Marc Tyler Nobleman's Blog, page 102
July 24, 2013
The Girl in the Video: “Addicted to Love” (1986), part 1 of 3
Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video” (including list of interviewees).
The video: “Addicted to Love” by Robert Palmer.
The girls-now-women: see below.
I’m gonna have to face it. I’m addicted to finding and interviewing pop culture fixtures who have rarely if ever been interviewed before.
And I’m particularly pumped about this entry in the 1980s music video series because it is the first article ever to include all five original Robert Palmer women from “Addicted to Love”:
Julia BolinoKathy DaviesPatty Elias (Patty Kelly)Mak GilchristJulie Pankhurst
Let’s do that again, but from left to right when watching the video:
Julie Pankhurst (keyboard)Patty Elias (guitar)Kathy Davies (drums)Mak Gilchrist (bass)Julia Bolino (guitar)
[In some online postings the order is different, but both Mak and Julie confirmed that the above is correct.]
Julie
Patty
Mak
Julia
Unfortunately, due to logistics (addressed below), Kathy did not get a close-up.
Not one but two of them (Patty and Julia) got married the summer of 2013.
Patty was the hardest to find and, to be precise, I did not find her. Julie had not been in recent touch but had a lead, and luckily, it panned out. Thank you again, Julie, for enabling us to complete the set and achieve the first virtual reunion of what many would consider the most visually memorable “band” in music video history.
Hopefully an in-person reunion will follow…
How old were you when you appeared in the “Addicted to Love” video?
Julie: 21.
Patty: I believe that the video was shot in 1985. Could have been ‘84. You can confirm. I was 18 in 1984. [MTN: The video came out in 1986.]
Kathy: 24.
Mak: 21.
Julia: 19.
Julie then
Kathy then
Mak then
Julia then
Where were you living at the time?
Julie: London.
Patty: I was living in London, a model with Models 1 on Kings Road.
Kathy: I was living in Hampstead with another model friend. I grew up in South Kensington.
Mak: Paris and London.
Julia: London.
Patty, you were the only American of the five. Where did you grow up?
Patty: I grew up [through] my pre-teens in Deer Park, Long Island. Then my family moved to Longmont, CO to try “ranching.” I left home for Tokyo at 17, the day after I graduated high school.
What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?
Julie: None (eeks, what was that about “not one-line answers”…?) [MTN: I asked participants to be as forthcoming as possible and avoid single-line answers.]
Patty: This was [the] early period in music video history. Truth be told, I didn’t know what a music video was. I had been living in Europe, not watching much television, so I did not know about MTV or music videos.
Kathy: I was in the video for “Figures” by Zaine Griff [the woman who walks straight at the camera close to the beginning of the video] and also one directed by Paul McCartney, a Jamaican reggae group called the Simeons; I honestly don’t remember [the name]. I was also in Octopussy, just another Bond girl.
Mak: I’d done plenty of commercials.
1987
Julia: A Rod Stewart video and one (“All the Love in the World”) for a band called The Outfield.
Kathy, what was it like to work with Paul McCartney?
Kathy: Great. It was a family affair as Linda came to the studio with the kids. He was incredibly charming and kind. He was very relaxed and made everyone feel comfortable.
How were you cast?
Julie: I had just joined Models 1 model agency and Terence Donovan (a photographer and the director of the video) held a casting at his studio. He based his decision on looks and persona.
Patty: I was cast by Terence Donovan and I believe that I was the prototype for the casting. Terence and I had shot several ads for Neutrogena and he was familiar with me and the way I looked on film.
Kathy: Strangely, I didn’t go to any casting. I was just booked direct at the agency.
Mak: I didn’t go to a casting. I was known to the director, Terence Donovan, and he booked me direct via my agent.
Julia: A normal casting with the director Terence Donovan; they looked at my portfolio and took a Polaroid pic.
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?
Julie: Being a model was very new to me so every booking was a great adventure. To work with one of our legendary photographers so soon gave positive vibes for the potential of my career.
Patty: My reaction was total bliss. I was young and game for anything—especially anything that Terence Donovan was working on. Everything he did at the time was magic.
Kathy: I was very excited when I heard I [would be] working with Terence Donovan again and doing a video.
Mak: I had no idea then what this video would become. It was just another booking, except this one was with someone whose music I liked. I wasn’t easily starstruck.
Julia: I had never heard of Robert Palmer at the time as I think I was more into funk bands, so not overly excited!
Kathy, why were you assigned to be the drummer?
Kathy: I guess the naughty ones always get sent to the back!
Did it bother you that you were blocked by Robert Palmer for most of the video?
Kathy: Not really. He had a good bum.
Where was the video filmed? How long was the shoot?
Julie: It was a very small production in the depths of Holborn Studios, in central London. The shoot took one day and Donovan liked to work in a relaxed manner so it was a very chilled day. Prep in the morning (hair, makeup, and styling) followed by a long lazy lunch and then RP arrived for the filming.
Patty: The video was filmed in a studio in London. I don’t remember where, but I remember that the tea cart always rolled in about 3 in the afternoon. Union, I think! I believe that the shoot was either three days or five…probably three.
Mak: Holborn Studios in Back Hill [London], in a basement. One day.
Julia: It was filmed in Holborn Studios (sadly now closed). It took one day. We started at 8:00 a.m. (?) and finished around 7:00 (?).
Was this shoot the first time you met the others, or did you already know them?
Julie: I may have met Patty and Mak at Models 1 but most probably at the casting because the shoot was just after I joined the agency. I met Julia and Kathy at the shoot.
How did you feel making the video?
Julie: It wasn’t every day we got to be involved in a pop video so the whole experience was great fun.
Patty: Since I had never seen a music video before, I was unsure of what was going on. We spent many hours in makeup and then we would come out and the music would start. It really felt quite experimental.
Kathy: It was a great day. We all had a lot of fun and there was a terrific atmosphere.
Mak: Hmmm, well, the makeup was transforming, I barely recognized myself. The other girls and creative team were all lovely so there was a great vibe. I didn’t feel nervous. I was working hard at that stage so took it in my stride.
Julia: It was a really fun day. I got to pretend to be a stroppy [bad-tempered or hostile] lead guitarist!
What was the hardest part of the shoot?
Julie: Keyboards…playing to cue! Not such a tough shoot.
Patty: The hardest part may have been the makeup. It took a long time and it was quite heavy.
Kathy: Leaving! We all got on well.
Mak: There wasn’t a hardest part. It was an easy day.
Julia: Having lip gloss applied every three seconds!
How was it to work with Robert Palmer?
Julie: He was polite and the ultimate professional…and of course he was exceptional at performing on cue!
We had very little interaction with him because…
1. He clinched the song in a few takes so the group filming was very fast.
2. He seemed rather intimidated by five ladies towering above him.
3. His wife was present…!
Clearly if Robert Palmer had been a heartthrob of my generation, I would have been less blasé about his presence!
Patty: Robert Palmer was always a professional and a gentleman. He took great care of us always.
Kathy: It was great and he was very friendly and happy with the shoot.
Mak: Well, he’s a legend…and was a humble guy with it. You could tell he was a hardworking man who took his music seriously. I had a conversation with him about his using Sly and Robbie, a Jamaican drum and bass duo, on his album. I asked him about what it was like to work with them.
Julia: He was very polite and a little remote (his wife was there!).
Tweet about this interview to @_ms_mak and @Juliabolinoslap!
Part 2.
The video: “Addicted to Love” by Robert Palmer.
The girls-now-women: see below.
I’m gonna have to face it. I’m addicted to finding and interviewing pop culture fixtures who have rarely if ever been interviewed before.
And I’m particularly pumped about this entry in the 1980s music video series because it is the first article ever to include all five original Robert Palmer women from “Addicted to Love”:
Julia BolinoKathy DaviesPatty Elias (Patty Kelly)Mak GilchristJulie Pankhurst
Let’s do that again, but from left to right when watching the video:
Julie Pankhurst (keyboard)Patty Elias (guitar)Kathy Davies (drums)Mak Gilchrist (bass)Julia Bolino (guitar)
[In some online postings the order is different, but both Mak and Julie confirmed that the above is correct.]
Julie Patty MakJuliaUnfortunately, due to logistics (addressed below), Kathy did not get a close-up.
Not one but two of them (Patty and Julia) got married the summer of 2013.
Patty was the hardest to find and, to be precise, I did not find her. Julie had not been in recent touch but had a lead, and luckily, it panned out. Thank you again, Julie, for enabling us to complete the set and achieve the first virtual reunion of what many would consider the most visually memorable “band” in music video history.
Hopefully an in-person reunion will follow…
How old were you when you appeared in the “Addicted to Love” video?
Julie: 21.
Patty: I believe that the video was shot in 1985. Could have been ‘84. You can confirm. I was 18 in 1984. [MTN: The video came out in 1986.]
Kathy: 24.
Mak: 21.
Julia: 19.
Julie then
Kathy then
Mak then
Julia thenWhere were you living at the time?
Julie: London.
Patty: I was living in London, a model with Models 1 on Kings Road.
Kathy: I was living in Hampstead with another model friend. I grew up in South Kensington.
Mak: Paris and London.
Julia: London.
Patty, you were the only American of the five. Where did you grow up?
Patty: I grew up [through] my pre-teens in Deer Park, Long Island. Then my family moved to Longmont, CO to try “ranching.” I left home for Tokyo at 17, the day after I graduated high school.
What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?
Julie: None (eeks, what was that about “not one-line answers”…?) [MTN: I asked participants to be as forthcoming as possible and avoid single-line answers.]
Patty: This was [the] early period in music video history. Truth be told, I didn’t know what a music video was. I had been living in Europe, not watching much television, so I did not know about MTV or music videos.
Kathy: I was in the video for “Figures” by Zaine Griff [the woman who walks straight at the camera close to the beginning of the video] and also one directed by Paul McCartney, a Jamaican reggae group called the Simeons; I honestly don’t remember [the name]. I was also in Octopussy, just another Bond girl.
Mak: I’d done plenty of commercials.
1987
Julia: A Rod Stewart video and one (“All the Love in the World”) for a band called The Outfield.
Kathy, what was it like to work with Paul McCartney?
Kathy: Great. It was a family affair as Linda came to the studio with the kids. He was incredibly charming and kind. He was very relaxed and made everyone feel comfortable.
How were you cast?
Julie: I had just joined Models 1 model agency and Terence Donovan (a photographer and the director of the video) held a casting at his studio. He based his decision on looks and persona.
Patty: I was cast by Terence Donovan and I believe that I was the prototype for the casting. Terence and I had shot several ads for Neutrogena and he was familiar with me and the way I looked on film.
Kathy: Strangely, I didn’t go to any casting. I was just booked direct at the agency.
Mak: I didn’t go to a casting. I was known to the director, Terence Donovan, and he booked me direct via my agent.
Julia: A normal casting with the director Terence Donovan; they looked at my portfolio and took a Polaroid pic.
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?
Julie: Being a model was very new to me so every booking was a great adventure. To work with one of our legendary photographers so soon gave positive vibes for the potential of my career.
Patty: My reaction was total bliss. I was young and game for anything—especially anything that Terence Donovan was working on. Everything he did at the time was magic.
Kathy: I was very excited when I heard I [would be] working with Terence Donovan again and doing a video.
Mak: I had no idea then what this video would become. It was just another booking, except this one was with someone whose music I liked. I wasn’t easily starstruck.
Julia: I had never heard of Robert Palmer at the time as I think I was more into funk bands, so not overly excited!
Kathy, why were you assigned to be the drummer?
Kathy: I guess the naughty ones always get sent to the back!
Did it bother you that you were blocked by Robert Palmer for most of the video?
Kathy: Not really. He had a good bum.
Where was the video filmed? How long was the shoot?
Julie: It was a very small production in the depths of Holborn Studios, in central London. The shoot took one day and Donovan liked to work in a relaxed manner so it was a very chilled day. Prep in the morning (hair, makeup, and styling) followed by a long lazy lunch and then RP arrived for the filming.
Patty: The video was filmed in a studio in London. I don’t remember where, but I remember that the tea cart always rolled in about 3 in the afternoon. Union, I think! I believe that the shoot was either three days or five…probably three.
Mak: Holborn Studios in Back Hill [London], in a basement. One day.
Julia: It was filmed in Holborn Studios (sadly now closed). It took one day. We started at 8:00 a.m. (?) and finished around 7:00 (?).
Was this shoot the first time you met the others, or did you already know them?
Julie: I may have met Patty and Mak at Models 1 but most probably at the casting because the shoot was just after I joined the agency. I met Julia and Kathy at the shoot.
How did you feel making the video?
Julie: It wasn’t every day we got to be involved in a pop video so the whole experience was great fun.
Patty: Since I had never seen a music video before, I was unsure of what was going on. We spent many hours in makeup and then we would come out and the music would start. It really felt quite experimental.
Kathy: It was a great day. We all had a lot of fun and there was a terrific atmosphere.
Mak: Hmmm, well, the makeup was transforming, I barely recognized myself. The other girls and creative team were all lovely so there was a great vibe. I didn’t feel nervous. I was working hard at that stage so took it in my stride.
Julia: It was a really fun day. I got to pretend to be a stroppy [bad-tempered or hostile] lead guitarist!
What was the hardest part of the shoot?
Julie: Keyboards…playing to cue! Not such a tough shoot.
Patty: The hardest part may have been the makeup. It took a long time and it was quite heavy.
Kathy: Leaving! We all got on well.
Mak: There wasn’t a hardest part. It was an easy day.
Julia: Having lip gloss applied every three seconds!
How was it to work with Robert Palmer?
Julie: He was polite and the ultimate professional…and of course he was exceptional at performing on cue!
We had very little interaction with him because…
1. He clinched the song in a few takes so the group filming was very fast.
2. He seemed rather intimidated by five ladies towering above him.
3. His wife was present…!
Clearly if Robert Palmer had been a heartthrob of my generation, I would have been less blasé about his presence!
Patty: Robert Palmer was always a professional and a gentleman. He took great care of us always.
Kathy: It was great and he was very friendly and happy with the shoot.
Mak: Well, he’s a legend…and was a humble guy with it. You could tell he was a hardworking man who took his music seriously. I had a conversation with him about his using Sly and Robbie, a Jamaican drum and bass duo, on his album. I asked him about what it was like to work with them.
Julia: He was very polite and a little remote (his wife was there!).
Tweet about this interview to @_ms_mak and @Juliabolinoslap!
Part 2.
July 23, 2013
The Girl in the Video: “Summer of ‘69” (1985) and others
Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video” (including list of interviewees).
The video: “Summer of ‘69” by Bryan Adams.
The girl-now-woman: Lysette Anthony.
What Bryan Adams videos did you appear in, and which was first?
I’m the girl in the [videos for the] entire Reckless album. Apart from one shot of a close-up of a woman’s legs in “Summer of ’69.” [Director] Steve Barron shot that before I arrived in Vancouver. Big mistake. Mine are better!
How old were you when you appeared in the first one?
I take the 5th. Seriously, I have no clue—you’ll have to do the maths. [She was born in 1963 and the video came out in 1985. Readers, you’ll have to do the maths.] I’m still friends with Bryan. No matter how decrepit we all become I’ll always be his Reckless girl. That’s kinda cool!
Where were you living at the time?
London. We shot “Run to You” first in a studio, Pinewood perhaps, outside London. Bryan was simply a skinny boy in a white T-shirt with the most incredible voice I’d ever heard. He was cool, so confident; I was shy, convent school-fresh…hopeless! But it wasn’t until we arrived in Canada that I realized he was already a Rock God! There were crowds queuing for days simply to be extras in the concert scenes. He insisted on giving them a free show. That’s so Bryan—the People’s Rock Star.
What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?
I’d already shot Krull. Ivanhoe. Oliver Twist (the TV movie and the BBC series), Dombey and Son, and more. My first 10 years were incredibly busy. [The] Reckless [videos were] my first. My year as a model I’d made a ton of commercials. Worked with everyone [i.e. photographers] from [David] Bailey [who called her the “Face of the Eighties”] to [Clive] Arrowsmith to [John] Swannell.
How were you cast?
A general.
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?
It was just a job. With some Canadian. I was intensely interested in proper theater. It didn’t register other than a nice trip to Vancouver, to be honest.
How long was the shoot?
Can’t remember.
How did you feel making the video?
I had fun apart from a massive silent crush on Bryan. I’d never met anyone like him. But I suffered in silence! I was soooo young.
What was the hardest part of the shoot?
Leaving.
How was it to work with Bryan Adams?
He wasn’t Bryan Adams—he was a singer in a band to me. I loved it. The boys were sweet to me. I was one of them…sorta!
Are you hinting that there was some romance with any of them?
Oh lordy no. No romance ever, [with] any of them. No. I think the best way to describe it was they treated me rather like a kid sister. A little carefully. It was sweet.
What did you think of the video?
Cool! Though I was too plump. So young—ghastly! Now I think, “Bryan…those glasses [in “Run to You”]…why?”
What did your parents think of it?
It barely registered.
What did you friends think of it?
We were theater groupies. Jonathon Pryce’s Hamlet got us hot & bothered.
Did the video generate any controversy that you know of?
Nope. Not as much as Bailey’s picture of my rope-tied legs.
Do you have a copy of that image?
Bailey’s poster was banned. I don’t have a copy.
Which Bryan Adams video that you were in was your favorite?
I love them all. It was so fresh—pounding with energy. But in truth it was super-cool being #1 on Top of the Pops. You kinda had to have been here, in Blighty [the UK], with our three little channels…Top was massive.
Did any video you did affect your dating life in any way (i.e. when you first told boyfriends you were in it)?
Well, Depeche Mode “I Feel You” certainly made me quite popular. But I was married by then. It was a different era. Rock videos were what other people did. Not serious actors—darling!
Did you receive fan mail? If so, do you still have any of it?
Er, yes. Still do. I think you need to google me.
What were you paid per video?
Not much!
Did you watch the MTV World Premiere of the video, and if so, where and how did that feel?
No clue.
Were you ever recognized in public? How often and when last? Any stories about that?
Still am, bizarrely. From a Tel Aviv supermarket to Willesden Green bus stop.
The best story: at a concert in Hyde Park, [with] over 50,000 people [in attendance], myself and my two young stepsons were passed from the back of the crowd, over all their heads, carried on high, hand after hand, to the front. It was amazing! My youngest, Dylan, said that night, “Oh, you are the coolest stepmum.”
Bryan has always stayed in touch. A postcard from here, a random call from there, tea at least every 10 years. He once played me a few bars of “When a Man Loves a Woman” [MTN: she may mean “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?”] over the phone, asked me what I thought. I replied that I was sure most women would grip their steering wheels tight hearing that one.
When in New York shooting Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives, I went to watch Bryan record the Spanish version of another beautiful song. I forget now. We’ve been in each other’s lives for a long time. Not every day, just in the periphery. I love that.
