Joan Jett, page 1

January 19, 1978, Whisky

Johnny Rotten, Joan Jett and Lisa in the mirror. When the Sex Pistols broke up, Johnny, Paul and Steve made their way to LA. I have shots of Paul "Cookie," drummer and guitarist and star DJ Steve Jones at the Masque, but that's for another time.

January 27, 1978, Santa Monica Carousel

Can you see why we love Joan? She was one of the few people in America wearing Pistols shirts so early on and when the Runaways opened for the Ramones at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Love the black gloves. It doesn't get more authentically punk than that. Fuck you Avril and Ashee Simpson and all you poseurs. Buy Joan's CDs/DVD and forget those wusses.

August 10, 1977, Whisky backstage

Jeff of the SF Nuns, Rodney, Dee Dee, Joan and Joey. My camera washed out a lot of images. I wanted to post this and obviously need to work on it.

August 10, 1977, Whisky backstage

THE two original punks: Dee Dee Ramone and Joan Jett. Need to say more?

Dee Dee, I miss you . . . what a beautiful shot, how I loved photographing both of them. My passion for Dee Dee's high cheekbones prompted me to grab my camera. What a sweet man.

 
Spring/Summer 1977, Joan, Farrah and KK Barrett

Joan Jett in Cheap Trick t-shirt pointing toy gun (too bad it wasn't real!) at hateful Farrah Faucet-Minor and then-boyfriend, KK of the Screamers, Black Randy and Dangerhouse. We hung out at the apt of Farrah, her best friend Exene and John Doe (of X), on La Jolla, south of Santa Monica, around the corner from the dearly departed Starwood on Santa Monica and Crescent Heights. The apt was south of Circus Books, the inspiration for "Adult Books." It was in this kitchen anti-semite drunken Farrah named me "Jenny Lens" while attempting to taunt me.

There's a great story about how one night I was screaming because she was such a bitch to me. Someone outside called the police. How I wish I were there when they came over! But it never stopped the little cunt and all I could do in those days was cry, scream and flee.

The minute Farrah left, KK began a hot and heavy fling with Trudie, resulting in a one of the longest lasting marriages and families in punk.

"She had to say good-bye . . ." LA punks celebrated her departure! What a nasty piece of work! But we all had fun in that apartment!

Spring/Summer 1977, Whisky floor (I stood on the stairs behind them to take onstage photos)

Joan, Farrah in her nurse's uniform and KK. The original is a color slide, but til I dig it up, this will do. At the legendary Whisky. Ah, if the walls could talk! More than likely, we were at the Whisky for a show and then headed over to La Jolla, south of Santa Monica Boulevard for a spontaneous party you see in the shot to the left of this one.

I have shots of Joan foolin' around with performer/writer Pleasant Gehman, Rand McNally of Dangerhouse and fellow Okie (like KK) and the Randoms, a band with Rand, KK and John Doe, whom I photographed in a rare performance the last official night of the Masque. Hellin, Cherie the Penguin, Tony the Tiger, Sten Gun of the Skulls, Claude "Kick Boy" Bessy of Slash and others were all hanging out, planning and plotting our cultural revolution.

Who doesn't love Joan Jett? I am so proud of her. She was and is truly a street punk, like me and those I shot and am posting. We went to the shows and created music and parties around the music and drugs and booze and men and women and good and wild times.

I always thought of Joan as the female Johnny Rotten. One of the highlights of my life was when Pleasant called me to get to the Whisky around 1 AM (I had already gone to bed, determined that very night I'd never meet Johnny). I shot Joan and Johnny! Thank you Plez!

I receive requests every day to post and print photos. I am trying, God knows how hard I'm working. On Saturday, February 12, 2004 I got a surprise package: 2 of Joan's CDs, one from Kenny Laguna, and two t-shirts. Because I emailed one jpg to her office. I made very little money and other than my photos, have very little rock memorabilia and little music. I am exhausted, fighting a cold and my apt is leaking, for the second straight month. My eyes are burning, but I'm gonna post some shots, getting energy from her songs and my pix and our shared memories.

"I don't give a damn about my bad reputation." How can you not love someone who has forged a career on her own terms? Joan was always one of us, a party fun gal who loves life and who could rock like few women ever have. Real rockers are lusty, vibrant, smart, funny people and us women are too rare.

Here's to you Joan, and in time I'll post more pix, stories, and nail down the dates. If anyone out there has details, write me!!

My pal Mark Martinez thinks the shot of Joan and Jackie are from the Santa Monica Civic, but I maintain it was the Whisky. I sat front center at SMC and couldn't get both of them in the frame. I remember standing on the Whisky staircase when I shot Joan and Lita, but not same show (Joan's clothes are different). Gotta dig up the negs. What do you think?