Twenty plus years ago I was a cigarette girl with big city dreams. We were royalty in SF. People opened doors for us and treated us with the utmost respect wherever we went. Little celebrities.. Invited to parties and meeting rock stars. You could get a big head doing that job.
Tooting my own horn here.. We were all pretty and skinny and sorta hot.. Ok yeah HOT.. It was a factor in it all.
I had a big ego and was a total bitch.
I admit it.. I didn’t need to be around the little people anymore.. I had a huge head. I would go out to eat and people would try and talk to me and I would tell them off.
But for the first time admitting it publicly.. I was painfully shy and most of it was an act so I didn’t have to engage in conversation when the costume was off. I got off work and would go out to eat and want to read a book or just hang with one of my Clairol ad girlfriends. Usually Rachie or Marcella.. And Tammy was along a lot even though she wasn’t a Peachy Puff, she thought it was a silly job so she was a stripper for the Mitchell brothers which in all reality made her even more famous than us. That was the female rock star job in the eighties right there.. Both the Mitchell’s were still alive back then and that place was famous.
I once had to tell a guy that I was eating.. Which I didn’t do well in front of other people mind you.. But I had sold him cigarettes and candy and he tipped me and thought I was cute. He didn’t get that I was eating so I finally said..”Hey dude I don’t go to your house and watch you shit” he went away after calling me the dreaded C word.
It took everything in my power just to eat a cheeseburger in a restaurant.
So I want to tell a little story.
Every year our team of Puffs worked the Bammies. It’s a music awards show in SF usually at the civic center. BAM was a local magazine for local musicians and sucha. It also was in Los Angeles too. The top selling puffs would get to go. So it was the usual crew of me and Rachelanne and Betsy and Marcella and a few top others.. Ten in all. With Backstage passes in hand off we would go to hobnob and be part of the scene. I’d starve for a week to look good that night..I did a few of them so I was a key player. I did most of the industry shows as a puff so hobnobbing was my forte. Got me a few writing jobs too.
I had made friend with the KFOG station peeps and was happy they were there to ease my nerves which let me tell you no matter how many times you work a Bammie show there is still that occasional rock star that sets you shivering with fear and anticipation at once. I was talking with the 49ers and not getting tipped by player Kina Turner when I was called over by Tesla to get some candy going.. Not a big fan of theirs but gracious none the less. I was still reeling that Superbowl champion Kin Turner did not tip me on a 20 buck purchase.. Only Miles Copeland had been that rude.. Not once but twice.
I think they were pissed they had to buy our services.. we should just give out free stuff ya know..
It was at that moment that Marcie from KFOG asked if I would pose in a few photo ops.She was awesome. I would do anything for her even smile for that evil camera that scared me.
First up was… are ya ready?
Todd Rundgren.
I made polite conversation. I was shaking like a leaf and handed him a lollipop as a gift. Cute factor..I told him I was a huge fan and his cockiness reared its ugly head..Like the “How dare I” factor.. He knew it was a photo op and smiled as he basically insulted me.
“What is your favorite song?” he asked.
I replied “ A dream goes on forever” I had started to say how much I loved it when he said yeah typical girl favorite.
I then said well you didn’t my fave Nazz and Utopia songs.. He rolled his eyes.. Clearly annoyed..
So I smiled for the pics.. Handed him his lollipop commented on how he was almost as pale as me.. The sun might help his disposition then said clear as day softly so only he heard me…”My mom was such a big fan of yours.. So glad you can still make music at your age” and went to do the next op.

The rest of the stars I met that night were ultra fabulous and nice…One bad grumpy apple filled with worms don’t spoil the bunch…
This was one of the pics Marcie took. I left it with its date tag..Haven’t fixed it or corrected it. It’s been in a frame in my office for years. I don’t hate Todd.. I am still a huge fan of his music.. and each year past this pic was taken he gets older and older and older..