Bebe Buell

Bebe Buell
Buell at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Playboy centerfold appearance
November 1974
Preceded by	Ester Cordet
Succeeded by	Janice Raymond
Personal details
Born	July 14, 1953 (1953-07-14) (age 56) Portsmouth, Virginia, United States
Measurements	Bust: 35 in / 89 cm Waist: 24 in / 61 cm Hips: 35 in / 89 cm
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) [1]
Weight	120 lb (54 kg; 8.6 st)

Bebe Buell (born Beverle Lorence Buell on July 14, 1953, in Portsmouth, Virginia) is an American fashion model and singer, and Playboy magazine's November 1974 Playmate of the Month. She is also known for dating and marrying rock musicians.

In 2001, she wrote an autobiography (with Victor Bockris) entitled Rebel Heart: An American Rock and Roll Journey. The book was a New York Times bestseller.^[2] The paperback was issued in 2002.

Filmmaker Cameron Crowe, in his commentary on the extended DVD of his 2000 movie Almost Famous, said he based the film's "Penny Lane" character (played by Kate Hudson) on two women he met during the early 1970s — Bebe Buell and Pennie Trumble, a.k.a "Penny Lane". He said he created some of Penny's dialogue from statements Buell had made in interviews over the years.

Biography

Modeling

Buell's mother, Dorothea, sent Buell's pictures to the Ford modeling agency, and received notice after only three days that the agency was interested. She began modeling professionally at the age of seventeen, and moved to New York City in 1972.

She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for the November 1974 issue; her centerfold was photographed by Richard Fegley. She was one of the first fashion models to pose for the men's magazine, although it cost her the contract with Ford. She was promptly signed to Wilhelmina in the US and Models One in the UK. Even after the Playboy appearance affected her career in the States she was still in demand in Europe appearing in British and French Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Cosmopolitan to name a few.

She returned to modeling in 2003, signing with the IMG Agency in New York City.

Relationships

In 1972 while working as a teenage model in New York City, Buell met and dated rock star Todd Rundgren for several years. During and after her sometimes open relationship with Rundgren, she also became intimate with many other famous musicians, including Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, and Steven Tyler while maintaining homes with Rundgren in both New York City and the Woodstock, New York area until late 1977. Many people assumed they were married and Bebe was often referred to as Bebe Rundgren in the media. In the fall of 1976, she unexpectedly became pregnant by Tyler, and gave birth to daughter Liv Tyler on July 1, 1977. Buell allowed her daughter to believe that Rundgren was her father until the late 1980s, as Tyler was still deeply addicted to drugs at the time. Buell then moved on to Rod Stewart and in the summer of 1978, she began a tempestuous affair with the married but separated Elvis Costello which continued on and off until 1984. She was also involved with the late Stiv Bators and actor Jack Nicholson.

Buell married sometime-musician and actor Coyote Shivers in 1992.^[1] They divorced in 1999 after a year-long separation. In 2002 she married musician Jim Wallerstein of Das Damen and Vacationland fame.

Music

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. The rock band Power Station began in 1984 when then-boyfriend 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 but they disbanded in 1985.

She founded another band called The Gargoyles in 1985, and released a couple of singles. A few large record companies were showing interest, but they disbanded when the paternity of her daughter Liv became publicly known in 1991. She withdrew from performing and for six years in the 1990s, Buell managed her daughter Liv, helping to launch her career as a successful international model and actress.

After her daughter left home in 1997, Buell returned to music to record a solo effort with producer Don Fleming, released in 2000. She also performed around New York with the Bebe Buell Band, and later up with Boston musicians The Rudds and The Neighborhoods drummer Johnny Lynch to form a new band for a few shows which also includes husband Jim Wallerstein.

In April 2009, the Boston duo Chester French released a tribute to Buell with their album track "Bebe Buell".

As of June 2009, the line-up for The Bebe Buell Band is: Bebe Buell on vocals, Jim Wallerstein on guitar, Pete Marshall on bass , David Matos on lead guitar, Aya on keyboards, Lindsey Anderson on guitar and Bobbie Rae on drums.

She released her first recording in ten years with a single "Air Kisses for the Masses" in May 2009 and completed recording of a full length 12 song album set for late Fall 2009. It can be downloaded on iTunes or Amazon MP3. Buell is playing a series of live shows in the New York City area to promote the single.

Discography

with The B-Sides

• Covers Girl (1981), 12" 4 song EP produced by Ric Ocasek & Rick Derringer- track listing- side one- 1)My Little Red Book 2)Wild One Forever- side two- 3)The Little Black Egg 4)Funtime
• A Side of the B-Sides (1984), 3 song 12" EP Picture Disc produced by Todd Rundgren- track listing- 1)Mr. Never Forever 2)Windy Words 3)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

Solo

• "Air Kisses For The Masses" (2009) single iTunes, Amazon MP3, produced by Twinomatick
• Free To Rock (2000) produced by Don Fleming w/ The Bebe Buell Band
• Retrosexual, (1994, reissued 2004) for Sky Dog Records France
• Little Black Egg (1982), 7" Single/UK for Moonlight Records

References

Interviews

• Bebe Buell’s “Sugar” (October, 2009) - http://www.boomerocity.com/bebebuellssugar.html

External links

• Official site
• Bebe Buell at Playboy.com
• Bebe Buell at the Internet Movie Database/ Internet Movie Database entry