I recently had the opportunity to interview my friend (and idol!) Rosemary Butler for Rock Cellar Magazine. In addition to her mind-blowing resume, Rosie's got a life story that will knock your socks off. Below is an excerpt, link to full article at bottom. -->
Walking into Starbucks to meet Rosemary Butler, I am
astounded by the people sitting around her, casually sipping lattes while
fixated on their cellphones. Don’t they know they are in the presence of rock
royalty? Forgive me if I’m starstruck, but this is Rosie, the queen of all
background singers. Rosie: the voice on Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty” and
“Stay.” The voice that wailed “You’re No Good” with Linda Rondstadt and
harmonized with Bette Midler on “The Rose.” This is a woman who backed up Etta
James for crying out loud, who has sung with Paul Mc Cartney and performed for
Princess Diana and Prince Charles.
 |
| Clarence Clemons, Roy Bittan, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, and Rosemary Butler |
She brightens when she sees me, her megawatt smile wide and beaming.
Her huge blue eyes reflect a youthfulness and innocence. My bass-playing friend
Chazz aptly describes her as, “the Goldie Hawn of music.
As one of six children, Rosemary grew up an army brat,
moving often. Her father’s career took them all over the country, molding her
gypsy spirit. At twelve years old, while spending months in a full body cast,
she sought solace by banging away on an old guitar. Little did she know this
little hobby would one day take her around the world.
Rosie never attended her high school prom but she had a good
reason: her all-girl band The
Ladybirds had an opening gig for The Rolling Stones. After the gig, the boys in
the band ventured up to the girl-bands hotel room. “They came to our hotel room
thinking, ‘hmmm, a girl band. This’ll be easy,’” she muses, “but we were little
virgins. We had our flannel nightgowns on and we were like, ‘um, we’re really
Beatles freaks.’” The guys continued to stand outside their door smoking
cigarettes, waiting for the girls to come to their senses, but the girls kept
that door shut. Days later, while everyone came back to school sharing their
prom mementos, Rosie sold the cigarette butts the Stones had left outside her
door. “That’s when I knew that my life was going to be different.”
Walking into Starbucks to meet Rosemary Butler,
I am astounded by the people sitting around her, casually sipping
lattes while fixated on their cellphones. Don’t they know they are in
the presence of rock royalty? Forgive me if I’m starstruck, but this is
Rosie, the queen of all background singers. Rosie: the voice on Jackson Browne’s Running on Empty and Stay. The voice that wailed You’re No Good with Linda Rondstadt and harmonized with Bette Midler on The Rose. This is a woman who backed up Etta James for crying out loud, who has sung with Paul McCartney and performed for Princess Diana and Prince Charles.
She brightens when she sees me, her megawatt smile wide and beaming. Her huge blue eyes reflect a youthfulness and innocence. My bass-playing friend Chazz aptly describes her as, “the Goldie Hawn of music.”
As one of six children, Rosemary grew up an army brat, moving often. Her father’s career took them all over the country, molding her gypsy spirit. At twelve years old, while spending months in a full body cast, she sought solace by banging away on an old guitar. Little did she know this little hobby would one day take her around the world.
Rosie never attended her high school prom but she had a good reason: her all-girl band The Ladybirds had an opening gig for The Rolling Stones. After the gig, the boys in the band ventured up to the girl-band’s hotel room. “They came to our hotel room thinking, ‘hmmm, a girl band. This’ll be easy,’” she muses, “but we were little virgins. We had our flannel nightgowns on and we were like, ‘um, we’re really Beatles freaks.’”
The guys continued to stand outside their door smoking cigarettes, waiting for the girls to come to their senses, but the girls kept that door shut. Days later, while everyone came back to school sharing their prom mementos, Rosie sold the cigarette butts the Stones had left outside her door. “That’s when I knew that my life was going to be different.”
- See more at: http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2014/05/06/rosemary-butler-the-girl-who-fell-in-love-with-the-world-interview/#sthash.z1B795S5.dpuf
She brightens when she sees me, her megawatt smile wide and beaming. Her huge blue eyes reflect a youthfulness and innocence. My bass-playing friend Chazz aptly describes her as, “the Goldie Hawn of music.”
As one of six children, Rosemary grew up an army brat, moving often. Her father’s career took them all over the country, molding her gypsy spirit. At twelve years old, while spending months in a full body cast, she sought solace by banging away on an old guitar. Little did she know this little hobby would one day take her around the world.
Rosie never attended her high school prom but she had a good reason: her all-girl band The Ladybirds had an opening gig for The Rolling Stones. After the gig, the boys in the band ventured up to the girl-band’s hotel room. “They came to our hotel room thinking, ‘hmmm, a girl band. This’ll be easy,’” she muses, “but we were little virgins. We had our flannel nightgowns on and we were like, ‘um, we’re really Beatles freaks.’”
