Blue By Name, Not Blue By Nature.

Posted by Headbangerwoman on October 18, 2012
Posted in: Interviews, Live Shows, Music, TV, Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

“It’s just not good to be full of shit, in either sense.” Susan Blue Ashley, shared with Headbangerwoman.com recently.

You just know that Ashley has encountered more than her fair share of constipated people, asshole connected or otherwise in her 40 some years.

The Ex-Wives Of Rock

Ashley, most recently known for her part in the Slice TV, Tricon production Ex-Wives of Rock, was asked to be a part of the cast because she was married to Warrant bassist Jerry Dixon. The two have a son together. Grady has just turned 19 and made his TV debut on the show.
Back in the late 80’s it was only right that a member of Warrant was with a hot looking girl. Hot looking girls wanted to bag a member of Warrant…..

Blue and Jerry. The early days!

Dixon and Ashley met in New York, away from the kafuffle that was Hollywoods infamous Sunset Strip. She was hot, still is in fact. He was in Warrant. He remains a part of the band. “You know, Warrant had just released their first single, they were starting to tour. Jerry had seen all the other kinds of women on the strip. It was different for us. I was working at MTV, we met in an elevator at ABC. I was a VJ on the show Remote Control. Recording six or seven shows a day, I had no time for anything else, other than grabbing a pizza at the end of the day and going home to sleep. For four months or so we had nothing more than a relationship by phone. He was amazed by the fact that he could call me from any time zone and I would be home at night!”
The relationship ended when Blue Saw Red after Dixon introduced additional boobs and butt into the relationship. Some would say he was a Dirty, Rotten, Filthy, Stinking, Bitch. Whatever the case, Ashley took their son and left Uncle Toms Cabin, headed for a different kind of Heaven.

Warrant bassist. Jerry Dixon.

“I totally removed myself from that lifestyle.” Ashley tells.

“Fortunately we were able to work things out as far as Grady is concerned. I give Jerry a lot of credit for being willing for us to work together and put Grady first. Grady is a sensitive, mindful and thoughtful, gosh darn nice person. You know, I was a single Mom for twelve years, we have a special bond. Even now if he calls me when shit has hit the fan, I will drop everything to be there for him. When your kids start to grow up, It’s hard to let go, but I want him to have a life, you know? I will go to concerts with him when I have no idea about the band. I don’t understand the music, these days! We have movie night. You know, a movie we have seen a thousand times, no cell phones. I see him pushing away from the dock, and becoming his own man, but it makes the transition easier when you make time to spend together.”

After twelve years as a single Mom, Ashley and Tripp became partners and Tripp became part of the family. Ashley describes Tripp as “An amazing person. Grady is a credit to Tripp too. They have a special bond. Tripp is a motivator, Grady is more of an old school lawnmower and he needs that extra push to get going. We recently went on a deep sea fishing trip. We love to do that kind of thing as a family.”
It seems though that Ashley is not as keen to share when it comes to organising her home.
She appeared on TV as a quite controlling individual with a serious case of OCD. “It’s all about me knowing what is going on.” Ashley is quite jovial about her portrayal. “These days I am constantly running around, with a new business and taking care of my families needs! I need to plan and I like to know what’s happening. I do laundry every day; my clothes need to be in the right place. I teach and exercise so much that I have a bag for the gym, a bag for aerial classes and yet another one for the studio! I double check everything. My OCD actually means I function normally!”

Photograph by VeroFotoRock

In addition to her TV appearances Ashley is the owner of Metamorphosis; mind, body and pole, exercise facility in Los Angeles. “I was in my forties when I stated Polling.’ Ashley tells with the enthusiasm of a child with a shiny new toy. “I just knew it was for me.”
With the goal of empowering clients and helping them to be physically and mentally strong, Ashley describes her classes as, “Getting super fit and feeling sexy at the same time. We want to focus on the whole demeanour. People need to make time for themselves. We help them feel good about their body and it translates to the mind. Myself, I still attend at least three spinning classes a week. That is where I get my clarity of mind, I reach the zone. There is a rush, a high and then everything makes sense and becomes organised there. I’m not one for sitting in the back yard and trying to find my inner self!”

