1998 introduced Lemmy to more intense competition for my time and attention – surprisingly from glorious Hollywood. In addition to the Zoo and my biology studies I had new friends, new lovers, and was hanging out in a different very old school Hollywood scene. Hollywood movies in black and white are my favorite and suddenly I am having dinner with the stars that I saw on the big screen. Enveloped in awe, I was gravitating to a new world and Lemmy could feel it.
Do I ever hate to admit this but I…again woke up New Years Day – Hungover.
I will not bore you again with the ugly details and complain again about terrible New Years evenings. I will say that Lemmy was such a great guy that night, he was patient and gentle with me when he could have been angry. Instead, he held my hair back when I was sick and brought me a glass of water. – Big tip: Never give a drunken person a FULL glass of water, tiny water is good, big water is bad. When I spilled water all over the bathroom floor and myself and then I passed out wet under the toilet, all before midnight, Lemmy dried me off as much as he could as I was crying and rolling around like a rag doll. He removed the soaking wet robe that I was wearing, put me in a nice dry robe and then put me to bed.
Sorry, I did bore you… Ok let’s move on!
The first two weeks of 1998 we hardly spoke. We fought over the phone and hung up on each other daily it seemed.
And then a change, mid- January, Lemmy called and wanted to come to my apartment to spend the weekend. I was in shock! We always stayed at his place. He had never set foot in my place over the 5 years that we had been dating. I think he could feel that I needed a change of environment when we were together.
On February 27th Lemmy called from the rehearsal studio. He wanted me to meet him and Phil Campbell at Now Voyager, a little club in Toluca Lake within walking distance from my apartment. And Phil was staying at a place up the hill from me so convenient for all. I walked down the block to meet them, and we drank and hung out. Phil is a total character making us laugh and they were joking and telling stories. After partying at the club, Lemmy and I took a walk and we wandered into an antique shop. I noticed a beautiful decanter and Lemmy bought it for me. We went home to hang out, listen to the days recordings and fill the new decanter with bourbon. Jack Daniels of course!
Motorhead Live!!
At the beginning of March, Motorhead played another show at Universal Amphitheater and yet again getting into that place was like breaking into an armed camp. Luckily, this time when the list had not been sent to the will call booth on time, I just drove the mile and a half mile home and called Alex on his cell phone. In a panic he said, “Come back to the gig, I’ll meet you at the front gate and walk you to Lemmy personally.” I got back in my car and drove back to Universal and to Lemmy.
The strangest/coolest thing about this show was that after the show was over and we had partied backstage, Lemmy came home with me! It was surreal to see a rock star on an arena size stage putting on this amazing concert, entertaining thousands and then put him in my truck and go home. It was weird, it was like Lemmy was two vastly different people: Lemmy the rock star up on the stage and Lemmy the boyfriend who sat around all day on the couch in his underwear eating ice cream out of the carton.
Radio Hour
On Saturday March 28, I was hanging out at Lemmy’s watching Star Trek when he came into the room all dressed to leave. I looked up and said, “Where are you off to?” He said, “I have an interview on a talk radio station, 97.1 FM or something’ ‘Alex is coming to pick me up.” I replied “Oh, I listen to Howard Stern and the other talk shows on that station every day and I love it.” He looked at me and said, “Well go get dressed, you can come check out the station and maybe meet some of the people that you listen to.”
I jumped up and ran into the room to put clothes on. Alex came by and took us to the station. I was so excited. I don’t know whom I thought I was going to meet on a Saturday night as I listened to the station only during day work hours, but I loved the shows and I wanted to see where it all went down. David Adelson an entertainment reporter, producer, E! On-air personality had set up an interview with Lemmy and Hard Rock/ Metal journalist Lon Friend on the state of Heavy Metal and of music in general. From January 1998 through January 2000 David did a show called “C-Notes” on KLSX 97.1 FM Los Angeles. Roy Trakin of HITS Magazine was his co-host.
When we arrived at the station I was fully prepared to be taken into a “green” room and told to sit and wait until the interview was over, but no.
The producer, when introduced to me as Lemmy’s girlfriend, invited me to join in the interview. I could barely breath. I was going to be on the radio, and better yet on the station that I listened to every day. They showed us into the studio and put these huge headphones on us and explained a little of how the flow of the show would go.
