People Break Down The Craziest Backstories Behind Popular Songs
Now it all makes sense....
Music is an essential part of our beings. Having a soundtrack to our lives helps us mark turning points and eras that changed us forever. And its always fascinating to know the "behind the scenes" to every piece of musical inspiration. Some artists are not shy about the backstory--just look up the love lives of Fleetwood Mac--and some are more evasive. And once we all get into the truth the music tends to resonate even deeper.
Redditor u/blueberriebelle wanted to discuss all the truth that has been revealed for the inspiration behind some the world's best music by asking.... What songs have a really crazy backstory that changed your perception of the song when you found out?Sara.
baking sara bareilles GIF by Waitress The MusicalGiphySara Bareilles "Love Song" was actually written for her record company when they told her she wouldn't be successful without a hit love song on her album.
Came her hoping to see this one. Another in a similar vein is George Michael's Freedom '90 -a giant Mess You to Sony.
Trumbo.
One by Metallica is based on a novel written by Dalton Trumbo. The novel is about a soldier who loses his sight, hearing, language, arms and legs on the battlefield through a landmine. He wishes to die but cannot express this because of his injuries. He asks for help but no one can hear him.
Johnny.
Based off the movie/book "Johnny Get Your Gun". Even showed in the original video. I think the movie should be watched by everyone just to know the importance of a "living will". (even though I'm pretty sure, in the book, they didn't know who he was anyway, so it may not have mattered?)
Edit: Thank you /u/trudenter... it's "Jonny Got His Gun". My bad, all >.<
Not a Good Time.
Rob Thomas Push GIF by Matchbox TwentyGiphyMatchbox20 3AM is about his relationship with his mom. I thought it was this song about a girl friend who was endearing in her dark view of the world. Its worse since its his mom.
The VH1 Storytellers clip of this song includes an explanation and the performance brings the crowd to tears. Like many hit 90s singles, the upbeat nature of the recorded arrangement really veil the lyrics. Counting Crows "Mr. Jones" is similar. It's on YouTube, check it out!
"where do we go now"
Sweet Child O' Mine was thrown together in a few minutes and the "where do we go now" part was improvised because they literally had no ideas where the song went. The song main riff was Slash's hand warmer and the lyrics were a poem Axl had lying around.
The iconic riff in Sweet Child O' Mine was written because Slash wanted to create something that kinda sounded like an ice cream truck.
The Last
"Save the Last Dance For Me" The songwriter, Doc Pomus, had polio and he married a woman who was a professional actress and dancer. Supposedly he wrote it after watching her dance with other people on their wedding day because he couldn't dance with her properly. Learning that took was was just a sweet song and made it nearly heart wrenching.
papa?
Also Alive, is semi-autobiographical by Eddie Vedder. He was raised to believe his step-father was his biological father and had actually met his biological father several times throughout his life, introduced to him as his mother's "friend," but Eddie didn't learn the truth until his biological father died which messed up his worldview.
I assume (hope) the verse about his mother coming onto him is fiction.
Who?
American Woman was accidentally created by The Guess Who. The singer was trading records with a collector in a parking lot and he heard the band tuning up and panicked thinking they started without him. He ran up, realized the mistake and started improvising. The band joined in. They found a bootleg later on and decided that their mistake sounded pretty cool.
So Deep
Not that it's crazy, and the song is clearly about someone facing depression, but Rise Above this by Seether was written by Shaun Morgan for his then depressed brother. Before the song was released, his brother took his life. When the band recorded the music video, it took several attempts because Shaun Morgan kept sobbing. I enjoyed the song before learning that, but now it's difficult to not get sad every time I think about it.
Smile in the face of adversity
music video 90s GIFGiphyR.E.M. - Shiny Happy People
The title of the track actually comes from the translation of a Chinese propaganda poster from the era of Chairman Mao which read, "Shiny happy people holding hands."
Less than a year before the band wrote the song, in 1989, the Tiananmen Square protests occurred, and it is estimated that around 2,600 pro-democracy protesters were killed by government troops. This event had a huge impact on the band and inspired the song, which was finally released in 1991.