If you ever met other women who were female leads in a mainstream ‘80s rock video, who?
We’ve all done so much. You need to do a little homework!
If you went to university, where and what did you study?
Nope. Started work at 16 and 33 years later I’m still learning.
What are you doing these days?
Busy on a yearlong tour with the Agatha Christie Theatre Company. [NOTE: Lysette has extensive theater/film/TV credits, easily searchable.]
Where do you live?
My son and I have homes in London and seaside Norfolk.
If you are/were married, what was your future husband’s reaction when he learned you were in this video?
It simply was a fun gig.
How old is your son?
Jimi (after Hendrix) is 9 (going on 16)!
What does he think of the video?
He thinks Bryan rocks!
What did you think when you first heard from me?
“Oh f***—what a lot of questions!”
Has anyone else ever interviewed about this? If so, who, when, and for what publication?
Nope.
Have you appeared at any fan conventions to sign autographs?
Sci-fi, not rock.
When was the last time you were in touch with Bryan?
We’re in touch.
How did that start on a purely logistical level? After the last Reckless shoot, did you two simply exchange phone numbers?
In all honesty I can’t remember. I guess we must have exchanged numbers—but these days we’re streamed out! So much insta-choice!
How do you look back on the experience?
Proudly.
Anything you’d like to add?
Only the Greats stand the ultimate test of Time. Bryan has a gift from the Gods’ quarry. He is a tireless pro and I’m proud I am his Reckless Chick.
I wrote [the following] after Bryan’s Bare Bones [2010 show] at the Royal Albert Hall. (He always gets me seats [to his shows] no matter how late I leave it. This was a tough one as the entire place was packed.)
A heartfelt extra thank you to Lysette for being so gracious as to complete this interview during an especially difficult and exhausting time. She sent the last of her answers the day after an emotional life passage moment, which was also the night before this was set to post.
Tweet about this interview to @bryanadams and @chezLysette!
Copy and tweet to help me find more 1980s music video girls:
Next: Robert Palmer, “Addicted to Love” (1986).
The video: “Summer of ‘69” by Bryan Adams.
The girl-now-woman: Lysette Anthony.
What Bryan Adams videos did you appear in, and which was first?
I’m the girl in the [videos for the] entire Reckless album. Apart from one shot of a close-up of a woman’s legs in “Summer of ’69.” [Director] Steve Barron shot that before I arrived in Vancouver. Big mistake. Mine are better!
How old were you when you appeared in the first one?
I take the 5th. Seriously, I have no clue—you’ll have to do the maths. [She was born in 1963 and the video came out in 1985. Readers, you’ll have to do the maths.] I’m still friends with Bryan. No matter how decrepit we all become I’ll always be his Reckless girl. That’s kinda cool!
Where were you living at the time?
London. We shot “Run to You” first in a studio, Pinewood perhaps, outside London. Bryan was simply a skinny boy in a white T-shirt with the most incredible voice I’d ever heard. He was cool, so confident; I was shy, convent school-fresh…hopeless! But it wasn’t until we arrived in Canada that I realized he was already a Rock God! There were crowds queuing for days simply to be extras in the concert scenes. He insisted on giving them a free show. That’s so Bryan—the People’s Rock Star.
What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?
I’d already shot Krull. Ivanhoe. Oliver Twist (the TV movie and the BBC series), Dombey and Son, and more. My first 10 years were incredibly busy. [The] Reckless [videos were] my first. My year as a model I’d made a ton of commercials. Worked with everyone [i.e. photographers] from [David] Bailey [who called her the “Face of the Eighties”] to [Clive] Arrowsmith to [John] Swannell.
How were you cast?
A general.
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?
It was just a job. With some Canadian. I was intensely interested in proper theater. It didn’t register other than a nice trip to Vancouver, to be honest.
How long was the shoot?
Can’t remember.
How did you feel making the video?
I had fun apart from a massive silent crush on Bryan. I’d never met anyone like him. But I suffered in silence! I was soooo young.
What was the hardest part of the shoot?
Leaving.
How was it to work with Bryan Adams?
He wasn’t Bryan Adams—he was a singer in a band to me. I loved it. The boys were sweet to me. I was one of them…sorta!
Are you hinting that there was some romance with any of them?
Oh lordy no. No romance ever, [with] any of them. No. I think the best way to describe it was they treated me rather like a kid sister. A little carefully. It was sweet.
What did you think of the video?
Cool! Though I was too plump. So young—ghastly! Now I think, “Bryan…those glasses [in “Run to You”]…why?”
What did your parents think of it?
It barely registered.
What did you friends think of it?
We were theater groupies. Jonathon Pryce’s Hamlet got us hot & bothered.
Did the video generate any controversy that you know of?
Nope. Not as much as Bailey’s picture of my rope-tied legs.
Do you have a copy of that image?
Bailey’s poster was banned. I don’t have a copy.
Which Bryan Adams video that you were in was your favorite?
I love them all. It was so fresh—pounding with energy. But in truth it was super-cool being #1 on Top of the Pops. You kinda had to have been here, in Blighty [the UK], with our three little channels…Top was massive.
Did any video you did affect your dating life in any way (i.e. when you first told boyfriends you were in it)?
Well, Depeche Mode “I Feel You” certainly made me quite popular. But I was married by then. It was a different era. Rock videos were what other people did. Not serious actors—darling!
Did you receive fan mail? If so, do you still have any of it?
Er, yes. Still do. I think you need to google me.
What were you paid per video?
Not much!
Did you watch the MTV World Premiere of the video, and if so, where and how did that feel?
No clue.
Were you ever recognized in public? How often and when last? Any stories about that?
Still am, bizarrely. From a Tel Aviv supermarket to Willesden Green bus stop.
The best story: at a concert in Hyde Park, [with] over 50,000 people [in attendance], myself and my two young stepsons were passed from the back of the crowd, over all their heads, carried on high, hand after hand, to the front. It was amazing! My youngest, Dylan, said that night, “Oh, you are the coolest stepmum.”
Bryan has always stayed in touch. A postcard from here, a random call from there, tea at least every 10 years. He once played me a few bars of “When a Man Loves a Woman” [MTN: she may mean “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?”] over the phone, asked me what I thought. I replied that I was sure most women would grip their steering wheels tight hearing that one.
When in New York shooting Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives, I went to watch Bryan record the Spanish version of another beautiful song. I forget now. We’ve been in each other’s lives for a long time. Not every day, just in the periphery. I love that.
If you ever met other women who were female leads in a mainstream ‘80s rock video, who?
We’ve all done so much. You need to do a little homework!
If you went to university, where and what did you study?
Nope. Started work at 16 and 33 years later I’m still learning.
What are you doing these days?
Busy on a yearlong tour with the Agatha Christie Theatre Company. [NOTE: Lysette has extensive theater/film/TV credits, easily searchable.]
Where do you live?
My son and I have homes in London and seaside Norfolk.
If you are/were married, what was your future husband’s reaction when he learned you were in this video?
It simply was a fun gig.
How old is your son?
Jimi (after Hendrix) is 9 (going on 16)!
What does he think of the video?
He thinks Bryan rocks!
What did you think when you first heard from me?
“Oh f***—what a lot of questions!”
Has anyone else ever interviewed about this? If so, who, when, and for what publication?
Nope.
Have you appeared at any fan conventions to sign autographs?
Sci-fi, not rock.
When was the last time you were in touch with Bryan?
We’re in touch.
How did that start on a purely logistical level? After the last Reckless shoot, did you two simply exchange phone numbers?
In all honesty I can’t remember. I guess we must have exchanged numbers—but these days we’re streamed out! So much insta-choice!
How do you look back on the experience?
Proudly.
Anything you’d like to add?
Only the Greats stand the ultimate test of Time. Bryan has a gift from the Gods’ quarry. He is a tireless pro and I’m proud I am his Reckless Chick.
I wrote [the following] after Bryan’s Bare Bones [2010 show] at the Royal Albert Hall. (He always gets me seats [to his shows] no matter how late I leave it. This was a tough one as the entire place was packed.)
In 1984 (or was it ‘85?) one miserable, rainy morning, I stepped up into a trailer outside some stage, at some studio outside of some bit of London, and there met a skinny Canadian in a white T-shirt and jeans.
I was plump and shy with convent school teeth and a head stuffed too full of Lawrence and Keats. He oozed confidence and cool, with a voice distilled by years he had yet to live, graveled in honey. Honestly, I was the least equipped to Run to Him, let alone all the “You’s” I was yet to recklessly hurl myself at. Yet 28 years later it could be argued that my life has been more reckless, his clever and in control…and I’m still running, through the bloody rain, as I’ve done tonight. For here I am, rather like in that video, [sitting] at the back and still proud, watching Bryan rock.
The Royal Albert Hall is packed, up to gilded rafters, and he truly is the People’s Rock Star. I like my job.
A heartfelt extra thank you to Lysette for being so gracious as to complete this interview during an especially difficult and exhausting time. She sent the last of her answers the day after an emotional life passage moment, which was also the night before this was set to post.
Tweet about this interview to @bryanadams and @chezLysette!
Copy and tweet to help me find more 1980s music video girls:
Real research question: if you know the Annie Hubbard who was in 1984 Night Ranger video “Sister Christian,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Real research question: if you know the woman—even just her name—in 1986 Cinderella video “Shake Me,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Real research question: if you know woman—even just her name—in ‘87 Richard Marx video “Should’ve Known Better,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Next: Robert Palmer, “Addicted to Love” (1986).
July 22, 2013
The Girl in the Video: “Don’t Come Around Here No More” (1985), part 3 of 3
Part 1.
Part 2.
Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video” (including list of interviewees).
The video: “Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
The girl-now-woman: Wish Cohen (Louise “Wish” Foley).
Did the video generate any controversy that you know of?
It did indeed. After the video was released there was a great big uproar about how the video promoted violence against women and the use of drugs.
After the Alice in Wonderland video, I was invited to do another video for the song “Forget about me, forget about these eyes” [“Make It Better”]. While filming the video, someone was doing a documentary about the band’s roots in Gainesville, Florida. While I was in the makeup chair, the crew came in and asked if I would respond to some questions. One of the questions was “How do you feel about the women’s group rallying against the video due to its violence against women?” Another was “Do you think that the fact that Dave Stewart gives you a mushroom in the beginning to start the hallucination was promoting drug use?”
I was too young to articulate what I was thinking at the time, but my thought on violence against women was “It’s just a video!” It doesn’t have any deeper meaning. It is a fantastical, funny, imaginative concept, committed to film. It is not a statement video with a hidden message.
When they asked about the drug use, my first thought was “Drugs? Huh? What are they talking about?” I guess I was naïve to drugs at the time, though I had dabbled quite a bit, but I never made the connection at the time.
I don’t think the whole interview made it to the documentary, but after the fact I was surprised that anyone would have been offended by it in any way because it was rock and roll. What’re you, new? If the music industry didn’t have sex and drugs, they quite possibly wouldn’t have true rock and roll.
By the way, the second video sucked. Terribly. In fact it is very hard to find on the Internet.
The concept (again Jeff Stein) was that the band was playing the song in my head and in the end Tom swings out on a Q-tip. There were midgets (or little people) involved and guitars hanging from the top of the set. If you looks closely at the video you can almost read on Mike Campbell’s face the embarrassment of being a part of the debacle. He was dodging the guitars that were dropping from overhead. In one shot, Tom’s microphone, which was on a swivel and spun around as he sang, hit him in the mouth and they were afraid it had chipped his tooth. The video also involved a 25-foot [tall] ear that the guys climb out of. Look closely and you can see where, before [the shot of Tom exiting the ear], Benmont, who had swung out of control, slammed into the ear and damaged it. I think we all decided to wipe that video from memory.
What were you paid?
I got the one-time payment of, I think, $2,500. Since I was a starving actress, I managed to make it last about two months. I didn’t even get to keep the costume because it was ruined by the tea and frosting. But hey, I got to keep the spare torso cake and bring it home for family and friends.
Wait, I did get to keep the wonky glasses that Petty wore in the video. Petty gave me his and said, “It’s okay, they got me two pairs.” And being a wordy person, I remember being disappointed that he would say two “pairs” instead of “pair.” (Talk about stupid stuff that we remember.)
The payoff was the short term and long term fame it got me. In fact, I was [recently] in a credentialing class in Omaha and they went around the room and each person (maybe 15 attendees) had to give some info about themselves. When they got to me I gave a spiel about human resource onboarding and recruiting systems I had consulted on, [said] that I was originally from California… They asked me to tell an interesting thing about myself. I really hemmed and hawed trying to think of something interesting like…I have four kids? I love the beach? I have two chinchillas?
[Then] one of the girls from my company, Linda, who was next in the interrogation, said loudly, “Seriously, Wish? I’ll handle this: she is Alice from the Tom Petty video.” Every single head turned! All of a sudden there were conversations sprouting and people asking “Oh my god, seriously?” By the time they had finished the uncomfortable introductions, they had the video cued up and played it for everyone in the class.
I still have a great pride in that video, even these 28 years later (just round it to 20, Marc. K?). I was riding pretty high after that, feeling pretty good that even the younger people in the room remembered the video, until…a young, pretty blond girl said, “I can’t wait to tell my mom. She really loved that video.” Yep…her mom.
No matter, I’ll be talking about it to anyone who will listen (and still make sense of the words) in the convalescent home.
If you ever met other women who were female leads in a mainstream ‘80s rock video, who?
I never met another woman from the rock video world because I was not a model. I was an actress through and through. My agent at the time recommended that I open up to the option of modeling and print work but I didn’t have any interest.
If you went to college, where and what did you study?
No, nowhere, and nothing! But if I could do it all again…I’d be…an actress.
What are you doing these days?
I’ll go back as far as 1992. I worked for five years at Walt Disney Feature Animation. I started as a production assistant on Hunchback of Notre Dame. I moved up to assistant to the production manager on Hercules. And my last year or two was as the coordinator for the camera department.
My claim to fame there was this: I had film returned to me from Technicolor for the new release of Beauty and the Beast, and I spliced [a] new scene into the old film for the two directors to approve. As we watched, I noticed that in two frames, Belle’s legs are missing. So we rolled it back and I showed them. After a private powwow in the theater, they said, “That is the original footage from the movie, and nobody ever caught it.” [It] didn’t get me fame around the globe, oddly enough.
In 1997, I married a fabulous musician/salesman (very much the same as actress/waitress), Yigal Cohen. (My maiden name was Foley so my name in the credits of Hercules was Wish Foley, which everyone at Disney thought was hysterical even though they had a guy named Geefwee Boedoe.)
About a year ago I began learning computer stuff (thoroughly boring, but pays really well). Specifically, recruiting and onboarding systems. So I help a client personalize the company’s optimum applicant tracking system. So I guess I make human resources departments’ dreams come true!
Where do you live?
I am born and raised in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. I lived in the Bay Area from 2002 through 2010. Moved to the godforsaken state of New Mexico and existed in their waterless, freezing, zero-scaped dirt farm until 12/31/11. I played Powerball on our way out of Albuquerque. On New Year’s night we pulled into Texas. On January 1st, on our drive from Dallas to Houston, I checked my Powerball numbers and found I’d won $10,000. My husband and I still feel that was the only fond memory of New Mexico. I now live in a suburb of Houston.
What was your future husband’s reaction when he learned you were in this video?
Oh, he milks it like everyone else. It is a conversation piece for a salesman. I don’t mean to sound jaded in any way, because I still get a kick out of it. I just know that it comes up quite a bit in his and all my friends’ conversations. My sister-in-law has (or had) a Facebook page named “I know that chick from the Tom Petty video.” Love it!
Wish described this photo as "Alice-y."
Tell me about your kids.
I have four kids. I didn’t start my family until I was 33 because I didn’t take being a mother and wife lightly. I knew that the decision would be life-altering and had to really search myself to make sure I had what it takes. I knew I would be giving up a lot when I had kids.
Had in vitro, had a boy in 1998. His name is Mickey Cohen; didn’t know there had been a gangster with that name until two weeks before delivery. He is 14 years old and he and his best friend are planning on going to MIT; thus, I am back to work. Mickey is a straight-A student. He has always been a responsible, sweet boy, and is already a fabulous guitar player. He is already getting invites from colleges to check out their schools online. Mickey was so easy to care for, right from birth, that we were lured into having another child.
Next go-round we ordered a girl, paid $800 extra for sex selection, but got twin boys, Buster and Clyde (now 12 years old). Buster sings and does photography and Clyde is an amazing dancer and drummer. Buster has a slightly raspy voice and loves singing in the school choir. I think he’ll make a great lead singer someday. Clyde, who was born three minutes after Buster, has the most incredible sense of timing and ingenuity with percussion instruments. And though they say that drummers can’t dance, he is a great breakdancer. His goal, at this point, is to be famous.
I credit my dad for naming them because, while I was hugely pregnant, sluggish, and [as-yet unaware of] their sexes, my dad said, “In keeping with your nomenclature, you should name them Bonnie and Clyde if it’s a boy and girl.” We were actually going to christen them with those names until we found out it was two boys. We kept “Clyde” and chose “Buster” for the other, in admiration for Buster Keaton (me) and Buster Poindexter (Yigal).
We were happy to quit after three boys, but nature kicked in, we got pregnant naturally. We found out I was pregnant on my birthday, October 16. When they did the ultrasound, the woman thought I was weeping with joy. I was not. I was freaking out because I already had three children under three years.
We had our daughter Charlie (as in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). Mickey named her. I was an at-home mom and homeschooler for the next 11 years.
Charlie is 11 and all-girl; she can’t wait to wear makeup, the more sparkles the better, and she loves anything pink. She is already doing some acting and I am actively looking for an agent here in Texas. She and Buster were in a recent rock video. We did the 48 Hour Film Project here in Houston in November 2012.
After she did that video, they called her back on three occasions to take on more roles. Perhaps being a stage mother is in my future.
Buster didn’t really enjoy the filming. He couldn’t stop giggling and grinning so some of his work ended up on the cutting room floor.
What do your kids think of the video?
The kids didn’t really understand how popular the video was in its time. So [they] have only recently discovered that their teachers or their friends’ moms would be impressed by the revelation of who their mother is/was. After they let word out, the video has been shown in their classrooms.
What did you think when you first heard from me?
I was delighted. You have been so forgiving of my nightmare schedule and I thank you for sticking with me and roping me back in when I get too caught up with the everyday necessary work. Sending you my responses has been sweet, and sometimes bittersweet. I liken it to walking through the garden that is my life and enjoying not only the beautiful and plentiful flowers around me but also enjoying the dirt that surrounds them and made them grow.
Recounting to you my time with Stan made me a little sad (and almost angry) because I was so malleable at that time and I gave everything up to be with him. I get upset about how much time I innocently invested in him and then how stupid I was to have stayed on so long after I knew it was unhealthy. I try to never look back with a negative eye, so I have been contemplating the wonderful, positive changes and lessons that were brought on by that experience.