I must have looked like such a freak perched up on the studio stool, giant headphones on and a huge grin plastered on my wide-eyed face. Lemmy told the producer how I listened to the daily shows and how excited I was to be there. The producer explained which shows were done in that very studio where I sat. I was in awe.
David Adelson joined us, and he began to ask questions of Lemmy and Lon. I sat laughing at the jokes and stories, nodding at the things I agreed with. My mind was spinning. And then near the end of the show David turned to me and said, “So Debra, what’s it like to go out on a date with Motorheads’ Lemmy?” Live on the air, on the radio and I was stunned. I can’t even remember what I said. Something like, “it’s great, Blah Blah Blah. Something more about keeping up with him and chasing off other women…. Blah blah Blah…. and giggling followed by something about our dates always including the Rainbow… more giggling… and then it was over. It was all a blur.
After the radio interview we all went to the Rainbow for dinner and drinks. I wish I wasn’t such a spaz when I find myself in the most exciting moments of my life. When I think back on this night like other surreal nights that I have had with Lemmy, I mostly remember how hot and uncomfortable my head was. And the feeling of the sweat collecting in my armpits.
Incoming Mother Alert
Lemmy is the kind of guy who is not afraid of anything. He can manage most situations -except one that I can think of- meeting my mother. She had flown out from Ohio to visit me, and we decided to fly to Las Vegas for a day trip. We caught the 8:00 am flight, arrived in Vegas in an hour and started drinking and gambling straight away. As we sat at the bar Cleopatra’s Barge in Ceasars Palace we were approached by an older gentleman who struck up a conversation. He was charming and funny and when he discovered that I was a docent at the LA Zoo asked if I could provide a private tour for him and his children. Of course, I said yes, and we exchanged information. Little did I know that this man would over the following year be big competition for Lemmy.
Mom and I caught the last flight out of Vegas for L.A. When we arrived at the airport, I suggested that we catch a cab and go directly to The Rainbow for a late dinner. Mom agreed since she is totally hip and cool about drinking and meeting my friends. I knew that there was a good chance that Lemmy would be there. I was disappointed when I asked him prior to Mom’s arrival if he wanted to meet her. He had asked “Why?” I replied because you’re my boyfriend of 5 years and you should meet my mother. He was so freaked out and tried to make up these strange justifications as to why meeting a girl’s mother was stupid. I knew that it was just fear.
When we arrived at the restaurant we were treated like VIPs by the staff and all my friends came by to chat with my little white-haired mother.
As we ate our meal I looked up and there was Lemmy walking right toward us. The look on his face as it registered that it was me sitting at that table and then that it was my mother sitting next to me was classic. He almost turned to walk in the other direction. I could see the hesitation in his body. I nudged my mom and said, “there’s Lemmy.” He just looked away and walked/ran right by our table and up the stairs to the upper bar.
I was shocked and embarrassed. Luckily, a friend of Lemmy’s and mine were sitting with my mother and me and he was just as surprised as I was. We both looked at each other and just couldn’t believe how cowardice Lemmy was. My mom just laughed and shook her head. Now I was afraid that maybe she was thinking that I had moved to California and had lost my mind and was just imagining that I was in this long relationship with Lemmy.
The next day I tried to explain the situation and I think she understood. She offered no advice, which is good because the situation was so unique. I was not dealing with a normal situation or a normal man.
So, while on a “break” from Lemmy, I started dating the interesting man I met in Las Vegas.
Turns out he was an extremely popular character actor that has appeared in more than two hundred movies and tv shows. When I met him, I thought he seemed familiar, but he had that kind of face where you think familiar, but you cannot place it. And he was fun. A new kind of fun for me. Not just the Rainbow but parties and dancing and UCLA basketball games. He was friends with tons of old school Hollywood actors.
Eddie L was a member of the Beverly Hills Friar’s Club. They held these events where they would honor a member and hold a big dinner. One evening he invited me to attend the event to honor Larry King. I was floored. That night we shared a table with sports commentator Al Micheals and his wife, and Actor Red Buttons. Eddie introduced me to several Hollywood legends including Milton Beryl, Steve Allen, Larry King, Charles Durning, and Richard Dreyfuss. I love old movies, and this was a night I will never forget. And everyone was so nice and friendly.
