RATT Singer On Groupie Conquests: 'I Actually Had A Quota Of Three A Day'
May 10, 2013Vocalist Stephen Pearcy of Californian rockers RATT recently spoke to Culture Brats about his long-awaited book, "Sex, Drugs, Ratt & Roll: My Life In Rock". A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Culture Brats: I loved the book. I thought you were brutally honest and were unafraid to paint yourself in an unflattering light. Is this how you are in real life or did you just want to lay it all on the line for the book?
Pearcy: There has to be some flattering moments in there...
Culture Brats: You weren't afraid to paint yourself in an unflattering light is what I'm saying.
Pearcy: True, but I actually had read Steven Tyler's book and Keith Richards's book and I wanted to put myself in a real perspective. I didn't want to paint this picture of, "Oh, it's all roses and everything's picture perfect when you're in this rock group that's successful." I wanted people to know that there is a good, bad, and an ugly and actually what got me there. If I had my choice in life, I would be racing cars. I wouldn't be yelling at people for a living.
Culture Brats: A good portion of the book focuses on Robbin Crosby, your relationship with him, and his contribution to RATT. Was it important to you to make everyone know his role in the band?
Pearcy: Definitely. 100%. Because as the first incarnation of RATT after MICKEY RATT had imploded, Robbin had been jamming with Jake E. Lee and myself. We were actually opening up a lot of club shows for MÖTLEY [CRÜE]. His band imploded and he was very important in the direction and the look we created and where we were going musically. I don't want him forgotten. I want him to forever be associated as an integral part. Granted, what made RATT RATT as we know it are the surviving members and thank God we're together doing what we do to this day. But if it wasn't for Robbin, we could've had a totally different direction.
Culture Brats: There's a reason the book's called "Sex, Drugs, Ratt & Roll: My Life In Rock": there are tons of pages devoted to sexual conquests and drug usage. You have any estimate on how many women you've been with?
Pearcy: Oh God, no. I don't. I actually had a quota of three a day, but I did have normal relationships that did last awhile. I told myself until I was married I would just be me. It's like a kid in a candy store. I didn't keep track, I just knew I was going for that grab bag every day.
Culture Brats: Once again, I really loved the book. I loved hearing all your stories with other bands, like hiding Eddie Van Halen's vodka at your house [so that Valerie Bertinelli wouldn't know he was drinking]. That just seemed so... un-rockstar.
Pearcy: He was trying to stay out of trouble. When he found out I was his neighbor, he was like, "Now I've got a partner in crime!" Who knows what he was going through, but we were friends from back in the day. I actually crashed one of my Porches coming from his house all loaded. A lot of stuff didn't make the book, like meeting Robert Plant or Page. There's so much, it would take books to tell it all. But look, in our occupation, we're all victims of our own excess and success. You watch each other's back, even if you really don't know somebody. It is what it was and it will never be like that again, and that's unfortunate for some of these new guys coming around. There's no way, number one, they can match us in anything and number two, the opportunity wouldn't even be there.
Read the entire interview from Culture Brats.
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