Also, I lost my mother last August and I am still struggling with her passing. She was my greatest supporter throughout my life and was the most positive loving person I have ever known (and I have known many people from many walks of life). One of her greatest messages was to always look for the positive in very circumstance. But I still cannot find anything positive about her death.
In recounting her devotion I have written some of this through tears. But I thank you for that as well.
Has anyone else ever interviewed about this? If so, who, when, and for what publication?
Yes. I was contacted by Rob Tannenbaum to give him a blurb about working on the video for a book he co-authored, I Want My MTV. Even though it was just a short blurb that got into the book, it was great talking to him because he was familiar with all the players I talked about. I gave him a lot of dirt off the record. For [you], I didn’t hold back, much.
Have you appeared at any fan conventions to sign autographs? If not, would you?
I have never done anything like that. I didn’t even know that there was such a thing. Yes, I’d love to do that. I just can’t imagine who would be interested.
Did you stay in touch with Tom Petty? Are you still in touch? If not, when were you last in touch?
I didn’t keep in touch with Tom after Stan and I split up. I think that because Tom and Stan had such ugly relations at [one point], I would be considered the enemy to a certain degree. (I did keep in touch with a friend of Stan’s, Marty Jourard—he was the sax player for the Motels. He still gigs around in Seattle and sits in with different bands that come through town.)
I did go to a Petty concert in 2011 and two of the people I was with asked if they could send a note backstage to Tom telling him I was there. I told them I didn’t mind but it had been close to 25 years since I had hung out with the band. So the notes both went back separately and we never heard anything from anyone.
I am not sure how I feel about that. At first I thought that they’ve probably heard from tons of people with their own “remember me?” notes and why should I be any different? But then it kind of bothered me that they (if the whole band had known about the note) were so very disinterested. If not nostalgia, then perhaps curiosity on their part. But I finally got over myself and remembered that I am just some chick who was in their video a long time ago. So I got over it and moved on.
Anything you’d like to add?
I am proud of being in such a popular video and flattered that people remember me and my performance. I had my three minutes and they were fabulous!
Tweet about this interview to @tompetty and @benchten!
Copy and tweet to help me find more 1980s music video girls:
Next: Bryan Adams, “Summer of ‘69” (1985) and others.
Part 2.
Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video” (including list of interviewees).
The video: “Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
The girl-now-woman: Wish Cohen (Louise “Wish” Foley).
Did the video generate any controversy that you know of?
It did indeed. After the video was released there was a great big uproar about how the video promoted violence against women and the use of drugs.
After the Alice in Wonderland video, I was invited to do another video for the song “Forget about me, forget about these eyes” [“Make It Better”]. While filming the video, someone was doing a documentary about the band’s roots in Gainesville, Florida. While I was in the makeup chair, the crew came in and asked if I would respond to some questions. One of the questions was “How do you feel about the women’s group rallying against the video due to its violence against women?” Another was “Do you think that the fact that Dave Stewart gives you a mushroom in the beginning to start the hallucination was promoting drug use?”
I was too young to articulate what I was thinking at the time, but my thought on violence against women was “It’s just a video!” It doesn’t have any deeper meaning. It is a fantastical, funny, imaginative concept, committed to film. It is not a statement video with a hidden message.
When they asked about the drug use, my first thought was “Drugs? Huh? What are they talking about?” I guess I was naïve to drugs at the time, though I had dabbled quite a bit, but I never made the connection at the time.
I don’t think the whole interview made it to the documentary, but after the fact I was surprised that anyone would have been offended by it in any way because it was rock and roll. What’re you, new? If the music industry didn’t have sex and drugs, they quite possibly wouldn’t have true rock and roll.
By the way, the second video sucked. Terribly. In fact it is very hard to find on the Internet.
The concept (again Jeff Stein) was that the band was playing the song in my head and in the end Tom swings out on a Q-tip. There were midgets (or little people) involved and guitars hanging from the top of the set. If you looks closely at the video you can almost read on Mike Campbell’s face the embarrassment of being a part of the debacle. He was dodging the guitars that were dropping from overhead. In one shot, Tom’s microphone, which was on a swivel and spun around as he sang, hit him in the mouth and they were afraid it had chipped his tooth. The video also involved a 25-foot [tall] ear that the guys climb out of. Look closely and you can see where, before [the shot of Tom exiting the ear], Benmont, who had swung out of control, slammed into the ear and damaged it. I think we all decided to wipe that video from memory.
What were you paid?
I got the one-time payment of, I think, $2,500. Since I was a starving actress, I managed to make it last about two months. I didn’t even get to keep the costume because it was ruined by the tea and frosting. But hey, I got to keep the spare torso cake and bring it home for family and friends.
Wait, I did get to keep the wonky glasses that Petty wore in the video. Petty gave me his and said, “It’s okay, they got me two pairs.” And being a wordy person, I remember being disappointed that he would say two “pairs” instead of “pair.” (Talk about stupid stuff that we remember.)
The payoff was the short term and long term fame it got me. In fact, I was [recently] in a credentialing class in Omaha and they went around the room and each person (maybe 15 attendees) had to give some info about themselves. When they got to me I gave a spiel about human resource onboarding and recruiting systems I had consulted on, [said] that I was originally from California… They asked me to tell an interesting thing about myself. I really hemmed and hawed trying to think of something interesting like…I have four kids? I love the beach? I have two chinchillas?
[Then] one of the girls from my company, Linda, who was next in the interrogation, said loudly, “Seriously, Wish? I’ll handle this: she is Alice from the Tom Petty video.” Every single head turned! All of a sudden there were conversations sprouting and people asking “Oh my god, seriously?” By the time they had finished the uncomfortable introductions, they had the video cued up and played it for everyone in the class.
I still have a great pride in that video, even these 28 years later (just round it to 20, Marc. K?). I was riding pretty high after that, feeling pretty good that even the younger people in the room remembered the video, until…a young, pretty blond girl said, “I can’t wait to tell my mom. She really loved that video.” Yep…her mom.
No matter, I’ll be talking about it to anyone who will listen (and still make sense of the words) in the convalescent home.
If you ever met other women who were female leads in a mainstream ‘80s rock video, who?
I never met another woman from the rock video world because I was not a model. I was an actress through and through. My agent at the time recommended that I open up to the option of modeling and print work but I didn’t have any interest.
If you went to college, where and what did you study?
No, nowhere, and nothing! But if I could do it all again…I’d be…an actress.
What are you doing these days?
I’ll go back as far as 1992. I worked for five years at Walt Disney Feature Animation. I started as a production assistant on Hunchback of Notre Dame. I moved up to assistant to the production manager on Hercules. And my last year or two was as the coordinator for the camera department.
My claim to fame there was this: I had film returned to me from Technicolor for the new release of Beauty and the Beast, and I spliced [a] new scene into the old film for the two directors to approve. As we watched, I noticed that in two frames, Belle’s legs are missing. So we rolled it back and I showed them. After a private powwow in the theater, they said, “That is the original footage from the movie, and nobody ever caught it.” [It] didn’t get me fame around the globe, oddly enough.
In 1997, I married a fabulous musician/salesman (very much the same as actress/waitress), Yigal Cohen. (My maiden name was Foley so my name in the credits of Hercules was Wish Foley, which everyone at Disney thought was hysterical even though they had a guy named Geefwee Boedoe.)
About a year ago I began learning computer stuff (thoroughly boring, but pays really well). Specifically, recruiting and onboarding systems. So I help a client personalize the company’s optimum applicant tracking system. So I guess I make human resources departments’ dreams come true!
Where do you live?
I am born and raised in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. I lived in the Bay Area from 2002 through 2010. Moved to the godforsaken state of New Mexico and existed in their waterless, freezing, zero-scaped dirt farm until 12/31/11. I played Powerball on our way out of Albuquerque. On New Year’s night we pulled into Texas. On January 1st, on our drive from Dallas to Houston, I checked my Powerball numbers and found I’d won $10,000. My husband and I still feel that was the only fond memory of New Mexico. I now live in a suburb of Houston.
What was your future husband’s reaction when he learned you were in this video?
Oh, he milks it like everyone else. It is a conversation piece for a salesman. I don’t mean to sound jaded in any way, because I still get a kick out of it. I just know that it comes up quite a bit in his and all my friends’ conversations. My sister-in-law has (or had) a Facebook page named “I know that chick from the Tom Petty video.” Love it!
Wish described this photo as "Alice-y." Tell me about your kids.
I have four kids. I didn’t start my family until I was 33 because I didn’t take being a mother and wife lightly. I knew that the decision would be life-altering and had to really search myself to make sure I had what it takes. I knew I would be giving up a lot when I had kids.
Had in vitro, had a boy in 1998. His name is Mickey Cohen; didn’t know there had been a gangster with that name until two weeks before delivery. He is 14 years old and he and his best friend are planning on going to MIT; thus, I am back to work. Mickey is a straight-A student. He has always been a responsible, sweet boy, and is already a fabulous guitar player. He is already getting invites from colleges to check out their schools online. Mickey was so easy to care for, right from birth, that we were lured into having another child.
Next go-round we ordered a girl, paid $800 extra for sex selection, but got twin boys, Buster and Clyde (now 12 years old). Buster sings and does photography and Clyde is an amazing dancer and drummer. Buster has a slightly raspy voice and loves singing in the school choir. I think he’ll make a great lead singer someday. Clyde, who was born three minutes after Buster, has the most incredible sense of timing and ingenuity with percussion instruments. And though they say that drummers can’t dance, he is a great breakdancer. His goal, at this point, is to be famous.
I credit my dad for naming them because, while I was hugely pregnant, sluggish, and [as-yet unaware of] their sexes, my dad said, “In keeping with your nomenclature, you should name them Bonnie and Clyde if it’s a boy and girl.” We were actually going to christen them with those names until we found out it was two boys. We kept “Clyde” and chose “Buster” for the other, in admiration for Buster Keaton (me) and Buster Poindexter (Yigal).
We were happy to quit after three boys, but nature kicked in, we got pregnant naturally. We found out I was pregnant on my birthday, October 16. When they did the ultrasound, the woman thought I was weeping with joy. I was not. I was freaking out because I already had three children under three years.
We had our daughter Charlie (as in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). Mickey named her. I was an at-home mom and homeschooler for the next 11 years.
Charlie is 11 and all-girl; she can’t wait to wear makeup, the more sparkles the better, and she loves anything pink. She is already doing some acting and I am actively looking for an agent here in Texas. She and Buster were in a recent rock video. We did the 48 Hour Film Project here in Houston in November 2012.
After she did that video, they called her back on three occasions to take on more roles. Perhaps being a stage mother is in my future.
Buster didn’t really enjoy the filming. He couldn’t stop giggling and grinning so some of his work ended up on the cutting room floor.
What do your kids think of the video?
The kids didn’t really understand how popular the video was in its time. So [they] have only recently discovered that their teachers or their friends’ moms would be impressed by the revelation of who their mother is/was. After they let word out, the video has been shown in their classrooms.
What did you think when you first heard from me?
I was delighted. You have been so forgiving of my nightmare schedule and I thank you for sticking with me and roping me back in when I get too caught up with the everyday necessary work. Sending you my responses has been sweet, and sometimes bittersweet. I liken it to walking through the garden that is my life and enjoying not only the beautiful and plentiful flowers around me but also enjoying the dirt that surrounds them and made them grow.
Recounting to you my time with Stan made me a little sad (and almost angry) because I was so malleable at that time and I gave everything up to be with him. I get upset about how much time I innocently invested in him and then how stupid I was to have stayed on so long after I knew it was unhealthy. I try to never look back with a negative eye, so I have been contemplating the wonderful, positive changes and lessons that were brought on by that experience.
Also, I lost my mother last August and I am still struggling with her passing. She was my greatest supporter throughout my life and was the most positive loving person I have ever known (and I have known many people from many walks of life). One of her greatest messages was to always look for the positive in very circumstance. But I still cannot find anything positive about her death.
In recounting her devotion I have written some of this through tears. But I thank you for that as well.
Has anyone else ever interviewed about this? If so, who, when, and for what publication?
Yes. I was contacted by Rob Tannenbaum to give him a blurb about working on the video for a book he co-authored, I Want My MTV. Even though it was just a short blurb that got into the book, it was great talking to him because he was familiar with all the players I talked about. I gave him a lot of dirt off the record. For [you], I didn’t hold back, much.
Have you appeared at any fan conventions to sign autographs? If not, would you?
I have never done anything like that. I didn’t even know that there was such a thing. Yes, I’d love to do that. I just can’t imagine who would be interested.
Did you stay in touch with Tom Petty? Are you still in touch? If not, when were you last in touch?
I didn’t keep in touch with Tom after Stan and I split up. I think that because Tom and Stan had such ugly relations at [one point], I would be considered the enemy to a certain degree. (I did keep in touch with a friend of Stan’s, Marty Jourard—he was the sax player for the Motels. He still gigs around in Seattle and sits in with different bands that come through town.)
I did go to a Petty concert in 2011 and two of the people I was with asked if they could send a note backstage to Tom telling him I was there. I told them I didn’t mind but it had been close to 25 years since I had hung out with the band. So the notes both went back separately and we never heard anything from anyone.
I am not sure how I feel about that. At first I thought that they’ve probably heard from tons of people with their own “remember me?” notes and why should I be any different? But then it kind of bothered me that they (if the whole band had known about the note) were so very disinterested. If not nostalgia, then perhaps curiosity on their part. But I finally got over myself and remembered that I am just some chick who was in their video a long time ago. So I got over it and moved on.
Anything you’d like to add?
I am proud of being in such a popular video and flattered that people remember me and my performance. I had my three minutes and they were fabulous!
Tweet about this interview to @tompetty and @benchten!
Copy and tweet to help me find more 1980s music video girls:
Real research question: if you know the Annie Hubbard who was in 1984 Night Ranger video “Sister Christian,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Real research question: if you know the woman—even just her name—in 1986 Cinderella video “Shake Me,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Real research question: if you know woman—even just her name—in ‘87 Richard Marx video “Should’ve Known Better,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Next: Bryan Adams, “Summer of ‘69” (1985) and others.
July 21, 2013
The Girl in the Video: “Don’t Come Around Here No More” (1985), part 2 of 3
Part 1.
Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video” (including list of interviewees).
The video: “Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
The girl-now-woman: Wish Cohen (Louise “Wish” Foley).
Did the video affect your dating life at the time?
Yes. Immensely. It changed everything.
Just before I did the video, I had been dating a guy (certainly not a man) who was physically abusive. A few months before I interviewed for the video, the loser I was with knocked me out with one punch. It is not hard to do with a sucker punch. It is not an easy situation to explain except that physical abuse in conjunction with psychological abuse is a “dog chases tail” existence.
I had left the guy, but he was stalking me. The end came when he showed up at my mother’s house on an afternoon when both of my older brothers were visiting. He came to the back gate and my brothers both jumped up and said they needed to talk to him first (they had seen the bruises on my arms before, and the sucker punch was the last straw). After they spoke to him, he just left. It was a year or two later that I found out that my brothers told him that if they ever saw him again or heard that he had been anywhere within a mile of me, they would take care of business.
So when I did the video, I was fresh out of hell.
On the first day of the shoot, I met the drummer Stan Lynch. He was 29 and so attractive to me at the time. I didn’t even consider that he would be attracted to me because he was a cute musician at the height of his fame, and besides, there were three beautiful models on set (in the black and white slinky muse outfits) hanging out with the single band mates most of the time.
There were two occasions on set when I felt that perhaps he had noticed me. When we were [about to do] a camera run-through, the three guys (Benmont Tench, Stan Lynch, and Howie Epstein) were arranged around a very tall and wide chair that I was sitting in (the scene where Howie serves me the cupcakes and then each band member steals them one by one). While we were all making small talk, Stan did a very dramatic sniff in the air and said, “Wow, what is that perfume you are wearing?” I replied, “It’s called Sweet Honesty.” And without skipping a beat, Benmont said, “I think he meant me—it’s called Filthy Liar.” We laughed, me especially, because it was such perfect timing. Though it dashed what I found out to be Stan’s icebreaker line.
Later, Stan approached me and complimented me on the very first shot I had done with the handheld camera guy (who was the first to give me the “always had a fantasy about Alice in Wonderland” line).
So for the rest of that first day, it was a little easier for us to have conversations.
On the last day, he stayed (after 24-hour nonstop filming) even though the band had been dismissed. After that last shot in the teacup, he asked me if I’d like to go to breakfast. As much as I was coming out of my skin with excitement and flattery, I declined because I was exhausted.
So he took my phone number instead.
He called me a day or so later and asked me out. This began our five-year relationship. I went from being a starving actress to the girlfriend of a rock star. When we began dating, I was driving an old, mustard-colored Chrysler Newport (440 engine!) that was truly an eyesore. Stan drove either his Black Jaguar XKE or his restored red 1970s convertible. It was a beautiful, huge, heavy old car. I think he was embarrassed by that car.
We [had] met in March and he had invited me to spend Easter with him at Don Henley’s house on Mulholland Drive in Hollywood. I, of course, accepted. My baptism into this world was unbelievable to me, even to this day. When we entered, we did a lot of introductions and shaking hands. Then after a while, we were sort of sent out to the backyard for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. But before we walked out I had noticed about three drop-dead gorgeous women sitting on Don’s large curved couch. I said to Stan, “I feel bad for those girls. Nobody is talking to them and they aren’t even talking to each other.” He snickered and said, “Those girls are brought in for anyone who doesn’t have a date. They’re probably Playboy bunnies.”
Reeling from that weirdness, I stepped out to the yard and saw Mary Kay Place and many musicians who were well known. I had a cocktail with Mary Kay Place. That was surreal.
Then it came time to sit down to eat on a beautifully laid out table under a huge old tree. Next thing I know, this woman sits next to me and starts talking to everyone. Like the life of the party had just shown up, the whole table came alive. The man sitting across from her was wearing a checkered suit, a checkered shirt, a checkered tie, checkered shoes, and a checkered hat. It was the most fun outfit I had ever seen. Then I realized that his wife was the woman next to me. When I turned to sneak a glance at her, I was breathless because it was Bette Midler. She told some jokes that day that I tell people to this day, always giving credit for the joke—“Bette Midler told me that one.”
Don stood up and explained that “This ham is from so-and-so’s in Virginia, this one was flown in from so-and-so’s in France...” Then he announced that the dirty rice and gumbo was from his mother and had been flown in fresh that morning.”
It was a long day and Don asked me if I could start the tea kettles (I happened to be in his kitchen with the staff) while the staff began prepping desserts. I agreed easily because I was a little uncomfortable being a small-time actress around some very famously artistic people. I filled about four tea kettles and was standing there in front of the stove when someone says right in my ear, “A watched pot never boils.” I turned and it was Jack Nicholson. All I could manage was a kind of huffing giggle.
