Interview with Rodney Bingenheimer About How the World's Biggest Fan Gets His Star on Hollywood Blvd
June Caldwell
August 12, 2006
By Tim Estrada and June Caldwell
"I passed up a Killers listening party at the Roosevelt for this interview!" Rodney greeted us with, somehow making it sound like a sincere compliment ... nothing like a little pressure with our soup! The most famous DJ in the US for being the first to spin most good music we hear, (usually from the UK) met with us for a chat at his resident table at the legendary Canters Deli in Hollywood over some barley bean soup.
When you hear a band that gets your blood going and want to tell everybody whether they like it or not… well Rodney is like that 24/7! When you hear Rodney on the radio, you don’t hear someone in a glass tower who is telling you what is cool, you hear the kid next door shaking your elbow until you agree to listen to the best band ever to walk the Earth, that he just discovered in a used record bin or in a tiny pub down the street! So, how does the world’s biggest rock fan get his star on the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Blvd?
For those living under a rock who don’t know who Rodney is, known as the Mayor of the Sunset Strip, Rodney has been breaking in virtually every important band in the US from A-Z, from Arctic Monkeys to the Zutons, not to mention Nirvana, Jesus and Mary Chain, Franz Ferdinand, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Coldplay, the Strokes, the Killers, the Clash…you get the picture (well now I want to go back and look up all of them and alphabetize them, but I’m told there is counseling available for urges like that).
A website was created to petition for Rodney to get his star on Hollywood Blvd, and for two years his fans relentlessly pushed to get it through. It certainly got KROQ's attention, the station that hosts Rodney’s weekly radio show. Morning shock jocks Kevin and Bean hosted a benefit show to raise money for the Rodney star cause with alumni stars like Deborah Harry, Joan Jett and John Doe of X keeping the spirit of the English Disco in all the listener's hearts. Unlike KXLU during fund drives, KROQ actually reached their goal to raise awareness of the campaign to the Walk of Fame Committee.
My friend Sam Nelson, Ricky Nelson’s son, is the one that started the whole thing! A Hollywood committee decides who gets the star. Many performers wrote letters including Cher and Drew Barrymore, and tons of fans. I actually helped Duran Duran get a star as well as Annette Funicello and the Monkees. They all remembered! It took two years.’ The ceremony for the star will be next year and KROQ is already planning a big concert party with bands playing all night.
Keith Star slid into the booth with us. He is working with Warner Bros on a second movie about Rodney coming out. ‘Who should play me?’ Rodney asked. They are going for Johnny Depp! ‘Our producer's a fan of Rodney ever since the punk era. Bands I discovered will be featured in the movie along with a great soundtrack. The movie takes a look back at what the rock of the 80s was. Our producer worked with George Clooney in "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind." He's making "Get Smart" and "Welcome Back Kotter" feature films. This one will be like ‘American Graffiti’.
His slot on www.kroq.com from midnight to 3 am on Sundays, happens to fall on 8 am in Britain. ‘People that work at the BBC sit around computers to listen to my show and get in trouble for not working!’
Is there still a British invasion?
There’s a bigger British invasion then ever! And Irish invasion and Australian invasion! Jet, O' Rourk and Viper Roads are from Australia. A band called Brunette is from New Zealand. I love New Zealand. Now that our show is online we have a big Australian following! My anniversary show will be on 27 August… I’m going to play nonstop interviews, like my interview with the Sex Pistols, Deborah Harry, and X!’
We all took a break and ran into the parking lot to take pictures in front of Rodney’s ’67 Pontiac GTO with the LIL GTO license plate.
So how does he keep it up? Keep being excited about music, about the bands? ‘It’s my job!’
How does he know when a band is good, how does he have that Tom Artrockeresque radar about what will stick?
I always just have a feeling. I can tell by the production, the music, and the lyrics. I could be watching TV and notice the background music. It sinks into my brain! I don't think of myself as a celebrity as much as I am a fan! I like collecting underdog bands like Soho Dolls, Mellonstar, Dice, Co Dad.’ He pointed to his playlist from the last two years that he brought in and plopped on the table that was as big as an encyclopedia. ‘I love everything on it: the Dollyrotts, the Donnas, Bowie, Smoosh. I love The Futureheads! I saw the whole issue Artrocker on them…and of course, Art Brut! Art Brut's an English band that actually sings in an English accent!’
