“For far too long now, Mum has put up with being relegated to a puff of smoke in Dad’s life and that is simply not the truth. Now it’s time to set the record straight.” - Julian Lennon, about his mom, Cynthia

At face value, it’s the classic tale of “boy meets girl, boy is in a band, boy’s band becomes the biggest band in the world.” But wait, what about the girl? Though much of her story was dictated by her first husband’s career, Cynthia Lennon was a whole lot more than just the Mrs. The first episode of the Dolls Pod’s Beatle Girl Miniseries is up now, wherever you stream your podcasts 🤍

(Episode starts at 5:35)

Sources used for this episode:

Cynthia Lennon, “John” (2005)

Bill King, “Interview with Cynthia Lennon” Beatlefan Vol. 4 No. 2-3 https://beatlefansomethingnew.wordpress.com/2015/04/14/the-beatlefan-interview-with-cynthia-lennon/

Gerry in Liverpool, “White Feather: The Spirit of Lennon” That’s How The Light Gets In, 8/3/2009 https://gerryco23.wordpress.com/2009/08/03/white-feather-the-spirit-of-lennon/

“White Feather: The Spirit of Lennon” via jamiebeatles on YouTube, 6/29/2009 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFwP2oFv6lE (originally in “White Feather” exhibition at The Beatles Story museum, summer 2009)

Songs used in this episode:

The Beatles - “Til There Was You” (Live on the Ed Sullivan Show, 2/9/1964)

Gene Vincent - “Ain’t She Sweet” (1956)

Chuck Berry - “Maybellene” (1955)

The Quarrymen - “That’ll Be The Day” (1958)

Tony Sheridan and The Beatles - “My Bonnie” (1961)

The Beatles - “She Loves You” (1963)

The Beatles - “I Want To Hold Your Hand” (Live on the Ed Sullivan Show, 2/9/1964)

The Beatles - “Help!” (1965)

The Beatles - “Hey Jude” (1968)

Follow @thedollspod on Instagram to see clips and photos from this episode, including Cynthia’s art!

She’s a rock star, she’s a mom, she’s the ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb! Plucked from the LA club scene for her fierce style, Cherie Currie went from never having sang before to fronting the biggest all-girl rock band of all time. The Runaways lit up the stage, sold out arenas, and recorded best-selling albums, all before Cherie was out of high school. Then she put down her microphone for a CHAINSAW and entered the world of competitive wood carving! Cherie’s life is just as wild as her music is.

Plus, Emma and Abby mull over an alternate universe in which they were band geeks instead of podcasters and confess some of their own teenage antics 👀 Hear about it all on the new episode of the Dolls Pod, available wherever you stream your podcasts 🍒💣

(Episode starts at 7:38)

Sources:

Cherie Currie, “Neon Angel: A Memoir of A Runaway” (2010)

Tony Shaffer, “The left’s war on women and children with Cherie Currie” The Hard Truth with Tony Shaffer, 4/1/2024

“Ex-Runaways’ Cherie Currie Interview - Band’s Turbulent Times, Incident w/ Rush, Kidnapped & Kim Fowley” by The Metal Voice, YouTube, 7/14/2024

Songs used in this episode:

David Bowie - “Time” (Live at the Universal Amphitheater, 9/5/1974)

The Runaways - “Cherry Bomb” (1976)

The Runaways - “You Drive Me Wild” (1976)

The Runaways - “Queens of Noise” (Live in Tokyo, Japan, 1977)

Cherie Currie - “Beauty’s Only Skin Deep” (1978)

Cherie Currie - “Reverie” (2015)

Follow @thedollspod on Instagram for clips and photos from this episode!

