STAY TEENAGE Britt Panella of Blackboard Jungle looking back at his mentor and Hollywood rock icon Kim Fowley

STAY TEENAGE
Britt Panella of Blackboard Jungle looking back at his mentor and Hollywood rock icon Kim Fowley
By: Britt Panella

Kim Fowley was not only a man, he was a language. Anybody that did time with him knows this. “Be teenaged” “Doing the Bro/Dude” “What’s the con?” “Down Dog” and of course that long drawn out “Heyyyyyyy Mannnnn” were just a few of the lines we will never get to hear again.  If you knew someone who did time with Kim and spoke to them they immediately knew who you were referencing. I still have to say that my favorite one was when we were recording and Dave would play guitar in a way Kim felt was “too nice”.  Kim would stand up wildly playing air guitar and yelling “give it more puss man!!!”

My friendship with Kim was put in cement (purple cement as Kim would say) when he named our band Blackboard Jungle in 1989.  He also taught us how to be a band and to write songs.  It seemed like he had a template that he had used with The Runaways that he liked to apply as far as how a band should run. For the next year Dave, Joel, Kenny and I would spend all day and night with Kim, always ending up  in his “dirty little teenage room” on Havenhurst discussing music until the wee hours. We were some of the many that he bestowed his knowledge on.

He was beyond larger that life. Rock stars that were larger than life looked at Kim as larger than life.  If you did time with him you just weren’t the same. You were changed. He hit it all from such a large angle. This pissed off many people along the way but he was a GREAT guy. If you did not cross him he was as loyal as they come. If you didn’t watch out he would leave you a “naked dog on the floor”.  Kim was always talking about dreams and would often ask “what’s your dream in thirty words or less?”.  Then he would tell you what you had to do to get there. He was based in reality and nothing was candy coated. Looking back I will always laugh at how whenever I asked Kim to jam on one of his kabillion songs he would say “I write them, I don’t remember them!”  I do feel guilty that I didn’t call him more at the end but those of you who talked to Kim know that even in his final days you felt like you just ran a marathon after one of his calls! He was truly amazing. Thanks for everything Kim!!!

STAY TEENAGE!!!

Britt

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