The reason I started telling you about the Easter lunch was because when Stan asked me to go, I asked what I should wear. He asked if I had anything “Easter-y.” I told him I would find something appropriate, but he said, “No, let’s go together and find you something.” I was so embarrassed to have to tell him that I couldn’t afford to get a new anything. He said he was going to get it for me.
[The] Saturday [before Easter], I came to his house and he had ordered a limo. We went to the Laura Ashley store in Brentwood where he had made us an appointment to shop. We were escorted to a beautiful dressing room, much like a bridal salon, where two women waited on us hand and foot. I left there with a few new skirts and as many shirts.
The first time I went to Stan’s apartment I thought it odd that his living room had been converted to his bedroom. After touring with him, it dawned on me that, after having spent so much time in hotel rooms, it made sense that the first thing you saw when you entered his apartment was the bed.
During my time with Stan, I met (I’ll probably not remember all but my faves): Timothy Hutton, the Williams Brothers, Warren Zevon (he came over to get his career going again with Stan’s help), Eric Martin (Mr. Big), Maren Jensen (Battlestar Galactica; she was with Don Henley), “Weird Al” Yankovic, Jon Anderson and Chris Squire (the band Yes), double-dated with Mimi Rogers (Tom Cruise’s first wife) and Don Henley, Ric Ocasek and his wife Paulina Porizkova, Bob Dylan, Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox (Eurythmics), Sammy Davis, Jr., Bill Cosby, David Letterman. And was in the same room with David Bowie, George Harrison, Elton John, Paul Simon.
I traveled the continental U.S. constantly to be with him on tour. We never moved in together but I spent the full five years living out of a suitcase. He made room for me in his closet, but I never really felt like we were in sync after the first year or so.
I never really felt that Stan loved me completely. I felt that his emotions didn’t really scratch the surface of what it means to love someone. He was a great guy, but we were worlds apart. Besides, he had no respect for my friends or family, so I didn’t spend much time with either (I always regretted choosing him over them).
What really confused me during my time with him was this: he wanted me to be available to fly anywhere, at any time, to be with him on tour or at the beach house, and I loved him so fiercely that I would go to him anytime at the drop of a hat. But, at times, he would get pissy about small money matters like having to pay my cab fare to get to the airport. There was no way I could hold a job and keep our relationship alive.
The end of us began in a strange way. I remember the very day that I began to pull away from him.
I was at his beach house in Florida, where we spent a lot of time together. He had already left to begin recording in Los Angeles. I stayed on after him. I called a friend of mine in Los Angeles and told her “Come to Florida. I have the beach house to myself and a grocery account and gas account. I’ll have your ticket at the airport...whatever we need. Just come for the month.” And what she said to me threw me back into reality after about four years of this jaded life: “Wish, I have bills to pay. I have a roommate who depends on my half of the rent. I have a job. I’ll get fired if I just get up and leave.”
I had seriously forgotten what it was to support and depend on myself. Worse yet, in the back of my mind, I knew Stan and I were not soulmates.
So I got a menial job at a pharmacy. Stan asked me to come out on tour a couple times, but I stuck to my guns. I began to like being independent.
We drifted apart then back together for about six months. Then one night I tried to talk to him one more time about our relationship, but he didn’t get it. So I never went back and I’ve lived in the real world ever since.
After him, I dated for about six years until I met my husband, Yigal. I dated all kinds. My thought on dating was to never say no to anyone who asked me out unless they gave me the creeps or were too forward. I took it very seriously that you can never judge a book by its cover. With this philosophy, I went on dates with a Foley artist, a really strange and moody poet, a guy who was seriously dumb as a brick, a guy who asked on the first date if I’d ever tied a man up and spanked him, a guy with Tourette’s, a deaf man, two jewelers (both extremely hairy, like even in a dress shirt it flowed out the collar), a reformed alcoholic (that was tough), a hairdresser, a guy who was void of any opinion or the ability to make a choice, an attorney (who felt even murderers deserved the best defense), a guy from Beirut who was the product of first cousins, and other strange men. I didn’t sleep around, just dated around.
1989
I met Yigal through a mutual friend, Mike. I had gone to high school with Mike and he invited me to come to his band rehearsal on a Friday night. I could hardly take my eyes off Yigal. I thought he was so handsome. To this day he is the most handsome man I have ever met (except for a guy in an elevator of my apartment building carrying a bike; [he] said “Hello, it’s a gorgeous day out there today,” and I quite literally mumbled and stammered a string of unintelligible sounds while staring at him wide-eyed).
[Yigal] and I eloped to Vegas and were married by an Elvis on 6/8/97. Under pressure from friends (not family), we decided to have an actual wedding (on our one-year anniversary). So we had a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-themed wedding. With Edward Scissorhands music.
Yigal is of Polish descent and his family still speaks Polish in the home. He was born in Jerusalem, raised in South Africa, and came to the U.S. as a teenager. With Yigal, I broke away from my habit of dating drummers (Stan was the third in a row) and switched to guitar. Yigal writes and records all-original music and I’d say he never goes a day without working on some instrument.
He is still dreamy.
Did you receive fan mail? If so, do you still have any of it?
I didn’t receive any fan mail after the video. If anyone had tried to find me it would have been a little difficult because I was a member of SAG before they joined forces with AFTRA and modeling was not at all my background. If I didn’t already tell you, I was the first SAG actress to do a music video. MTV was [still fairly new] at the time and I was one of the first contracts written for this type of film. I am unsure how it worked but I know it was the first time that I had to sign away any rights to my own image if it was picked up by satellite or any other devices by earth or “any other planet.” It was so funny at the time, but now I get it.
While dating Stan, I was more recognized, especially in his circles.
Tweet about this interview to @tompetty and @benchten!
Part 3.
Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video” (including list of interviewees).
The video: “Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
The girl-now-woman: Wish Cohen (Louise “Wish” Foley).
Did the video affect your dating life at the time?
Yes. Immensely. It changed everything.
Just before I did the video, I had been dating a guy (certainly not a man) who was physically abusive. A few months before I interviewed for the video, the loser I was with knocked me out with one punch. It is not hard to do with a sucker punch. It is not an easy situation to explain except that physical abuse in conjunction with psychological abuse is a “dog chases tail” existence.
I had left the guy, but he was stalking me. The end came when he showed up at my mother’s house on an afternoon when both of my older brothers were visiting. He came to the back gate and my brothers both jumped up and said they needed to talk to him first (they had seen the bruises on my arms before, and the sucker punch was the last straw). After they spoke to him, he just left. It was a year or two later that I found out that my brothers told him that if they ever saw him again or heard that he had been anywhere within a mile of me, they would take care of business.
So when I did the video, I was fresh out of hell.
On the first day of the shoot, I met the drummer Stan Lynch. He was 29 and so attractive to me at the time. I didn’t even consider that he would be attracted to me because he was a cute musician at the height of his fame, and besides, there were three beautiful models on set (in the black and white slinky muse outfits) hanging out with the single band mates most of the time.
There were two occasions on set when I felt that perhaps he had noticed me. When we were [about to do] a camera run-through, the three guys (Benmont Tench, Stan Lynch, and Howie Epstein) were arranged around a very tall and wide chair that I was sitting in (the scene where Howie serves me the cupcakes and then each band member steals them one by one). While we were all making small talk, Stan did a very dramatic sniff in the air and said, “Wow, what is that perfume you are wearing?” I replied, “It’s called Sweet Honesty.” And without skipping a beat, Benmont said, “I think he meant me—it’s called Filthy Liar.” We laughed, me especially, because it was such perfect timing. Though it dashed what I found out to be Stan’s icebreaker line.
Later, Stan approached me and complimented me on the very first shot I had done with the handheld camera guy (who was the first to give me the “always had a fantasy about Alice in Wonderland” line).
So for the rest of that first day, it was a little easier for us to have conversations.
On the last day, he stayed (after 24-hour nonstop filming) even though the band had been dismissed. After that last shot in the teacup, he asked me if I’d like to go to breakfast. As much as I was coming out of my skin with excitement and flattery, I declined because I was exhausted.
So he took my phone number instead.
He called me a day or so later and asked me out. This began our five-year relationship. I went from being a starving actress to the girlfriend of a rock star. When we began dating, I was driving an old, mustard-colored Chrysler Newport (440 engine!) that was truly an eyesore. Stan drove either his Black Jaguar XKE or his restored red 1970s convertible. It was a beautiful, huge, heavy old car. I think he was embarrassed by that car.
We [had] met in March and he had invited me to spend Easter with him at Don Henley’s house on Mulholland Drive in Hollywood. I, of course, accepted. My baptism into this world was unbelievable to me, even to this day. When we entered, we did a lot of introductions and shaking hands. Then after a while, we were sort of sent out to the backyard for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. But before we walked out I had noticed about three drop-dead gorgeous women sitting on Don’s large curved couch. I said to Stan, “I feel bad for those girls. Nobody is talking to them and they aren’t even talking to each other.” He snickered and said, “Those girls are brought in for anyone who doesn’t have a date. They’re probably Playboy bunnies.”
Reeling from that weirdness, I stepped out to the yard and saw Mary Kay Place and many musicians who were well known. I had a cocktail with Mary Kay Place. That was surreal.
Then it came time to sit down to eat on a beautifully laid out table under a huge old tree. Next thing I know, this woman sits next to me and starts talking to everyone. Like the life of the party had just shown up, the whole table came alive. The man sitting across from her was wearing a checkered suit, a checkered shirt, a checkered tie, checkered shoes, and a checkered hat. It was the most fun outfit I had ever seen. Then I realized that his wife was the woman next to me. When I turned to sneak a glance at her, I was breathless because it was Bette Midler. She told some jokes that day that I tell people to this day, always giving credit for the joke—“Bette Midler told me that one.”
Don stood up and explained that “This ham is from so-and-so’s in Virginia, this one was flown in from so-and-so’s in France...” Then he announced that the dirty rice and gumbo was from his mother and had been flown in fresh that morning.”
It was a long day and Don asked me if I could start the tea kettles (I happened to be in his kitchen with the staff) while the staff began prepping desserts. I agreed easily because I was a little uncomfortable being a small-time actress around some very famously artistic people. I filled about four tea kettles and was standing there in front of the stove when someone says right in my ear, “A watched pot never boils.” I turned and it was Jack Nicholson. All I could manage was a kind of huffing giggle.
The reason I started telling you about the Easter lunch was because when Stan asked me to go, I asked what I should wear. He asked if I had anything “Easter-y.” I told him I would find something appropriate, but he said, “No, let’s go together and find you something.” I was so embarrassed to have to tell him that I couldn’t afford to get a new anything. He said he was going to get it for me.
[The] Saturday [before Easter], I came to his house and he had ordered a limo. We went to the Laura Ashley store in Brentwood where he had made us an appointment to shop. We were escorted to a beautiful dressing room, much like a bridal salon, where two women waited on us hand and foot. I left there with a few new skirts and as many shirts.
The first time I went to Stan’s apartment I thought it odd that his living room had been converted to his bedroom. After touring with him, it dawned on me that, after having spent so much time in hotel rooms, it made sense that the first thing you saw when you entered his apartment was the bed.
During my time with Stan, I met (I’ll probably not remember all but my faves): Timothy Hutton, the Williams Brothers, Warren Zevon (he came over to get his career going again with Stan’s help), Eric Martin (Mr. Big), Maren Jensen (Battlestar Galactica; she was with Don Henley), “Weird Al” Yankovic, Jon Anderson and Chris Squire (the band Yes), double-dated with Mimi Rogers (Tom Cruise’s first wife) and Don Henley, Ric Ocasek and his wife Paulina Porizkova, Bob Dylan, Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox (Eurythmics), Sammy Davis, Jr., Bill Cosby, David Letterman. And was in the same room with David Bowie, George Harrison, Elton John, Paul Simon.
I traveled the continental U.S. constantly to be with him on tour. We never moved in together but I spent the full five years living out of a suitcase. He made room for me in his closet, but I never really felt like we were in sync after the first year or so.
I never really felt that Stan loved me completely. I felt that his emotions didn’t really scratch the surface of what it means to love someone. He was a great guy, but we were worlds apart. Besides, he had no respect for my friends or family, so I didn’t spend much time with either (I always regretted choosing him over them).
What really confused me during my time with him was this: he wanted me to be available to fly anywhere, at any time, to be with him on tour or at the beach house, and I loved him so fiercely that I would go to him anytime at the drop of a hat. But, at times, he would get pissy about small money matters like having to pay my cab fare to get to the airport. There was no way I could hold a job and keep our relationship alive.
The end of us began in a strange way. I remember the very day that I began to pull away from him.
I was at his beach house in Florida, where we spent a lot of time together. He had already left to begin recording in Los Angeles. I stayed on after him. I called a friend of mine in Los Angeles and told her “Come to Florida. I have the beach house to myself and a grocery account and gas account. I’ll have your ticket at the airport...whatever we need. Just come for the month.” And what she said to me threw me back into reality after about four years of this jaded life: “Wish, I have bills to pay. I have a roommate who depends on my half of the rent. I have a job. I’ll get fired if I just get up and leave.”
I had seriously forgotten what it was to support and depend on myself. Worse yet, in the back of my mind, I knew Stan and I were not soulmates.
So I got a menial job at a pharmacy. Stan asked me to come out on tour a couple times, but I stuck to my guns. I began to like being independent.
We drifted apart then back together for about six months. Then one night I tried to talk to him one more time about our relationship, but he didn’t get it. So I never went back and I’ve lived in the real world ever since.
After him, I dated for about six years until I met my husband, Yigal. I dated all kinds. My thought on dating was to never say no to anyone who asked me out unless they gave me the creeps or were too forward. I took it very seriously that you can never judge a book by its cover. With this philosophy, I went on dates with a Foley artist, a really strange and moody poet, a guy who was seriously dumb as a brick, a guy who asked on the first date if I’d ever tied a man up and spanked him, a guy with Tourette’s, a deaf man, two jewelers (both extremely hairy, like even in a dress shirt it flowed out the collar), a reformed alcoholic (that was tough), a hairdresser, a guy who was void of any opinion or the ability to make a choice, an attorney (who felt even murderers deserved the best defense), a guy from Beirut who was the product of first cousins, and other strange men. I didn’t sleep around, just dated around.
1989 I met Yigal through a mutual friend, Mike. I had gone to high school with Mike and he invited me to come to his band rehearsal on a Friday night. I could hardly take my eyes off Yigal. I thought he was so handsome. To this day he is the most handsome man I have ever met (except for a guy in an elevator of my apartment building carrying a bike; [he] said “Hello, it’s a gorgeous day out there today,” and I quite literally mumbled and stammered a string of unintelligible sounds while staring at him wide-eyed).
[Yigal] and I eloped to Vegas and were married by an Elvis on 6/8/97. Under pressure from friends (not family), we decided to have an actual wedding (on our one-year anniversary). So we had a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-themed wedding. With Edward Scissorhands music.
Yigal is of Polish descent and his family still speaks Polish in the home. He was born in Jerusalem, raised in South Africa, and came to the U.S. as a teenager. With Yigal, I broke away from my habit of dating drummers (Stan was the third in a row) and switched to guitar. Yigal writes and records all-original music and I’d say he never goes a day without working on some instrument.
He is still dreamy.
Did you receive fan mail? If so, do you still have any of it?
I didn’t receive any fan mail after the video. If anyone had tried to find me it would have been a little difficult because I was a member of SAG before they joined forces with AFTRA and modeling was not at all my background. If I didn’t already tell you, I was the first SAG actress to do a music video. MTV was [still fairly new] at the time and I was one of the first contracts written for this type of film. I am unsure how it worked but I know it was the first time that I had to sign away any rights to my own image if it was picked up by satellite or any other devices by earth or “any other planet.” It was so funny at the time, but now I get it.
While dating Stan, I was more recognized, especially in his circles.
Tweet about this interview to @tompetty and @benchten!
Part 3.
July 20, 2013
The Girl in the Video: “Don’t Come Around Here No More” (1985), part 1 of 3
Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video” (including list of interviewees).
The video: “Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
The girl-now-woman: Wish Cohen (Louise “Wish” Foley).
This installment is otherwise known as “When you Wish upon a star.”
How old were you when you appeared in the “Don’t Come Around Here No More” video?
I had turned 21 four months prior to the interview for the music video. I had moved back to Los Angeles from central California (lived with my sister for two years while getting over the death of a boyfriend). I moved to L.A. with a physically abusive, rage-aholic boyfriend. My self-esteem was very low and my boyfriend was extremely jealous. After [I hid] the bruises for months, my mother and sister-in-law just showed up one day and moved me out. He stalked me for a while after, but my brothers took care of that (clandestinely).
Where were you living at the time?
Having just left [the] abusive boyfriend, two or three months prior, I was living at my mother’s house in Chatsworth, CA. My mother was the driving force behind my return to acting. She always supported me and was my grounding force [in my] years as a child actress. When I lost roles to the likes of Jodie Foster, Kim Richards, Helen Hunt, she would remind me that I always crossed paths with these blonde “all-American girls” (crazy, huh? that is what we, the blonde, blue-eyed, thin girls, were called) at interviews and that it I should be flattered to be in their echelon. My mother made sure I was never in danger of becoming a drug-addicted Dana Plato or Kim Richards.
What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?
My very first acting job was a Barbie Beach Bus commercial at 6 years old. I would estimate that as a child I did over fifty commercials, for McDonalds, Hostess, Shakey’s Pizza, Manwich, Bryant air conditioners, Crest. I did one feature film, Harper Valley PTA with Barbara Eden, and was a recurring character on Family with Kristy McNichol. I did many guest-starring roles in other series and a lot of after school specials.
How were you cast in the video?
My agent, Joanie Roba, was contacted and asked to send models to an interview for a Tom Petty music video. She told them that I was one of her clients but they said they were looking for a model, not an actress, and besides, they knew of me and didn’t think I [had] the pretty “Alice In Wonderland look” they wanted. Joanie told them that I had grown up and that they should at least meet me. They agreed. [Joanie then] told me that they weren’t really interested but that I should go nonetheless to get my name out there.
They were looking for a sexy Alice, so my mom and I went shopping and found a tight pink puff sleeve T-shirt, skintight black jeans (at the time they were called peg-leg pants and were basically all spandex), and a pair of kitten heel Mary Janes. I asked my mom to come with me since she had always been with me as a child actress. She chose to wait in the car and I found out later that she didn’t want me to be seen as a child.
When I came into the home where the interviews were being conducted, all I had with me was an actor’s headshot and résumé. I immediately thought my agent had really missed the mark on this call because there were about 10 to 15 girls in the waiting area with skimpy, tight clothes and they had full photo albums of themselves in different outfits and poses. Though I felt really out of place, I was never a quitter, so when called, I did my very best. In the interview room, there was the editor and about four other people. They asked me to mug for the camera and make as many faces as I could. I did surprise, anger, sadness, joy, shy, strong, come hither…etc. When I left, I told my mom that I knew I didn’t get the gig or a callback because I didn’t look as sexy or made-up as the models.
