New author Cherry Vanilla reads from her sensational biography, Lick Me.
Unplanned as the moment was it couldn't have been better scripted: As Cherry Vanilla recounted the late night when a Ziggy-era David Bowie dropped his glittering drawers for her, out of the opposite corner in the salon at Hollywood's Chateau Marmont came a howl, not so much in scorn as much as esprit de corps, from a silver sequin-sheathed Angie Bowie, who, after all, was still wed to the glam god when he popped Cherry's official role as his publicist.
The extent of Cherry and Bowie's lovey dovey connection rebroadcast in full Technicolor many evenings after, and they live on in Cherry's hot new memoir, Lick Me: How I Became Cherry Vanilla. So are her truly wild child adventures as part of Andy Warhol's gang and in Warren Beatty's bed, partying and performing at Max's Kansas City and in London's fledgling punk scene, and as a singer-songwriter through all the downtown debauchery across two continents.
She's regaled pals, especially an enthralled younger set, over the years, including devotees Rufus Wainright, who hosted Wednesday's night intimate gathering and penned the forward to the book, and Bryan Rabin, who organized this L.A. celebration and next week's New York dinner hosted by Tim Burton.
After Cherry, clutching a handful of typed pages, entertained the group of us with the bedding Bowie tale (punctuated a couple of times by Angie's friendly and amusing outbursts), Rufus sat down to the beaten piano and performed a couple of his signature beautiful yet wrist-slashing songs. The whole cherry-colored moment of it all was, indeed, as if we'd died and gone to rock 'n roll heaven.
Buy the Book: Metalsmith Michael Schmidt hides behind the covers.
Rufus Wainright tinkles the ivories for the 60-odd (and I do mean odd!) pals gathered in the salon at the Chateau Marmont.
Badass Linda Ramone looking chic as ever.
Fashion writer Linlee Allen
Still one of L.A.'s best fashion designers—and best-kept secrets, an always turned-out Magda Berliner giving us all a white-hot shock with her newly platinum hair.
Commune creative heads Steven Johanknecht and Roman Alonso flank another of L.A.'s standout rtw designers, Jasmin Shokrian.
Fine Young Cannibals: Pals Azia Crescenzo and Cherokee Neas keeping glam [rock] electric.
Yours truly, Rose Apodaca, with Constance—drag performer, artist and Robert Mappelthorpe muse—who begins a weekly Wednesday cabaret engagement at Palihouse in WeHo November 10.
Tatiana von Furstenberg, Francesca Gregorini and Cherry darling
Getting schooled on his namesake, Bowie Smallcombe and mum Malin
My star sister, fellow Gemini and beguiling chanteuse (what a voice!) Morganne Picard. She's off to Santa Barbara on Saturday to sing for a Ferragamo event, then joining Constance at Palihouse on November 17.
Handsome Kristopher Houser
Brian Gainey and doyenne of downtowners everywhere Annie Flanders
Lensman Greg Gorman and designer-artist Tere Tereba, who, like Cherry, is a fellow Warhol Superstar.
A man of many tales, Roy Oldenkamp
Cherokee Neas and Rufus Wainright
Cherokee's ma and pa Susan and Tom, who used to wield his lens at all of club-going kids in the rockabilly, punk, ska and goth scenes in the 1980s and chronicle them in his 'zine More Mayonnaise. Tom is recording Cherry reading her book. Cannot wait to hear it!
Mr. Fuentes and Howie Pyro, he of the amazing Intoxica radio show
The man behind the evening, Bryan Rabin
Catch Cherry Friday night, November 5, as she reads from her book at the fabulous literary series hosted by Erin Tavin and Steffie Nelson held at Tavin, 1543 Echo Park Avenue, Los Angeles 90026. Reading starts at 7:30 p.m. sharp and sustainably farmed Wente wine on tap.
All Photos by Rose Apodaca, except for: Cherokee and Rufus by Tom Neas; Cherry Vanilla, Rose and Constance, Tatiana von Furstenberg, Francesca Gregorini with Cherry, Greg Gorman and Tere Tereba, Roy Oldenkamp, and Bryan Rabin are all by David Crotty for Patrick McMullan Company
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