This picture was taken at the original KROQ studio in 1977 (l to r: Chris Stein, Jimmy Destri, Rodney, Debbie Harry, Gary Valentine Lachman, Engineer, Clem Burke) Rodney Bingenheimer, the subject of the documentary Mayor of Sunset Strip, will blow a hole in your heart. His sincerity is excruciating. People who know him are saying that its about time he got some attention for his service to others but I say its about time he got some money. How bout it OASIS? Care to make a donation? Does anyone understand what this guys been living on all these years because its not money and he cant eat appreciation. I was impressed by the people who showed up for participation in the documentary, the ones who more or less get it that Rodney contributed to their celebrity and success not only with his gentle fandom but by being the first to play their records and then relentlessly continuing to play them until other deejays and record companies were forced to. The only obvious thing missing from the Documentary is the fact that Sal Mineo gave him this Nickname, the name of the movie. I first came out to L.A. with Blondie in 1977. Their (then) bass player Gary Valentine was my boyfriend. I had auditioned for a television After Schoool Special (SNOWBOUND) just before leaving New York and had my “call back”, and got that job at Paramount Studios during that trip. I was also writing and taking pictures for NEW YORK ROCKER. We were all excited about going out to Ellay to have the Sunset Strip experience. Anyone interested in more about this can read Garys book which is linked here and below New York Rocker: My Life in the Blank Generation . We were met at the airport by a roundish, freckled faced guy named Famous Toby Mamis and taken to a hotel on Sunset Blvd. We were all really disappointed when we realized it was a walk of many miles to get to the actual Strip even though people kept describing it as Close by. Close by in L.A. Lingo is car talk not feet speak. We stayed at The Bel Air Sands, next to the 405 fwy. Debbie was the only one of us who knew how to drive. Anyway, the second big thing we did was go to KROQ to meet Rodney, who, at that time was the only one playing their record (X-Offender). At that time, the one song that we heard continuously on every other radio station was Fleetwood Macs Go Your Own Way” Rodney was gracious and unassuming and a true fan-not to be confused with an autograph hound. It was really exciting for everyone to be on his show. New York didnt even have a show as hip as his. I think KROQ was still an AM station and it was definitely commercial free. Here is an interview I did with Rodney a couple of years later for the L.A.Weekly (May of 1979). The unknown story about this is that during the time between the taping of the interview and the actual publication of it, he was fired from KROQ by station managers who never understood his value. The interview came out and he called me and said in a reallly sad voice, You called me an ugly duckling. and I felt terrible and said but Rodney, the ugly duckling became the most beautiful swan. and he said Okay. Thanks and the next day he called me again and said that because of the article, KROQ called and re-hired him. Apparently they needed his value explained to them. He was overjoyed and grateful. THE INTERVIEW: RODNEY BINGENHEIMER A Child of the Myth Lisa Jane Persky for L.A. Weekly May 18-24 1979
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 20:35:50 +0000
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