I was really surprised when I got called to come back. I went to three more interviews. The first two were very much like the first except they wanted me to do more specific faces. On the third interview, there was a big dining room table where they had set up a camera at one end and had me sit at the other end. The table was full of people who were going to work on the video (maybe 10 to 15 people).
They told me that they were waiting for Jeff Stein (the director) to return with a part for the camera and would I mind just hanging out and chatting with everyone until he returned. So we chatted for about 20 minutes. They asked me questions and we all talked about all kinds of things. Then, out of the blue, the editor said, “Thank you for coming,” which meant the interview was over. I thought I had completely blown [it] because they didn’t wait for Jeff to return. I said something to the effect of, “I thought they wanted to do more filming.” The editor said, “Oh, we were filming. We just wanted to see how animated you were without knowing you were being filmed.” I found out later that Jeff had been watching me on a screen in the other room.
I left a bit confused because it was very unusual in comparison to acting job interviews. On the same day I got a call from my agent saying they loved me and that I got the job.
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?
I remember distinctly my reaction when I heard I got the part. My brother Patrick was a huge Tom Petty fan and had been constantly calling me to find out if I had heard anything about the music video interview. MTV was very new at the time and it was the coolest channel to be seen on.
I called my brother to tell him and you’d think I had told him that I was going to meet the Queen of England. He and I celebrated together. We got together and he filled me in on everything Tom Petty. He told me to ask Tom how he broke his hand and if he still had some particular guitar. Thank heavens for that because it was a conversation starter for Tom and me.
Where was the video filmed?
It was filmed at SIR Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. The set was elaborate and beautiful. The massive black and white checked set was really something to behold.
How long was the shoot?
We started filming the video on a Friday around 10 a.m. It was the latest call time I had ever had. We started with wardrobe and generally took our time because the band members were straggling in on their own time. We shot till after midnight the first day, then Saturday we began at 10 and went nonstop until Sunday morning at about 9 a.m. (23 hours straight). It was grueling, but that is really the fun of acting—the coming together of professionals to make the best piece of work they possibly can. The cast and crew were determined to get the best footage no matter what it took.
Wish: “I honestly do not know [who took these photos]. They were given to me by a guy on the crew who came to the premiere.”
What was the hardest part of the shoot?
The hours were long and exhaustion kicked in on the second day of shooting after about the 18th hour.
[One of] the two hardest parts [was] laying under the cake table for an hour and sometimes with my head cocked backward in an effort to make the angle look natural—as if I were actually made of cake.
The other difficult part was the shot in the coffee cup. The crew began filling up the cup with water from the bathroom about an hour or two before we filmed the shot. But within a very short time, the hot water ran out. So the tea cup was filled with freezing cold water. If you look closely at my face, you can see I am having a difficult time breathing normally. I also hated the fact that the costume was going to be ruined by the frosting on the donut/inner tube as well as the tea-stained water.
How was it to work with Tom Petty? What was he like?
Petty didn’t interact much with me. We chatted while on set waiting to get direction and begin filming. While on camera, he came alive and acted. His style was subtle so most of his shots were close-ups. He kept his movements slow and tight, never raising his arms or kicking out, just small, purposeful movement. It was easy to work with him because I was the opposite—grand and sweeping movements. He played his character well and had no advice for me.
Petty was a southern gentleman. He was very soft-spoken and seemed very shy. I was confused by his demeanor because, at the time, rock stars were out-of-control, narcissistic, decadent egomaniacs. Petty didn’t have any of these traits.
I dated the drummer, Stan Lynch, for five years after the video and would see Tom on tours and various band appearances, as well as hanging out with his wife Jane and daughter Adria. Through that time, Tom was always quiet, calm, and easygoing. His wife, on the other hand, was agoraphobic and tended towards drama. At concerts, she would have a hard time going out into the audience to watch and would sometimes stand up and almost run to get away from the crowds.
What did you think of the video?
It always amazes me that a director can keep the big picture in his mind (and stick to it) but then dissect the film and break it down to individual shots, always keeping in mind the desired end result.
I was thoroughly satisfied with the video. I was so proud to be associated with it. At the time, it was right on the money! Petty was already on a course for legendary status due to his musicianship and lack of gimmickry. I would cringe if it had been a formula type video that was typical during that time.
The video was nominated for MTV’s Best Video of the Year and was up against Peter Gabriel’s “Big Time.” [MTN: Memory is imperfect.]
In fact, I really thought everyone would lose to him. Between you and me, Jeff Stein was told that MTV “owed Don Henley a win.” Never knew what that was about, but I honestly think Gabriel blew everyone away.
What did your parents think of it?
My mother was always my biggest fan. She always supported my acting work. My father never said a whole lot to me about my work on TV or the video, but I would hear from his colleagues that he had kept them abreast of everything I was working on and when it was going to air.
What did your friends think of it?
Marc, this one is kinda complex because there was the reaction back then and my then there is my retrospection now.
On the night of the MTV World Premiere, I went to the director’s house to watch it with the crew and a few cast members. I had been looking forward to seeing it. When it came on everyone got silent and stood in front of a big television in the living room. When it was over we yelled and cheered for each other’s hard work. It was like being on a team that won a first place trophy.
My group of friends, maybe 10 or 15, got together at someone’s house and had their own screening. Cell phones at that time were very uncommon, so I had to wait to talk to them until the next day.
While at the house of the director (whom I really didn’t know except from brief interviews and the shoot), someone said I had a phone call. It was bizarre because none of my friends had Jeff’s number; in fact, I don’t even think I had his number. I [got] the phone and it was Stan Lynch (Perry’s drummer) calling from his grandmother’s house in Ohio to ask me for a date. I was so impressed with the fact that he had tracked me down that I said yes. So began our romance.
As I get older, it still comes up all the time. Usually it’s my friends who ask someone in the room “Do you know who she is?” Without fail, they say, “No.” That is quickly followed by, “Well, do you remember the Tom Petty video with Alice in Wonderland?” When they used to play MTV on TVs in bars, it inevitably came on when I was there. Especially in the first five or six years. Whoever I was with either subtly told people it was me or (depending on the alcohol level) start pointing at me and telling people really loudly, “That’s her! Right there! See, it’s her!” I never really cared either way about the notoriety then; it made me feel like people really appreciated my work.
On the other side of that, I couldn’t count how many men, of all ages, would whisper to me, “You know, I’ve always had a fantasy about Alice in Wonderland.” It was a creepy kind of flattery. I didn’t ever figure out what to say to them. None of them ever interested me enough to try that kind of acting.
Nowadays my friends and husband still tell people, “She’s the chick from the Petty video” and if [a] person is at least 35 years old, s/he immediately recognizes me. If anyone in the same room mentions Tom Petty or if the song comes on in a store, I know one of my friends is gonna say something. That’s not to say I don’t get a thrill anymore, I totally do. It never gets old to hear people say, “OMG! That was my favorite video!” Or when people ask if I did the stunt fall, what Tom was like, or “How did they do that?” Yep, still riding that wave!
Tweet about this interview to @tompetty and @benchten!
Part 2.
The video: “Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
The girl-now-woman: Wish Cohen (Louise “Wish” Foley).
This installment is otherwise known as “When you Wish upon a star.”
How old were you when you appeared in the “Don’t Come Around Here No More” video?
I had turned 21 four months prior to the interview for the music video. I had moved back to Los Angeles from central California (lived with my sister for two years while getting over the death of a boyfriend). I moved to L.A. with a physically abusive, rage-aholic boyfriend. My self-esteem was very low and my boyfriend was extremely jealous. After [I hid] the bruises for months, my mother and sister-in-law just showed up one day and moved me out. He stalked me for a while after, but my brothers took care of that (clandestinely).
Where were you living at the time?
Having just left [the] abusive boyfriend, two or three months prior, I was living at my mother’s house in Chatsworth, CA. My mother was the driving force behind my return to acting. She always supported me and was my grounding force [in my] years as a child actress. When I lost roles to the likes of Jodie Foster, Kim Richards, Helen Hunt, she would remind me that I always crossed paths with these blonde “all-American girls” (crazy, huh? that is what we, the blonde, blue-eyed, thin girls, were called) at interviews and that it I should be flattered to be in their echelon. My mother made sure I was never in danger of becoming a drug-addicted Dana Plato or Kim Richards.
What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?
My very first acting job was a Barbie Beach Bus commercial at 6 years old. I would estimate that as a child I did over fifty commercials, for McDonalds, Hostess, Shakey’s Pizza, Manwich, Bryant air conditioners, Crest. I did one feature film, Harper Valley PTA with Barbara Eden, and was a recurring character on Family with Kristy McNichol. I did many guest-starring roles in other series and a lot of after school specials.
How were you cast in the video?
My agent, Joanie Roba, was contacted and asked to send models to an interview for a Tom Petty music video. She told them that I was one of her clients but they said they were looking for a model, not an actress, and besides, they knew of me and didn’t think I [had] the pretty “Alice In Wonderland look” they wanted. Joanie told them that I had grown up and that they should at least meet me. They agreed. [Joanie then] told me that they weren’t really interested but that I should go nonetheless to get my name out there.
They were looking for a sexy Alice, so my mom and I went shopping and found a tight pink puff sleeve T-shirt, skintight black jeans (at the time they were called peg-leg pants and were basically all spandex), and a pair of kitten heel Mary Janes. I asked my mom to come with me since she had always been with me as a child actress. She chose to wait in the car and I found out later that she didn’t want me to be seen as a child.
When I came into the home where the interviews were being conducted, all I had with me was an actor’s headshot and résumé. I immediately thought my agent had really missed the mark on this call because there were about 10 to 15 girls in the waiting area with skimpy, tight clothes and they had full photo albums of themselves in different outfits and poses. Though I felt really out of place, I was never a quitter, so when called, I did my very best. In the interview room, there was the editor and about four other people. They asked me to mug for the camera and make as many faces as I could. I did surprise, anger, sadness, joy, shy, strong, come hither…etc. When I left, I told my mom that I knew I didn’t get the gig or a callback because I didn’t look as sexy or made-up as the models.
I was really surprised when I got called to come back. I went to three more interviews. The first two were very much like the first except they wanted me to do more specific faces. On the third interview, there was a big dining room table where they had set up a camera at one end and had me sit at the other end. The table was full of people who were going to work on the video (maybe 10 to 15 people).
They told me that they were waiting for Jeff Stein (the director) to return with a part for the camera and would I mind just hanging out and chatting with everyone until he returned. So we chatted for about 20 minutes. They asked me questions and we all talked about all kinds of things. Then, out of the blue, the editor said, “Thank you for coming,” which meant the interview was over. I thought I had completely blown [it] because they didn’t wait for Jeff to return. I said something to the effect of, “I thought they wanted to do more filming.” The editor said, “Oh, we were filming. We just wanted to see how animated you were without knowing you were being filmed.” I found out later that Jeff had been watching me on a screen in the other room.
I left a bit confused because it was very unusual in comparison to acting job interviews. On the same day I got a call from my agent saying they loved me and that I got the job.
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?
I remember distinctly my reaction when I heard I got the part. My brother Patrick was a huge Tom Petty fan and had been constantly calling me to find out if I had heard anything about the music video interview. MTV was very new at the time and it was the coolest channel to be seen on.
I called my brother to tell him and you’d think I had told him that I was going to meet the Queen of England. He and I celebrated together. We got together and he filled me in on everything Tom Petty. He told me to ask Tom how he broke his hand and if he still had some particular guitar. Thank heavens for that because it was a conversation starter for Tom and me.
Where was the video filmed?
It was filmed at SIR Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. The set was elaborate and beautiful. The massive black and white checked set was really something to behold.
How long was the shoot?
We started filming the video on a Friday around 10 a.m. It was the latest call time I had ever had. We started with wardrobe and generally took our time because the band members were straggling in on their own time. We shot till after midnight the first day, then Saturday we began at 10 and went nonstop until Sunday morning at about 9 a.m. (23 hours straight). It was grueling, but that is really the fun of acting—the coming together of professionals to make the best piece of work they possibly can. The cast and crew were determined to get the best footage no matter what it took.
Wish: “I honestly do not know [who took these photos]. They were given to me by a guy on the crew who came to the premiere.” What was the hardest part of the shoot?
The hours were long and exhaustion kicked in on the second day of shooting after about the 18th hour.
[One of] the two hardest parts [was] laying under the cake table for an hour and sometimes with my head cocked backward in an effort to make the angle look natural—as if I were actually made of cake.
The other difficult part was the shot in the coffee cup. The crew began filling up the cup with water from the bathroom about an hour or two before we filmed the shot. But within a very short time, the hot water ran out. So the tea cup was filled with freezing cold water. If you look closely at my face, you can see I am having a difficult time breathing normally. I also hated the fact that the costume was going to be ruined by the frosting on the donut/inner tube as well as the tea-stained water.
How was it to work with Tom Petty? What was he like?
Petty didn’t interact much with me. We chatted while on set waiting to get direction and begin filming. While on camera, he came alive and acted. His style was subtle so most of his shots were close-ups. He kept his movements slow and tight, never raising his arms or kicking out, just small, purposeful movement. It was easy to work with him because I was the opposite—grand and sweeping movements. He played his character well and had no advice for me.
Petty was a southern gentleman. He was very soft-spoken and seemed very shy. I was confused by his demeanor because, at the time, rock stars were out-of-control, narcissistic, decadent egomaniacs. Petty didn’t have any of these traits.
I dated the drummer, Stan Lynch, for five years after the video and would see Tom on tours and various band appearances, as well as hanging out with his wife Jane and daughter Adria. Through that time, Tom was always quiet, calm, and easygoing. His wife, on the other hand, was agoraphobic and tended towards drama. At concerts, she would have a hard time going out into the audience to watch and would sometimes stand up and almost run to get away from the crowds.
What did you think of the video?
It always amazes me that a director can keep the big picture in his mind (and stick to it) but then dissect the film and break it down to individual shots, always keeping in mind the desired end result.
I was thoroughly satisfied with the video. I was so proud to be associated with it. At the time, it was right on the money! Petty was already on a course for legendary status due to his musicianship and lack of gimmickry. I would cringe if it had been a formula type video that was typical during that time.
The video was nominated for MTV’s Best Video of the Year and was up against Peter Gabriel’s “Big Time.” [MTN: Memory is imperfect.]
In fact, I really thought everyone would lose to him. Between you and me, Jeff Stein was told that MTV “owed Don Henley a win.” Never knew what that was about, but I honestly think Gabriel blew everyone away.
What did your parents think of it?
My mother was always my biggest fan. She always supported my acting work. My father never said a whole lot to me about my work on TV or the video, but I would hear from his colleagues that he had kept them abreast of everything I was working on and when it was going to air.
What did your friends think of it?
Marc, this one is kinda complex because there was the reaction back then and my then there is my retrospection now.
On the night of the MTV World Premiere, I went to the director’s house to watch it with the crew and a few cast members. I had been looking forward to seeing it. When it came on everyone got silent and stood in front of a big television in the living room. When it was over we yelled and cheered for each other’s hard work. It was like being on a team that won a first place trophy.
My group of friends, maybe 10 or 15, got together at someone’s house and had their own screening. Cell phones at that time were very uncommon, so I had to wait to talk to them until the next day.
While at the house of the director (whom I really didn’t know except from brief interviews and the shoot), someone said I had a phone call. It was bizarre because none of my friends had Jeff’s number; in fact, I don’t even think I had his number. I [got] the phone and it was Stan Lynch (Perry’s drummer) calling from his grandmother’s house in Ohio to ask me for a date. I was so impressed with the fact that he had tracked me down that I said yes. So began our romance.
As I get older, it still comes up all the time. Usually it’s my friends who ask someone in the room “Do you know who she is?” Without fail, they say, “No.” That is quickly followed by, “Well, do you remember the Tom Petty video with Alice in Wonderland?” When they used to play MTV on TVs in bars, it inevitably came on when I was there. Especially in the first five or six years. Whoever I was with either subtly told people it was me or (depending on the alcohol level) start pointing at me and telling people really loudly, “That’s her! Right there! See, it’s her!” I never really cared either way about the notoriety then; it made me feel like people really appreciated my work.
On the other side of that, I couldn’t count how many men, of all ages, would whisper to me, “You know, I’ve always had a fantasy about Alice in Wonderland.” It was a creepy kind of flattery. I didn’t ever figure out what to say to them. None of them ever interested me enough to try that kind of acting.
Nowadays my friends and husband still tell people, “She’s the chick from the Petty video” and if [a] person is at least 35 years old, s/he immediately recognizes me. If anyone in the same room mentions Tom Petty or if the song comes on in a store, I know one of my friends is gonna say something. That’s not to say I don’t get a thrill anymore, I totally do. It never gets old to hear people say, “OMG! That was my favorite video!” Or when people ask if I did the stunt fall, what Tom was like, or “How did they do that?” Yep, still riding that wave!
Tweet about this interview to @tompetty and @benchten!
Part 2.
July 19, 2013
The Girl in the Video: “Take On Me” (1985)
Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video” (including list of interviewees).
The video: “Take On Me” by a-ha.
The girl-now-woman: Bunty Bailey.
How old were you when you appeared in the “Take On Me” video?
20ish.
Where were you living at the time?
London.
What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?
Before that I was a dancer in West End shows in London and in various TV shows, commercials, videos, etc.
How were you cast?
I was in a TV commercial and the costume designer said a director called Steve Barron was looking for a girl to cast in a video with a new band. [MTN: Poignantly, Steve also directed a-ha’s last video, in 2010, and it hearkens back to “Take On Me.”] She asked me if I would like to meet him. I said I would and when I met him he showed me the storyboard and asked me to act out a few things. That was it. I got the job.
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?
At the time I was pleased I got the job but that was it. I had no idea it would be such a huge success or that it would still be popular all these years later.
Where was the video filmed?
In a film studio in Fulham, London.
How long was the shoot?
It was a two-day shoot. But the animation was done in America and took nine months. It was done by Mike Patterson and his wife Candice.
Got milk. And milky white hand.
How did you feel making the video?
I enjoyed it very much.
What was the hardest part of the shoot?
Crying at the end.
How was it to work with the band? What were they like?
The band were all extremely nice. Really lovely to work with.
What did you think of the video?
When I saw it nine months after the shoot after the animation was completed, I thought it was amazing. I thought Steve Barron had been very innovative to have thought of the idea and create such a piece of work.
What did your parents think of it?
They were very impressed and proud.
What did your friends think of it?
They thought it was very good.
Did the video ever affect your dating life in any way (i.e. when you first told boyfriends you were the woman in it)?
No, I don’t think so.
Did you receive fan mail? If so, do you still have any of it?
Yes I did. And I still have the letters in my loft. I did not reply to a lot of it at the time as I didn’t think I deserved it.
Did the video generate any controversy that you know of?
