On Being a Fangirl...

I have a theory that being a fan is in someone’s DNA. I base this theory totally on my life, for I’ve been a fangirl practically since I was born. At age mumblemumblemumble, I’m still a fangirl. (Clay Aiken, eat your heart out. *g*)

I started when I was 4 years old. Don’t ask me why, but I became a fan of Glen Campbell. This was during the phase of his having a TV variety show every week. According to my Mom, I was hooked, and thought he was cuuuuuuuute. Never missed an episode. Looking back now, I understand his musical talent (my husband enlightened me to the fact many years after my fandom waned that he was important to the legend of the Beach Boys), but what was I thinking on his looks?

Of course, now that most people seem to know him more like this --…well, that makes me REALLY shudder.

My next fandom happened soon after…Davy Jones. Gosh, he was even my height! I also discovered at that time how much I loved British accents. The Monkees, as a whole, were funny to me. Only later (during the reruns in the 1980’s on MTV) did I realize how adult their humor really was. And of course, since I was 4, I didn’t really care that they were a “created” group. By the way, I managed to see the Monkees during that 1980’s tour. That started a second-phase fandom for me during that time frame. Does that give you an idea of how much of a fangirl I can be?

Here is one of their best songs, “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” Davy’s the one who thinks he’s playing the bass guitar. *g*

Then I saw David Cassidy. Boy, I was hooked on him. I had all the Partridge Family albums, and I think I wore out the grooves on a few of them. Since I was taking piano lessons at the time, I even had a few of their albums in sheet music format. (My Mom wasn’t happy about that, but she learned to deal.)

I distinctly remember one day, when my Mom and Dad dropped me off at the local drugstore. I spent a lot of my time there every week pouring over the latest issues of 16 and Tiger Beat. That day, though, a new magazine caught my eye – Rolling Stone. OMG, there’s David!!! And he’s NAKED!!! Yes, I remember the day my hormones kicked into overdrive. Heh.

You’ll notice a similarity to most of these so far. Musicians, but on TV. For me, it really was a “double your pleasure, double your fun” kind of thing. I appreciated watching these guys on a regular basis, but also having the LP there to listen at different times of the day. One of my next ones fits the same pattern – Tony Orlando. I think, in his case, I was really attracted to the fact that he looked so different from anyone I had ever seen before. Growing up in the Midwest, I wasn’t used to tall, dark, ethnic types. Also, his sense of humor came through on his variety show, and I found that very attractive.

But then, my patterns in my fandom started changing a bit. I discovered Randolph Mantooth, from “Emergency!” fame. Whooo, he was hawt. I faithfully watched that show every week, and had posters on the walls for months, if not years. Since then, I’ve always been partial to EMT’s. *g* Another one who didn’t fit the pattern was Parker Stevenson. He had, in my opinion, the best blue eyes of anyone I had ever seen. I still remember fondly watching “The Hardy Boys.” It was a battle to get the TV away from my Dad, but I managed more often than not.

December 1975. My brother and his new wife present me for Christmas with an album – The Bay City Rollers. Dear Lord in heaven, that one album started a good 4 years of fangirly-ness in me. I was obsessed, thoroughly obsessed. I even had a jumpsuit with plaid cuffs on the bottom of the legs. And yes, the kids in high school picked on me. (When Clay wrote about being picked on in Learning to Sing, I understood.) Eh, I suppose it made me tougher in the long run.

My favorite was Les, the lead singer. He was my one “bad boy” that I really liked. I’m pretty sure he smoked, drank, and probably bedded every girl he could during that time frame. I didn’t care…he was dweemy.

The Bay City Rollers were also my first concert experience. It was at the Illinois State Fair in 1977, and talk about mania! There was a race track between the stage and the seating, and I remember girls climbing the fence and running across the track to get to the guys. Two years ago I saw Clay at the same venue – but they allowed fans on the track. No one rushed the stage then, thank God. It’s surreal to think that I’m experiencing that same mania, albeit with totally different performers, at different stages in my life.

Here are the Rollers, circa 1977, with a cover of Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Want to Be With You.”

I think at this point…I’m going to make this a “part one of two.” Yes, my life as a fangirl needs to be split in two because there’s more, MANY more guys to come.

I’m hopeless, aren’t I?

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken, Fandom, Glen Campbell, Monkees, Davy Jones, David Cassidy, Tony Orlando, Randolph Mantooth, Parker Stevenson, Bay City Rollers