Bebe Buell

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Image:Bookcover bebebuell rebelheart.jpgBebe Buell (born Beverle Lorence Buell on July 14, 1953, in Portsmouth, Virginia) is a former American model and singer, but is best known for dating and marrying a long series of rock musicians.

Her mother, Dorothea, sent her pictures to the Ford modeling agency, and received notice that the agency was interested after only three days. She began modeling professionally at the age of 17, and moved to New York City. There she met and dated rock star Todd Rundgren for several years.

She was Playboy Playmate of the month for November 1974. She was one of the first top-line fashion models to pose for the racy magazine, although it cost her the contract with Ford. She was promptly signed to Wilhelmina in the USA and Models One in the UK. Even after the Playboy issue effected her career in the States she was still in demand in Europe appearing in British and French Vogue, Harper's Queen and Cosmopolitan to name a few.

During and after her open relationship with Rundgren, she also became intimate with many other famous musicians, including Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Jimmy Page, and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. She is the mother, with Tyler, of actress Liv Tyler, born July 1977; Buell allowed Liv to believe that Rundgren was her father until the late 80s, as Tyler was still deeply addicted to drugs at the time. Buell then moved on to Rod Stewart and Stiv Bators, and in 1978, she began a tempestuous affair with the married, but separated at the time of their meeting in June 1978, Elvis Costello which continued on and off until 1984.

In 1981, Buell recorded a four song EP on Rhino Records, produced by Rick Derringer and Ric Ocasek, with The Cars serving as her band on two tracks. The rock band Power Station began in 1984 when then-boyfriend John Taylor (of Duran Duran fame) pulled some famous friends together to provide backing for another of Buell's musical efforts. She also formed the band The B-Sides in 1980 but they disbanded in 1985.

She founded another band called the Gargoyles in 1985, and released a couple of singles. A few large record companies were showing interest, but Buell withdrew from the public eye when the paternity of her daughter Liv became known. In the 1990s, Buell served a six year stint as her daughter's manager, helping to launch Liv's career as a model and actress.

Liv left home in 1997, and her mother returned to music to record a solo effort with producer Don Fleming in 2000.

In 2001, she wrote an autobiography (with Victor Bockris) entitled Rebel Heart: An American Rock and Roll Journey (ISBN 0312266944, ISBN 0312301553) for St. Martin's Press . It hit the New York Times Bestseller list and the paperback was then issued in 2002. She is currently working on a second book and another record.

Buell married musician Jim Wallerstein (of Das Damen and Vacationland fame) in 2002, and returned to modeling in 2003 signing with the IMG Agency in New York City. She also performs around New York with the Bebe Buell Band, with David Matos on guitar and vocals, Tommy USA on bass guitar, and Gregg Carey or Bobbie Rae on drums.

Cameron Crowe has said he based his Penny Lane character in the 2000 movie Almost Famous on two women he met during the early 70s — Bebe Buell and Pennie Trumble aka "Penny Lane". He speaks highly of both Buell and Trumble in the extended DVD of the movie and even said that he took some of Penny's direct dialogue from statements Buell had made in various interviews over the years. Kate Hudson was nominated for an Oscar for the role.

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