No, I don’t think so.
What were you paid?
I can’t remember.
Did you watch the MTV World Premiere of the video, and if so, where and how did that feel?
No, I don’t think so.
Were you ever recognized in public? How often and when last? Any stories about that?
I was recognized when I was out with Morten. But it was mainly girls wanting to chat to him.
Did you appear in other music videos after that?
Yes, many. Billy Idol’s “To Be a Lover”; Duran Duran’s “The Wild Boys”; [ones by] Status Quo, Cliff Richard, David Cassidy, AC/DC, to name a few.
If you ever met other women who were female leads in a mainstream ‘80s rock video, who?
No.
If you went to college, where and what did you study?
I did not go to university.
What are you doing these days?
I work for a company called Eaton Power Quality. I [am] the executive PA—organize flights, hotels, and travel arrangements for some of the managers [and] other admin duties. It’s a big worldwide company and the job is very varied so I enjoy that each day there are different tasks and the people are great fun to work with.
I read that you are teaching dance as well?
I did teach children street dance for a few years but no longer do that.
Do your colleagues know of your history in music videos? If so, any fun stories about that?
Some of them do. It can be quite funny. For instance, I did an interview on a TV program called The Big Fat Quiz of the ‘80s. When I went into work the next day, they were ribbing me about it, making fun of me in a friendly way. They joke with me is that they want to get me on Celebrity Big Brother or Strictly Come Dancing.
Where do you live?
I live near a town called Windsor in England.
If you are/were married, what was your future husband’s reaction when he learned you were in this video?
I was single when I made the video and met Morton whilst shooting it. We then dated for a couple of years. I am not married and never have been. So I’m still on the market if anyone is interested. Ha ha. (smiley)
Kids?
I have two boys aged 16 and 17 years old.
What do they think of the video?
They are very impressed with it.
Has anyone else ever interviewed about this? If so, who, when, and for what publication?
I have been interviewed for many publications and TV shows.
What did you think when you first heard from me?
I was flattered to be asked to do another interview.
Have you appeared at any fan conventions to sign autographs? If not, would you?
No, I have not and I’m not sure if I would.
Did you stay in touch with the band after the shoot?
Yes, for quite a while.
When was the last time you were in touch with them?
A long time ago.
How do you look back on the experience?
Very fondly and I feel honored that I was part of such an amazing project.
Anything you’d like to add?
Thank you for your interest. I hope this has helped your task and that you have found this useful.
Tweet about this interview to @aha_com, @mortenharket, and @mfuruholmen!
Copy and tweet to help me find more 1980s music video girls:
Next: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Don’t Come Around Here No More” (1985).
The video: “Take On Me” by a-ha.
The girl-now-woman: Bunty Bailey.
How old were you when you appeared in the “Take On Me” video?
20ish.
Where were you living at the time?
London.
What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?
Before that I was a dancer in West End shows in London and in various TV shows, commercials, videos, etc.
How were you cast?
I was in a TV commercial and the costume designer said a director called Steve Barron was looking for a girl to cast in a video with a new band. [MTN: Poignantly, Steve also directed a-ha’s last video, in 2010, and it hearkens back to “Take On Me.”] She asked me if I would like to meet him. I said I would and when I met him he showed me the storyboard and asked me to act out a few things. That was it. I got the job.
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?
At the time I was pleased I got the job but that was it. I had no idea it would be such a huge success or that it would still be popular all these years later.
Where was the video filmed?
In a film studio in Fulham, London.
How long was the shoot?
It was a two-day shoot. But the animation was done in America and took nine months. It was done by Mike Patterson and his wife Candice.
Got milk. And milky white hand.How did you feel making the video?
I enjoyed it very much.
What was the hardest part of the shoot?
Crying at the end.
How was it to work with the band? What were they like?
The band were all extremely nice. Really lovely to work with.
What did you think of the video?
When I saw it nine months after the shoot after the animation was completed, I thought it was amazing. I thought Steve Barron had been very innovative to have thought of the idea and create such a piece of work.
What did your parents think of it?
They were very impressed and proud.
What did your friends think of it?
They thought it was very good.
Did the video ever affect your dating life in any way (i.e. when you first told boyfriends you were the woman in it)?
No, I don’t think so.
Did you receive fan mail? If so, do you still have any of it?
Yes I did. And I still have the letters in my loft. I did not reply to a lot of it at the time as I didn’t think I deserved it.
Did the video generate any controversy that you know of?
No, I don’t think so.
What were you paid?
I can’t remember.
Did you watch the MTV World Premiere of the video, and if so, where and how did that feel?
No, I don’t think so.
Were you ever recognized in public? How often and when last? Any stories about that?
I was recognized when I was out with Morten. But it was mainly girls wanting to chat to him.
Did you appear in other music videos after that?
Yes, many. Billy Idol’s “To Be a Lover”; Duran Duran’s “The Wild Boys”; [ones by] Status Quo, Cliff Richard, David Cassidy, AC/DC, to name a few.
If you ever met other women who were female leads in a mainstream ‘80s rock video, who?
No.
If you went to college, where and what did you study?
I did not go to university.
What are you doing these days?
I work for a company called Eaton Power Quality. I [am] the executive PA—organize flights, hotels, and travel arrangements for some of the managers [and] other admin duties. It’s a big worldwide company and the job is very varied so I enjoy that each day there are different tasks and the people are great fun to work with.
I read that you are teaching dance as well?
I did teach children street dance for a few years but no longer do that.
Do your colleagues know of your history in music videos? If so, any fun stories about that?
Some of them do. It can be quite funny. For instance, I did an interview on a TV program called The Big Fat Quiz of the ‘80s. When I went into work the next day, they were ribbing me about it, making fun of me in a friendly way. They joke with me is that they want to get me on Celebrity Big Brother or Strictly Come Dancing.
Where do you live?
I live near a town called Windsor in England.
If you are/were married, what was your future husband’s reaction when he learned you were in this video?
I was single when I made the video and met Morton whilst shooting it. We then dated for a couple of years. I am not married and never have been. So I’m still on the market if anyone is interested. Ha ha. (smiley)
Kids?
I have two boys aged 16 and 17 years old.
What do they think of the video?
They are very impressed with it.
Has anyone else ever interviewed about this? If so, who, when, and for what publication?
I have been interviewed for many publications and TV shows.
What did you think when you first heard from me?
I was flattered to be asked to do another interview.
Have you appeared at any fan conventions to sign autographs? If not, would you?
No, I have not and I’m not sure if I would.
Did you stay in touch with the band after the shoot?
Yes, for quite a while.
When was the last time you were in touch with them?
A long time ago.
How do you look back on the experience?
Very fondly and I feel honored that I was part of such an amazing project.
Anything you’d like to add?
Thank you for your interest. I hope this has helped your task and that you have found this useful.
Tweet about this interview to @aha_com, @mortenharket, and @mfuruholmen!
Copy and tweet to help me find more 1980s music video girls:
Real research question: if you know the Annie Hubbard who was in 1984 Night Ranger video “Sister Christian,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Real research question: if you know the woman—even just her name—in 1986 Cinderella video “Shake Me,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Real research question: if you know woman—even just her name—in ‘87 Richard Marx video “Should’ve Known Better,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Next: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Don’t Come Around Here No More” (1985).
July 18, 2013
The Girl in the Video: “If This Is It” (1984)
Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video” (including list of interviewees).
The video: “If This Is It” by Huey Lewis and the News.
The girls-now-women: Janet Cross, Sandra Wilder.
Janet
Sandra
Nature is rife with classic battles. Fire vs. water. Lion vs. tiger. Earthquake vs. tornado.
Brunette vs. blond.
This last one plays out to comical (and, at times, convincingly heartfelt) effect in Huey Lewis and the News’s “If This Is It.” The two women playing Huey Lewis’s then-and-future girlfriends:
Janet Cross (brunette)Sandra Wilder (blond)
Sandra may be Wilder, but in terms of the various ways I tracked down the 20+ people for this series, Janet was the wildest. The method I tried in looking for her may become a new paradigm for my research.
How old were you when you appeared in the “If This Is It” video?
Janet: 25.
Sandra: Around 28.
Where were you living at the time?
Janet: Palo Alto, CA.
Sandra: San Francisco, CA—Marina District.
What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?
Janet: No music videos. One [1978 TV movie called Lady of the House], about (California madam/restaurateur/mayor) Sally Stanford, starring Dyan Cannon as Ms. Stanford.
Sandra: “No One Like You” by the Scorpions and a small part at the end of the movie The Woman In Red (1984).
How were you cast in the video?
Janet: Through a San Francisco modeling agency.
Sandra: I believe my agent sent me to the audition, which was held in a motel in Sausalito.
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?
Janet: Glad to have the part.
Sandra: Yes! You [would] go to a lot of auditions and get so few parts.
Where was the video filmed?
Sandra: Santa Cruz, CA. A beach near a boardwalk.
How long was the shoot?
Janet: One day, all day, and part of the evening.
Sandra: Two days max. I know we spent the night in a hotel in Santa Cruz.
How did you feel making the video?
Janet: Great. It was a fun shoot.
Sandra: I’m sure I was nervous and extremely excited to be a part [of it].
What was the hardest part of the shoot?
Janet: Looking angry at Huey Lewis was tough.
Sandra: That I waited for a whole day for my part and they shot it in two or three takes. The sun was going down and they wanted it at that time of day. Unfortunately, the sun was directly in my eyes and I could barely keep my eyes open. You can see it in the video. Always hated that part.
How was it to work with the band?
Janet: Great. They were really nice guys. Very funny and sweet. They had a band camaraderie.
Sandra: They were fun-loving and professional.
Did anything go wrong on the shoot?
Janet: It was boiling hot.
Anything funny happen?
Janet: The whole filming was hilarious, one stunt after another and all the different boyfriends they gave me. When [Huey and I] were pretending to fight it was hard not to laugh.
Did any band members hit on you?
Janet: Not at all, not even one.
Sandra: No.
What did you think of the video?
Janet: I loved it.
Sandra: I loved it, but I was hoping for the bad girl role. They didn’t decide until we arrived, as I remember. Pepper [Janet’s stage name at the time] made a great “bad girl,” though!
Janet, where did the nickname “Pepper” come from?
Janet: When my mother was pregnant with me I kicked a lot, so she nicknamed me “Pepper” [as in] “full of pep.” It was my nickname throughout childhood. I kept it until I went back to finish college. By that time I felt I had outgrown it and wanted to use my real name.
What did your parents think of the video?
Janet: My mom loved it.
Sandra: Coming from a very small town in Georgia, they were proud their girl was on TV.
Janet
What did your friends think of it?
Janet: Very positive.
Sandra: They loved it. I got calls from people I hadn’t heard from in years. And many still remember the video.
Did the video ever affect your dating life in any way (i.e. when you first told boyfriends you were the woman in it)?
Janet: One or two were impressed and maybe a little nervous as I [had played] such a vixen.
Sandra: No, I don’t think so. I don’t think it would have been something I would have brought up.
Did you receive fan mail? If so, do you still have any of it?
Janet: Never. How would they know where to send it—there were no credits?
Sandra: No.
Did the video generate any controversy that you know of?
Janet and Sandra: No.
What were you paid?
Janet: $750 for the day, no overtime.
Sandra: I don’t remember. I’m pretty sure I didn’t get rich off of it, though.
Did you watch the MTV World Premiere of the video, and if so, where and how did that feel?
Janet: Never saw the premiere.
Sandra: No, I did not see it.
Did you have any favorite bands/songs/videos at the time?
Sandra: I think Pablo Cruz was big at the time and my boyfriend and I were friendly with two of the band members.
Were you ever recognized in public? How often and when last? Any stories about that?
Janet: Never.
Sandra: A couple of times. I remember someone asking me for my autograph but I think it was because I was dating a tennis star at the time. I had to laugh about that.
Did you appear in other music videos after that?
Janet: One more Huey Lewis video (“The Power of Love”). My hair was short and it was not a major role.
Sandra: Maybe the Scorpions one came after filming this one.
If you ever met other women who were female leads in a mainstream ‘80s rock video, who?
Janet: A woman named Signy [Coleman who] starred in “Heart and Soul,” [also] by Huey Lewis and the News. We were friends then but we haven’t kept in touch.
Sandra: No.
Janet and Sandra in an Outdoor Life ad shot on Sandra’s boyfriend’s boat; courtesy of Sandra.
Did you go to college? If so, where and what did you study?
Janet: BA Architecture, UC Berkeley 1987; MA Anthropology, Columbia University 2009.
Sandra: No. I did study acting in San Francisco.
What are you doing these days?
Janet: Architecture, exhibition design, and organic farming.
Sandra: I worked as an executive assistant and sales assistant at Goldman Sachs and a startup investment management company for many years. Retired when I married in 1999. Playing lots of golf, traveling, and enjoying life tremendously.
Janet
Sandra
Where do you live?
Janet: Dutchess County, NY, and Manhattan.
Sandra: California.
If you are/were married, what was your future husband’s reaction when he learned you were in this video?
Janet: He [architect Stephen Holl] was nervous but impressed.
Sandra: I was not married [when I shot the video] and did not meet my future husband until 1993; [he] was told by friends of my small parts in this and that and he just loved it. He still does. [Danièle Arnaud said almost the same.]
Kids?
Janet: None.
Sandra: None, but stepchildren in their forties.
Sandra, what do they think of the video?
Sandra: Don’t know.
Sandra, is your husband also an actor or former actor?
Sandra: No, but he did star in a commercial for General Motors that played on the Super Bowl. I looked on YouTube but cannot find his commercial. It was filmed in September 1993 in his junkyard at Schnitzer Steel in Oakland, CA.
What did you think when you first heard from me?
Sandra: Suspicious! “This has to be some kind of scam.” Almost hung up but kept listening because it was unique. Then I realized you were serious.
Has anyone else ever interviewed about this? If so, who, when, and for what publication?
Janet: No other interviews.
Sandra: No.
Have you appeared at any fan conventions to sign autographs?
Janet and Sandra: No.
Would you?
Janet: Maybe.
Sandra: Probably not.
Did you stay in touch with the band after the shoot?
Janet: I had one other shoot [with the band]; after that, no contact. I moved to Los Angeles [from the San Francisco area] when I was 27.
Sandra: No, but that wasn’t my choice!
How do you look back on the experience?
Janet: It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed working with the Director Edd Griles and with the band. Huey was especially down to earth.
Sandra: Super fun and a great memory of a great time in my life.
meeting Janet in New York 5/15/13
Anything you’d like to add?
Janet: It was a long time ago but a good memory and I am happy that YouTube makes it so easy to find vintage videos.
Sandra: No. But thanks for keeping the memories alive. Nothing like the ‘80s!
Tweet about this interview to @Huey_Lewis_News!
Copy and tweet to help me find more 1980s music video girls:
Next: a-ha, “Take On Me” (1985).
The video: “If This Is It” by Huey Lewis and the News.
The girls-now-women: Janet Cross, Sandra Wilder.
Janet
SandraNature is rife with classic battles. Fire vs. water. Lion vs. tiger. Earthquake vs. tornado.
Brunette vs. blond.
This last one plays out to comical (and, at times, convincingly heartfelt) effect in Huey Lewis and the News’s “If This Is It.” The two women playing Huey Lewis’s then-and-future girlfriends:
Janet Cross (brunette)Sandra Wilder (blond)
Sandra may be Wilder, but in terms of the various ways I tracked down the 20+ people for this series, Janet was the wildest. The method I tried in looking for her may become a new paradigm for my research.
How old were you when you appeared in the “If This Is It” video?
Janet: 25.
Sandra: Around 28.
Where were you living at the time?
Janet: Palo Alto, CA.
Sandra: San Francisco, CA—Marina District.
What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?
Janet: No music videos. One [1978 TV movie called Lady of the House], about (California madam/restaurateur/mayor) Sally Stanford, starring Dyan Cannon as Ms. Stanford.
Sandra: “No One Like You” by the Scorpions and a small part at the end of the movie The Woman In Red (1984).
How were you cast in the video?
Janet: Through a San Francisco modeling agency.
Sandra: I believe my agent sent me to the audition, which was held in a motel in Sausalito.
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?
Janet: Glad to have the part.
Sandra: Yes! You [would] go to a lot of auditions and get so few parts.
Where was the video filmed?
Sandra: Santa Cruz, CA. A beach near a boardwalk.
How long was the shoot?
Janet: One day, all day, and part of the evening.
Sandra: Two days max. I know we spent the night in a hotel in Santa Cruz.
How did you feel making the video?
Janet: Great. It was a fun shoot.
Sandra: I’m sure I was nervous and extremely excited to be a part [of it].
What was the hardest part of the shoot?
Janet: Looking angry at Huey Lewis was tough.
Sandra: That I waited for a whole day for my part and they shot it in two or three takes. The sun was going down and they wanted it at that time of day. Unfortunately, the sun was directly in my eyes and I could barely keep my eyes open. You can see it in the video. Always hated that part.
How was it to work with the band?
Janet: Great. They were really nice guys. Very funny and sweet. They had a band camaraderie.
Sandra: They were fun-loving and professional.
Did anything go wrong on the shoot?
Janet: It was boiling hot.
Anything funny happen?
Janet: The whole filming was hilarious, one stunt after another and all the different boyfriends they gave me. When [Huey and I] were pretending to fight it was hard not to laugh.
Did any band members hit on you?
Janet: Not at all, not even one.
Sandra: No.
What did you think of the video?
Janet: I loved it.
Sandra: I loved it, but I was hoping for the bad girl role. They didn’t decide until we arrived, as I remember. Pepper [Janet’s stage name at the time] made a great “bad girl,” though!
Janet, where did the nickname “Pepper” come from?
Janet: When my mother was pregnant with me I kicked a lot, so she nicknamed me “Pepper” [as in] “full of pep.” It was my nickname throughout childhood. I kept it until I went back to finish college. By that time I felt I had outgrown it and wanted to use my real name.
What did your parents think of the video?
Janet: My mom loved it.
Sandra: Coming from a very small town in Georgia, they were proud their girl was on TV.
JanetWhat did your friends think of it?
Janet: Very positive.
Sandra: They loved it. I got calls from people I hadn’t heard from in years. And many still remember the video.
Did the video ever affect your dating life in any way (i.e. when you first told boyfriends you were the woman in it)?
Janet: One or two were impressed and maybe a little nervous as I [had played] such a vixen.
Sandra: No, I don’t think so. I don’t think it would have been something I would have brought up.
Did you receive fan mail? If so, do you still have any of it?
Janet: Never. How would they know where to send it—there were no credits?
Sandra: No.
Did the video generate any controversy that you know of?
Janet and Sandra: No.
What were you paid?
Janet: $750 for the day, no overtime.
Sandra: I don’t remember. I’m pretty sure I didn’t get rich off of it, though.
Did you watch the MTV World Premiere of the video, and if so, where and how did that feel?
Janet: Never saw the premiere.
