Groupies Revisited
A new book looks back on a Rolling Stone exposé of 1960s superfans
On February 15,1969, Rolling Stone dedicated an issued to “The Groupies,” the vivacious, often outrageously-dressed and seductive women who were always in the vicinity of popular bands. The article was punctuated with amazing portraits by Rolling Stone photographer Baron Wolman. This issue put groupies on the map. The new book Groupies and Other Electric Ladies: The Original 1969 Rolling Stone Photographs By Baron Wolman lets you relive that iconic era. Here’s a sample of the book’s intriguing art and text.
“The ones who caught my attention were young women who had clearly spent an inordinate amount of time and effort putting themselves together for their backstage appearance. These were not just chicks coming to hang, they were back there strutting their stuff. This was something new—style and fashion mattered greatly, were central to their presentation, and I became fascinated with them because these were obviously not just girls in jeans looking for guys to take home. I discovered what I believed to be a subculture of chic and I thought it merited a story.”—Rolling Stone photographer Baron Wolman.
“Few groupies are truly beautiful girls—though obviously some are. But all the most successful are striking in appearance—every one has some little fillip of makeup, a line under the eye, flowers painted on the cheek, frizzed out hair, something to distinguish herself from all the others—so many others.” —excerpt from Groupies and Other Electric Ladies: The Original 1969 Photographs by Baron Wolman, published by the Antique Collectors Club.