The guys continued to stand outside their door smoking cigarettes, waiting for the girls to come to their senses, but the girls kept that door shut. Days later, while everyone came back to school sharing their prom mementos, Rosie sold the cigarette butts the Stones had left outside her door. “That’s when I knew that my life was going to be different.”
- See more at: http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2014/05/06/rosemary-butler-the-girl-who-fell-in-love-with-the-world-interview/#sthash.z1B795S5.dpuf
Walking into Starbucks to meet Rosemary Butler,
I am astounded by the people sitting around her, casually sipping
lattes while fixated on their cellphones. Don’t they know they are in
the presence of rock royalty? Forgive me if I’m starstruck, but this is
Rosie, the queen of all background singers. Rosie: the voice on Jackson Browne’s Running on Empty and Stay. The voice that wailed You’re No Good with Linda Rondstadt and harmonized with Bette Midler on The Rose. This is a woman who backed up Etta James for crying out loud, who has sung with Paul McCartney and performed for Princess Diana and Prince Charles.
She brightens when she sees me, her megawatt smile wide and beaming. Her huge blue eyes reflect a youthfulness and innocence. My bass-playing friend Chazz aptly describes her as, “the Goldie Hawn of music.”
As one of six children, Rosemary grew up an army brat, moving often. Her father’s career took them all over the country, molding her gypsy spirit. At twelve years old, while spending months in a full body cast, she sought solace by banging away on an old guitar. Little did she know this little hobby would one day take her around the world.
Rosie never attended her high school prom but she had a good reason: her all-girl band The Ladybirds had an opening gig for The Rolling Stones. After the gig, the boys in the band ventured up to the girl-band’s hotel room. “They came to our hotel room thinking, ‘hmmm, a girl band. This’ll be easy,’” she muses, “but we were little virgins. We had our flannel nightgowns on and we were like, ‘um, we’re really Beatles freaks.’”
The guys continued to stand outside their door smoking cigarettes, waiting for the girls to come to their senses, but the girls kept that door shut. Days later, while everyone came back to school sharing their prom mementos, Rosie sold the cigarette butts the Stones had left outside her door. “That’s when I knew that my life was going to be different.”
- See more at: http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2014/05/06/rosemary-butler-the-girl-who-fell-in-love-with-the-world-interview/#sthash.z1B795S5.dpuf
She brightens when she sees me, her megawatt smile wide and beaming. Her huge blue eyes reflect a youthfulness and innocence. My bass-playing friend Chazz aptly describes her as, “the Goldie Hawn of music.”
As one of six children, Rosemary grew up an army brat, moving often. Her father’s career took them all over the country, molding her gypsy spirit. At twelve years old, while spending months in a full body cast, she sought solace by banging away on an old guitar. Little did she know this little hobby would one day take her around the world.
Rosie never attended her high school prom but she had a good reason: her all-girl band The Ladybirds had an opening gig for The Rolling Stones. After the gig, the boys in the band ventured up to the girl-band’s hotel room. “They came to our hotel room thinking, ‘hmmm, a girl band. This’ll be easy,’” she muses, “but we were little virgins. We had our flannel nightgowns on and we were like, ‘um, we’re really Beatles freaks.’”
The guys continued to stand outside their door smoking cigarettes, waiting for the girls to come to their senses, but the girls kept that door shut. Days later, while everyone came back to school sharing their prom mementos, Rosie sold the cigarette butts the Stones had left outside her door. “That’s when I knew that my life was going to be different.”
- See more at: http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2014/05/06/rosemary-butler-the-girl-who-fell-in-love-with-the-world-interview/#sthash.z1B795S5.dpuf
Walking into Starbucks to meet Rosemary Butler,
I am astounded by the people sitting around her, casually sipping
lattes while fixated on their cellphones. Don’t they know they are in
the presence of rock royalty? Forgive me if I’m starstruck, but this is
Rosie, the queen of all background singers. Rosie: the voice on Jackson Browne’s Running on Empty and Stay. The voice that wailed You’re No Good with Linda Rondstadt and harmonized with Bette Midler on The Rose. This is a woman who backed up Etta James for crying out loud, who has sung with Paul McCartney and performed for Princess Diana and Prince Charles.
She brightens when she sees me, her megawatt smile wide and beaming. Her huge blue eyes reflect a youthfulness and innocence. My bass-playing friend Chazz aptly describes her as, “the Goldie Hawn of music.”
As one of six children, Rosemary grew up an army brat, moving often. Her father’s career took them all over the country, molding her gypsy spirit. At twelve years old, while spending months in a full body cast, she sought solace by banging away on an old guitar. Little did she know this little hobby would one day take her around the world.
Rosie never attended her high school prom but she had a good reason: her all-girl band The Ladybirds had an opening gig for The Rolling Stones. After the gig, the boys in the band ventured up to the girl-band’s hotel room. “They came to our hotel room thinking, ‘hmmm, a girl band. This’ll be easy,’” she muses, “but we were little virgins. We had our flannel nightgowns on and we were like, ‘um, we’re really Beatles freaks.’”
