The Penny Lane character in
Almost Famous is reputedly based on
Pamela Des Barres, author of
"I'm With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie",
"Take Another Little Piece of My Heart: A Groupie Grows Up", and
"Rock Bottom: Dark Moments in Music Babylon".
The evidence?
Cameron Crowe went on tour with
Led Zeppelin, and
Miss Pamela had an affair with
Jimmy Page. He took her on tour with him and later dumped her for a 14 year old,
Lori Maddox. The quote from the end of the movie about "new girls" eating all the steak could be a reference to the dislike shared by
L.A. groupies (see? she's from
California, just like in the movie) of Des Barres' generation for the younger (man-stealing) crop, evidenced by Des Barres' description of
Sable Starr in
"I'm With the Band". Crowe made
Kate Hudson read Des Barres' book to prepare for the role.
And there's this photo: http://www.
groupiecentral.com/gwlpameladb.html ..
Enough said?
Then again, who's to say? Penny Lane may have been based on Des Barres because she's become somewhat the
definition of a groupie, if anyone is. The real
Pennie Lane (Crowe supposedly knew one) or the character he's actually trying to portray, coincidence and conspiracy theory aside, may have been some
no-name teenage swooner who only Crowe will ever remember.
This stuff is
fascinating. I should become a
gossip columnist.
update: according to the venerable Ms.
icicle, the real Penny Lane gave interviews to a few magazines, and lives in Portland. So the above is merely coincidence.