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Belinda Carlisle Lips Unsealed a Memoir
Belinda Carlisle Lips Unsealed a Memoir
Michael Holloway
Belinda Carlisle is one of the enduring legends of rock and roll, and one of the pioneers of the ‘Women in Rock’ movement of the late 70’s and 80’s. As the lead singer of the first real all-female band, The Go-Go’s, Carlisle shares her rollercoaster of a life story with fans in Lips Unsealed: A Memoir, which is due out June 1, 2010.
Sex, Drugs and Rock Ruled
The women of The Go-Go’s are immensely talented and proved they had the stamina to succeed; they were wild women in a wild milieu where sex, drugs, and rock and roll ruled. This would later prove to be a double-edged sword for Carlisle and her band-mates Charlotte Caffey (lead guitar/keyboards), Jane Wiedlin (rhythm guitar), Kathy Valentine (bass).
The Go-Go’s are famous for being the first girl band to write their own music, play their own instruments, and largely manage their own career on their own terms.
A Bit of a Tough Background
Carlisle left home when she was eighteen-years-old, thus escaping from an unstable family environment. Having been abandoned by her biological father as a child and living with a strict and oppressive stepfather brought out her rebellious streak, which flourished in the heady Los Angeles punk scene.
Together with Caffey, Wiedlin, Valentine, and Schock, The Go-Go’s were determined to live life to the fullest. They indulged in every kind of excess one could imagine. Still, their talent was electric, and though they would have a rocky relationship with the music industry and, at times, each other, they remain close friends to this day. Their Go-Go’s reunions have kept them together at regular intervals over the last thirty years despite their own creative pursuits.
Family and Gay Equality
As the wife of Morgan Mason and mother to her eighteen year old son James ‘Duke’ Mason, named after his late grandfather, classic screen icon James Mason, Carlisle has successfully juggled family life with her often hectic career schedule, and does so seemingly effortlessly.
Yet, she still manages to find time for various humanitarian and social causes, such as, Marriage Equality for the gay community since her own son had come out not so long ago.
On this matter, Carlisle says, “My son James is gay and I want him, and every other gay person out there to have the same opportunities and rights as I’ve had in life.”
Remarkable Career with Many Hit Songs
Carlisle has had remarkable success as a solo artist with six best selling pop albums released between 1986-1996, and several greatest hits albums (some even yielding new songs which became hits for the beautiful and talented artist, namely All God’s Children and A Prayer for Everyone).
In 2007, Carlisle released an album of french chansons titled Voila, which featured brilliant renditions of much-loved french hits such as La Vie En Rose, Pourtant Tu M’aimes, Ne Me Quitte Pas, Sous Le Ciel De Paris, and the contemporary classic Bonnie Et Clyde (no, Bonnie didn’t eat Clyde).
Now, she can add being an author to her many credentials. Lips Unsealed a Memoir promises to be a sizzling and provocative cautionary tale of how too much excess can place one’s life and career into jeopardy, but how an inspirational spirit like Carlisle can give hope for a life full of promise and prosperity.
Critics say Carlisle’s memoir’s, “Spellbinding and shocking look at her rise, fall, and eventual rebirth as a wife, mother, and sober artist will leave you wistfully fantasizing about the eighties decadence she epitomized, but also cringing at the dark despair hidden behind her charming smile. One of the rare adventures through rock stardom told by a woman, Lips Unsealed is ultimately a love letter to music, to the members of the Go-Go’s, who’ve maintained lifelong friendships, and to the beloved husband and son who led Belinda to sobriety, and the story of a life that, though deeply flawed, was and is still, fully lived.”