Pamela Des Barres is an American author, journalist, and cultural historian whose firsthand accounts of the 1960s and ’70s Los Angeles rock scene have made her one of the most recognizable chroniclers of the era. A former member of The GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously)—the Zappa‑produced, performance‑art girl group—she emerged from the Laurel Canyon orbit as both participant and documentarian of a world few people ever saw from the inside.

Raised in Southern California, Pamela gravitated toward music and counterculture early. Her life changed when she entered Frank Zappa’s creative circle, becoming part of the GTOs, a flamboyant, theatrical collective whose 1969 album Permanent Damage featured contributions from Jeff Beck, Lowell George, Ry Cooder, and members of the Mothers of Invention. Though short‑lived, the GTOs became a cult touchstone of the psychedelic LA underground.

Pamela became internationally known with the release of her bestselling memoir I’m With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie (1987), a candid, funny, and deeply human account of her years among rock’s most mythologized figures. She followed it with Take Another Little Piece of My Heart (1992),  Rock Bottom (1998), Let’s Spend the Night Together (2007), spotlighting 24 other women from the rock scene, and Let It Bleed: How to Write a Rockin’ Memoir (2017), blending craft, memory, and mentorship. Her writing reframed the “groupie” narrative, shifting it from a stereotype to one of agency, artistry, and lived cultural participation.

In recent decades, Pamela has become a respected memoir‑writing instructor, leading workshops across the U.S. and abroad. She is a frequent speaker, podcaster, and interview subject, known for her humor, honesty, and encyclopedic recall of rock history. Her work has helped preserve the voices of women who shaped the culture from the wings, the backstage hallways, and the front rows.

Pamela Des Barres stands as one of the most influential chroniclers of rock’s golden age—not because she observed it from afar, but because she lived it. Her books remain essential reading for anyone seeking the human stories behind the mythology, and her ongoing work continues to elevate the women whose experiences helped define an era. ~ Keith Langerman 2026

PARKING: Paid meters and parking lots are available around the museum on East 9th St., Erieside Ave., Alfred Lerner Way (in front of FirstEnergy Stadium) and at the Great Lakes Science Center. You can also use these links to park in other downtown lots, reserve your parking spot in advance or to take public transportation. All sales final, tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded after purchase unless the performance is canceled.