View source for Bebe Buell

{{Short description|American model and singer}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Bebe Buell
| image       = Bebe Buell at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.jpg
| image_size  =
| caption     = Buell at the 2009 [[Tribeca Film Festival]]
| birth_name  = Beverle Lorence Buell
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1953|7|14|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Portsmouth, Virginia]], U.S.
| death_date  =
| death_place =
| occupation  = Model, singer
| spouse      = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|{{nowrap|[[Coyote Shivers]]}}<br />|1992|1999|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Jim Wallerstein<br />|2002}}
}}
| children    = [[Liv Tyler]]
| module      = {{Infobox Playboy Playmate | embed = yes
  | name      = <!-- leave blank -->
  | issue     = November 1974
  | preceded  = [[Ester Cordet]]
  | succeeded = [[Janice Raymond (model)|Janice Raymond]]
  | height    = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}<ref name = Rebel>Buell, Bebe and Bockris, Victor. ''Rebel Heart: An American  Rock and Roll Journey''. St. Martin's Press, 2001. ({{ISBN|0-312-26694-4}}, {{ISBN|0-312-30155-3}})</ref>
  }}
}}

'''Beverle Lorence''' "'''Bebe'''" '''Buell''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|iː|b|iː|_|ˈ|b|j|uː|l}} {{respell|BEE|bee|_|BYUUL}}; born July 14, 1953) is an American singer and former model. She was ''[[Playboy]]'' magazine's November 1974 [[Playboy Playmate|Playmate of the Month]]. Buell moved to New York in 1972 after signing a modeling contract with [[Eileen Ford]], and garnered notability after her publicized relationship with musician [[Todd Rundgren]] from 1972 until 1978, as well as her liaisons with several [[rock music]]ians during that time and over the following four decades. She is the mother of actress [[Liv Tyler]] (born 1977), whose biological father is [[Aerosmith]] frontman [[Steven Tyler]]. Todd Rundgren is Liv's legal father, as he signed the birth certificate.

In 2001 Buell published her autobiography with St. Martin's Press (with [[Victor Bockris]]), ''Rebel Heart: An American Rock and Roll Journey''. The book was a [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' bestseller]]. The paperback was issued in 2002.

==Early life==
Buell was born in [[Portsmouth, Virginia]], the daughter of Dorothea (Brown) Johnson, who founded the Protocol School of Washington, and Harold Lloyd Buell, a U.S. Navy officer and [[World War II]] veteran.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/21/fashion/21AGE.html | title = Manners in the Time of Flu | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = November 21, 2004 | first = Bob | last = Morris | access-date = January 13, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130710220004/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/21/fashion/21AGE.html | archive-date = 2013-07-10 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kz8hAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Dorothea+Johnson+grew+up+Dorothea+Brown+on+a+small+tobacco%22|title=Down East|date=August 2002|publisher=Down East Enterprise|language=en}}</ref> As her father was not at home at the time of Buell's birth, her mother waited until he got back before naming her daughter. The nurses in the hospital took to calling her "Baby Buell," which is where her nickname of "Bebe" originated.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Buell|first1=Bebe|title=Rebel Heart: An American Rock and Roll Journey|url=https://archive.org/details/rebelheart00bebe|url-access=registration|date=2001|publisher=St. Martin's Press|pages=[https://archive.org/details/rebelheart00bebe/page/349 349]|isbn=9780312266943 |edition=First}}</ref> She is of [[German American|German]] descent.<ref>[http://juicemagazine.com/home/bebe-buell/ Juice Magazine: "Bebe Buell - INTERVIEW BY STEVE OLSON"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142922/http://juicemagazine.com/home/bebe-buell/ |date=2018-06-12 }} September 2009 | ''Are you an American? Yes. I am. I'm German American. Were you born in the states? Yes. My grandparents were German''</ref><ref>Buell, 2001, pp. 199, 349 |''I'm from strong German stock, so I'm not capable of breaking down completely''</ref>

