Sable Starr
Sable Starr (born Sabel Hay Shields; August 15, 1957 – April 18, 2009) was an American groupie who rose to prominence in the Los Angeles rock music scene during the early 1970s, initiating sexual relationships with musicians as young as age 12.[1][2][3] Starr, often called the "queen of the groupies," frequented clubs on the Sunset Strip such as the Rainbow Bar & Grill and Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco, where she associated with rock stars including Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Marc Bolan, and members of Led Zeppelin.[4][3][2] Her involvement in the "baby groupie" subculture, alongside figures like Lori Maddox, involved underage girls pursuing encounters with adult performers, a practice that drew later scrutiny amid evolving social norms.[2][4] By the late 1970s, Starr shifted from the glam rock milieu to the emerging punk scene, including a relationship with New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders marked by reported physical abuse, before largely retiring from public association with the music world.[4][5] She died of brain cancer in Reno, Nevada, at age 51.[2][3][5]
Early Life
Birth and Family Background
Sabel Hay Shields, professionally known as Sable Starr, was born on August 15, 1957, in the Palos Verdes Peninsula area of Los Angeles County, California.[6] [3] She was raised in a wealthy family within the affluent suburb of Palos Verdes, though specific details about her parents remain unavailable in public records.[6] Sable had at least one sibling, a younger sister named Corel Shields.[6] The family's socioeconomic status afforded a comfortable upbringing, but Shields exhibited early rebellious tendencies that strained relations with her parents.[6]Move to Los Angeles and Exposure to Rock Culture
Sable Starr, born Sabel Hay Shields in 1957 to a wealthy family, spent her early years in the affluent Los Angeles suburb of Palos Verdes.[3] [7] From this insulated environment, she ventured into the burgeoning rock scene of central Los Angeles as a pre-teen, drawn to the vibrant nightlife along the Sunset Strip.[8] Her initial exposure came at age 12, when she lost her virginity to Randy California, guitarist of the Los Angeles-based band Spirit, initiating her entanglement with local musicians.[3] By age 14, around 1971, Starr regularly attended Sunset Strip hotspots including the Whisky a Go Go—where a friend first invited her—the Rainbow Bar and Grill, and Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco, despite her youth and lack of formal residency in Hollywood.[3] [8] These venues served as gateways to the glam rock culture, where underage "baby groupies" like Starr mingled with performers amid the era's permissive atmosphere.[7] At Bingenheimer's club, a hub for emerging British glam acts, Starr encountered bands such as T. Rex and Mott the Hoople, solidifying her immersion in the scene's hedonistic undercurrents.[7] While maintaining residence in Palos Verdes to satisfy familial expectations, her frequent forays exposed her to the raw energy of live performances, backstage access, and the social networks that defined 1970s Los Angeles rock.[3]Entry into Groupie Scene
First Encounters with Musicians
Sable Starr's initial forays into the rock musician scene began around age 12 in the late 1960s, amid the burgeoning Los Angeles rock culture on the Sunset Strip. Her first documented sexual encounter occurred with Randy California, guitarist of the band Spirit, when she was 12 years old, marking her loss of virginity and entry into groupie activities.[2] [4] This episode, reported in multiple retrospective accounts from participants in the era's groupie network, reflected the permissive and often exploitative dynamics of the time, where underage girls gained access to musicians through clubs and after-parties.[9] By age 13, Starr had connected with Iggy Pop of The Stooges during their performances in Los Angeles, initiating a brief but intense involvement that Pop later alluded to in his 1996 song "Look Away," with lyrics stating, "I slept with Sable when she was 13 / Her parents were too rich to do anything."[10] Pop's own reference, drawn from personal experience, corroborates the timeline, as The Stooges toured California in 1970 when Starr was approximately 13.[11] These early interactions positioned Starr within the "baby groupies" subset, a term for teenagers who frequented venues like the Rainbow Bar & Grill to meet and engage with performers, often without parental oversight.[2] These encounters, while celebrated in some rock lore for their rebellious allure, were characterized by stark power imbalances, with musicians in their 20s or older accessing girls via the transient hotel and club ecosystem of the era. Starr's rapid immersion stemmed from her family's affluence, which afforded lax supervision, allowing her to navigate the scene independently.[9] Accounts from contemporaries, including other groupies, consistently place these as her foundational experiences, preceding deeper ties to figures like members of Led Zeppelin and the New York Dolls.[4]Rapid Rise in the LA Rock Underworld
Sable Starr, born Sabel Hay Shields in 1957, initiated her involvement in the Los Angeles rock scene while still attending high school, beginning around 1970 at the age of 13. She started frequenting Sunset Strip establishments, particularly Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco, a venue known for attracting underage girls and rock musicians due to its relaxed age policies and celebrity clientele. This early immersion allowed her to navigate the underworld of rock hangouts, where she cultivated an image blending youthful allure with bold fashion, drawing attention from industry figures.[12][4] Starr's rapid prominence stemmed from her proactive pursuit of encounters with musicians, including an early liaison with Iggy Pop, whom she met through the scene's networks; Pop later alluded to their relationship in the 1996 song "Look Away," referencing her age of 13 at the time and her subsequent exploits in LA. Such associations, self-reported in era-specific interviews and corroborated by musical references, elevated her status among peers, positioning her as a pioneer of the "baby groupies"—underage participants in the groupie culture. By aligning with influencers like disc jockey Rodney Bingenheimer, she gained insider access, transitioning from peripheral hanger-on to a recognized tastemaker within months.[10][2] Within a year or two, Starr had mentored younger entrants like Lori Mattix, introducing them to the clique that included Queenie Glam and ruled the teenage faction of the Hollywood rock ecosystem. Photographed in 1972 outside English Disco with fellow groupies, she embodied the era's hedonistic underbelly, her reputation as the "queen of the groupie scene" solidified by 1973 through candid media appearances that highlighted her exploits without apparent remorse from participants. This ascent reflected the permissive dynamics of the early 1970s LA rock milieu, where personal agency and mutual consent narratives prevailed in primary accounts from those involved, despite later ethical scrutiny.[4][2]