Ed L. was fun; Dancing, dinner, Jazz clubs. We would cook together and dance in the living room. One night we went to the movie premiere of “Poodle Springs,” and I was standing on the Paramount Studio backlot, with drink in hand having conversation with the star James Caan and movie director Sidney Pollock. I kept thinking “Wow, this is Sonny from the Godfather.” Very surreal. Very cool.
Another night Ed L. and I were having dinner at Matteo’s Italian Restaurant in Beverly Hills and Tony Curtis joins us for a drink at out table. Mr. Curtis was having dinner with his family: including his daughter Jamie Lee Curtis. I was in heaven and in awe.
Lemmy had major competition at this point. When it came down to a choice between going over to Lemmy’s to watch WWII documentaries on tv or going out to dinner with movie stars and dancing I began choosing the Hollywood way.
Lemmy and I did not talk until 2 months after my mom had been in Los Angeles,
I was so upset with his behavior. I think at that point I knew that our relationship would never progress beyond where it was, that we would always be in this weird situation of caring about each other and enjoying each other but only to a point. Anything beyond that was just too intense and scary for him. He would say “If it’s not broke don’t fix it.”
Rock Star Dinner
Motorhead went out on tour that August and when Lemmy arrived back in Los Angeles he called. We were so angry with each other and had a terrible fight right before he left and then there, he was on the phone asking me out. And it was dinner in a restaurant that was NOT the Rainbow.
The guests at dinner included Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols and Wayne Kramer of the MC5, Hugo Burnham, Howard Thompson, David Aaron Clark, Jade Blue Eclipse and Annabel Chong.
It was a birthday party for Howard Thompson if I remember correctly. One of the girls had their teeth filed into tiny fangs. Very cool I thought. We had a reserved party room at Dar Maghreb, a Moroccan restaurant on Sunset Blvd.
The meal included seven courses, which were all eaten communally, one platter for all to share and with fingers only, no silverware. The evening was so much fun. Johnny Rotten AKA John Lydon was so funny and charming and mostly well behaved. When the belly dancer came in to give us a show he got up and danced with her. He pulled his shirt up and played with his nipples while making faces. It was hilarious and prompted all us girls to get up and dance along. I spent a great deal of the evening talking to Wayne Kramer, surprisingly a very gentle quiet man when compared to his on-stage presence. He is extremely intelligent and deep. We all drank a lot, smoked a lot and ate a lot, seven courses that just seemed to just keep coming.
Lemmy left for Europe at the end of September and when he returned mid-November, he asked that I pick him up at the airport. I loved picking him up and this time I wanted it to be special. I decided to show up at the gate wearing only lingerie and a trench coat.
Victoria Secret was my ‘go-to’ for lingerie. My goal was the sexiest thing I could find. My purchase was a two-piece set, red with feathers on the panties. ON the day of his arrival, I showed up specifically at his arrival time. I did not want to have any wait time as it is warm in Los Angeles in November and the trench coat was hot. I parked my truck and made my way to the gate. Wow, I was nervous as hell, and it felt as if everyone in the place was staring at me. I must have looked like a total freak in that big coat. Or maybe like a terrorist hiding something.
When I arrived at the gate, Lemmy’s flight was delayed – 2 hours! I would have to wait, in nothing but underwear and a trench coat. I found the nearest bar and sat down to have a cocktail. Anything to calm my nerves. I sat in that big coat at the bar until the flight arrived. Hot and sweating from both nerves and the outfit. What if I were caught what would they do? Indecent exposure?
As I sat at the bar I started to question the sanity of my actions. But when Lemmy got off that plane and came through the gate and I gave him a quick flash of the little red panty outfit with feathers flying. I knew that I had done the right thing and that it was worth the wait. Lemmy had the biggest look of surprise on his face followed by the biggest grin ever. When we got in the truck, I removed the coat and drove us to Lemmy’s home in my underwear. What a thrill for me and because of the huge grin on Lemmy’s face a total thrill for him.
Coming up Next
Fun New Year’s Eve
Naked on a Firetruck