“Joan Jett Hung up on me when I started asking a question about Lita Ford.”
— Sally Steele

“He came to my Vegas Rocks! Awards in 2011. He was very nice back then but if you don’t catch him in the right moment he can be unfriendly to fans.”
— Sally Steele on Sebastian Bach

“Donnie Vie was pushing a grocery cart down the street here in Vegas with a brief-case many years ago yelling “Call Sally Steele!” I was told. I used to drive him to pawn shops for him to sell things.”
— Sally Steele

LAS VEGAS – With her flashy rock-star image and natural charisma, Sally Steele is on a roll.

Once a promising singer in Los Angeles in the late 1980s with a style that did not fall a million miles away from Vixen or perhaps Lita Ford, Steele carved out some success — including an appearance on MTV – before eventually making her mark as a top rock journalist for Vegas Rocks Magazine while continuing to break out with an autobiography, podcasts, a documentary on Amazon and other channels and of course her annual Vegas Rocks Awards, a yearly highlight in Sin City that this year included superstars Rikki Rockett, Rick Nielsen, Billy Gibbons and other big names.

Picture Riki Rachtman or Eddie Trunk in rhinestones and diamonds, and you have Sally Steele, the hottest thing in Las Vegas except for maybe the neon lights.

Fresh off her seventh Vegas Rocks awards party, Steele holds nothing back in this rare Metal Sludge exclusive that’s daring, honest and riveting with a capital R – just like Rock.

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1, What are you currently up to? Here is your chance to plug all things Sally Steele.

Sally Steele: My documentary film I wrote and directed “Raised on Rock- The Burnette Family Legacy” is out now on Amazon, Tubi, Google Play and Youtube. Stars appearing in the film include Mick Fleetwood and Gary Busey.

It won dozens of awards at Film Festivals including Best Picture and Best Director and Best Documentary. I am busy promoting that as well as my Cleopatra record release “Sally Steele Alone in Love 1988-1989.”

2, Let’s start from the beginning when she tried to make it as a singer in L.A. Give us three highlights and one low light.

SS: At the time in the 80’s it didn’t seem like there were many “ups”. I was broke trying to work on movie sets, stealing food from the Craft service waiting for my big break and trying to write and record music and keep a band together to get a record deal.

Highlights might have been being carried off in a straight jacket at the end of my show at FM Station, my band’s video being on MTV basement Tapes.

As far as TV, being cast in the lead of “Little Lady” by Duke Jupiter and Eric Carmen’s “Hungry Eyes” on MTV. Back then I was always upset because I wasn’t gaining any ground at being famous and stressed out with grief from my band but as I look back now it seemed fun.

Regular personal highlights being starstruck like I was in the early 80’s were meeting Paul Newman, Tommy Lee, Davy Jones, John Travolta and Sonny Bono and getting photos with them and so many others.

3, Your old song “Alone In Love” sounds like a hit. Do you agree?

SS: Cleopatra Records thinks so. Of course, I always did, too, but record companies back then turned me down saying it was “too commercial.” But Cleopatra Records President Brian Perera tracked me down after seeing my videos and songs from the 80’s and signed me in 2022.

The streaming sites and CD sales were so good they just released a Vinyl Record of six of my songs. I just got it in the mail. It goes to retail stores this month. Here are the links to the Record Album and CD.

4, You have Vince Neil on video saying he wanted to take you home. Name some other Rock stars you have rebuffed.

SS: I can’t say the name but one was married that I was in love with and when he finally hit on me I got so nervous I made a quick get away out of the dressing room.

When Steven Adler lived in Las Vegas he was my constant entertainment for two years but it was more like a brother and sister situation. He was so sweet and so much fun and it was like being at the prom whenever we went out with so many adventures.

5, Who were the three best interview subjects for Vegas Rocks! Magazine and who was the worst?

SS: Best interviews: Alice Cooper, Slash and Donny Osmond. Joan Jett Hung up on me when I started asking a question about Lita Ford in 2006. Otep ran out on me for a scheduled interview and was driving away when I caught her, but she decided she didn’t want to do the interview and drove off. When I did it on the phone with her, it wasn’t even worth pursuing.

6, Your last awards show was quite a success. Why were you so nervous?

SS: I wasn’t nervous — it was more like a nervous breakdown. On the day of Vegas Rocks! Magazine Awards event it was like the bell rang at the Kentucky Derby and I was off and running trying to keep ahead of the other horses, hundreds of details coming at me like an onslaught every minute, checking on/ coordinating flight pick ups, getting the sound check together, texts coming in by the hundreds, people with problems, people criticizing me, wanting passes, tickets at the last minute.