Blue shows her pole skills
Picture by VeroFotoRocks

SO…. what happened to clarity when the episodes of Ex-wives of Rock were being filmed at around the time of ex-Warrant singer/songwriter Jani Lanes death in August 2011? Ashley was seen to make allegations against Bobbie Brown and tempers appeared frayed.
“Jani was married to my best friend at the time of his death. I had the ear of two friends and was caught in the middle. It was a difficult time for everyone involved. We were all in a very different place then.
It was very hard to watch back, but Bobbie and I knew it was coming. People don’t know all the dynamics, but they just need to know that we are all much closer as a result of all we have been through and it wasn’t all plain sailing.”
Even Ashley and Sharise Neil, ex-wife of Motley Crue frontman Vince are in business together now. The Kandy Wrappers owner and designer finally said yes and is in development with Ashley for a line of exercise clothing in conjunction with Metamorphosis. “We are developing a great line of Pole & Aerial Wear!” Ashley reveals. “I am very excited about it! Sharise is an amazing designer!”
Ashley laughs as she tells, Sharise is also the queen of no. She is slowly teaching me to say no. Not to say yes to everyone, to only do it if there is time, if it is on the schedule!” Neil attends Pole classes regularly.

One thing Ashley will never say no to is a good diet. Even though her cast mates were seen joking about her poop talk and gas issues on the show, it makes a lot of sense when it is explained properly. “It is really important that I eat well and have a good poop daily. Really, when you have to spend half a day with your butt over your head half way up a pole it just makes sense! Of course a good diet aids sleep and better mind function too.”

Interestingly, Ashley had been spending a lot more time with her ass above her head recently as she prepared for the live show of Once upon a Pole. A live Ariel performance brought to life by Kelly Maglia Vertical Theatre.
“It is the first time for me to make a live performance and I was really nervous,” Ashley admitted. Not only that, but she was also in a lot of pain with a rib area injury as she spoke to Headbangerwoman. It didn’t stop her and the show went on!

Sharise, Bobbie, Athena and Blue

In closing this article it should probably be explained that giant tubes of lubricant can be used in maintain good condition of patent leather, which is why it would be easily found in the shoe closet!

We love Blue Poo!

Metamorphosis; mind, body and pole
Kandy Wrappers
Ex-Wives Of Rock

By Karen Graham 17 October 2012

Lita. Can’t beat her!

Posted by Headbangerwoman on October 17, 2012
Posted in: Interviews, Live Shows, Movies, Music, New Releases, Press Release, Review, Writing. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Lita. Non sempre un Evaso

Lita Living Like a Runaway

“Love To Hate You is the happy song on my new record, Living Like A Runaway.” Lita Ford told her producer when he asked if she could write some more happy songs for the record. Ford laughs when she tells of her reply to that request. “I love to sing that song. It is my happy song on the record!” Compared to titles such as Hate and A Song To Slit Your Wrists By she is not wrong.

“After almost seventeen years in a controlled relationship, this record is a blessing.” Ford shares. “My ex had pretty much forced me to record just after my hiatus, that record wasn’t me. I didn’t want to do it.”

Living Like A Runaway sounds much more raw, intense and aggressive. This really is a return to the Ford of old.

“This record is long overdue and is pretty much a gift from God,” Ford offers Headbangerwoman. “It’s a survivor record, so deep. It has already touched so many lives. People are telling me that they are so pleased I made this record; it is making a huge difference for them. It’s a record for the happy times and the tough hard times. It really is an emotional record. It is very difficult to explain it.”

There have been many tough times for Ford, who by her own admission used to “ditch school to go off and jam at other peoples houses,” she interrupts herself, “not that I condone it.” As a result she failed to get enough points for her Graduation. “I was lucky. One of my teachers saw that I really was working towards my music career, saw me in magazines and realized that I was going to be someone. As a result I was awarded my points.” She laughs hard when she says, “I had my Dad pick up my Graduation certificate because I was on tour with The Ramones.”

