What Ever Happened to Rock Music's Groupies?

1. What Ever Happened to Rock Music's Groupies? The Nerd Kung Fu inventory of rock music T-shirts features legendary names like AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, and Billy Idol. Some of the biggest stars of the rock scene are equally big in T-shirts. And why not? Some people love their favorite rock stars more than their own family. Some so much that they abandon their normal lives to live as groupies. Knowing that got us to thinking, whatever happened to rock music's greatest groupies? Anyone who knows anything about the 1970s and 80s music scene is familiar with names like Cathy Smith, Cynthia Albritton, Pamela Des Barres, and the legendary Sable Starr. Many of the most famous groupies have long since passed on. Some are still alive and telling stories about their lives back in the day. The curious thing is that, while groupies still exist, very few people know about them. They are not making headlines like they used to back when Grand Funk Railroad actually wrote groupies into their songs. The Life of a Groupie Perhaps today's groupies don't get so much attention because the reality of the life is actually quite harsh. It is easy to imagine the glitz and glamor of touring with your favorite rock band. Thoughts of unending parties and luxury trips around the world can be pretty exciting. But reality isn't much like imagination. The life of a groupie is one of constant chaos. It is one of constant change and very little to depend on. And at the end of the day, there is nowhere for a groupie to go when the band gets tired of her. She is left discarded, alone, and forced to fend for herself in a world without music or rock stars.

2. That's not the kind of thing you would notice just looking at a Kiss T-shirt or a Beatles Abbey Road coffee mug. The T- shirts and coffee mugs are meant to portray the good side of music – the side that is carefully crafted by record labels and promoters. They do not show you what goes on behind stage, in hotel rooms, and on the tour bus. Music Has Changed Being a groupie is what it is. It's neither right nor wrong. People have the freedom to choose how they want to live their lives and, for some, the life of a groupie is what they truly want. That's fine. Still, we can't help but notice that the old school groupie may not exist any longer. No doubt the music scene has changed. Way back when rock 'n roll first came to be, musicians made their money in live shows. Records were being recorded and sold, with live shows used as the primary means of promoting new releases. Then digital music reared its head. By the time the late 1990s had arrived, technology made it possible to download and save digital music for free. Piracy became a big deal. And of course, even more technology made it possible for new artists to create their own indie labels. Touring eventually became passé. So where are we now? We are back to artists making their livings mainly with live shows – out of necessity. But music is much more packaged these days. Maybe that's why groupies aren't so visible. They dirty up the package more than promoters would like.

3. On the bright side, you can still show your love for your favorite bands by wearing them on your chest. Check out our inventory of music-related T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, etc. From AC-DC to ZZ Top, we have something for everyone. As we like to say here at Nerd Kung Fu, rock on!