For my whole life, I’ve lived and breathed rock music. Growing up in the ’70s and ’80s, my parents were very active in the music scene and had several boxes full of CDs, band shirts, Guitar World magazines, and countless other memorabilia, which they passed down to me.
My mom enrolled me in piano lessons when I was four years old, where I learned to play my first song on an instrument — “Home Sweet Home” by Motley Crue. My dad worked for several years as a luthier for Fender guitars, leading him to design and assemble electric guitars in our Burlington, Ont. townhouse.
As an adolescent, vintage style and music almost exclusively informed my identity. The rock culture of the 20th century influenced my fashion sense, how I cut my hair, the way I spoke, and so much more. But on a worldwide scale, this genre of music impacted many other groups of people.
As a historic pop culture phenomenon, the rock and roll movement revolutionized the music industry. Beginning in the 1950s and evolving into a worldwide craze, rock music created several subcultures that were prominent in the ’60s, ’70s, and onward.
In particular, the term groupie was coined to describe the groups of women who often followed rock bands on their tours in an attempt to get closer to them. Known for their distinct fashion sense and involvement with prominent rock figures throughout history, groupies played a pivotal role in the development of many beloved rock songs and albums.
As the rock and roll movement was a statement about freedom, rebellion, and creativity, groupie culture evolved to uphold these values as well, influencing the roles and perceptions of women at the time.
The Rise of the Groupie
In the 1960s, prominent groupies such as Pamela Des Barres became well known through her romantic relationships with rock musicians such as Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones, and Jim Morrison of The Doors. While they were often stereotyped as promiscuous for these relationships, groupies played an important role in the artistic development and expression of these musicians.
The fashion and makeup donned by groupies were decade-defining, using bold patterns, silhouettes and colours. Interestingly, groupies of this era were some of the first to promote androgynous fashion, which was supported by the many rock musicians they travelled with. Mick Jagger, in particular, was notorious for wearing the shirts of his groupies while he performed.
At this time, musician Frank Zappa advocated for his groupie friends to start their own music groups as well — hence, the creation of The GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously). Before the darker era of the 1970s, groupies were often empowered and appreciated by the bands they travelled with, inspiring music, fashion, and support while performing.
Due to the nature of their movement, groupies were considered very controversial in the media. Despite their goal of wanting to live freely and protest the expectations created by society for women, many argued that they subjected themselves to patriarchal norms by making themselves the objects of affection for the rock bands they followed.
Despite being labelled this way, groupies protested these allegations by maintaining obviously strong relationships with one another. Groupies maintained a sisterhood amongst themselves, as they shared the goal of being feminists and fighting for the rights of women to live however they wanted. This is how groupie culture played a pivotal role in defining femininity and supported the feminist movement.
Masculinity and Femininity in Rock Music
Author Michelle Miller argues that femininity and masculinity are traits that are not assigned by gender. Rather, people who embrace femininity have an appreciation for qualitative experiences, while more masculine people are focused on the goals and results of their actions. By this logic, the femininity of the groupies had a profound influence on rock musicians by encouraging them to relish the artistic experience of creating and performing music.
As a side note, female musicians of this period represented the inverse of male rock musicians; they were forced to adopt masculine values to achieve media attention and gain popularity.
Reporters at this time were predominantly men who were notorious for their lack of women’s representation in their material. These reporters tended to focus on male rock musicians, assuming their audience didn’t value female musicians to the same degree. Due to this, female rock musicians such as Janis Joplin, Linda Ronstadt, and Joni Mitchell had to focus on ensuring their adequate representation to achieve success.
The Death of the Groupie
The slow death of groupie culture can be traced back to the early 1970s when events such as the Manson Family murders, The Rolling Stones Altamont shooting, and the death of Bryan Richards started “The 27 Club.” With these events, the 1970s had a darker tone than the 1960s, which caused the perception of groupie culture to change. Instead of focusing on music, art, and rebellion for the sake of freedom, groupie culture became about sex and drugs, coining the iconic phrase “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll.”
In the 1990s, the rise of the grunge scene brought forward bands such as Nirvana, Hole, and The Stone Temple Pilots. While stars such as these were still associated with substances and promiscuity, there was a strong cultural shift in which groupies were no longer accepted.
This was partly because of the growing gap between celebrities and the public. The shift into live broadcasting and the digital age contributed heavily to this as well, making it much more difficult for people to reach these musicians while they performed. These musicians were extremely focused on their music, creating another rebellion and perpetuating the cycle of youth subculture that has consistently challenged dominant ideologies throughout history. However, these musicians did not need the presence of groupies to achieve artistic success.
Also, the progression of cancel culture and the “me too” movement contributed to the death of groupie culture by raising awareness about illicit activities that were often committed against women during the rock music scene of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s.
While the icons of rock music have influenced my appearance through their fashion, lyrics, musicality, and performances, the symbolism of these icons and their communities has had a profound influence on my maturity and adult development as well.
As a kid, I didn’t question the importance of music. I was taught to listen carefully and analyze critically, which assigned personal meaning to my favourite songs. The incorporation of music in my everyday life brought beauty into the mundane, helping me to understand art in the things around me.
Now, as a young adult beginning her career in the entertainment industry, I am equipped with the ability to take the things I see and create my own concepts and ideas. As I’ve learned to draw on my relationships and experiences for inspiration, I’ve realized that my critical analysis of rock music contributed heavily to the development of my artistic abilities. As a result of this, my relationship with art and music has developed a balance between masculinity and femininity within me, a balance between a strong work ethic and the enjoyment of creating.
Looking back, it’s easy to examine previous decades and assume we understand the complexity of their art and the politics of their youth culture and rebellion. But, the reality is that we will never understand the difficulties faced by people during this time. In our age, we can only examine history with the intention of learning from it and have an appreciation for the movements and subcultures that informed the artists that we appreciate today.