==Career==
===Modeling===
Buell was discovered by modeling agency executive [[Eileen Ford]] after high school graduation at age 17,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bebebuell.org/bios/about-bebe-buell/ |title=About |publisher=Bebe Buell |access-date=May 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140418234559/http://www.bebebuell.org/bios/about-bebe-buell/ |archive-date=2014-04-18 |url-status=live }}</ref> and relocated to [[New York City]] at age 18.<ref name="white">{{cite web|url=http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/bebe-buell-rock-n-rolls-most-famous-girlfriend-on-her-debut-show-at-the-bluebird/Content?oid=4155175|work=Nashville Scene|title=Bebe Buell, rock 'n' roll's most famous girlfriend, on her debut show at The Bluebird|date=2014-05-08|access-date=2015-09-18|author=White, Abby|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081151/http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/bebe-buell-rock-n-rolls-most-famous-girlfriend-on-her-debut-show-at-the-bluebird/Content?oid=4155175|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=live}}</ref> She was ''[[Playboy]]'' magazine's [[Playboy Playmate|Playmate of the Month]] for the November 1974 issue; her [[centerfold]] was photographed by [[Richard Fegley]]. Describing her early years and modeling career, Buell said, "[I wanted] to be a professional singer [which was why] I came to New York—yes, I was a pretty young girl, so I fell into the modeling thing, and [then] I did ''Playboy'', so then the rock stars came a-hunting, as I like to say."<ref name="indie">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxoz1JgqEDk|work=YouTube|title=Indie Power TV: Interview with Bebe Buell|date=2014-09-03|access-date=2015-09-18|location=Los Angeles, California|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316171941/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxoz1JgqEDk|archive-date=2016-03-16|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Music===
{{BLP sources section|date = January 2022}}
In 1981 Buell recorded a four-song EP on [[Rhino Records]], produced by [[Rick Derringer]] and [[Ric Ocasek]], with [[the Cars]] serving as her band on two tracks.<ref name="Rebel"/> The rock band [[The Power Station (band)|the Power Station]] began in 1984 when her then-boyfriend [[John Taylor (bass guitarist)|John Taylor]] (of [[Duran Duran]] fame) pulled some famous friends together to provide backing for another of Buell's musical efforts. She also formed the band the B-Sides in 1980; it disbanded in 1985.

In 1985 Buell started another band, The Gargoyles, and released a couple of singles. A few large record companies showed interest, but the Gargoyles disbanded when Liv Tyler's paternity became public in 1991. Buell withdrew from performing for six years in the 1990s. She managed Liv's career as an international model and actress. She also represented actress [[Charis Michelsen]].

After Liv left home in 1997, Buell recorded a solo effort with producer [[Don Fleming (musician)|Don Fleming]], released in 2000. She also performed around New York with the Bebe Buell Band and later with Boston musicians The Rudds and the Neighborhoods' drummer Johnny Lynch, forming a new band for a few shows that also included her husband, James Wallerstein.

In May 2009 Buell released her first recording in ten years, the single "Air Kisses for the Masses". She then recorded a 12-song album that can be downloaded on iTunes or Amazon MP3. Buell played a series of live shows in the New York City area to promote the single.

In September 2011 Buell released ''Hard Love'', an aggressive rock album influenced by [[grunge]] and [[glam rock]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/hard-love-mw0002210789|work=Allmusic|title=Hard Love - Bebe Buell|access-date=2015-09-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318215545/http://www.allmusic.com/album/hard-love-mw0002210789|archive-date=2016-03-18|url-status=live}}</ref> It was produced by Wallerstein and Stephen DeAcutis. The 11-track record features original songs alongside covers of [[Gang of Four (band)|Gang of Four]]'s "I Love a Man in Uniform" and "Baby Baby" by the English punk rock band [[the Vibrators]].

