My life with Lemmy started because of college campus tours. So kids, don’t skip the campus tours, it could change your life!
I was about to graduate from Kent State University, and really wanted to get as far away from home as possible, so Los Angeles was my goal.
Hanging out in the stacks of the KSU library I met Jay Brothers. We hit it off, chatted for a bit and when I mentioned that I was scheduled to tour schools in LA he invited me to stay with him. My timing was terrible. It rained every day for 10 days straight on my visit.
As a side note: this is a great example of the mindset of a twenty something… I had just met Jay and agreed to fly across the country to stay with him. No hesitation. I was either crazy, or overly trusting or super naïve or just lucky. But he turned out to be a great guy.
On January 03, 1993, Jay and I went to the Griffith Observatory to see the Laserium version of Pink Floyds “The Wall”.
After the laser show, we decided to have drinks at Bordners in Hollywood. Jay thought this would be a good spot for me to hang out with some famous rockers. After a few drinks, and no rocker sightings, Jay was ready to grab a bite to eat but I was ready to continue the party.
ROCK and ROLL HEAVEN
So, Jay suggested The Rainbow Bar and Grill because the kitchen is open until closing at 2:00am. He could have dinner and I could continue drinking
When I first walked into the Rainbow I was in heaven, the walls are filled with rock n roll memorabilia; pictures of Guns and Roses, WASP, Ronnie James Dio, and Motley Crue, along with drums and guitars and clothing. Everyone dressed in rock n roll clothing; leather and big hair, it is like stepping back in time. They always play real heavy metal music; I can’t think of another place where you can listen to Motorhead while eating dinner.
This was a Sunday night, so we got a table straight away. We sat and ordered drinks and food. Then I got up to find the restrooms.
As I walked toward the stairs, I noticed Lemmy leaning on the cigarette machine. I nearly fainted!!
We had just the night before been watching MTV’s Head Bangers Ball with Riki Rachtman and I was telling Jay about seeing Lemmy at Operation Rock n Roll a couple years back. Now here was Lemmy standing right in front of me. I smiled and played it cool, masking my inner excitement, and walked right by him and up the stairs to the restroom.
When I got to the restroom luckily, I was alone. I stood holding onto the sink to try to stay standing, shaking all over. Pulling myself together, I powdered my nose, reapplied lipstick and combed my hair and then checked and rechecked my look in the mirror. I wanted to look perfect when I returned down those stairs
Totally freaking out inside returning down the stairs, I caught Lemmy’s eye and he was definitely checking me out.
First Nervous Conversation with Lemmy
As I walked by, he said “Hey”. When I turned to look, he was motioning for me to come back with that sexy little come-hither finger move. I walked back toward him and he asked” What’s your name? “I turned and said “Debra”. He smiled and asked me if he could buy me a drink.
Now remember I am here with another guy and from where Lemmy was standing he could see that. But this did not stop him. He knew what he liked and what he wanted, and he was not about to let the fact that I was with a guy get in his way.
I was totally losing it inside. My stomach was so far up inside my head that my ears were throbbing. I of course said “yes” that I would love to have a drink with him, and I then tried to explain that I was with a friend. Lemmy said “Just a quick drink in the back bar”. I took a quick look at my friend Jay, ignored the angel on my shoulder and told Lemmy “yes”.
I followed Lemmy to the back bar and he bought me a beer and then I had the nerve to act like I had no idea who he was. Going so far as to ask what his name was and what he did for a living. He wanted to know what my relationship was to the guy that I was with.
What a total mess I was inside. I was such the country bumpkin. And here I was trying to fool a huge rock star into believing that I had no idea who he was. And Lemmy has such a distinguishing look; He is so recognizable with the trademark outfit and the famous moles on his face.
Years later I would confess to my little deception and Lemmy and I would laugh. He believed that I didn’t know who he was. Lemmy does have a slightly different version of how we met. He swears that I picked him up that night, that I made the first move, but these are the true facts about how it went down. He picked ME up!
