I'm With the Band

It’s always about being at the right place at the right time isn’t it? For Pamela Ann Miller, who lived a freewheelin’, rock and rollin’ life to be envied, it was Los Angeles in the 1960’s. Walking down the streets of Sunset Boulevard and hanging out in Laurel Canyon and the Riot House, she became known as Miss Pamela, a member of The GTO's and super groupie extraordinaire. Not only did she set out to meet all the rock stars she idolized, from The Beatles to Jim Morrison to Led Zeppelin (to name but a few), but she became a friend to many of them and so much more. I highly recommend her book I’m With the Band, which paints a perfectly honest picture of a girl in love with rock and roll and the people who made this wonderful music. What separates Miss Pamela from the other groupies is that there is actually a brain behind that pretty face, a big heart with a rock and roll soul. She comes across as a sweet, funny, honest, friendly girl who wears her heart on her sleeve.

With Frank Zappa and The GTO's.

With The Flying Burrito Brothers, lucky Miss Pamela is in between Gram and Chris.

With Jimmy Page.

On the lap of Alice Cooper.

With Keith Moon, and a Pete Townshend thrown in for good measure.

With Michael Des Barres.

And with The Beatles. She actually got to meet each one individually. Bumped into George a few times out and about LA, met Ringo on the set of Zappa's movie 200 Motels, Keith introduced her to John during "the lost weekend," and met Paul during an after concert party.

The Muse Behind the Song: Catherine James

Catherine James has led a life you wouldn’t believe. Her crazy, wanna-be folk singer mother sent her to an orphanage in LA. Luckily her good looks and her mother's connections led a young Catherine to meet Bob Dylan. She then went to look for Dylan in New York and through musician and groupie friends met Denny Laine, who in turn whisked her off to Swinging London. There she lived my dream life; she became a model, went to recording sessions at the Harrison's, hung out at clubs with Paul McCartney, and went dancing with the Starkey's. Unfortunately, Denny didn't turn out like the English Prince Charming Cathy hoped he would be. So she, along with their baby son Damian, went back to Golden California where she worked at the-club-of-the-moment: Thee Experience. There she met Jackson Browne who wrote "Under the Falling Sky" for her. But Cathy went back to England to be with Denny, and quickly realized this was a mistake when he hit her again. She escaped to her good friend Eric Clapton's house were she watched the Layla saga unfold. She also had affairs with Mick Jagger and Jimmy Page. John Mayall's song "Miss James" is about her as well. And you can also read all about Catherine's rock and roll life in her memoir Dandelion.

Catherine with her mother.

 

Modeling Days.

 

With Jimmy Webb.

With her son Damian.

Cathy also hung out at The Factory.

With Nico.

With Edie Sedgwick and other Warhol groupies.

A video of Catherine at The Factory where the above picture was taken at.