“It was, after all, 1970. No Twitter, no websites, no email. Bags of fan mail five feet high arriving at the studio every day – no possible way to read or answer them. How to respond to tens of thousands of fans, mostly girls in their early teens, some who wrote every day? They really needed to hear back from me…Tiger Beat, in the person of Ann Moses, was on the set, in the studio, and in my life.” - Bobby Sherman

It’s a very special day on The Dolls Pod! We are joined by editor of Tiger Beat magazine, NME columnist, and “Meow! My Groovy Life with Tiger Beat’s Teen Idols” author Ann Moses. She speaks about her groovy career, getting swept off her feet by a pop star or two, motherhood, a touch of Walt Disney magic, and finding her happily ever after. Ann is such a wonderful storyteller, you won’t want to miss this one!

We’re thrilled to present Ann Moses: In Her Own Words on the Dolls Pod, available wherever you stream your podcasts. Thank you Ann for sharing your stories and photos with us! 🐯

(Episode starts at 4:55)

Resources used for this episode:

Ann Moses with Ann Wicker, “Meow! My Groovy Life with Tiger Beat’s Teen Idols” (2017)

Songs used in this episode:

The Chordettes - “Lollipop” (1958)

Elvis Presley - “Don’t Be Cruel” (1956)

The Dave Clark Five - “Bits and Pieces” (1964)

Dino, Desi & Billy - “I’m A Fool” (1965)

The Monkees Theme Song (1966)

Elvis Presley - “Hound Dog” (“Elvis’s Comeback Special,” 1968)

The Bee Gees - “To Love Somebody” (1967)

The Association - “Never My Love” (1967)

James Taylor - “Your Smiling Face” (1977)

Follow Ann on Instagram: @annmosestigerbeat

Read more of Ann’s stories here!: http://www.annmoses.com

Follow @thedollspod on Instagram to see clips and photos from this episode!

She practically invented jeans, literally had a bag named after her, and charmed the world with her breathy voice and carefree attitude. Not to mention she was the original Penny Lane, before Almost Famous! This week’s Doll is actress, singer, activist, style icon, and one of Emma’s greatest muses, Jane Birkin.

From her schoolgirl years in England through her career as a French icon, her famous friends, three great loves, and her love for her family, Jane truly lived her life to the fullest. After all, “When you’re recognizing you’re having fun, life can be delightful.” Hear all about Jane B. on this week’s episode of the Dolls Podcast, available wherever you stream your podcasts 👜

(Episode starts at 9:18)

Materials used for this episode:

Jane Birkin, “Munkey Diaries” (2018)

“Jane By Charlotte” (dir. Charlotte Gainsbourg, (2021)

Sean Seddon, “’French icon’ actress Jane Birkin dies at 76” BBC News, 7/16/2023

Kim Willsher and Sophie Zeldin-O’Neill, “Jane Birkin, actress and singer, dies aged 76” The Guardian, 7/16/2023

Peter Allen, “Jane Birkin died ‘on her first night alone for almost two years,’ family reveal” The Standard, 7/19/2023

Natalie Corner, “‘She was gone for years’: Charlotte Gainsbourg reveals her mother Jane Birkin couldn’t speak or get out of bed as she grieved for her daughter Kate” Daily Mail, 11/12/2017

“Jane Birkin and her chic basket” The Chic Flaneuse, 3/28/2017

Songs used in this episode:

Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin - “Je t’aime moi non plus” (1969)

Jane Birkin - “Di doo dah” (1973)

Jane Birkin - “L’anamour” (1996)

Follow @thedollspod on Instagram for photos and clips from this episode, and our Dolls Pod Bingo sheets!

