By this time, Belinda Carlisle and Teri Ryan (Lorna Doom) were pretty much bitten by the rock star celebrity bug. More and more they would hang out on weekends in the lobbies and coffee shops of Hollywood hotels hoping to meet a rock god.
In 1976, the two best-bet Hollywood hotels to spot a rock star were:
- The Tropicana Motel/Duke's Coffee Shop, West Hollywood
- Hyatt Continental, West Hollywood
Tropicana Hotel and Motor Lodge & Dukes Coffee Shop
8585 Santa Monica Boulevard
Duke's Coffee Shop
As the site looks today - very sad
2008 photo: tlc
The Trop was often the West Coast base for many musicians and bands. It was the first hotel many bands from England stayed at on their first trips to Los Angeles. This was a big plus for those into the new punk music scene happening there.New bands who were playing in Hollywood would stay at the Tropicana - it was basic and affordable and had a great location. The swimming pool was tiled in black. There were always late-night parties going on. Parking was easy. It had a history.
In the 1960's and '70's, the hotel was patronized by many rock'n' roll legends such as Jim Morrison of the Doors. Also living there off and on were Chuck E. Weiss and Tom Waits. Other rock legend guests included; Janis Joplin, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Cochran, the Beach Boys, Jim McGuinn of the Byrds, Led Zeppelin, Guns and Roses, Martha and the Vandellas, and Frank Zappa and his "freak-outs".
In the 1960's and '70's, the hotel was patronized by many rock'n' roll legends such as Jim Morrison of the Doors. Also living there off and on were Chuck E. Weiss and Tom Waits. Other rock legend guests included; Janis Joplin, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Cochran, the Beach Boys, Jim McGuinn of the Byrds, Led Zeppelin, Guns and Roses, Martha and the Vandellas, and Frank Zappa and his "freak-outs".
8401 Sunset Blvd. at Kings Road
Everyone loves Rodney
The Continental Hyatt House, just down the Strip from the Whisky and Rainbow, more or less invented the the rock 'n' roll hotel the late 1960's and early 1970's. The Riot House, as it came to be known, truly defined itself during the ’70s, when the coffee shop was overrun with teenage groupies hoping to meet a rock star legend.
Everyone loves Rodney
Gene Autry's Continental Hotel in 1966
1966 photo: LAPL Database
"I am a Golden God!"
Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin looked out from the Continental Hyatt House in Los Angeles in 1975.
photo By STEVEN KURUTZ
1963 photo: Herald Examiner
LAPL Photo Database
9876 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills
1966 photo: LAPL Database
"I am a Golden God!"
Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin looked out from the Continental Hyatt House in Los Angeles in 1975.
photo By STEVEN KURUTZ
Jim Morrison lived at the Hyatt until he was reportedly evicted by management for hanging out a window by his fingertips, dangling over the pavement.
Led Zeppelin rented as many as six floors of the hotel in the mid-to-late 1970s for the band members and entourage. Drummer John Bonham was reported to have driven a motorcycle along the hallways.
Room 1015 bears the distinction of being where Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards dropped a TV out the window.
The Who's Keith Moon was also reported to have dropped a TV out of one of the hotel's windows.
Led Zeppelin rented as many as six floors of the hotel in the mid-to-late 1970s for the band members and entourage. Drummer John Bonham was reported to have driven a motorcycle along the hallways.
Room 1015 bears the distinction of being where Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards dropped a TV out the window.
The Who's Keith Moon was also reported to have dropped a TV out of one of the hotel's windows.
Gene Autry's new Hotel Continental
1963 photo: Herald Examiner
LAPL Photo Database
Runner up hotels for sighting the more established industry-type rock stars who could afford a more upscale hotel in Beverly Hills:
- The Beverly Hilton Hotel
- The Beverly Hills Hotel
9876 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills
As the Beverly Hilton Hotel looks today
2009 photo: tlc
In 1976. Queen’s singer Freddie Mercury was staying at the Beverly Hilton. Belinda Carlisle and her friend Teri Ryan (Lorna Doom) were hanging around the hotel's lobby hoping to get a glimps of Freddie Mercury and/or his autograph. Instead, they met some other obsessed teenagers trying to doing the same thing they were. They turned out to be Darby Crash (Paul Beahm), Pleasan Gehman and Georg Ruthenberg (Pat Smear) from West LA.
Belinda and Lorna would soon become friends with them and agreed to join Darby's new punk band called the Germs - even though no one knew how to play any instruments or sing. Belinda was suppose to play drums and Lorna would play bass. However, Belinda quit after a short period because she became ill. She never did play drums, but she did work as the group's prop girl for awhile. Lorna would continue to be the bass player for the Germs.
It was this relationship with the punk music scene in Hollywood that led Belinda to meet fellow future Go-Goer in the Hollywood punk rock music scene - Jane Wiedlin.
Belinda and Lorna would soon become friends with them and agreed to join Darby's new punk band called the Germs - even though no one knew how to play any instruments or sing. Belinda was suppose to play drums and Lorna would play bass. However, Belinda quit after a short period because she became ill. She never did play drums, but she did work as the group's prop girl for awhile. Lorna would continue to be the bass player for the Germs.
It was this relationship with the punk music scene in Hollywood that led Belinda to meet fellow future Go-Goer in the Hollywood punk rock music scene - Jane Wiedlin.
The Beverly Hills Hotel
Crescent Drive and Sunset Boulevard
The Beverly Hills Hotel was too upscale to allow teenagers to hang out at the Polo Lounge in the hopes of meeting a celebrity. So this place was pretty off limits. Not the sort of place a punker rocker would stay in either.
Crescent Drive and Sunset Boulevard
The Beverly Hills Hotel was too upscale to allow teenagers to hang out at the Polo Lounge in the hopes of meeting a celebrity. So this place was pretty off limits. Not the sort of place a punker rocker would stay in either.
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1 comment:
BTW, Lorna's real name is spelled Teri, not Terry. She was one of my best friends in HS for 2 years.
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