The GTOs
Encyclopedia
The GTOs were a "groupie
group" that consisted of Miss Pamela (Pamela Ann Miller, later Pamela Des Barres
), Miss Sparky (Linda Sue Parker), Miss Lucy (Lucy Offerall, later Lucy McLaren), Miss Christine (Christine Frka), Miss Sandra (Sandra Lynn Rowe, later Sandra Leano), Miss Mercy (Mercy Fontentot, aka Judith Edra Peters) and Miss Cynderella (Cynthia Wells, later Cynthia Cale-Binion). The group hailed from the area around Los Angeles
in the late 1960s, with most of the girls being denizens of the Sunset Strip
scene. Their only album, Permanent Damage, was released in 1969.
. Miss Christine had travelled to Los Angeles from San Pedro with Miss Sandra, and both lived in the basement of Frank Zappa
's log cabin in the mid 1960s. Miss Christine was the live-in nanny for Zappa's eldest two children, Dweezil
and Moon Unit
, before Miss Pamela took over the position during the late 1960s. Miss Mercy had emigrated from the Haight Ashbury hippie scene to LA due to "boredom", alleging she "couldn't be a hippie
forever." Miss Cynderella was an addition to the group brought by Mercy after the nucleus of the group had been formed. This accounts for Cynderella's presence in some, but not all of the GTOs publicity shots. Miss Lucy was also not an original member and joined after the recording of Permanent Damage.
Originally known as "The Laurel Canyon Ballet Company," they changed their name to The GTOs on the advice of Frank Zappa
, their financial supporter and producer. The new name is an acronym which, as Stanley Booth
wrote, could mean "Girls Together Outrageously or Orally or anything else starting with O." The acronym has also been defined as “Girls Together Occasionally”, “Girls Together Often” and “Girls Together Only”.
The members were connected by their association with Zappa, who was a complex musician who encouraged their artistic endeavors, even though the GTOs were not singers of renown.
Performances by the group were sparse, although they created a strong impression at their 1968 performance at the Shrine Auditorium
. A mix of theatrics, singing, and dance were staples of their act. Their only album, Permanent Damage, (Straight Records
) was produced in 1969 by Frank Zappa with the assistance of Lowell George
and Russ Titelman
(tracks 7 and 11). The latter track also features Titelman's brother-in-law, guitarist Ry Cooder
, both of whom appear on Captain Beefheart
's Safe As Milk album. Track 5 "The Captain's Fat Theresa Shoes" is a GTO comment on Beefheart's taste in footwear. (Beefheart's cousin Victor Hayden had also effected Pamela Des Barres
' introduction to Vliet). The songs are mixed in with conversations between the members of the group, friends, and others, including Cynthia Plaster Caster
and Rodney Bingenheimer
. The album features songwriting contributions from Lowell George, Jeff Beck
and Davy Jones
. A young Rod Stewart
also pops up on the vocals of one track. Permanent Damage was re-issued on CD in 1989 by Enigma Retro
.
Individual songs were also released on several compilation albums. Tracks released in this way have included:
Groupie
A groupie is a person who seeks emotional and sexual intimacy with a musician or other celebrity. "Groupie" is derived from group in reference to a musical group, but the word is also used in a more general sense, especially in casual conversation....
group" that consisted of Miss Pamela (Pamela Ann Miller, later Pamela Des Barres
Pamela Des Barres
Pamela Des Barres aka Miss Pamela is a former rock 'n' roll groupie, author, and magazine writer.- Early life :...
), Miss Sparky (Linda Sue Parker), Miss Lucy (Lucy Offerall, later Lucy McLaren), Miss Christine (Christine Frka), Miss Sandra (Sandra Lynn Rowe, later Sandra Leano), Miss Mercy (Mercy Fontentot, aka Judith Edra Peters) and Miss Cynderella (Cynthia Wells, later Cynthia Cale-Binion). The group hailed from the area around Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in the late 1960s, with most of the girls being denizens of the Sunset Strip
Sunset Strip
The Sunset Strip is the name given to the mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with Hollywood at Harper Avenue, to its western border with Beverly Hills at Sierra Drive...
scene. Their only album, Permanent Damage, was released in 1969.