==Personal life==
Buell has dated many musicians, beginning with Paul Cowsill of [[the Cowsills]] when she was 15.<ref>Buell, 2001, [https://books.google.com/books?id=gORJt0vP6z0C&pg=PP1 p. 1]</ref> She has dated [[Mick Jagger]], [[Iggy Pop]], [[David Bowie]], [[Elvis Costello]], [[Todd Rundgren]], [[Jimmy Page]], [[Duran Duran]]'s [[John Taylor (bass guitarist)|John Taylor]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Davis |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Davis (music journalist) |title=Please Please Tell Me Now: The Duran Duran Story |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ISBN9780306846069 |date=2021 |publisher=[[Hachette Books]] |location=New York City |isbn=978-0-306-84606-9 |page=162 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and [[Steven Tyler]] among others, but she rejects the label "[[groupie]]".<ref name=NYMAG152>[http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/encounter/bebe-buell-2011-10/ ''New York Magazine'': "152 Minutes With Bebe Buell - On a rock-and-roll photo tour with the legendary groupie, who prefers “rock girlfriend,” or now just “rocker.”" By Jada Yuan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131117042607/http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/encounter/bebe-buell-2011-10/ |date=2013-11-17 }} September 25, 2011</ref><ref name=DailyTelegraph>{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23789004-5009160,00.html |title=Tyler Liv's life to the full |last=Reinhart |first=Ernst |author2=Gillian Cumming |date=June 1, 2008 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)]] |access-date=January 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130110100109/http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/insider/tyler-livs-life-to-the-full/story-e6frewt9-1111116499956 |archive-date=2013-01-10 |url-status=live }}</ref>

From 1972 to 1978, Bebe Buell had a longterm, on and off, relationship with [[Todd Rundgren]]. In 1976, Buell became unexpectedly pregnant from a brief relationship with Steven Tyler. On July 1, 1977, Buell gave birth to future actress/model [[Liv Tyler]], but Buell initially named her child Liv Rundgren and claimed that Todd Rundgren was the biological father to protect the child from Tyler's drug addiction. Rundgren and Buell ended their romantic relationship shortly after Liv's birth. At age 9, Liv found out that she was Steven Tyler's biological daughter.<ref name="People - Bio">{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/liv_tyler/biography|title=Liv Tyler Biography|access-date=June 23, 2008|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120530034516/http://www.people.com/people/liv_tyler/biography|archive-date=2012-05-30|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Hello - Bio">{{cite web|url=http://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/livtyler/?|title=Hello Magazine Profile&nbsp;— Liv Tyler|access-date=June 23, 2008|publisher=Hello! Ltd|work=[[Hello! (magazine)|Hello!]]|date=23 May 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080613222856/http://www.hellomagazine.com/profiles/livtyler/|archive-date=2008-06-13|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="telegraph">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3553957/Liv-Tyler-living-for-today.html|title=Liv Tyler: living for today|last=Dominus|first=Susan|date=June 20, 2008|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=January 7, 2009|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131224901/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3553957/Liv-Tyler-living-for-today.html|archive-date=2009-01-31|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1992, Buell married for the first time. She wed sometime-musician and actor [[Coyote Shivers]].<ref name=Rebel /> They divorced in 1999 after a year-long separation.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/story/ncis-actress-pauley-perrettes-endless-nightmare-divorce Fox News: "'NCIS' Actress Pauley Perrette's Endless Nightmare Divorce"] By [[Roger Friedman]] {{Cite web |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,216205,00.html |title=&#039;NCIS&#039; Actress Pauley Perrette&#039;s Endless Nightmare Divorce &#124; Fox News |website=[[Fox News]] |access-date=2013-02-16 |archive-date=2013-05-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522072559/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,216205,00.html |url-status=bot: unknown }} September 28, 2006</ref> In 2002, she married musician Jim Wallerstein<ref name=NYMAG152 /> (aka Jim Walters) of [[Das Damen]].

For his film ''[[Almost Famous]]'', music journalist and filmmaker [[Cameron Crowe]] developed the "band-aid" character Penny Lane as a composite of a handful of girls he saw backstage in the late 1960s and early 1970s at concerts calling themselves the "Flying Garter Girls". One girl who went by the nickname Penny Lane is real-life [[Pennie Lane Trumbull]], born in [[Portland, Oregon]], in 1954.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://oregonmusicnews.com/2012/09/07/will-the-real-penny-lane-please-stand-up/ |title=Will the real Penny Lane please stand up? |date=September 7, 2012 |last=Ammann |first=Ana |work=Oregon Music News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907213033/http://oregonmusicnews.com/2012/09/07/will-the-real-penny-lane-please-stand-up/ |archive-date=September 7, 2015 }}</ref> Though they were not in the Flying Garter Girls group, various other women have been described as Crowe's inspiration, for instance [[Pamela Des Barres]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2010/12/15/zooey-deschanel-to-play-original-60s-groupie-pamela-im-with-the-band-des-barres-in-hbo-series-nsfw |title=Zooey Deschanel to Play Original '60s Groupie Pamela "I'm With the Band" Des Barres in HBO Series (NSFW) |last=Lecaro |first=Lina |date=December 15, 2010 |work=LA Weekly |access-date=2015-01-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150105113512/http://www.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2010/12/15/zooey-deschanel-to-play-original-60s-groupie-pamela-im-with-the-band-des-barres-in-hbo-series-nsfw |archive-date=2015-01-05 |url-status=live }}</ref> and Buell. Buell partially inspired Crowe; he named a lead singer character Jeff Bebe.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Talk |title=Wild Things: Cameron Crowe and Bebe Buell |date=March 2001}}</ref>