Sandra: No, I did not see it.
Did you have any favorite bands/songs/videos at the time?
Sandra: I think Pablo Cruz was big at the time and my boyfriend and I were friendly with two of the band members.
Were you ever recognized in public? How often and when last? Any stories about that?
Janet: Never.
Sandra: A couple of times. I remember someone asking me for my autograph but I think it was because I was dating a tennis star at the time. I had to laugh about that.
Did you appear in other music videos after that?
Janet: One more Huey Lewis video (“The Power of Love”). My hair was short and it was not a major role.
Sandra: Maybe the Scorpions one came after filming this one.
If you ever met other women who were female leads in a mainstream ‘80s rock video, who?
Janet: A woman named Signy [Coleman who] starred in “Heart and Soul,” [also] by Huey Lewis and the News. We were friends then but we haven’t kept in touch.
Sandra: No.
Janet and Sandra in an Outdoor Life ad shot on Sandra’s boyfriend’s boat; courtesy of Sandra. Did you go to college? If so, where and what did you study?
Janet: BA Architecture, UC Berkeley 1987; MA Anthropology, Columbia University 2009.
Sandra: No. I did study acting in San Francisco.
What are you doing these days?
Janet: Architecture, exhibition design, and organic farming.
Sandra: I worked as an executive assistant and sales assistant at Goldman Sachs and a startup investment management company for many years. Retired when I married in 1999. Playing lots of golf, traveling, and enjoying life tremendously.
Janet
SandraWhere do you live?
Janet: Dutchess County, NY, and Manhattan.
Sandra: California.
If you are/were married, what was your future husband’s reaction when he learned you were in this video?
Janet: He [architect Stephen Holl] was nervous but impressed.
Sandra: I was not married [when I shot the video] and did not meet my future husband until 1993; [he] was told by friends of my small parts in this and that and he just loved it. He still does. [Danièle Arnaud said almost the same.]
Kids?
Janet: None.
Sandra: None, but stepchildren in their forties.
Sandra, what do they think of the video?
Sandra: Don’t know.
Sandra, is your husband also an actor or former actor?
Sandra: No, but he did star in a commercial for General Motors that played on the Super Bowl. I looked on YouTube but cannot find his commercial. It was filmed in September 1993 in his junkyard at Schnitzer Steel in Oakland, CA.
What did you think when you first heard from me?
Sandra: Suspicious! “This has to be some kind of scam.” Almost hung up but kept listening because it was unique. Then I realized you were serious.
Has anyone else ever interviewed about this? If so, who, when, and for what publication?
Janet: No other interviews.
Sandra: No.
Have you appeared at any fan conventions to sign autographs?
Janet and Sandra: No.
Would you?
Janet: Maybe.
Sandra: Probably not.
Did you stay in touch with the band after the shoot?
Janet: I had one other shoot [with the band]; after that, no contact. I moved to Los Angeles [from the San Francisco area] when I was 27.
Sandra: No, but that wasn’t my choice!
How do you look back on the experience?
Janet: It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed working with the Director Edd Griles and with the band. Huey was especially down to earth.
Sandra: Super fun and a great memory of a great time in my life.
meeting Janet in New York 5/15/13 Anything you’d like to add?
Janet: It was a long time ago but a good memory and I am happy that YouTube makes it so easy to find vintage videos.
Sandra: No. But thanks for keeping the memories alive. Nothing like the ‘80s!
Tweet about this interview to @Huey_Lewis_News!
Copy and tweet to help me find more 1980s music video girls:
Real research question: if you know the Annie Hubbard who was in 1984 Night Ranger video “Sister Christian,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Real research question: if you know the woman—even just her name—in 1986 Cinderella video “Shake Me,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Real research question: if you know woman—even just her name—in ‘87 Richard Marx video “Should’ve Known Better,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Next: a-ha, “Take On Me” (1985).
July 17, 2013
The Girl in the Video: “The Boys of Summer” (1984)
Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video” (including list of interviewees).
The video: “The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley.
The girl-now-woman: Audie Lenkov (Audie England).
How old were you when you appeared in the “Boys of Summer” video?
16.
Where were you living at the time?
I was living with my parents in Lakewood, CA.
“In the seventies everyone was dropping the ‘e’ on their name. ‘Debbie’ became ‘Debbi’—with a heart above the ‘i’—as well as Julie, and so on… I dropped the ‘e’ from probably 7th grade to 20 years old. I put it back because I got tired of being called ‘Audi’ like the car and likened to it.”
What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?
“Boys of Summer” was my first music video. In fact, it was the first acting/modeling job I ever got…and also the first audition I ever went on.
How were you cast?
I auditioned along with at least a hundred or so other models. When I arrived at the casting location the line was so long, I decided to leave…then returned hours later when the wait was much shorter. But it also meant I was one of the last girls seen that day…and at a time when the director and casting associates were most likely exhausted from spending the entire day looking at models. Not the ideal scenario for someone looking to book her first gig.
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?
Total surprise. You have to remember…this was my first audition. I was so new to the business. So naïve. When the casting director asked me to slate my name (say my name on camera), I didn’t know what that meant. Strike one.
Where was the video filmed?
My scenes were shot at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.
How long was the shoot?
I’m not sure how long it took to shoot the entire video, but my portion was one very full day.
How did you feel making the video?
I was a huge Eagles fan, so working on a Don Henley video was a real treat. I was also being paid as a model for the very first time which to me was a huge accomplishment.
What was the hardest part of the shoot?
The hours. My call time was very early and I spent most of the day waiting for the director to shoot my scenes, which turned out to be the last filmed.
How was it to work with Don Henley? You don’t appear in scenes with him; did you meet him?
I unfortunately did not get to work with Mr. Henley…or ever meet him. My scenes were pretty modular and didn’t require him to be on set.
The video seems to be about three stages of a man’s life—a boy drumming, a young man on the beach with a girlfriend (not you), and a man in an office. How did you fit in?
That’s a very interesting question. One I have never been asked before. Sure, I’ve thought about my role, but never really came to any finite conclusion on who I was meant to be. The director never went into that kind of depth, only gave me action cues and never any real backstory or motivation.
Did you meet any of the other performers? Do you know whatever happened to any of them?
Not on the day, but funny enough a short time after that experience I was set up on a blind date with Charlie, the guy who was running along the beach.
How did you two realize you were both in the video? Did you recognize him or vice versa, or did you know before the date? Was there a second date?
When I was set up with Charlie, I was told that he was also in the video. It wasn’t a true blind date. He had tickets to Cirque du Soleil and his date had to back out, so Charlie called the head booking agent, Capucine, at Elite Models (we were both signed to Elite) and asked if she could find someone available and willing to go with him. I was Capucine’s roommate at the time, so I think I was her first call. Charlie and I never became romantically involved but we were good friends for years after and we would occasionally go to a show or grab a bite to eat together.
What did you think of the video?
Don Henley. Great fashion. Black and white. Shot by Jean-Bapiste Mondino. What’s not to love? Seriously, I was very impressed and very proud to be a part of it.
What did your parents think of it?
My father’s pretty conservative, so seeing me in a music video in a negligee was not a topic of conversation at the dinner table. It was only years later that I discovered he had kept a scrapbook of all my work and photos from the Don Henley video were in there…so I imagine he was proud, albeit not very vocal about it.
photo credit: Steve Bigler
What did your friends think of it?
My friends were proud, although we never really discussed it. I was a high school student and I didn’t want to be different. I just wanted to fit in. My physics teacher on the other hand thought it was extremely cool. So much so, he occasionally allowed me to cut classes to audition for roles.
Did the video ever affect your dating life in any way (i.e. when you first told boyfriends you were in it)?
Absolutely not.
Did you receive fan mail? If so, do you still have any of it?
Nope. Not one letter.
Did the video generate any controversy that you know of?
Not that I know of.
What were you paid?
Union scale. Approximately $300.
Did you watch the MTV World Premiere of the video, and if so, where and how did that feel?
I don’t remember.
Were you at the MTV Video Awards when the video won a handful?
No.
Were you ever recognized in public? How often and when last? Any stories about that?
Never.
Did you appear in other music videos after that?
Yes, about a couple dozen, although “Boys of Summer” will always hold a special place in my heart.
What are some of the other videos you appeared in?
I can’t remember many of the artists names and definitely not the song titles. A few [artists] that I can remember are Eddie Money, Peter Cetera, The Blasters, Prince (but I think I may have been cut out of it. A lot of girls. I never saw it). There was also an Adam Ant and Stewart Copeland video. Colin James’s “Why’d You Lie” [1989] is the only song title I remember.
If you ever met other women who were female leads in a mainstream ‘80s rock video, who?
A few. Dana Patrick from the Meat Loaf video “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” became a good friend.
When and how did you meet Dana Patrick?
I met Dana Patrick at a beach party probably in 1999. She was just getting into photography and I had a studio that I was looking to share. We ended up becoming fast friends and studio partners.
If you went to college, where and what did you study?
After high school, I traveled and spent years modeling and ultimately came back to Los Angeles where I took extension courses at UCLA and Art Center.
What are you doing these days?
My days are filled with being a wife and mom.
Where do you live?
Southern California.
What was your future husband’s reaction when he learned you were in this video?
He was a fan of the video so it made it easy to guarantee a second date. [MTN: Her husband is Peter Lenkov, a TV producer (Hawaii Five-O) and writer of both TV and comic books, which obviously resonates with me.]
Kids?
I have two boys, ages 4 and 7, and twin stepdaughters, 17.
What do your kids think of the video?
They’ve never seen it.
Why?
I’ve never thought to show them. It just seems like another time, a person other than me now (mom). Spongebob is much more interesting to watch.
What did you think when you first heard from me?
It just reminded me how old I was.
On Wikipedia, it gives your birth year as 1972, but then also says you were born in 1967?
Yes, I wish it were 1972…but it is 1967.
It also says you were one of People Magazine’s “Most Beautiful Stars” in 1998. I looked but don’t think it was in 1998?
I also heard that I was featured in that issue, but at the time I was out of town. I never saw a copy. I can’t say for certain that I was in it. I was always bad about collecting articles and magazines that I was featured in.
Has anyone else ever interviewed about this? If so, who, when, and for what publication?
No.
Have you appeared at any fan conventions to sign autographs? If not, would you?
No.
Did you stay in touch with Don Henley or anyone else from the shoot?
No.
How do you look back on the experience?
With fond memories. It was the springboard for a short but very fulfilling career.
Tweet about this interview to @TheEaglesBand and @PLenkov!
Copy and tweet to help me find more 1980s music video girls:
Next: Huey Lewis and the News, “If This Is It” (1984).
The video: “The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley.
The girl-now-woman: Audie Lenkov (Audie England).
How old were you when you appeared in the “Boys of Summer” video?
16.
Where were you living at the time?
I was living with my parents in Lakewood, CA.
“In the seventies everyone was dropping the ‘e’ on their name. ‘Debbie’ became ‘Debbi’—with a heart above the ‘i’—as well as Julie, and so on… I dropped the ‘e’ from probably 7th grade to 20 years old. I put it back because I got tired of being called ‘Audi’ like the car and likened to it.”What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?
“Boys of Summer” was my first music video. In fact, it was the first acting/modeling job I ever got…and also the first audition I ever went on.
How were you cast?
I auditioned along with at least a hundred or so other models. When I arrived at the casting location the line was so long, I decided to leave…then returned hours later when the wait was much shorter. But it also meant I was one of the last girls seen that day…and at a time when the director and casting associates were most likely exhausted from spending the entire day looking at models. Not the ideal scenario for someone looking to book her first gig.
.jpg)
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?
Total surprise. You have to remember…this was my first audition. I was so new to the business. So naïve. When the casting director asked me to slate my name (say my name on camera), I didn’t know what that meant. Strike one.
Where was the video filmed?
My scenes were shot at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.
How long was the shoot?
I’m not sure how long it took to shoot the entire video, but my portion was one very full day.
How did you feel making the video?
I was a huge Eagles fan, so working on a Don Henley video was a real treat. I was also being paid as a model for the very first time which to me was a huge accomplishment.
What was the hardest part of the shoot?
The hours. My call time was very early and I spent most of the day waiting for the director to shoot my scenes, which turned out to be the last filmed.
How was it to work with Don Henley? You don’t appear in scenes with him; did you meet him?
I unfortunately did not get to work with Mr. Henley…or ever meet him. My scenes were pretty modular and didn’t require him to be on set.
The video seems to be about three stages of a man’s life—a boy drumming, a young man on the beach with a girlfriend (not you), and a man in an office. How did you fit in?
That’s a very interesting question. One I have never been asked before. Sure, I’ve thought about my role, but never really came to any finite conclusion on who I was meant to be. The director never went into that kind of depth, only gave me action cues and never any real backstory or motivation.
Did you meet any of the other performers? Do you know whatever happened to any of them?
Not on the day, but funny enough a short time after that experience I was set up on a blind date with Charlie, the guy who was running along the beach.
How did you two realize you were both in the video? Did you recognize him or vice versa, or did you know before the date? Was there a second date?
When I was set up with Charlie, I was told that he was also in the video. It wasn’t a true blind date. He had tickets to Cirque du Soleil and his date had to back out, so Charlie called the head booking agent, Capucine, at Elite Models (we were both signed to Elite) and asked if she could find someone available and willing to go with him. I was Capucine’s roommate at the time, so I think I was her first call. Charlie and I never became romantically involved but we were good friends for years after and we would occasionally go to a show or grab a bite to eat together.
What did you think of the video?
Don Henley. Great fashion. Black and white. Shot by Jean-Bapiste Mondino. What’s not to love? Seriously, I was very impressed and very proud to be a part of it.
What did your parents think of it?
My father’s pretty conservative, so seeing me in a music video in a negligee was not a topic of conversation at the dinner table. It was only years later that I discovered he had kept a scrapbook of all my work and photos from the Don Henley video were in there…so I imagine he was proud, albeit not very vocal about it.
photo credit: Steve BiglerWhat did your friends think of it?
My friends were proud, although we never really discussed it. I was a high school student and I didn’t want to be different. I just wanted to fit in. My physics teacher on the other hand thought it was extremely cool. So much so, he occasionally allowed me to cut classes to audition for roles.
Did the video ever affect your dating life in any way (i.e. when you first told boyfriends you were in it)?
Absolutely not.
Did you receive fan mail? If so, do you still have any of it?
Nope. Not one letter.
Did the video generate any controversy that you know of?
Not that I know of.
What were you paid?
Union scale. Approximately $300.
Did you watch the MTV World Premiere of the video, and if so, where and how did that feel?
I don’t remember.
Were you at the MTV Video Awards when the video won a handful?
No.
Were you ever recognized in public? How often and when last? Any stories about that?
Never.
Did you appear in other music videos after that?
Yes, about a couple dozen, although “Boys of Summer” will always hold a special place in my heart.
What are some of the other videos you appeared in?
I can’t remember many of the artists names and definitely not the song titles. A few [artists] that I can remember are Eddie Money, Peter Cetera, The Blasters, Prince (but I think I may have been cut out of it. A lot of girls. I never saw it). There was also an Adam Ant and Stewart Copeland video. Colin James’s “Why’d You Lie” [1989] is the only song title I remember.
If you ever met other women who were female leads in a mainstream ‘80s rock video, who?
A few. Dana Patrick from the Meat Loaf video “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” became a good friend.
When and how did you meet Dana Patrick?
I met Dana Patrick at a beach party probably in 1999. She was just getting into photography and I had a studio that I was looking to share. We ended up becoming fast friends and studio partners.
If you went to college, where and what did you study?
After high school, I traveled and spent years modeling and ultimately came back to Los Angeles where I took extension courses at UCLA and Art Center.
What are you doing these days?
My days are filled with being a wife and mom.
Where do you live?
Southern California.
What was your future husband’s reaction when he learned you were in this video?
He was a fan of the video so it made it easy to guarantee a second date. [MTN: Her husband is Peter Lenkov, a TV producer (Hawaii Five-O) and writer of both TV and comic books, which obviously resonates with me.]
Kids?
I have two boys, ages 4 and 7, and twin stepdaughters, 17.
What do your kids think of the video?
They’ve never seen it.
Why?
I’ve never thought to show them. It just seems like another time, a person other than me now (mom). Spongebob is much more interesting to watch.
What did you think when you first heard from me?
It just reminded me how old I was.
On Wikipedia, it gives your birth year as 1972, but then also says you were born in 1967?
Yes, I wish it were 1972…but it is 1967.
It also says you were one of People Magazine’s “Most Beautiful Stars” in 1998. I looked but don’t think it was in 1998?
I also heard that I was featured in that issue, but at the time I was out of town. I never saw a copy. I can’t say for certain that I was in it. I was always bad about collecting articles and magazines that I was featured in.
Has anyone else ever interviewed about this? If so, who, when, and for what publication?
No.
Have you appeared at any fan conventions to sign autographs? If not, would you?
No.
Did you stay in touch with Don Henley or anyone else from the shoot?
No.
How do you look back on the experience?
With fond memories. It was the springboard for a short but very fulfilling career.
Tweet about this interview to @TheEaglesBand and @PLenkov!
Copy and tweet to help me find more 1980s music video girls:
Real research question: if you know the Annie Hubbard who was in 1984 Night Ranger video “Sister Christian,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Real research question: if you know the woman—even just her name—in 1986 Cinderella video “Shake Me,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Real research question: if you know woman—even just her name—in ‘87 Richard Marx video “Should’ve Known Better,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Next: Huey Lewis and the News, “If This Is It” (1984).
July 16, 2013
The Girl in the Video: “Legs” (1984), part 3 of 3
Part 1.
Part 2.
Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video” (including list of interviewees).
The video: “Legs” by ZZ Top.
The girl-now-woman: Danièle Arnaud. [MTN: Wendy Frazier and Kymberly Herrin are in separate posts.]
Unlike Wendy and Kymberly, Danièle was in the first two ZZ Top videos in the Eliminator girls trilogy (“Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Sharp Dressed Man”).
How old were you when you appeared in the “Legs” video?
26 or 27.
Where were you living at the time?
Studio City, CA.
What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?
Manhattan Transfer and other ZZ Top videos, MTV dance videos, School Spirit (film), Down Under (film).
How were you cast?
Talent agency.
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?
Happy! I was already doing pretty well with modeling assignments; this was not the first time I was selected to work in Hollywood and elsewhere.
Where was the video filmed?
The name of the town is escaping me right now but in Los Angeles Valley, outside Los Angeles and downtown Los Angeles and Big Bear.
How long was the shoot?
Two or three days.
How did you feel making the video?
Happy, of course.
What was the hardest part of the shoot?
The wait between scenes and night [shooting].
How was it to work with the band? What were they like?
Very friendly and cooperative. Very nice people.
Do you have any anecdotes about filming?
Some sort of competition [among] the ZZ Top girls to get more exposure by pushing [each other] a bit [to] the side while filming!
