While still underage, "baby groupie" Sable Starr claimed to have slept with countless rock stars while controlling the social scene on Hollywood's Sunset Strip, but an abusive relationship with one rocker nearly destroyed her life.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesSable Starr, left, and fellow groupie Lori Mattix, right, posing with Dave Hill, the guitarist from Slade.
A lot of people dream of being rock stars. Often, it’s not the music that makes the idea so appealing, but the lifestyle. For some, the groupies are a big part of the allure, though like with many things about the rock star lifestyle, the stereotypical image of the groupie isn’t exactly the truth.
In the 1970s, there was a far darker side to the groupie scene. And Sable Starr, often described as the “Queen of the Groupies,” was at the heart of it. While underage, she claimed to have dated or slept with nearly every big-name rocker who visited Los Angeles. To other “baby groupies,” her life seemed glamorous, especially since she was known for her outrageous style.
But then, she said she entered a relationship with one rocker that was marred by violent abuse, drug addiction, and turmoil. She later remembered, “After I was with him, I just wasn’t Sable Starr anymore.”
Who Was Sable Starr?
Born in 1957 or 1958, Sabel Hay Shields got into the rock scene at an early age. By 12, she was frequently attending concerts with her friends. At one concert, she said she lost her virginity to the guitarist of the band Spirit. She found the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle intoxicating, and before long, she began frequenting trendy clubs in Los Angeles and calling herself Sable Starr.
Starr later claimed that she was “nuts to begin with” as a young girl and then added, “I always liked getting into trouble.”
The clubs she attended were frequent hangouts of some of the biggest names in ’70s rock, like David Bowie and Robert Plant. Dressed up in flamboyant clothing, Starr and her friends hoped to attract rock stars who came to town. Starr became the leader of the “baby groupies,” a name that came from the girls’ shockingly young ages. Starr herself was just 14.
Wikimedia CommonsSable Starr, pictured at a concert in 1973.
One night, she and her friend Lori Mattix, also 14, met David Bowie, who allegedly invited the two girls up to his hotel room. Bowie would’ve been in his mid-20s at the time.
According to Mattix, Starr demanded that Mattix keep her hands off Bowie, which Mattix was fine with. But once in the hotel room, Mattix said that Bowie invited Mattix to his bathtub and the two had sex. After seeing how upset Starr was, Bowie purportedly invited her into the bedroom as well.
Soon, Sable Starr became “acquainted” with more of the biggest names in rock. It was a wild scene, full of drugs and sex, and few of the rock stars she met seemed to bothered by Starr’s young age. Starr, meanwhile, said she enjoyed her position as “Queen of the Groupies,” controlling the social scene on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. She was even interviewed by Star magazine, where she discussed some of the famous men she was reportedly involved with, including Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, and Rod Stewart.
Some stars backed up her claims. Iggy Pop even referenced his controversial relationship with Starr in the song “Look Away,” in which he sang: “I slept with Sable when she was 13 / Her parents were too rich to do anything / She rocked her way around L.A. / ‘Til a New York Doll carried her away.”
The Rocker Who Pushed Her Too Far
By the age of 16, Sable Starr had met Johnny Thunders, the guitarist for the New York Dolls. Starr ran away from home to be with Thunders in New York. At first, it seemed like a dream come true for Starr.
But the dream turned into a nightmare. According to Starr, her relationship with Thunders became abusive. Thunders, like many rock stars, had a serious drug problem. He was also said to be violently jealous and possessive of Starr, leading Starr to question whether she should stay with him.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesThe rock band Led Zeppelin in a limo with various groupies outside of Rodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco in June 1972. Sable Starr is on the far right.
At one point during their relationship, Starr became pregnant. This inspired Thunders to propose marriage, but Starr ultimately decided against it. Instead, she had an abortion and left him, soon returning to Los Angeles.
She spent a few more years meeting and sleeping with celebrities, enjoying the rise of punk rock. But before long, she retired from the groupie scene.
Starr eventually reflected on how her relationship with Thunders had affected her: “He tried to destroy my personality. After I was with him, I just wasn’t Sable Starr anymore. He really destroyed the Sable Starr thing.”
Later in life, Starr moved to Nevada and became an employee at the Carson Valley Inn, a casino hotel in Minden. Her later years were relatively calm, as she pursued new hobbies like golf and focused on spending time with her loved ones. She died on April 18, 2009 of brain cancer. She was just 51.
In many ways, Sable Starr has a complicated legacy. She never seemed to have been regretful about her life as a groupie, and she spoke fondly about most of her relationships and flings with rock stars, with Thunders being an exception. But today, most view her early relationships as predatory. After all, she was a young teenager involved with older men, many of whom were wealthy and powerful and had seemingly unlimited access to drugs.
The fact that most of her earliest relationships were with popular rock icons who were many years her senior makes it even more disturbing. While some still view Starr herself in a positive light, to others, she represents a lasting reminder of the darker side of rock ‘n’ roll and its tragic impact.
After learning about the tumultuous life of Sable Starr, read about Cynthia Albritton, the groupie who made dozens of plaster casts of rock stars’ penises. Then, take a look at the story of Connie Hamzy, the groupie who alleged that she had an encounter with Bill Clinton.