Anyway, we talked for a little while, my nerves a jumble. I knew that Jay would be wondering where I had disappeared to, and of course talking to Lemmy was totally surreal after just seeing him on MTV the night before.
I finally said to Lemmy that I should get back to my friend. He said, “May I join you?” and I said “yes”. We went back to my table and I politely introduced Lemmy to Jay. Jay had this strange look on his face, like “this guy looks so familiar”.
As we all sat talking, I was going crazy that Jay might say something about our Operation rock n roll concert conversation while watching MTV the night before and sure as shit he began to bring it up. As soon as the words started to come out of his mouth, I kicked him under the table. Being the smart guy that he is, he got the message and stopped mid-sentence.
I do not think that Lemmy was even paying that much attention to him because he just continued looking at me and I just started talking about something else.
I was mesmerized by Lemmy from the start. We continued drinking and eating until the Rainbow closed. Jay and Lemmy really hit it off with a conversation about military gear and World War II stuff and Lemmy just couldn’t take his eyes off me, so, when Lemmy invited us to come back to his place to party after hours, we quickly accepted. I was thrilled. We three packed into the front seat of Jay’s car and drove to Lemmy’s place.
Arriving at Lemmy’s Place for the First Time!
Walking into Lemmy’s apartment that first time was a remarkably interesting, yet overwhelming experience.
That apartment has so much going on. It is like a museum that cannot make up its mind what to specialize in. There is the Nazi collection of swords, daggers, helmets, badges, and uniforms. And the horror collection of skulls, skeletons, and various plastic bloodied body parts.
And I have never in my life seen so many books in a place that is not a library. Books on every subject you can think of from The Civil War and WWII History to Calvin and Hobbs comics to Stephen King novels to books on collecting Nazi stuff and sick jokes books.
And the mail is stacked everywhere. Stacks of mail and big bins of mail. Important mail mixed in with junk mail and catalogs and catalogs for ordering catalogs, CD’s and VHS movies and porn and piles of clothing on every piece of furniture.
I am a total neat freak and probably a bit obsessive compulsive about it, so being in Lemmy’s apartment made me incredibly nervous. I wanted to clean as soon as I arrived that time and every time after that.
Stacks of white boots and cowboy boots can be seen everywhere and plants growing across the ceiling. Every inch of wall space has something tacked to it.
That first night Lemmy, Jay and I listened to Motorhead music and looked at Lemmy’s WWII Nazi collection till about 6:30am. Before we left Lemmy asked if he could see me again before I went back to Ohio and I gave him Jay’s number.
I never thought for a second that he would call. But I would soon learn that if Lemmy says he is going to do something he does it no matter what the case.
We said our goodbyes for the night and as soon as I got into Jay’s car I started to scream at the top of my lungs. I just could not contain it and was so excited to have just hung out with Lemmy!
I had been playing it so cool for so long that I just exploded. Jay just sat and laughed at me. He said, “I almost blew it didn’t I” and we laughed at how he almost blew my Motorhead ignorance act. I am surprised that Lemmy did not hear me screaming from the car.
A First Date?
The next day I was exhausted. No way did I expect Lemmy to call, but he did.
Jay and I were just lounging around trying to recover from being out all night when Jay’s phone rang. Every time Jay’s phone rang that day my heart stopped. When it would turn out not to be Lemmy, I would say “see he’s not going to call”.
Then the phone rang and when Jay started the phone conversation, I immediately knew who he was talking to. He got this excited look on his face as if he were so happy for me. They spoke for a second or two exchanging the usual niceties and then Jay handed the phone over to me.
I could barely speak. Lemmy said “Hi, Deb how about coming over?” He invited me over for dinner and a movie. I was just beside myself. It all seemed so unreal. I remember thinking “this feels like a dream, this feels like a dream, this feels like a dream, I’m really going to be disappointed when I wake up in my shitty little world.”
But it was all truly happening to me. I was going out on a date with a real rock star!