The guys continued to stand outside their door smoking cigarettes, waiting for the girls to come to their senses, but the girls kept that door shut. Days later, while everyone came back to school sharing their prom mementos, Rosie sold the cigarette butts the Stones had left outside her door. “That’s when I knew that my life was going to be different.”
- See more at: http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2014/05/06/rosemary-butler-the-girl-who-fell-in-love-with-the-world-interview/#sthash.z1B795S5.dpuf
She brightens when she sees me, her megawatt smile wide and beaming. Her huge blue eyes reflect a youthfulness and innocence. My bass-playing friend Chazz aptly describes her as, “the Goldie Hawn of music.”
As one of six children, Rosemary grew up an army brat, moving often. Her father’s career took them all over the country, molding her gypsy spirit. At twelve years old, while spending months in a full body cast, she sought solace by banging away on an old guitar. Little did she know this little hobby would one day take her around the world.
Rosie never attended her high school prom but she had a good reason: her all-girl band The Ladybirds had an opening gig for The Rolling Stones. After the gig, the boys in the band ventured up to the girl-band’s hotel room. “They came to our hotel room thinking, ‘hmmm, a girl band. This’ll be easy,’” she muses, “but we were little virgins. We had our flannel nightgowns on and we were like, ‘um, we’re really Beatles freaks.’”
The guys continued to stand outside their door smoking cigarettes, waiting for the girls to come to their senses, but the girls kept that door shut. Days later, while everyone came back to school sharing their prom mementos, Rosie sold the cigarette butts the Stones had left outside her door. “That’s when I knew that my life was going to be different.”
- See more at: http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2014/05/06/rosemary-butler-the-girl-who-fell-in-love-with-the-world-interview/#sthash.z1B795S5.dpuf
Walking into Starbucks to meet Rosemary Butler,
I am astounded by the people sitting around her, casually sipping
lattes while fixated on their cellphones. Don’t they know they are in
the presence of rock royalty? Forgive me if I’m starstruck, but this is
Rosie, the queen of all background singers. Rosie: the voice on Jackson Browne’s Running on Empty and Stay. The voice that wailed You’re No Good with Linda Rondstadt and harmonized with Bette Midler on The Rose. This is a woman who backed up Etta James for crying out loud, who has sung with Paul McCartney and performed for Princess Diana and Prince Charles.
She brightens when she sees me, her megawatt smile wide and beaming. Her huge blue eyes reflect a youthfulness and innocence. My bass-playing friend Chazz aptly describes her as, “the Goldie Hawn of music.”
As one of six children, Rosemary grew up an army brat, moving often. Her father’s career took them all over the country, molding her gypsy spirit. At twelve years old, while spending months in a full body cast, she sought solace by banging away on an old guitar. Little did she know this little hobby would one day take her around the world.
Rosie never attended her high school prom but she had a good reason: her all-girl band The Ladybirds had an opening gig for The Rolling Stones. After the gig, the boys in the band ventured up to the girl-band’s hotel room. “They came to our hotel room thinking, ‘hmmm, a girl band. This’ll be easy,’” she muses, “but we were little virgins. We had our flannel nightgowns on and we were like, ‘um, we’re really Beatles freaks.’”
The guys continued to stand outside their door smoking cigarettes, waiting for the girls to come to their senses, but the girls kept that door shut. Days later, while everyone came back to school sharing their prom mementos, Rosie sold the cigarette butts the Stones had left outside her door. “That’s when I knew that my life was going to be different.”
- See more at: http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2014/05/06/rosemary-butler-the-girl-who-fell-in-love-with-the-world-interview/#sthash.z1B795S5.dpuf
She brightens when she sees me, her megawatt smile wide and beaming. Her huge blue eyes reflect a youthfulness and innocence. My bass-playing friend Chazz aptly describes her as, “the Goldie Hawn of music.”
As one of six children, Rosemary grew up an army brat, moving often. Her father’s career took them all over the country, molding her gypsy spirit. At twelve years old, while spending months in a full body cast, she sought solace by banging away on an old guitar. Little did she know this little hobby would one day take her around the world.
Rosie never attended her high school prom but she had a good reason: her all-girl band The Ladybirds had an opening gig for The Rolling Stones. After the gig, the boys in the band ventured up to the girl-band’s hotel room. “They came to our hotel room thinking, ‘hmmm, a girl band. This’ll be easy,’” she muses, “but we were little virgins. We had our flannel nightgowns on and we were like, ‘um, we’re really Beatles freaks.’”
The guys continued to stand outside their door smoking cigarettes, waiting for the girls to come to their senses, but the girls kept that door shut. Days later, while everyone came back to school sharing their prom mementos, Rosie sold the cigarette butts the Stones had left outside her door. “That’s when I knew that my life was going to be different.”
- See more at: http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2014/05/06/rosemary-butler-the-girl-who-fell-in-love-with-the-world-interview/#sthash.z1B795S5.dpuf
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love,
Hollye