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People Describe The Weirdest Things They've Ever Witnessed In New York City
Reddit user real_beary asked: 'People who say "not the weirdest thing I've seen in New York City", what is THE weirdest thing you've seen in New York City?'
New York City is great. As someone who has worked there for the last decade, I love it.
And it truly lives up to it's nickname: it is the city that never sleeps. There's always something cool going on or something fun to do.
Of course, in a city as populous as New York, where things are open for all hours of the night, you're bound to see some strange things as well.
If you've lived or worked in the city for a long time, you may be able to brush off certain weird sights or occurrences. However, even New Yorkers have seen some really weird things.
For me, it was six years ago. I had just started my first full-time job (and my third job in NYC) and was waiting for the subway. A guy runs down the stairs looking completely freaked out, crashes into a couple, knocks them down, gets up without waiting to see if they're alright or even apologizing, runs to the other set of stairs, screams bloody murder at what he saw (there was nothing to actually see, of course), and before anyone could realize what was happening and stop him, jumps down onto the subway tracks.
Then he sees two mice that were on the tracks, screams bloody murder again, and runs away.
He was going in the direction the subway was supposed to come from. The subway took five more minutes before it arrived, so it's possible the guy climbed back up at some other station or something, but if honestly, I have no idea what happened to him.
Some of the other people waiting for the subway looked as freaked out as I felt, but most people just went back to scrolling on their phones or talking to their friends, waiting for their train. To this day, that was the weirdest thing I've ever seen in New York City.
Redditors have seen some extremely strange things in New York City as well, and are eager to share their stories.
It all started when Redditor real_beary asked:
"People who say "not the weirdest thing I've seen in New York City", what is THE weirdest thing you've seen in New York City?"
Hold It
"Not as insane as some but one of the most heroic things I’ve ever seen. New Years I’m on the 6 going back to my place at like 2am. Train is pretty full. This girl across from me looks awful. Completely wasted, and she knows it and feels it. Suddenly she flinched and puffs her cheeks out. She stays that way for the next 10 minutes, with her boyfriend rubbing her back."
"They get out at the same station as me, and I see her walk to a trash can and spit out a TON of vomit. She held it all in her mouth the whole subway ride like a goddamned superhero."
– Carols_Boss
Circus Act
"While on the C train headed uptown one morning, a man stood up, reached into his pockets and pulled out three mice, and started juggling them. But once he missed a catch and the mouse fell to the floor, he totally gave up and dropped the other two. The mice ran around until we reached the next stop and they managed to scurry off the train to the platform. The guy had just sat back down like he wasn't just juggling mice he pulled out of his pocket."
– GravyBoatShipwreck
We're The Best
"More a weird but awesome experience."
"Back in the 90s, trip to NYC. Buddy and I wanted to go to the Intrepid museum, no idea what bus to take or anything."
"So, we ask the next bus driver for directions. First - dude looked and sounded just like Jackie Gleason. Nice pair of driving gloves."
"He listens, looks at the 3 other passengers, and says "These boys want to see the Intrepid! Mind if I go off route to get them there?!"
"People are fine with it, and off we go. As he's dropping us at the gate, he says "Can't be having tourists go home and saying New Yorkers suck, boys!""
– Squigglepig52
"This reminds me of being in Times Square for new years back in high school. The cops didn't want to let us in because there were so many people there already, and then one asks, "where ya from?" I said california, and we were on a school trip. He opened the gate and said "here's proof new york is better.""
"Awesome dude."
– Kahzgul
Street Safari
"I was walking over the bridge from Long Island City to Greenpoint and I looked down at the tunnels that lead into Manhattan and suddenly saw an animal come out of the tunnel and it realized it was a zebra. Then another one came out. Then a whole bunch of horses, then an elephant... it turns out when the circus performs in Manhattan all the animal transport vehicles are kept in Queens and they walk through the tunnel to get there an back. So Surreal."