History
Miss Pamela and Miss Sparky met while attending Cleveland High SchoolCleveland High School (Los Angeles, California)
Grover Cleveland High School is a public school serving grades 9-12. Cleveland Humanities Magnet is part of Cleveland High School. The school is located in Reseda, in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California....
. Miss Christine had travelled to Los Angeles from San Pedro with Miss Sandra, and both lived in the basement of Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's log cabin in the mid 1960s. Miss Christine was the live-in nanny for Zappa's eldest two children, Dweezil
Dweezil Zappa
Dweezil Zappa is an American rock guitarist and occasional actor.-Early life:Zappa was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of musician Frank Zappa and Adelaide Gail Sloatman, who worked in business. He is the second of four siblings: his older sister, Moon, younger sister Diva and younger...
and Moon Unit
Moon Unit Zappa
Moon Unit Zappa is an American actress, musician and author. She goes by the name Moon Zappa; "Unit" is her middle name.-Personal life:...
, before Miss Pamela took over the position during the late 1960s. Miss Mercy had emigrated from the Haight Ashbury hippie scene to LA due to "boredom", alleging she "couldn't be a hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
forever." Miss Cynderella was an addition to the group brought by Mercy after the nucleus of the group had been formed. This accounts for Cynderella's presence in some, but not all of the GTOs publicity shots. Miss Lucy was also not an original member and joined after the recording of Permanent Damage.
Originally known as "The Laurel Canyon Ballet Company," they changed their name to The GTOs on the advice of Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
, their financial supporter and producer. The new name is an acronym which, as Stanley Booth
Stanley Booth
Stanley Booth is an American music journalist. Booth has written extensively about important music figures, including Keith Richards, Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, James Brown, Elvis Presley, Gram Parsons, B.B. King, and Al Green...
wrote, could mean "Girls Together Outrageously or Orally or anything else starting with O." The acronym has also been defined as “Girls Together Occasionally”, “Girls Together Often” and “Girls Together Only”.
The members were connected by their association with Zappa, who was a complex musician who encouraged their artistic endeavors, even though the GTOs were not singers of renown.
Performances by the group were sparse, although they created a strong impression at their 1968 performance at the Shrine Auditorium
Shrine Auditorium
The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue, in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners.-History:...
. A mix of theatrics, singing, and dance were staples of their act. Their only album, Permanent Damage, (Straight Records
Straight Records
Straight Records was a record label formed in 1969 to distribute productions and discoveries of Frank Zappa and his business partner/manager Herb Cohen. Straight was formed at the same time as a companion label, Bizarre Records. Straight and Bizarre were manufactured and distributed in the U.S. by...
) was produced in 1969 by Frank Zappa with the assistance of Lowell George
Lowell George
Lowell Thomas George was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, who was the main guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Little Feat.- Early years :...
and Russ Titelman
Russ Titelman
Russ Titelman is an American record producer and songwriter. He has to date won three Grammy Awards. He earned his first producing the Steve Winwood song "Higher Love", and his second and third for Eric Clapton's Journeyman and Unplugged albums...
(tracks 7 and 11). The latter track also features Titelman's brother-in-law, guitarist Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
, both of whom appear on Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
's Safe As Milk album. Track 5 "The Captain's Fat Theresa Shoes" is a GTO comment on Beefheart's taste in footwear. (Beefheart's cousin Victor Hayden had also effected Pamela Des Barres
Pamela Des Barres
Pamela Des Barres aka Miss Pamela is a former rock 'n' roll groupie, author, and magazine writer.- Early life :...
' introduction to Vliet). The songs are mixed in with conversations between the members of the group, friends, and others, including Cynthia Plaster Caster
Cynthia Plaster Caster
Cynthia Plaster Caster , whose real name is Cynthia Albritton, is an artist and self-described "recovering groupie" who creates plaster casts of famous persons' penises and breasts. She began her career in 1968 by casting penises of rock musicians. She later expanded her subjects to include...
and Rodney Bingenheimer
Rodney Bingenheimer
Rodney Bingenheimer, born December 15, 1947, is a radio disc jockey on the long-running Los Angeles rock station KROQ who is notable for helping numerous iconic bands become successful in the American market. His contribution to the music business has been described as important...
. The album features songwriting contributions from Lowell George, Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
and Davy Jones
Davy Jones (actor)
David Thomas "Davy" Jones is an English rock singer-songwriter and actor best known as a member of the Monkees.-Early life:...
