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	Beverle Lorence Buell (1953-07-14) July 14, 1953 Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.
Measurements	Bust: 35 in / 89 cm Waist: 24 in / 61 cm Hips: 35 in / 89 cm
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight	120 lb (54 kg; 8.6 st)

Beverle Lorence "Bebe" Buell (born July 14, 1953) is an American fashion model and singer, and Playboy magazine's November 1974 Playmate of the Month. She is also known for dating rock musicians, and her social relationships with musical and cultural icons cross four decades. She is actress Liv Tyler's mother from a brief relationship with Aerosmith vocalist Steven Tyler. In 2001, she wrote an autobiography (with Victor Bockris) titled Rebel Heart: An American Rock and Roll Journey. The book was a New York Times bestseller. The paperback was issued in 2002.

Filmmaker Cameron Crowe stated in interviews about his 2000 movie Almost Famous that he based the film's Penny Lane character (played by Kate Hudson) on two women he met during the early 1970s — Bebe Buell and Geraldine Edwards. He said he created some of Penny's dialogue from statements Buell had made in interviews over the years. The majority of the character was based on Geraldine Edwards, however.

Early life

Buell was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, the daughter of Dorothea Johnson, who founded the Protocol School of Washington, and Harold Lloyd Buell. She is of German descent.

Career

Modeling

Buell was discovered by modeling agency executive Eileen Ford after high school graduation at age 17. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for the November 1974 issue; her centerfold was photographed by Richard Fegley.

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 The Power Station began in 1984 when her 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 for six years in the 1990s. Buell managed her daughter Liv, helping to launch her career as a successful international model and actress. She also represented actress Charis Michelsen.

After Buell's 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, with Boston musicians The Rudds and The Neighborhoods' drummer Johnny Lynch to form a new band for a few shows which also included 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 lineup for The Bebe Buell Band was: 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.

In September of 2011, Buell released Hard Love, an aggressive rock album influenced by grunge and glam rock. The album was produced by Bebe's husband James Wallerstein of the critically acclaimed proto-grunge band Das Damen, and Stephen DeAcutis. The 11-track record features original songs alongside covers of Gang of Four's "I Love A Man In Uniform" and "Baby Baby" by the English punk rock band The Vibrators.

Personal life

Buell developed an interest in dating musicians when, as a 16-year-old model, she started dating Barry Cowsill of The Cowsills. She later lived with rock musician Todd Rundgren from 1972 to 1978.^{[citation needed]} During their cohabitation, she dated other people including Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Jimmy Page, and Steven Tyler. In 1977 she gave birth to now actress/model Liv Tyler, fathered by Steven Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith. In 1992, Buell married for the first time to sometime-musician and actor Coyote Shivers. They divorced in 1999 after a year-long separation.^{[citation needed]} In 2002,^{[citation needed]} she married musician Jim Wallerstein (aka Jim Walters) of Das Damen and Vacationland fame.^{[citation needed]}

Discography

Solo

• Covers Girl (1981), 12" 4 song EP produced by Ric Ocasek & Rick Derringer

1. "My Little Red Book"
2. "Wild One Forever"
3. "The Little Black Egg"
4. "Funtime"

• "Hard Love (2011), 11-track album produced by James Wallerstein and Stephen DeAcutis.

1. "Mother of Rock'n'Roll"
2. "Devil You Know"
3. "Heartbeat"
4. "Got It All Wrong"
5. "Baby Baby"
6. "Black Angel"
7. "Sugar"
8. "I Love A Man In Uniform"
9. "Timeline"
10. "Normal Girl"
11. "I Will Wait"

• "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

with The B-Sides

• A Side of the B-Sides (1984), 3 song 12" EP Picture Disc produced by Todd Rundgren

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

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

External links

• Official website
• Bebe Buell at Playboy Online
• Bebe Buell at the Internet Movie Database