“The first thing you noticed about her was her face. It was an amazing face; fast and funny and beautiful. She was a big, eat-the-world, pass-the-bourbon, soft kind of woman.” - Denny Doherty, on his Mamas and The Papas bandmate Cass Elliot

You can call her fancy, you can call her plain, but don’t call her Mama anymore! Trish, AKA DJ Flower Power of The Hippie Hour, joins Emma and Abby for an episode dedicated to the one she loves: heart and soul of the Mamas and the Papas and Laurel Canyon queen, Cass Elliot. Plus: Abby’s got some important Holy Land USA developments and Trish shares some of her favorite highway attractions. Only a little bit of hair was harmed in the making of this special episode of the Dolls Podcast, available wherever you stream your podcasts 🌼

Follow Trish on Instagram! @cosmichippietrish

Listen to The Hippie Hour live on Friday evenings, 4-6 PM ET on 99.3 WBTV: http://www.993wbtv.org

Listen to previous Hippie Hour episodes on Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/WBTVLP/playlists/the-hippie-hour/

(Episode starts at 7:38)

Materials used for this episode:

Owen Elliot-Kugel, “My Mama, Cass” (2024)

Songs used in this episode:

The Big Three - Wild Women Don’t Get The Blues (1964)

The Big Three - Young Girl’s Lament (1963)

The Mamas and Papas - Creeque Alley (1967)

The Mamas and Papas - Monday Monday (1966)

The Mamas and Papas - Dream A Little Dream of Me (1968)

Crosby, Stills & Nash - You Don’t Have To Cry (1969)

Cass Elliot - Make Your Own Kind Of Music (1969)

Cass Elliot, Mary Travers, and Joni Mitchell - I Shall Be Released (on the Mama Cass Television Program, 6/26/1969)

Julian Fulco Perron - Intermission (2022)

Cass Elliot - Don’t Call Me Mama Anymore (1973)

Follow @thedollspod on Instagram to see clips and photos from this episode!

“I don’t think teenage years are all that rosy for a lot of people - they certainly weren’t for me. They are the most confusing time of people’s lives and there is a tremendous dark side to the record, which I think teenagers related to.” - Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las, on their greatest hit “Leader of the Pack”

It was no wonder punk rockers love the Shangri-Las so much. They had the courage to be fashionable, fierce, and vulnerable in a music industry that just wasn’t built for them. This week’s story is a wild tale: stolen song credits, banning from BBC radio, and organized crime - the drama is so wild, it reads like a Shangri-Las song! Sometimes the truth is stranger than motorcycle-crashing fiction. PLUS: What do Abby and Emma really think of the casting for the upcoming Beatle biopics? And what on earth is Holy Land USA?? “The Shangri-Las: Leaders of the Pack” is available wherever you stream your podcasts 🏍️

(Episode starts at 6:14)

Lisa MacKinney, “Dressed In Black: The Shangri-Las and Their Recorded Legacy” (2025)

Laura Flam and Emily Sieu Liebowitz, “But Will You Love Me Tomorrow: An Oral History of the ‘60s Girl Groups” (2023)

“Boom: A Film About the Sonics” (dir. Jordan Albertsen, 2024)

Gerri Hirshey, “We Gotta Get Out of This Place: The True, Tough Story of Women in Rock” (2001)

Kim Gordon, “Girl In A Band” (2015)

“Mary Weiss Comes Back For A ‘Dangerous Game’” Fresh Air on NPR, 3/6/2007

Suzi Quatro, “Suzi Quatro’s Heroes of Rock ’n’ Roll: Interview with Mary Weiss” BBC Radio 2, 10/24/2007

“Amy Winehouse: In Her Own Words” The Guardian, 7/22/2012

The Everly Brothers - Bye Bye Love (1957)

The Shangri-Las - Simon Says (1964)

The Shangri-Las - Remember (Walking In The Sand) [1964]

The Shangri-Las - Leader of the Pack (1964)

The Shangri-Las - Give Him A Great Big Kiss (1965)

The Shangri-Las - Out In The Streets (1965)

The Sonics - Have Love Will Travel (1965)

The Shangri-Las - How Pretty Can You Get (Revlon Natural Wonder Jingle) [1965]

The Shangri-Las - I Can Never Go Home Anymore (1965)

The Byrds - Eight Miles High (1966)

Bob Dylan - Fourth Time Around (1966)

The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows (1966)

The New York Dolls - Looking For A Kiss (1973)

Sonic Youth - Little Trouble Girl (1994)

Mary Weiss - My Heart Is Beating (2007)

With sample from Stranger Things S4 Vol 2 E9

Follow @thedollspod on Instagram to see clips and photos from this episode!