Do you remember anything specific anyone said or did?
“Always nice to have you here, Danièle!”
Did anything go wrong?
No.
Anything funny happen?
Not really.
Did any band members hit on you?
Of course, not! They knew where to stand. Very respectful and also I was married, if this makes the difference.
Did you have any favorite bands/songs/videos at the time?
No.
What did you think of the video?
Every video was a good experience for me so one or the other did not make a difference to me.
What did your parents think of it?
My father was already deceased and my mother in France did not know about it.
What did your friends think of it?
Proud to know a “star,” ah, ah!
Did the video ever affect your dating life in any way (i.e. when you first told boyfriends you were a woman in it)?
On the contrary! I was married so it made no difference to me to do the video.
Did you receive fan mail? If so, do you still have any of it?
I keep everything. [but has none from the 1980s]
Did the video generate any controversy that you know of?
Not at all.
What were you paid?
Fair amount.
Did you watch the MTV World Premiere of the video? If so, where and how did that feel?
Yes, MTV Awards ceremony, New York. The very best! [I was asking about the premiere on TV; she is referring to the video music awards]
Were you ever recognized in public?
Yes, but from people who already knew about me by looking up my name on the Internet.
How often?
I [wasn’t counting].
When last?
A year and a half ago.
Any stories about that?
They can’t believe they know a ZZ Top girl.
If you ever met other women who were female leads in a mainstream ‘80s rock video, who?
No.
If you went to college, where and what did you study?
IUT, Toulon, France; CU, Boulder, CO; UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.
What are you doing these days?
Selling art, working on museum projects, teaching languages in college and for private clients.
Where do you live?
Oceanside, CA.
If you are/were married, what was your future husband’s reaction when he learned you were in this video?
He was thrilled and told everyone he knew. He still is...
Kids?
Chloé, 14 years old.
What does she think of the video?
She was proud of me but that was several years ago!
What did you think when you first heard from me?
I believed you! I still have fans asking me for pictures and staying in touch with me over all those years.
Has anyone else ever interviewed about this?
About two years ago, I was approached by a reporter from New York [for a] book about the MTV years. The interview was a conference call from New York.
Have you appeared at any fan conventions to sign autographs?
Yes!
Did you stay in touch with the band after the shoot?
Yes, of course. They called me at home. I was invited on tours for signing posters in different parts of the States.
When was the last time you were in touch with them?
Several years ago—receiving and sending them New Year’s cards and I saw them in concert in San Diego.
How do you look back on the experience?
Some of the best years of my life!
Danièle in France, July 2013
Tweet about this interview to @ZZTop, @BillyFGibbons, @missfreyja, and @jeanakeough!
Copy and tweet to help me find more 1980s music video girls:
Next: Don Henley, “The Boys of Summer” (1984).
Part 2.
Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video” (including list of interviewees).
The video: “Legs” by ZZ Top.
The girl-now-woman: Danièle Arnaud. [MTN: Wendy Frazier and Kymberly Herrin are in separate posts.]
Unlike Wendy and Kymberly, Danièle was in the first two ZZ Top videos in the Eliminator girls trilogy (“Gimme All Your Lovin’,” “Sharp Dressed Man”).
How old were you when you appeared in the “Legs” video?
26 or 27.
Where were you living at the time?
Studio City, CA.
What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?
Manhattan Transfer and other ZZ Top videos, MTV dance videos, School Spirit (film), Down Under (film).
How were you cast?
Talent agency.
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?
Happy! I was already doing pretty well with modeling assignments; this was not the first time I was selected to work in Hollywood and elsewhere.
Where was the video filmed?
The name of the town is escaping me right now but in Los Angeles Valley, outside Los Angeles and downtown Los Angeles and Big Bear.
How long was the shoot?
Two or three days.
How did you feel making the video?
Happy, of course.
What was the hardest part of the shoot?
The wait between scenes and night [shooting].
How was it to work with the band? What were they like?
Very friendly and cooperative. Very nice people.
Do you have any anecdotes about filming?
Some sort of competition [among] the ZZ Top girls to get more exposure by pushing [each other] a bit [to] the side while filming!
Do you remember anything specific anyone said or did?
“Always nice to have you here, Danièle!”
Did anything go wrong?
No.
Anything funny happen?
Not really.
Did any band members hit on you?
Of course, not! They knew where to stand. Very respectful and also I was married, if this makes the difference.
Did you have any favorite bands/songs/videos at the time?
No.
What did you think of the video?
Every video was a good experience for me so one or the other did not make a difference to me.
What did your parents think of it?
My father was already deceased and my mother in France did not know about it.
What did your friends think of it?
Proud to know a “star,” ah, ah!
Did the video ever affect your dating life in any way (i.e. when you first told boyfriends you were a woman in it)?
On the contrary! I was married so it made no difference to me to do the video.
Did you receive fan mail? If so, do you still have any of it?
I keep everything. [but has none from the 1980s]
Did the video generate any controversy that you know of?
Not at all.
What were you paid?
Fair amount.
Did you watch the MTV World Premiere of the video? If so, where and how did that feel?
Yes, MTV Awards ceremony, New York. The very best! [I was asking about the premiere on TV; she is referring to the video music awards]
Were you ever recognized in public?
Yes, but from people who already knew about me by looking up my name on the Internet.
How often?
I [wasn’t counting].
When last?
A year and a half ago.
Any stories about that?
They can’t believe they know a ZZ Top girl.
If you ever met other women who were female leads in a mainstream ‘80s rock video, who?
No.
If you went to college, where and what did you study?
IUT, Toulon, France; CU, Boulder, CO; UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.
What are you doing these days?
Selling art, working on museum projects, teaching languages in college and for private clients.
Where do you live?
Oceanside, CA.
If you are/were married, what was your future husband’s reaction when he learned you were in this video?
He was thrilled and told everyone he knew. He still is...
Kids?
Chloé, 14 years old.
What does she think of the video?
She was proud of me but that was several years ago!
What did you think when you first heard from me?
I believed you! I still have fans asking me for pictures and staying in touch with me over all those years.
Has anyone else ever interviewed about this?
About two years ago, I was approached by a reporter from New York [for a] book about the MTV years. The interview was a conference call from New York.
Have you appeared at any fan conventions to sign autographs?
Yes!
Did you stay in touch with the band after the shoot?
Yes, of course. They called me at home. I was invited on tours for signing posters in different parts of the States.
When was the last time you were in touch with them?
Several years ago—receiving and sending them New Year’s cards and I saw them in concert in San Diego.
How do you look back on the experience?
Some of the best years of my life!
Danièle in France, July 2013 Tweet about this interview to @ZZTop, @BillyFGibbons, @missfreyja, and @jeanakeough!
Copy and tweet to help me find more 1980s music video girls:
Real research question: if you know the Annie Hubbard who was in 1984 Night Ranger video “Sister Christian,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Real research question: if you know the woman—even just her name—in 1986 Cinderella video “Shake Me,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Real research question: if you know woman—even just her name—in ‘87 Richard Marx video “Should’ve Known Better,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Next: Don Henley, “The Boys of Summer” (1984).
July 15, 2013
The Girl in the Video: “Legs” (1984), part 2 of 3
Part 1.
Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video” (including list of interviewees).
The video: “Legs” by ZZ Top.
The girl-now-woman: Kymberly Herrin. [MTN: Wendy Frazier and Danièle Arnaud are in separate posts.]
Kym was the second ZZ Top girl to opt for an essay rather than a Q&A-format answer.
John Belushi died in March 1982, meaning this photo was taken
at least a year before “Legs” and two years before Ghostbusters.
I would’ve thought Kym would’ve met Dan Aykroyd on set.
I also met, but did not exactly party with, Dan Aykroyd. Blame it on my hair and blame my hair on 1994...and a $5 college haircut.
Weren’t expecting that, were you?
Want an autograph from Kym? Contact johnb@pin-ups.com.
Tweet about this interview to @ZZTop, @BillyFGibbons, @missfreyja, and @jeanakeough!
Copy and tweet to help me find more 1980s music video girls:
Next: ZZ Top, even more “Legs” (1984).
Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video” (including list of interviewees).
The video: “Legs” by ZZ Top.
The girl-now-woman: Kymberly Herrin. [MTN: Wendy Frazier and Danièle Arnaud are in separate posts.]
Kym was the second ZZ Top girl to opt for an essay rather than a Q&A-format answer.
The first time I saw a ZZ Top video, I was in a club and “Sharp Dressed Man” came on. I recognized one of the models, a centerfold friend of mine, Jeana Tomasino. She was one of the three hot ZZ Top girls. I remember thinking, “Wow, I would love to do one of these MTV videos. This band is so good. The girls are super hot.” The director [Tim Newman] was the first to use three girls in videos. Everyone started using three girls after (“Addicted to Love”). [MTN: Actually five girls!]
I was in L.A. partying with some friends. I was up late. I had a cold. I checked my [answering] machine in Santa Barbara and there was the casting call. Be there today and I had one hour. I flipped out. I found the building. I was wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. I had nothing [else] in my car to wear, and my friends were on their way to work, so I had nothing in the way of cool clothing to wear within 30 minutes. My voice, from the cold, made me sound like Kim Carnes. Deep and masculine, but good.
I looked in the window into the waiting room and there must have been somewhere around 15-20 beautiful girls. Miniskirts, high heels, perfect hair, nails, and makeup. I came so close to leaving, getting on the 101 freeway, and hightailing it home. I walked into the room and the girls [looked] me up and down, [as if] thinking, “Oh, she’s no competition.”
They called my name and I met the boys in the band. I apologized for my appearance. Then I asked if anyone had mineral water—or better, a beer. They must have been thirsty, also. Out came the beer and we started talking about everything—motorcycles, chili cook-offs, Santa Barbara…and we had mutual friends in S.B. They were super nice guys. We hit it off.
I went home and told my friends there was no way I was going to get the job. I looked like crap; I [hadn’t even used] a hairbrush. Next day a call came from my agent: I got a callback. I couldn’t believe it. This time I was dressed to kill, the works…
They had me dance with their choreographer. I had to have attitude in my dance style and be able to follow and learn new dance moves quickly. The next day I got the call. Yahoo, I got it!
We had a blast shooting the video. Apparently something happened [with] the blond girl on the set of “Sharp Dressed Man” [the second in the video trilogy that began with “Gimme All Your Lovin’” and ended with “Legs”]. Danièle and Jeana didn’t like her. She was pushed out. Danièle and Jeana didn’t get along [either]. I was the third girl and I was new so I didn’t think I would even be seen in the video. They were always pushing me to the back. They said my red top stood out on screen.
We were paid really well. We all got over $2,000 for the shoot, which is so much for a video dancer. Most people won’t believe it. I would have done it for free!
At the shoot everything went fine, I thought. I was sad [when] it was over because everyone was so nice. I believe it was one or two days later [when] I got a call from the casting agent. Something had gone wrong in the lab [when] developing the film. I’m not positive exactly what it was, but I heard the film came out black. We had to reshoot a major portion of the video. Good for me. [More] money and more fun.
My father [had] passed away [before the video]. My stepfather is a retired judge. Everyone [in my family] was very supportive. I never did anything that embarrassed them. They thought the video was great.
My friends saw the video before I did. They told me [my] red top popped on the screen and the garter belt with the fishnet stockings looked great. I was on the coral coast of East Africa, near Madagascar, and a guy asked me if I was the girl in the “Legs” video. Once in Australia, a young boy, knowing I was an American model, flipped when he recognized me. He said that ZZ Top just won MTV’s Best Group Video [1984]. The Aussies treated me like an American movie star. I was blown away.
Billy Gibbons was my favorite [member of ZZ Top]. We became good friends later. He gave me the video on tape. We went out a few times (just as good friends). The night he was on Johnny Carson, he sent a limo from L.A. to pick me up in S.B. That night he spent the night our ranch in Carpinteria (10 minutes from S.B.). My boyfriend [at the time] told Billy and me to go out. I was wearing tiny shorts and was going to change and Billy said, “No, wear those.” But Billy was a super gentleman. My boyfriend was surprised at what a gentlemen he was. Still is.
Whenever ZZ Top [came] to S. B., Billy always [left] me a couple front area and backstage passes. He introduced me to his friends backstage, invited me and my sister Debbie to dinner or any get-together after the concerts.
I partied with Danny Aykroyd and John Belushi, just us three. [At the time] Blues Brothers videos [were] running on MTV.
John Belushi died in March 1982, meaning this photo was taken at least a year before “Legs” and two years before Ghostbusters.
I would’ve thought Kym would’ve met Dan Aykroyd on set.
They were super fun and nice. The first night they took me to Madison Square Garden—Grateful Dead, backstage. Jerry Garcia was a good friend of theirs. He followed us to the “Blues Brothers club.” [It was small and] I think it was a personal bar with instruments and a great old jukebox, [a place where] they could bring their friends and not be surrounded by fans. We danced, everyone jammed a little.
Danny showed me the town in New York for a couple days. Great memories.
I also met, but did not exactly party with, Dan Aykroyd. Blame it on my hair and blame my hair on 1994...and a $5 college haircut.I don’t mean to compare people, but I must say Billy Gibbons possesses a certain sweet, rare charm. I know all his friends know what I’m talking about. He’s definitely one of a kind. I’m sure his brother Dusty is really cool. I just didn’t get to know him as well. I’ve never seen anyone print up special pads with [their own band] logo and sign them and take pictures with patience. He really loves his fans.
I got three [big] jobs within a two-day period—the ZZ Top video, Romancing the Stone (Angelina, the heroine whom Kathleen Turner is writing about at the beginning), and Ghostbusters.
For Ghostbusters, I walked in and they told me to unwrap my hair and shake it. They told me that day that I got the part of the dream ghost. They did a cast of my body while I was wearing a leotard. Neck to knees. The make a mold in which I would be comfortable when they hung me up. They shot me through six to ten plates so it comes out ghostly. Fans were blowing my hair.
Danny didn’t know [in advance that] I was going to be in that scene, but we had already partied in Santa Barbara and New York. I did not date anyone from Ghostbusters. Danny tried late one night, but I said we were just friends.
I can’t believe how much work I got from being in the “Legs” video. It made me famous. I became [a] ZZ Top girl instead of “Miss March.” That was fine with me. People recognized me more from “Legs” because [my scene in] Ghostbusters was so fast. I also got recognized from Playboy. I made Playmate of the Year. I liked it when I would meet somebody and he wouldn’t know anything of what I’d done before, especially the Playboy centerfold.
I did two ZZ Top videos. I never saw the second one—“Sleeping Bag.”
I was in the Kiss [long form] video Exposed [1987]—about twelve videos. Paul Stanley became a friend and came up to Santa Barbara with some friends. We went out to dinner and came back to my place above the city and got in the Jacuzzi.
I was also one of the girls in the “California Girls” video—the Van Halen guy with the long blond hair. [MTN: We think it may actually be a different David Lee Roth video.] No comment on that shoot.
David Lee Roth… This guy lined us up wearing the smallest bathing suits we had and high heels on the top of a high-rise building in L.A. I decided to [go with] the Sheena/Tarzan look. I was very tan at the time and my girlfriend made me a chamois swimsuit and I wore African accessories. [Roth] made us all step forward, one at a time; he eyed us up and down and said “no,” “no way,” “uh-uh,” “back up,” “you can go,” or “yes, step over there.” He was just sooooo rude in his way of casting. The way he [made] the choices made us feel cheap. We all had been on many casting calls, so we knew a jerk when we met [one]. One girl was in tears when she left. A lot of the girls talked about this after the shoot. It’s not as easy as you may think.
They wanted a dozen girls out of the 40-50 who showed. I got picked. We worked all day. It was cold and windy and the pay wasn’t much. Couldn’t pay me to work with him [again].
My boyfriend Dan died of cirrhosis of the liver after 12 years [together] and then my house—all my material possessions—burned up in the Montecito Tea Fire of 2008. I ran out of the house in slippers with my cat. I could smell my hair starting to burn. Material possessions are not worth crying over. But I did lose all the numbers and addresses of all my friends and fans from around the world. Losing a lot of my pictures [with Dan Aykroyd, etc.] was the hard part. I had a storage unit and I found some pictures. Good times!
In the ‘80s, I had a soft leather women’s apparel company, but even after I was 30 I was still getting a lot of modeling work, so I closed that down. I wrote a book which made me only $20,000, and it’s no longer in print.
Weren’t expecting that, were you?I was on two Playboy covers and worked for Playboy for quite some time. I made lots of money. Headshots cost $10-15 each. That’s less than [what is charged at] the conventions. I’ve been to a lot of promotion[al events] where I sign autographs; I went to one huge autograph show in L.A. a long time ago. Now I have an autograph agent, the one and only Mr. John O’Neill of O’Neill’s Autographs. He is a friend of Hugh Hefner’s and a lot of Playboy Playmates. He has more pictures of me than I do. Checks come three a year. [Want an autograph from Kym? Contact johnb@pin-ups.com.]
I also rent a house in Lompoc, a town in Santa Barbara County.
And now I’m doing a jewelry line called Kym’s Designs. I make them all myself.
I have done numerous interviews with magazines and newspapers. Please be one who prints the truth. Do not take me out of context.
Last time I spoke to Hef [Hugh Hefner] was after the fire. I reordered a necklace, a gift that he’d given us at a reunion. I’d gotten my earlier though. A diamond bunny necklace.
I lost touch with Danny when he married Donna Dixon. He came to S.B. before he got married. We went out to breakfast. He kept me in stitches.
I have not talked to Billy in years. I miss his sweet accent. He always made me smile. I’m going to call his good friend Seymour Duncan and give him my new cell number and tell him to [tell Billy to] call me.
I don’t have kids. I was engaged to a man who had a business in the Florida Keys, but he died of leukemia. And Paul, a boyfriend before Dan [the one who had died after a twelve-year relationship with Kym], [died jumping] off a waterfall in Kauai. He [was with friends at a waterfall and he had gone up to a] higher waterfall. You were supposed to dive to the right. It was an accident. I’m single now.
You really want to know what I thought when I first heard from you? I thought you were maybe some fake wanting to talk to me and maybe something else. You were [contacting] my family in Hawaii and my friends here in S.B. About four [people] saw me and told me your trip. It was my stepsister on Kauai who said you were okay. She is very protective of me and I love her.
Want an autograph from Kym? Contact johnb@pin-ups.com.
Tweet about this interview to @ZZTop, @BillyFGibbons, @missfreyja, and @jeanakeough!
Copy and tweet to help me find more 1980s music video girls:
Real research question: if you know the Annie Hubbard who was in 1984 Night Ranger video “Sister Christian,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Real research question: if you know the woman—even just her name—in 1986 Cinderella video “Shake Me,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Real research question: if you know woman—even just her name—in ‘87 Richard Marx video “Should’ve Known Better,” pls contact @MarcTNobleman
Next: ZZ Top, even more “Legs” (1984).
