. Aside from her groupie predilection, Stevens was also a successful model and a proficient makeup artist.
Later on in her life, Josie decided to go for a bit of stability and, in 2008, married Steve Stevens, an American guitarist, and songwriter who performed with Billy Idol. The couple managed to work together well, with Josie serving as the manager of her husband’s music career. On top of that, the multi-talented model, stylist, TV personality, and fashion designer has her own line of clothing.
Heather Locklear
There are two sides to the mercurial life of Heather Locklear. One half is a celebrated actress who has won tons of accolades and captured the hearts of many fans and viewers. The other half is an unexpectedly wild lifestyle that earned her the infamous title of a rockstar groupie. Locklear became famous for her acting exploits in the 1990s soap opera, Melrose Place, which earned her four prestigious Golden Globe nominations.
Amidst her numerous achievements as an actress, however, the uber-talented Heather Locklear was inexplicably and inextricably drawn to rockstars. As an example, she became engaged to Tommy Lee, of the band Motley Crue, in 1986, but divorced the musician after seven years. After her separation, she continued to chase other rockstars, which led her to Richie Sambora, of the band, Bon Jovi.
Kathleen Dorritie
Kathleen Dorritie, a.k.a Cherry Vanilla, became acquainted with the life of music stardom when she began working as David Bowie’s publicist. Additionally, Kathleen was also involved in bigger undertakings, arguably the biggest one was in the play, Pork, by the renowned artist, Andy Warhol.
What separates Kathleen from the rest of the women on this list is that she wasn’t just a “groupie” who only went out with rockstars. She shared a strong friendship with Andy Warhol and played a significant role in the success of numerous projects of his. Of course, she wouldn’t be on this list if she didn’t have any romantic affairs with rockstars. Kathleen Dorritie was known for her intimate relationship with Beatles legend, John Lennon.
Cathy Smith
Cathy casually waltzed into the rock n’ roll landscape during the 60s, capturing numerous rockstar hearts in her wild journey. Canadian-born Smith entered the limelight as a groupie with The Band, and was even mentioned in the song “The Weight.”
Aside from her close relationship with The Band, Smith was also linked to another Canadian folk singer, Gordon Lightfoot. Although Lightfoot was able to compose a song about his experiences with Cathy, titled “Sundown,” it didn’t have a positive tone, making it safe to say that their relationship wasn’t all sunshine and roses.
Roxana Shirazi
Roxana Shirazi was an Iranian-born woman who moved to England at a very young age with her family. Roxana grew up with English as her first language and London as her childhood playground. When she was old enough to find a job, Roxana Shirazi went straight into belly dancing, performing at different nightclubs across the city.
Often in the spotlight and used to being the center of attention every night on stage, Shirazi quickly gained the self-confidence and means necessary to snag any stray rockstars she came across. Shirazi managed to become close with several prestigious groups, such as Black Cherry and Guns N’ Roses.
Uschi Obermaier
Since the early days, Uschi Obermaier was already a globally recognized model. When she was still residing in West Berlin, in a place called Kommune 1 (a haven for the rock n’ roll lifestyle), Obermaier met the famed Jimi Hendrix, and romance brewed instantly.
In the film, "Last Experience", there’s a scene featuring Obermaier having an intimate moment with Hendrix outside of a hotel in West Berlin. Obermaier added to her infamy by joining The Rolling Stones world tour in 1975 and having a love story with two of the band’s members, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder was perhaps best known as a talented actress who had the beauty and charm to thrive in the movie industry. Surprisingly, she’s also a groupie herself, although a special one, given her standing and credentials in life. But still, the American actress and film producer boasts a dating history that features an extensive list of rockstars and musicians.
Familiar names that can be found in her rockstar dating database include Jack White of The White Stripes, Dave Grohl of Nirvana, The Foo Fighters, Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, a member of the band Green Day, and many more. Winona Ryder, however, is widely known to be a private person, which means there’s a chance there are even more musicians in her dating history that we’ll never get to know about.
The GTOs
Every groupie has his or her own agenda, and not everyone does it for the sake of recognition or access to exclusive parties. In fact, many of them became groupies out of the purity of their love for rock n’ roll! Several groupies became actual bands themselves, like The GTOs, whose members were young females. The all-girls band had seven members brought together by the famed musician and filmmaker, Frank Zappa.
The GTOs were flashy and rowdy, with a primary goal of making an impression in a scene that made such an impression on them and having a whole lot of fun along the way. The band stayed intact for almost three years until breaking up in 1970, after only releasing a single album, entitled Permanent Damage.
Pamela Manning
Back in the day, you would often see Pamela Manning on tour with the Guns N’ Roses lads, but the American beauty didn’t really consider herself a groupie. The band hired Pamela to do some dance scenes while they were playing live on stage, and as a filler in some of their music videos and photoshoots.
Pamela Manning even insisted in her conversations with the media that the stigma of being branded a groupie negatively impacted her career and personal life. She added that the Guns N’ Roses boys actually accompanied her on many of her own trips, and jokingly requested if she’d consider referring to them as her own groupies.