“Never apologize, never explain - didn’t we always say that? Well, I haven’t, and I don’t.” - the late, great Marianne Faithfull

Few women in rock-and-roll history embody the idea of, “Don’t be the rock star’s girlfriend, BE the rock star” like this week’s Doll. This week we remember singer, actress, fashion icon, and “queen of the underground,” Marianne Faithfull. Marianne refused to be just another pretty face in the ‘60s hit parade. She refused to be called a “survivor” - but let’s face it, she was. Over and over again, she came back from the brink of destruction. She forged ahead each time, having been better for it. Through all her trials and troubles, she held her head high and never lost her spark - gotta love a woman who hangs a portrait of her ex over her toilet! Hear about Marianne’s incredible life on the Dolls Pod, available wherever you stream your podcasts 🕊️

Plus, Emma has a BIG announcement to make…you won’t want to miss this one!

Materials used for this episode:

Marianne Faithfull with David Dalton, “Faithfull: An Autobiography” (1994)

John Hind, “Marianne Faithfull on Her Formative Food Experiences” The Guardian, 3/12/2011)

Marianne Faithfull on the South Bank Show, ITV, 6/24/2007

Marianne Faithfull, “Anita Pallenberg Remembered By Marianne Faithfull” The Guardian, (12/17/2017)

(Episode starts at 6:16…but you won’t want to skip this intro!)

Songs in this episode:

Marianne Faithfull - As Tears Go By (1964)

Marianne Faithfull - This Little Bird (1965)

Marianne Faithfull and Joan Baez (and Bob Dylan’s typewriter) - As Tears Go By (1965)

Marianne Faithfull - Hier ou Demain (from “Made in the USA,” dir. Jean-Luc Godard [1966])

Marianne Faithfull - Is This What I Get For Loving You (1967)

Marianne Faithfull - Sister Morphine (1969)

The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses (1971)

David Bowie and Marianne Faithfull - I Got You Babe (on “The Midnight Special,” 10/19/1973)

Marianne Faithfull - Why’d Ya Do It (1979)

Marianne Faithfull - The Ballad of Lucy Jordan (1979)

Follow @thedollspod on Instagram to see clips and photos from this week’s episode!

“She knew who she was at a young age. She was able to pick herself up, dust herself off, and literally keep going no matter what cards were dealt to her.” - Ludie Montgomery, about her big sister Tammi Terrell

She was alive for just 24 years, but Tammi’s voice is immortal in pop music history. Her songs with Marvin Gaye have been sampled by Amy Winehouse, Janet Jackson, LL Cool J, Method Man and Mary J. Blige, and The Notorious B.I.G. When her fans are the greats, you know she was great herself! Tammi’s irrepressible spirit inspires us all to live life boldly, love openly, and shine brightly. There is no mountain high enough and no river wide enough to hold you back. “Tammi Terrell: Sweetheart of Motown” is available wherever you stream your podcasts 💚 Follow @thedollspod on Instagram to see clips and photos from this episode!

Materials used for this episode:

Ludie Montgomery with Vickie Wright, “My Sister Tommie: The Real Tammi Terrell” (2024 ed.)

David Ritz, “Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye” (1991 ed.)

Unsung Season 3, episode 2, “Tammi Terrrell” (TVONE Network, 2010)

Art Peters, “The Ordeal of Tammi Terrell” Ebony Magazine 11/1969

(episode starts at 4:07)

Songs in this episode:

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - You’re All I Need To Get By (1968)

Mickey and Sylvia - Love Is Strange (1957)

Tammy Montgomery - If You See Bill (1961)

Ella Fitzgerald - Misty (1960)

Tammi Terrell - I Can’t Believe You Love Me (1965)

The Temptations - My Girl (1965)

Marvin Gaye - How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) [1965]

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - Ooh, The Simple Things (Coca Cola Jingle) [1967]

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing (1968)

Tammi Terrell - Come On and See Me (1966)

Amy Winehouse - Tears Dry On Their Own (2006)

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (1967)

“Love is my law. Truth is my worship. Beauty and perfection is my life.”

