You’ve probably never heard of Rodney Bingenheimer, which isn’t surprising really. He’s always been more of a “behind the scenes” kind of guy, but he has been behind just about every kind of scene. He is a dedicated rock and roll fan, one of the biggest groupies to ever crash the scene, and while many have moved on from the heyday of the sunset strip, Binghenheimer remains committed … whether anyone cares or not.
Bingenheimer arrived on the streets of Hollywood at 16, and in his own words, he immediately “became the talk of the town because I had the perfect Brian Jones ‘do.” (And that ‘do remains unchanged to this day!) He had a seminal presence on the rock scene going back to the mid-’60s, introducing the early ’70s Bowie/Sweet/T Rex glam scene to America via his KROQ radio show and legendarily debauched Rodney’s English Disco club, and later championing punk rock when no one would go near it . Over the course of his career as a professional Hollywood scenester, Bingenheimer has always been at the forefront of musical taste, disovering countless acts from Bowie to Blondie to Coldplay.
Though the Hollywood of Binghenheimer days is long-gone, the radio DJ continues on. His show has been pushed to the graveyard shift, his celebrity friends have retired, and the music scene has been taken over by manufactured pop icons, but Rodney is still on the strip quietly living his dream as a Hollywood icon …
I think his story is beyond compelling, and there is no better way to see it than on the big screen … or the little one via Netflex on demand. Check out Mayor of the Sunset Strip, I promise you won’t be disappointed!
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