"I passed up a Killers listening party at the Roosevelt for this interview!" Rodney greeted us with, somehow making it sound like a sincere compliment ... nothing like a little pressure with our soup! The most famous DJ in the US for being the first to spin most good music we hear, (usually from the UK) met with us for a chat at his resident table at the legendary Canters Deli in Hollywood over some barley bean soup.
When you hear a band that gets your blood going and want to tell everybody whether they like it or not… well Rodney is like that 24/7! When you hear Rodney on the radio, you don’t hear someone in a glass tower who is telling you what is cool, you hear the kid next door shaking your elbow until you agree to listen to the best band ever to walk the Earth, that he just discovered in a used record bin or in a tiny pub down the street! So, how does the world’s biggest rock fan get his star on the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Blvd?
For those living under a rock who don’t know who Rodney is, known as the Mayor of the Sunset Strip, Rodney has been breaking in virtually every important band in the US from A-Z, from Arctic Monkeys to the Zutons, not to mention Nirvana, Jesus and Mary Chain, Franz Ferdinand, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Coldplay, the Strokes, the Killers, the Clash…you get the picture (well now I want to go back and look up all of them and alphabetize them, but I’m told there is counseling available for urges like that).
A website was created to petition for Rodney to get his star on Hollywood Blvd, and for two years his fans relentlessly pushed to get it through. It certainly got KROQ's attention, the station that hosts Rodney’s weekly radio show. Morning shock jocks Kevin and Bean hosted a benefit show to raise money for the Rodney star cause with alumni stars like Deborah Harry, Joan Jett and John Doe of X keeping the spirit of the English Disco in all the listener's hearts. Unlike KXLU during fund drives, KROQ actually reached their goal to raise awareness of the campaign to the Walk of Fame Committee.
My friend Sam Nelson, Ricky Nelson’s son, is the one that started the whole thing! A Hollywood committee decides who gets the star. Many performers wrote letters including Cher and Drew Barrymore, and tons of fans. I actually helped Duran Duran get a star as well as Annette Funicello and the Monkees. They all remembered! It took two years.’ The ceremony for the star will be next year and KROQ is already planning a big concert party with bands playing all night.
Keith Star slid into the booth with us. He is working with Warner Bros on a second movie about Rodney coming out. ‘Who should play me?’ Rodney asked. They are going for Johnny Depp! ‘Our producer's a fan of Rodney ever since the punk era. Bands I discovered will be featured in the movie along with a great soundtrack. The movie takes a look back at what the rock of the 80s was. Our producer worked with George Clooney in "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind." He's making "Get Smart" and "Welcome Back Kotter" feature films. This one will be like ‘American Graffiti’.
His slot on www.kroq.com from midnight to 3 am on Sundays, happens to fall on 8 am in Britain. ‘People that work at the BBC sit around computers to listen to my show and get in trouble for not working!’
Is there still a British invasion?
There’s a bigger British invasion then ever! And Irish invasion and Australian invasion! Jet, O' Rourk and Viper Roads are from Australia. A band called Brunette is from New Zealand. I love New Zealand. Now that our show is online we have a big Australian following! My anniversary show will be on 27 August… I’m going to play nonstop interviews, like my interview with the Sex Pistols, Deborah Harry, and X!’
We all took a break and ran into the parking lot to take pictures in front of Rodney’s ’67 Pontiac GTO with the LIL GTO license plate.
So how does he keep it up? Keep being excited about music, about the bands? ‘It’s my job!’
How does he know when a band is good, how does he have that Tom Artrockeresque radar about what will stick?
I always just have a feeling. I can tell by the production, the music, and the lyrics. I could be watching TV and notice the background music. It sinks into my brain! I don't think of myself as a celebrity as much as I am a fan! I like collecting underdog bands like Soho Dolls, Mellonstar, Dice, Co Dad.’ He pointed to his playlist from the last two years that he brought in and plopped on the table that was as big as an encyclopedia. ‘I love everything on it: the Dollyrotts, the Donnas, Bowie, Smoosh. I love The Futureheads! I saw the whole issue Artrocker on them…and of course, Art Brut! Art Brut's an English band that actually sings in an English accent!’
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