Nico
While Nico’s ticket to the industry involved the groupie scene, she exploited this opportunity and maximized the powerful connections she made to turn herself into a rock n' roll star in her own right. Nico was no mediocre talent, shining bright, at the request of Andy Warhol, during the first live performance of The Velvet Underground and Nico.
The music artist hailing from Germany is recognized for her celebrity romance with rockstars such as Iggy Pop, Jim Morrison, Jackson Browne, and Lou Reed. Sadly, Nico never made it past the age of 49, passing away in 1988.
Rachel Hunter
Rachel Hunter was a supermodel and, during her heyday, there were men who would do pretty much anything just to be with her. As it turned out, all you needed to do to get her attention was to become a darn good musician. Her fondness for music artists ultimately led her to a marriage with Rod Stewart that lasted for 16 years. After the two divorced, she then went on to date Kip Winger, of the rock and roll band Winger. After that, she ended up with singer and composer, Robbie Williams.
When Rachel Hunter left Rod Stewart, it reportedly devastated the singer. When the couple tied the knot, Rachel was only 21 years old while Rod was already 45. The British rock singer and songwriter eventually ended up finding love again with another model named Penny Lancaster. The two were married in 2007.
Cher
Today, Cher is referred to by the media as the “Goddess of Pop.” Before she achieved such a prestigious title though, the American singer had to win the attention of the right people in the industry. For Cher, this meant spending a great deal of time in the clubs on Sunset Strip. As any successful groupie would do, Cher made sure she became acquainted with the top names and agents in the business.
The Goddess of Pop also started from humble beginnings, working as a housemaid for Sonny Bono back in 1962. The job proved to be a monumental move for Cher though, as it became the reason she got close to Sonny, and soon after, became a backup singer in his songs. She later recorded her own songs, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Madonna
Madonna undoubtedly lived a wild and controversial life that’s been publicly documented throughout her illustrious career. She also had a number of famous rockstar relationships, which is why she has a place on this list. Madonna started her rise to stardom as a backup singer and dancer for Patrick Hernandez.
Among the well-known romances she had are famous musicians Lenny Kravitz, Stephen Bray, and Tupac Shakur. Though there were countless others. Tupac and Madonna broke up in 1994.
Jenny Fabian
It's safe to say that in the 1960s Jenny Fabian was what we'd call a professional groupie. She literally made a career out of it, publishing a mostly autobiographical novel titled, well, "Groupie" in 1969. In the book, she describes London's rock n' roll scene at the time including some pretty shocking details about stars like Syd Barret and Jimi Hendrix.
Despite revealing a lot of intimate details about the musical celebrities of the time, she herself has remained a mystery — her date of birth and current address are unknown!
Edie Sedgwick
Edie Sedgwick was a part of a group of New Yorkers who were referred to as Andy Warhol's group of "Superstars." The superstars were all featured in Warhol's art, helping him make his point about how anyone can become famous for fifteen minutes.
Edie starred in some of his short films in the 60s and instantly became a star. In 1966 she tried to go on her own path. Sadly she had a hard time coping with all the aspects of this lifestyle and died at 28.
Cynthia "Plaster Caster" Albritton
Born in America in 1947, Albritton is an artist that became famous for plaster casting musicians' private parts. Yes, she was in the business of making manly molds, producing plaster phalluses, casting Chuck Dickens', you get the idea! She and her endearing endeavor have inspired at least two tunes, Kiss's "Plaster Caster" and Jim Croce's "Five Short Minutes."
After becoming what she described as a "recovering groupie" she broadened her horizons and started casting the intimate parts of other types of artists, such as filmmakers and cartoonists.
Mary Austin
Freddie Mercury met Mary Austin when she was 19 and he was 24. They did not expect to fall in love and stay together till his dying day, but they did. We are used to seeing celebrities dating other celebrities because they can understand each other's lives better than any normal person would. But Freddie felt like Mary just understood him.
Today, after inheriting almost all of his estate, she lives far away from the spotlight.
Christie Lee Brinkley
Christie Lee Brinkley is a lot more than just the groupie and ex-wife of pianist Billy Joel. She's a model and actress known for being a cover girl for over two decades. While Joel has a special place in millions of people's hearts, for Brinkley, he was one of four husbands.
The two were married between 1985 and 1994 and she was even featured in some of his music videos, including "Keeping the Faith" and "Uptown Girl".
Nefer Suvio
Know Duran Duran? Of course you do, who doesn't! Well, the brand's founder, Nick Rhodes has been dating Italian groupie Nefer Suvio since 2011.
The two met in a hotel in Rome and were immediately attracted to each other. Originally named Maria, Nefer is 20 years younger than the musician and has an uncanny resemblance to his ex-wife. Guess he has a type. Today she works as a stylist and the two are still going strong.
Sally Man
Sally Man spent over a decade being a devoted groupie. After being invited to a party by none other than Mike Smith of "Dave Clark Five" fame, she realized partying with rockstars is her jam. She wedded drummer Spencer Dryden of the band "Jefferson Airplane," and even wrote a tell-all book, cleverly titled "The Band Is With Me."
Later in life, she became a lawyer, and today she operates an animal shelter in Texas.