. A young Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
also pops up on the vocals of one track. Permanent Damage was re-issued on CD in 1989 by Enigma Retro
Enigma Records
Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. It was initially a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/distributor, which it split-off from in 1985 to become its own company...
.
Personal lives
- Miss Pamela (born September 9, 1948) is the most famous of the GTO's in terms of overall commercialCommerceWhile business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
success. Prior to joining the group, she had been a member of Vito Paulekis' dancing troupe. Des Barres is the author of three memoirs, the first, I'm With The BandI'm With The BandI'm with the Band: Confessions of a Groupie is a 1987 memoir by former groupie Pamela Des Barres.The book tells the story of Pamela Ann Miller, a groupie who gets a kind of fame in the 1960s by having wild nights with musicians and actors. Pictures of famous musicians and actors accompany the many...
(1997), is based primarily on a diary she faithfully secretly kept from her high school years all the way through her eventual marriage, due in part to the encouragement she received from her group's future producer, Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
. The book went on to reach the critically acclaimed top 10 Best Seller's List for a few weeks straight at one point. Each book contains different perspectives of describing her life during the 1960s and, in particular, the groupieGroupieA groupie is a person who seeks emotional and sexual intimacy with a musician or other celebrity. "Groupie" is derived from group in reference to a musical group, but the word is also used in a more general sense, especially in casual conversation....
scene, which Des Barres's book, Let's Spend the Night Together(2007), a collection of interviews with fellow rock groupies, (2007) defends. Miss Pamela married BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
/musicianMusicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
Michael Des BarresMichael Des BarresLord Michael Philip Des Barres is a British actor and rock singer. He is known for playing the recurring role of Murdoc on the television show MacGyver and for replacing the late Robert Palmer in the band Power Station, fronting the band at the 1985 Live Aid concert...
(he would eventually take the place of singer Robert PalmerRobert PalmerRobert Palmer may refer to:*Robert Palmer , English singer-songwriter; known for "Bad Case of Loving You ", "Addicted to Love" and "Simply Irresistible"...
in the 1980s rockRock musicRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band The Power Station). Together they have a son, Nicholas Des Barres, who is now an editorEditorThe term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
for a video game magazine in Tokyo, Japan, where he also currently resides.
- Miss Mercy (born February 15, 1949) was born in Burbank, CaliforniaBurbank, CaliforniaBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
. She has been referred to by Miss Pamela as "the human facsimile". Having moved to FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
with her parents and older sister at an early age, the family eventually settled in San Mateo, CaliforniaSan Mateo, CaliforniaSan Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
. Then, in 1964 (when she was 15), she dropped out of the local high school and told her parents she was ready to legally become an independent. Despite their strong disapproval, she went ahead and filed for her own emancipationEmancipationEmancipation means the act of setting an individual or social group free or making equal to citizens in a political society.Emancipation may also refer to:* Emancipation , a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse foaled in 1979...
, becoming a ward of the court within a couple weeks. Miss Mercy went to live with a group of friends in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Some of their earliest neighbors included members of the Grateful DeadGrateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, Janis JoplinJanis JoplinJanis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
, and even a young Charles MansonCharles MansonCharles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
. Eventually, the time came Miss Mercy and Miss Pamela had heard from peers that Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
was the mecca for meeting entertainers and especially rock & roll musicians. In addition, Miss Pamela wanted to pursue her acting career in Hollywood, and in early 1969, they moved south, instantly immersing themselves into the local scene. Then, one of Miss Pamela's childhood friends by the name of Don Glen Vliet (aka Captain BeefheartCaptain BeefheartDon Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
) took the girls to a large castle-like compound in Laurel CanyonLaurel CanyonLaurel Canyon may refer to:*Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California, an area in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles*Laurel Canyon Boulevard, a street that connects the San Fernando Valley to Hollywood that passes through Laurel Canyon...
where they were introduced to a semi-well-known musician named Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
. Soon after the breakup of the group, she became romantically involved with bluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
prodigy Shuggie OtisShuggie OtisShuggie Otis is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, and multi-instrumentalist....
, the son of rhythm & blues pioneer Johnny OtisJohnny OtisJohnny Otis is an American singer, musician, talent scout, disc jockey, composer, arranger, recording artist, record producer, vibraphonist, drummer, percussionist, bandleader, and impresario.He is commonly referred to as The Godfather Of Rhythm And Blues.-Personal life:Otis, the son of Alexander...
