About A Girl

Carrie Snodgress turned her back on Hollywood so fast that she didn't even attend the Academy Awards when she was nominated for Best Actress. Her dream was never stardom; it was love and family. But it was hard to find the stability her own childhood had lacked when she went to live with Neil Young on his remote ranch, just as Neil's solo career went into high gear.

A heat-seeking young beauty rockets through Europe, ricocheting off Fellini, Warhol, & Nico, before landing with Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. But she falls for Keith Richards, and together they extricate her from Brian. Anita Pallenberg is with the Stones as they grow into world's premiere rock and roll band; she sings with them in the studio, makes films with Jane Fonda and Mick Jagger, her powerful aura a guiding force, but when things start to go bad, she discovers that a woman will only be allowed that position of power for so long. This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including suicide and death of a child. If you're thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

The gospel-fed daughter of one of Ray Charles’s Raelettes had no idea who this Bob Dylan character was when she was called to audition for his band. Within a few years, she would be his wife and mother to his daughter—both of them hidden from the public, as Dylan converted to Christianity and tried to find his identity as a man and as an artist.

One of the ‘IT’ girls of Swinging London reconnects with her high school classmate, a talented drummer, striving to succeed. But his all-consuming obsession with his band and inability to communicate with Jenny makes for a difficult and unhealthy relationship. Once Fleetwood Mac finally hits big and Mick slides into fame and drugs, Jenny has to confront her own patterns of codependency.

America’s girl next door meets the leader of America’s wildest rock band. As Valerie Bertinelli struggles with her career as an actress, Eddie Van Halen and his band skyrocket to success, and he faces his own challenges by leaning into his drinking. Valerie moves to help him, but when the lifestyles they lead and the demands of work cause a rift, she finds she has her own demons to face.

Rita Coolidge soared as a singer and songwriter, working with Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, Leon Russell, Bobby Womack, and Booker T. Jones. She was denied credit for writing the famous piano coda to “Layla” and her contribution to “Superstar,” a huge hit for The Carpenters, was similarly unsung. That was all before she met country rock troubadour Kris Kristofferson, whose superhuman levels of drinking did not help their marriage as her solo career took off. This episode contains content that may be disturbing to some listeners and includes descriptions of domestic violence.

A simple story about two people falling in love and then growing apart, except one of them was trying to navigate being extremely famous and under the oppressive thumb of Bill Cosby, while the other was on the verge of becoming a rock and roll superstar.

With a guitar slung over her shoulder, Teena Marie walked into downtown LA and came out with a contract with Motown, where funk master Rick James was enticed to take her under his wing. She was soon shocked to find herself in love with him. But nothing is sweet and simple where Rick James was involved.

Frank Zappa ruled his kingdom of freaks, a prolific and obsessed man with many plans. But Gail was undeniably the woman behind the man, a role to which she felt duty-bound, and when Frank passed away, there was a new freak queen on the scene.

Britt Eckland became famous first as the wife of comic genius Peter Sellers, whose troubled and unstable inner life eventually drove her away. Then she became a Bond girl and international sex symbol, and hooked up with one of the world’s biggest rock stars, Rod Stewart. Together, they led a life of wild excess, but true contentment eluded her under Rod’s reluctance to commit and wandering eye.

Linda Keith was so determined to make Jimi Hendrix a star that she dumped Keith Richards. She got Hendrix a manager and a record deal, but then felt compelled to let him go, even if he was never able to really let go of her.

​​Mary Ford did more for Les Paul’s career than most people know or care to admit. Before she met Les for a radio audition, Mary already had notoriety in the country scene as “Colleen Summers.” When the two musicians became entangled - both professionally and romantically - her plush vocals and quick pickin’ made them one of the most popular acts in America. But Les’ pride and workaholic lifestyle would eventually strip Mary not just of her love of music — but also the proper credit she deserved.