All girl band Runaways

Of course soon after Grad came The Runaways, an all-girl outfit manufactured by Kim Fowley. Ford describes it as a classroom… “You never always like everyone in your class, but you have to be there and you are given the daily task of being with them. You don’t always like them. We were not close. We got on to a point, but in the other direction we were given to bicker. We were chosen for that band, but we were not chosen because we got on well. Of course, the Runaways are probably more popular now that ever we were back then. We really were way before our time.”

Nikki and Lita

A 2010 Movie about the 70’s girl sensations, Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, Sandy West, Jackie Fox and Ford named after the band has not been watched by Ford and she sounded doubtful as to whether she would give it viewing time.

“I heard there was a scene where I was portrayed as kicking someone in the stomach.” She tells. “I have never kicked anyone, not even so much as a dog in my life.”

It is documented that Cherie Curries memoirs were used for the movie… So, it was put to Ford. Where then do you suppose the producers farmed the information for content relating to you in the movie?

“Well, probably my ex-husband,” laughs Ford, but you can hear the hidden concern in her voice. It was a relationship which ended badly and would seem to be still being used to attempt to continue the control.

Several of Fords relationships were public and out there for the world to see and judge. There was an engagement to Tony Iommi, a live in relationship with Nikki Sixx and a marriage to Chris Holmes. Not to mention last husband Jim Gillette.

Picture by Gunner Kal

“It’s a great story, the way I met Nikki. It was a girls night, a few of us were sitting around the table and one of them asked; who would you really like to be with in here? Nikki walked by; this is before Motley Crue, with scrawly hair, all rocked out and I took one look and said, probably that guy there. So they say go and talk to him and I did. I went over and said would you like a qualude? That is how it happened. Nikki is still super cute!”

So does Ford prefer to be single? “I like to be single, but not alone. You know I spent seventeen years in a relationship with a control freak. You can’t really control me! I’m really not controllable. These days I live to work, for my music and my fans.”

A very hard worker Ford admits; “I have only been back in my own bed for two nights.”

Monsters Of Rock Cruise 2013

No, no, you dirty buggers. Ford was in Las Vegas for Rock N Roll fantasy camp. “It was really just a bunch of old rockers,” she chuckles. “But seriously, Gene Simmons was there, Kip Winger, Rudy Sarzo, Zakk Wylde, Sebastian Bach and Phil Soussan who is always at these events. Phil is a very talented musician, so giving and such a great guy.”

Soussan is certainly not the only talent in this article though. Lita Ford started playing guitar at age eleven. “I would sit in the living room and Mom and Dad would be watching the TV. I have lived with my guitar since. Of course back then the only real female role model was Janis Joplin. There was Pat Benetar and Chrissy Hynde, but they were not guitarists, they were from a totally different musical vein. Both were, still are great, but no other women were shredders, they were not metal. I was really the only one at the time!”

Continuing on her path of hard work and music making Ford is all set to appear and show off her shredding skills on The Monsters of Rock Cruise in March 2013. She sounds excited when she tells Headbangerwoman that, “I have never been on a cruise before. We are playing two shows in four days; there probably won’t be much time for relaxation!”

Not having a role model didn’t dissuade Ford and she has had a very successful run as the premier woman of metal, a title she has held tightly and deservedly since the 80’S! Herself becoming a role model for 1,000’s of women and men alike!

Ford is in negotiations right now and will hopefully be sitting down with a writer on November 1st 2012, to begin the penning of her book which will be published by Harper Collins.

http://litafordonline.com/

http://monstersofrockcruise.com/

http://www.harpercollins.com/

By Karen Graham 17 October 2012

Vince Neil pumpkin contest. 2012

Posted by Headbangerwoman on October 15, 2012
Posted in: Music, Press Release, Visual. Leave a comment
CONTEST:
submit your best pumpkin decorated, carved, painted, etc…of any Vince Neil or “rock n roll” theme. winner will be announced on Vince Neil Official and awarded one crazy rockin prize !! submit photos here. deadline Nov 11th
winner will be chosen by Vince Neil himself !!!
Photo: CONTEST: submit your best pumpkin decorated, carved, painted, etc...of any Vince Neil or "rock n roll" theme. winner will be announced on Vince Neil Official and awarded one crazy rockin prize !! submit photos here. deadline Nov 11th winner will be chosen by Vince Neil himself !!!