Buell lived in New York and [[New Jersey]]<ref name="indie"/> before relocating to [[Nashville, Tennessee]], in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nashvillearts.com/2014/10/31/bebe-buell/|work=Nashville Arts|title=Q&A: Bebe Buell|author= Polycarpou, Paul|date=31 October 2014 |access-date=2015-09-18}}</ref>

==Discography==
{{Div col}}
'''Solo'''
* ''Covers Girl'' (1981), 12" 4 song EP produced by Ric Ocasek & Rick Derringer
# "My Little Red Book"
# "Wild One Forever"
# "[[The Little Black Egg]]"
# "[[Funtime (Iggy Pop song)|Funtime]]"

* ''Little Black Egg'' (1982), 7" Single/UK for Moonlight Records
* ''Retrosexual'', (1994, reissued 2004) for Sky Dog Records France
* ''Free To Rock'' (2000) produced by Don Fleming with the Bebe Buell Band
* "Air Kisses For The Masses" (2009) single iTunes, Amazon MP3, produced by Twinomatick
* ''Sugar'' (2009)
* "''Hard Love'' (2011), 11-track album produced by James Wallerstein and Stephen DeAcutis.  
# "Mother of Rock'n'Roll"
# "Devil You Know" 
# "Heartbeat"
# "Got It All Wrong"
# "[[Baby Baby (The Vibrators song)|Baby Baby]]"
# "Black Angel" 
# "Sugar"
# "[[Songs of the Free|I Love a Man in Uniform]]"
# "Timeline"
# "Normal Girl"
# "I Will Wait"

* ''Baring It All: Greetings from Nashbury Park'' (2018)<ref>{{Citation|title=Baring It All: Greetings From Nashbury Park|date=2018-04-20|url=https://www.amazon.com/Baring-All-Greetings-Nashbury-Park/dp/B079PCB9KC/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=bebe+buell+baring+it+all&qid=1572824121&sr=8-1|publisher=Main Man Records|access-date=2019-11-03}}</ref>

'''with the B-Sides'''
* ''A Side of the B-Sides'' (1984), 3 song 12" EP Picture Disc produced by Todd Rundgren
# "Mr. Never Forever"
# "Windy Words"
# "Battle Cry"

'''with the Gargoyles'''

Two 45 releases:
* "Gargoyle"/"Bored Baby" (1993), 7" Single/Cave Creek Records/Ultra Under
* "Jacuzzi Jungle"/"Thirteen Wrong Turns" (1987), 7" Single/Route One Records

Cassette EP, "Bebe Buell and the Gargoyles":  "Vibrator"/"Lick it and Stick it"/"Take Me to Your Leader"/"Luv Reaction" (1988), FISHTRAKS
{{Div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bebe Buell}}
* {{Official website|1=http://www.bebebuell.org}}
* {{Playmate|bebe-buell|Bebe Buell}}
* {{IMDb name|119143|Bebe Buell}}

{{Playmates of 1974}}
{{Steven Tyler}}
{{Todd Rundgren}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buell, Bebe}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:American women singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:21st-century American composers]]
[[Category:21st-century American memoirists]]
[[Category:American women memoirists]]
[[Category:Singers from New York City]]
[[Category:Musicians from Portsmouth, Virginia]]
[[Category:Female models from Virginia]]
[[Category:1970s Playboy Playmates]]
[[Category:Glamour models]]
[[Category:American people of German descent]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Groupies]]
[[Category:21st-century American women composers]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Virginia]]