Trying to coordinate the Red Carpet and run it and coordinate over 100 celebrities and their guests on the Red Carpet and in the show to make sure everyone was taken care of. The guy who was my talent wrangler was on tour and no one knew the presenters and how to get a-hold of them so I was literally everywhere at once that day. I started work on it 8 months prior everyday contacting the artists and getting details together.

People have taken credit for putting the show and Red Carpet together but it was all me. Even delegating anything had to funnel through me to get things right. But it was all worth it to have Billy Gibbons, Rick Nielsen, Kip Winger and Rikki Rockett there. Five Finger Death Punch came in at the last minute as did Orianthi to attend. Others attending were Danny Koker and Count’s 77, Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens, Blas Elias, Bruce Kulick, Lizzy Borden, Frankie Moreno, Crashing Wayward, Jason Walker and the Majestic 12, Chris Kattan (SNL), Kane Roberts, Marco Mendoza, Criss Angel, Simon Wright, Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom from Blue Oyster Cult, Robert Sarzo, Chas West and Westbound, Phil Soussan, Daxx Nielsen, Comedian Craig Gass and so many others.

This was my 7th Vegas Rocks! Magazine Awards event and in some ways I feel it was the most successful with the line-up and turn outs.

7, Give a comment and fun memory about these Rocker females that range from the biggest to the up and coming:

Lita Ford – Lita has told me so many stories that were never in her book. I love her. There was a time when she confided everything to me. We talked almost every day.

Pat Benatar : Legendary.

Stevie Nicks : An Icon above all others.

Dale Bozzio – My first interview she was in kind of a daze. When I printed what she said I was attacked for making her look bad with what she told me.

Britney Spears: Where would the world be without her drama and magic.

Bree Elizabeth: I wish her luck.

8, Name the three biggest differences between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

SS: My Vegas Rocks! Magazine was so successful because Los Angeles is so spread out, Orange County, Inland Empire, Hollywood and so on. When I started my magazine Vegas Rocks! in 2004, Vegas was just like a small town and it was distributed everywhere in a smaller area for people to get copies. Rock and Roll doesn’t seem to exist in LA except for the Sunset Strip (Whisky / Rainbow) but it seems it is ongoing here in Vegas with every artist in the world coming here.

9, Tell us an embarrassing story no one knows about the following in Las Vegas:

SS: Donnie Vie and Chip: I was close with Donnie Vie and Chip. Donnie Vie was pushing a grocery cart down the street here in Vegas with a brief case many years ago yelling “Call Sally Steele!” I was told. I used to drive him to pawn shops for him to sell things. Donnie, Chip and Steven Adler would party together like it was their last day on earth.

Stephen Pearcy: Back in 2005 Stephen had a dip in popularity after Ratt and had a gig at the Cheyenne Saloon with the band and him touring in a camper. But now he is in huge demand around the world.

Mike Tyson: There is an imposter in town that looks just like Mike here in town and people fall for it all the time and go crazy when he appears. It is so obvious to me because Mike doesn’t need to go out on the Strip to try and get recognized. Besides I have met him many times and I know the difference.

Wayne Newton: When I first came to Las Vegas I worked nights as the Stardust Casino in the Wayne Newton Showroom. I saw Wayne perform 5 nights a week. His voice was not in good shape and everyone would always ask if he was sick. He was always nice to me though up until the time I got fired for insulting the judges at the Stardust Employee Talent Show.

Vince Neil: I love Vince but he was in the papers and in trouble all the time which is legendary when he lived here. It seems he partied very hard and couldn’t always remember what happened the next day. Sometimes he would be very angry and then the next time I would see him be very loving and friendly and not being upset at me. He is a legend and I don’t like how people criticize him so much in the press.

Sebastian Bach: I first met Sebastian when I worked with him on the VH1 series “Super Group”. He came to my Vegas Rocks! Awards in 2011. He was very nice back then but if you don’t catch him in the right moment he can be unfriendly to fans. For his most embarrassing moment which he will be mad at me for saying is at a Cheap Trick concert recently. He ran towards the stage being a huge fan wanting to get onstage. Robin Zander just looked down at Sebastian and said: ” Sorry, Sebastian, wrong era.” and didn’t let him come up onstage. I invited Sebastian to my recent Rock Awards and said he could finally be onstage with Rick Nielsen to perform but he wouldn’t give me an answer. I am glad he didn’t come though because Kip Winger did an amazing job performing “Surrender” with Rick Nielsen, Orianthi, Rikki Rockett, Robert Sarzo, Marco Mendoza for the finale of my show.

10, What’s in the future for Sally Steele?

SS: Working on my television series and world domination.

Sally Steele The Publishing Queen of Rock and Roll CEO/Founder/Publisher/Editor-in-Chief VEGAS ROCKS MAGAZINE, MEDIA & MUSIC.

Reach Gerry Gittelson at gerryg123@gmail.com.  

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