. They eventually were married and had a son named Lucky Otis, who is also a world-renowned multi-instrumentalistMulti-instrumentalistA multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
/ musician in the likeness of both his father and grandfather. A few years later, Miss Mercy and Shuggie divorced and went their separate ways. For the next 15 to 20 years she moved around northern and southern CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, living a mysterious life of heavy drug use which resulted in a lifestyle riddled by sporadic public appearances. During the middle of this phase, Miss Mercy later re-married in 1991, and then, in 2000, Miss Mercy divorced her second husband and finally quit all hard drugs (and cigarettes) all concurrently. She has been clean and sober ever since. Miss Mercy currently resides in downtown Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and works for a thrift store in Hollywood. A somewhat concise account of her biography, entitled "Miss Mercy's Blues", is extensively featured at length as its own chapter of I’m With The Band, and her quite extensive resumè spanning over five decades, ranging from magazines and books to radioRadioRadio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, television, and feature-length award-winning documentaries (she had a ten-minute segment dedicated to her life in the cult hit called The Mayor Of Sunset Strip starring alternative rockAlternative rockAlternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
pioneer KROQ disc jockeyDisc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Rodney BingenheimerRodney BingenheimerRodney Bingenheimer, born December 15, 1947, is a radio disc jockey on the long-running Los Angeles rock station KROQ who is notable for helping numerous iconic bands become successful in the American market. His contribution to the music business has been described as important...
, who is also a close longtime friend of the GTO's). Miss Mercy and Miss Pamela still remain close friends. As of 2011, Miss Mercy is working closely with an author / biographer to help document her life.
- Miss Cynderella was married John CaleJohn CaleJohn Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
of Velvet Underground in 1971, but the marriage was rocky. Cale's song "Guts" opens with the line, "The bugger in the short sleeves f*cked my wife" (referring to Kevin AyersKevin AyersKevin Ayers is an English singer-songwriter and was a major influential force in the English psychedelic movement...
sleeping with Miss Cindy in 1974). They divorced in 1975. Miss Cynderella died on February 19, 1997, in Palm Desert, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
; however, her death was not widely reported until 2007, when Pamela Des BarresPamela Des BarresPamela Des Barres aka Miss Pamela is a former rock 'n' roll groupie, author, and magazine writer.- Early life :...
mentioned it in her book Let's Spend the Night Together (where she inadvertently listed the wrong death year for reasons unknown).
- Miss Christine appeared on the front cover of Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's 1969 album Hot RatsHot RatsHot Rats is the second solo album by Frank Zappa. It was released in October 1969. Five of the six songs are instrumental . It was Zappa's first recording project after the dissolution of the original Mothers of Invention...
. She is shown halfway emerging from an empty swimming pool on the infamous Errol Flynn Estates (once private and now open to the public as a park) in the Hollywood HillsHollywood HillsThe Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
. She also dated rock & roll singer Alice CooperAlice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, as well as Todd RundgrenTodd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
from UtopiaUtopiaUtopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
fame and a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers. Miss Christine died on November 5, 1972, of a heroin overdose in a house in CohassetCohassetCohasset can refer to:PlacesIn the United States:*Cohasset, California*Cohasset, Massachusetts**Cohasset **Cohasset Rocks, an alternative name for Minots Ledge, a reef off of Cohasset, Massachusetts*Cohasset, Minnesota...
, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, which was at the time being rented out by musician Jonathan RichmanJonathan RichmanJonathan Michael Richman is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970 he founded The Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key, generally acoustic backing...
and his original group, The Modern LoversThe Modern LoversThe Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970–74 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks with drummer David Robinson and keyboardist Jerry Harrison...
.. Her death occurred shortly after she had spent close to a year in a full body cast to correct her crooked spine.
- Miss Lucy appeared in Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's underground cult classic film 200 Motels200 Motels200 Motels is a 1971 American-British musical surrealist film cowritten and directed by Frank Zappa and Tony Palmer and starring The Mothers of Invention, Theodore Bikel and Ringo Starr. The film covers a loose storyline about The Mothers of Invention going crazy in the small town Centerville...
