Bebe Buell

Wise readers realize that memoirs are always embellished. "Rebel Heart: An American Rock 'n' Roll Journey" by Bebe Buell boasts more than its fair share whoppers.

She claims that she accompanied Todd Rundgren to London in September 1974 for a press event, and that she snuck out and met Jimmy Page behind Todd’s back while Todd was at an event at the Speakeasy. Todd was photographed by Michael Putland on September 5, 1974 in London according to a photo available from Getty Images. Jimmy Page however was in the United States on September 4, 1974, appearing with Bad Company in Central Park according to Led Zeppelin’s official website. Did he drop his guitar after the show and fly straight back to London? Sure anything’s possible I suppose. A groupie’s tale just isn’t complete without claiming an affair with Jimmy Page, eh girls? There is no doubt most of Bebe’s book could be similarly deconstructed, but not by me. It was a big fat DNF.

Todd Rundgren in Uncut magazine in 2006 stated that Bebe is “incapable of telling the truth.” Elvis Costello in the liner notes for the Armed Forces reissue stated: "On the eve of recording this album a girl arrived on my doorstep from America. At best we were strangers with a coy and theoretical entanglement. I thought that she was to be coming for a short visit and that I might at least satisfy my curiousity about her. However, she turned up with eight pieces of luggage like a mail-order bride and moved in. I was too stupid and vain to resist. She'd later claimed to have inspired most of the songs on this record---all of which were already written when we met. This was said also about the previous release---a chronological impossibility---and many of my other compositions to this day. It is a tragic delusion about which I wish I could say: "I shall not dignify that with a response” but "dignity" doesn't come into this story."

It is a shame this woman was only beautiful on the outside, and a shame that she will only be remembered now as Liv Tyler’s mother (oh, yeah, the daughter she lied to for 10 years regarding the identity of her father).… (más)