Girlfriend of Brian Jones. Friend to Andy Warhol. Muse to Richard Avedon, David Bailey, and Salvador Dali. She walked for Paco Rabanne and jet-hopped from New York, London, Paris, and Rome. Mannequins were made in her likeness. Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Panorama, Queen, she was in them all. They scandalized her Playboy shoot and called her a kook. She was even the first Black woman on a Vogue cover!

But fashion history has forgotten her. The supermodel with an artist’s soul, her name is Donyale Luna. Donyale and her story are endlessly fascinating - and you can hear it all on the new Dolls Pod, available wherever you stream your podcasts 🌕

(Episode starts at 5:12)

Materials used in this episode:

“Donyale Luna: Supermodel” (dir. Naliah Jefferson, 2023)

Amira Castilla, “The Complex Life of Donyale Luna, The First Black Supermodel” The Root, 9/15/2023

Dream Cazzaniga, “Donyale Luna Changed The Face Of Fashion In The ’60s. Now, The Revolutionary Black Model Is Finally Getting Her Due” Vogue UK, 9/18/2023

Amira Dupuy, “'Donyale Luna: Supermodel' shines a light on the first Black model to grace cover of Vogue” Independent, 9/20/2023

Peter Sampson, “The Life and Legacy of Donyale Luna: The First Black Supermodel” Out On The Floor, 1/13/2025

“We never ever got as famous as The Beatles. But we started as friends, and we ended as friends.” - Sylvia Saunders, drummer of the Liverbirds

For the first time EVER on the Dolls Pod, we’re featuring a group! We’re telling the stories of Pam Birch, Val Gell, Mary McGlory, and Sylvia Saunders. Together, they’re more than Britain’s first all-female rock band…although that part is pretty cool! They’re four independent, self-actualized young women breaking music’s glass ceiling - and having a whole lot of fun doing it. This episode is for any girl in a band, or any girl who’s ever wanted to be in a band 🐦‍⬛ “It’s Liverbirds, Not Liverbirds” is available now wherever you stream your podcasts!

We’d like to thank Mark Berman (@fullyinvolvedmark on TikTok) for tipping Abby off to Mary and Sylvia’s memoir

Materials used for this episode:

Mary McGlory and Sylvia Saunders, “The Other Fab Four: The Remarkable True Story of the Liverbirds, Britain’s First Female Rock Band” (2024)

“‘Girls don’t play guitars!’ The Liverbirds Story” BBC Outlook, 4/17/2024

“We Made Rock History. Here’s Why You Don’t Know Us.” “Almost Famous” by Op-Docs, The New York Times (dir. Ben Proudfoot, 12/18/2019)

(episode starts at 6:13)

Songs in this episode:

“Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” Theme Song

The Kaye Sisters - Paper Roses (1960)

Cliff Richard - Move It (1958)

The Searchers - Apache (1962)

The Beatles - Please Please Me (1962)

The Rolling Stones - I Wanna Be Your Man (1963)

The Kinks - You Really Got Me (1964)

The Kinks - All Day and All of the Night (1964)

The Liverbirds - Roadrunner (1965)

The Liverbirds - Johnny B Goode (1965)

The Liverbirds - Peanut Butter (Live on Beat Club, 9/25/1965)

The Liverbirds - For Your Love (1966)

Jimi Hendrix - Wild Thing (Live at Monterey Pop, 6/18/1967)

The Liverbirds - Cavern Stomp (2025)

Follow @thedollspod on Instagram to see photos and clips from this episode!