XII - Bebe Buell || Boy Scout Magazine

It is almost impossible to capture the remarkable life and career of Bebe Buell. Discovered by super agent Eileen Ford who relocated Bebe from her hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia, to New York City where her passion, charisma and stellar looks propelled her into the limelight of Manhattan's music scene. After meeting musical genius Todd Rundgren, the two moved in together and began a steady relationship. When Bebe posed for Playboy in 1974, she became the first fashion model to become a Playboy Playmate (Miss November), but her controversial layout caused her to be fired by the prestigious Ford modeling agency. Affectionately called “Friend To The Stars,” Bebe earned the title because of her closeness to everyone from Jack Nicholson to Andy Warhol, and her carte blanche access to rock’s elite royalty including relationships with Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Rod Stewart, Stiv Bators, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. Bebe’s musical career jumpstarted with her first release, “Covers Girl” (1981) produced by Ric Ocasek and Rick Derringer and featured legendary group The Cars backing her on two tracks. She formed The Gargoyles; the female-fronted, hard rock unit that was ahead of its time and caught the eye of Joey Ramone who had the band open for The Ramones. Soon, offers of record deals followed. But when Bebe’s daughter Liv found out her father was actually Steven Tyler, and not Todd Rundgren, 1991 became a year of big changes. Well documented in the media, Bebe has said that she didn’t want to tell Liv who her real father was because of Steven’s heavy drug addiction at the time. Todd had known that he was not the biological father of Liv but had kept the secret in order to give both Bebe and Liv some semblance of a stable home. As Steven got sober, the news of Liv’s parentage was no longer a secret. Bebe withdrew from the public eye to focus on raising her daughter. Seven years later, after a series of live shows at famed downtown mecca Don Hill’s, The Bebe Buell Band was born. Around this time, Cameron Crowe released the film “Almost Famous” which is heavily based on certain elements of Bebe’s life. Crowe crafted some of the film’s dialogue from Bebe, which he remembered during their friendship on the road with Todd Rundgren in 1973. Released in 2001, Buell's autobiography “Rebel Heart; An American Rock And Roll Journey” (St, Martin’s Press) was a New York Times Bestseller. For almost 20 years she has been married to Jim Wallerstein of Das Damen and Vacationland fame. A musician, mother, muse, model, celebrated lover, manager, best selling author, and pop culture icon, music has always held her deepest passion. Boy Scout talked to Bebe about and spirituality, sex, and Patti Smith.