. in which she had a moderate role in portraying an overtly promiscuous groupie. She was married to the late Gordon McLaren (bassist for the New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
group called, coincidentally, The Groupies from 1975 to 1981, with whom she had a son, Coleman. Years later, she was impregnated by a close friend and bore another son named Dallas, only to find out she had contracted AIDSAIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, still a fairly new and rather unheard-of disease for that time. Miss Lucy died in 1991. Dallas only lived to the age of ten, having been born with ARCARCARC may refer to:- Business :* African Rainforest Conservancy, an environmental nonprofit* Airport Regions Conference, a European organization of major airports* Amalgamated Roadstone Corporation, a British stone quarrying company...
(the child equivalent of the AIDS virusVirusA virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
), in 1991 of complications from AIDS. She was among the first of many cases in CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
history who were diagnosed to have the disease to actually die from it.
- Miss Sandra was in the group only a short while before becoming pregnant by Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's official artist-in-residence, Cal SchenkelCal SchenkelCal Schenkel is an artist specialising in album cover design. He was the main visual collaborator for Frank Zappa and was responsible for the art and graphic design of many of Zappa's most well-known album covers. Schenkel's work is iconic and distinctive in style; a forerunner of punk art and...
, and they had a daughter named Raven. She soon moved back to her hometown of San Pedro, California while Raven was still a baby, and after the GTO's breakup, only to meet and move overseas with an ItalianItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
citizen, with whom she married and gave birth to three children. Miss Sandra died in ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
of ovarian cancerOvarian cancerOvarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
on April 23, 1991.
- Miss Sparky recorded a vocal track (credited under the pseudonymPseudonymA pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Sharkie Barker") on the song "Disco Boy" on Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's albumAlbumAn album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Zoot AlluresZoot AlluresZoot Allures is a 1976 rock album by Frank Zappa. This was Zappa's only release on the Warner Bros. Records label. Due to a lawsuit with his former manager Herb Cohen Frank Zappa's recording contract was temporarily re-assigned from DiscReet Records to Warner Bros.The title is a pun on the French...
(1976), and was also at a time employed with the Walt Disney Corporation.
Discography
- Permanent Damage (1969) - Sole album by the GTOs
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- Track Listing
- The Eureka Springs Garbage Lady (3:47)
- Miss Pamela and Miss Sparky discuss STUFFED BRAS and some of their early gym class experiences (2:10)
- Who's Jim Sox? (0:18)
- Kansas and the BTO's (1:12)
- The Captain's Fat Theresa Shoes (1:56)
- Wouldn't it be Sad if There Were No Cones? (1:11)
- Do Me in Once and I'll Be Sad, Do Me in Twice and I'll Know Better (Circular Circulation) (2:19)
- The Moche Monster (1:46)
- TV Lives (1:03)
- Rodney (3:42)
- I Have a Paintbrush in My Hand to Color a Triangle (2:11)
- Miss Christine's First Conversation With the Plaster Casters Of Chicago (0:57)
- The Original GTO's (1:05)
- The Ghost Chained to the Past, Present, and Future (Shock Treatment) (1:45)
- Love on an Eleven Year Old Level (1:18)
- Miss Pamela's First Conversation With the Plaster Casters Of Chicago (1:31)
- I'm in Love with the Ooo-Ooo Man (3:27)
Individual songs were also released on several compilation albums. Tracks released in this way have included:
- "Do Me in Once and I'll Be Sad, Do Me in Twice and I'll Know Better (Circular Circulation)" - from Zappéd, a 1969 Warner Bros.Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
loss leaderLoss leaderA loss leader or leader is a product sold at a low price to stimulate other profitable sales. It is a kind of sales promotion, in other words marketing concentrating on a pricing strategy. A loss leader is often a popular article...
. - "Kansas and the BTO's; the Captain's Fat Theresa Shoes; the Original GTO's" - from The Big Ball, a 1970 Warner Bros.Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
loss leaderLoss leaderA loss leader or leader is a product sold at a low price to stimulate other profitable sales. It is a kind of sales promotion, in other words marketing concentrating on a pricing strategy. A loss leader is often a popular article...
. - "Sock It to Me" - from Sound of Funk, Vol. 9, a 2001 compact disc released on the Goldmine Soul Supply label.
- "Girl From New York" - from Cameo Parkway 1957-1967, a 2005 compact disc released by UniversalUniversal Music GroupUniversal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
.