– bakerton
Only With My Parents
"Lived there for 15 years. Almost never saw wild sh*t unless my parents came to visit. One night my dad and I were walking home and we got bumped into by a HUGE bodybuilder looking dude decked out in women's lingerie with his family jewels flopping about. My Dad couldn't stop laughing, like a heard him laughing that night in the other room when I was trying to sleep."
"Then my mom and I were in a pizza joint on the upper west side, and there were 2 little old Jewish ladies (like 90s) having a terrible argument. One of them had what I assume to be her son (60s?) With her and he yelled at the top of his lungs "you should have died in the holocaust!!!" It took a while to convince my mom this was not an everyday occurrence."
– jetjordan
Birdnapped?
"My friend's mom swears she saw a well-dressed business woman throw a jacket over a street pigeon and stuff it in her purse, then just walk away like nothing happened."
"I choose to believe."
– Kin2monkey
"She was probably going to sell it. It's called "flippin' the bird", I think."
– floutsch
Burger To Go
"I have was on the subway in Brooklyn. Guy gets on and starts walking back and forth through the car giving a speech about how he's hungry and would really like some food. After a while, the general ask for food becomes him talking specifically about how nice it would be to have a cheeseburger. After a couple minutes, a woman sitting across from me, digs into the bottom of her giant purse, pulls out a wrapped McDonald's CHEESEBURGER and hands it to the guy. He thanks her without missing a bit or any noticable suprise. Still not sure wtf I witnessed that day."
– cleo42
"What, you don’t carry your emergency cheeseburger on you at all times? I thought this was like, NYC 101 dude."
"/s"
– geckosean
...Holy Sh*t!
"In a cab on 9th ave stuck in traffic and at a red light. Hear some commotion and a guy jumps in the back of the cab with me and yells "Go! Go! They're chasing me!" The driver is unfazed and just gestures to the traffic in front of us and says "Go where?""
"3 deli workers come running up to the cab holding various makeshift weapons that they grabbed from their kitchen. I open my door and hop out while they dive in to the backseat and pull this guy out. They throw him onto the hood of the car behind us. I dove back into the backseat and yanked the door closed. The light turned green, and we got the hell out of there. Cab driver and I had a good laugh about the whole thing."
Talking To Myself
"When I was like 13 I was in McDonalds having lunch with my friends and this lady walks in and gets napkins and ketchup and sits at the table across from us. She lays the stuff out in front and across the table from her, we assume she is waiting on a friend. She starts talking and gets up and walks to the other side of the table and sits down and answers herself. She went back and forth in this conversation for at least 10 minutes when we finished and left."
– marcus_frisbee
Not All Heroes Wear Capes
"The weirdest thing I've ever experienced in NYC was not the typical "people sh*tting in the middle of the street" you may expect to hear (which I have also seen lol)."
"The ACTUAL weirdest experience I had was the time some random guy chased me for about 12 blocks as I dodged between traffic and groups of tourists. I was walking to work and at first I didn't notice him, since I obviously was wearing headphones and actively avoiding making eye contact with strangers. Once I realized he was yelling at me and trying to catch up with me, I naturally began walking faster and trying to ignore him."
"When I was finally forced to stop at a busy intersection, he taps me on the shoulder and starts yelling at me. Turns out he was trying desperately to return my (untouched!) wallet that had fallen out of my pocket! And as he's doing this hugely kind gesture, he's simultaneously berating me for being so careless with my possessions (which, I mean is fair)."
"I also once had someone find me on LinkedIn of all places to tell me I had left a credit card behind at a bar and offer to return it."
"People love to sh*t on New Yorkers, and sure we can be massive a**holes. But New Yorkers can also be some of the kindest a**holes out there. So suck on that, California."
– hellakitchen
Spare Some Cash?
"I was at a McDonald's at like 2am with a friend, and no more than maybe 2 or 3 minutes after walking in, this dude barges into the restaurant tweaking real hard. Spots us and walks right over, spends like 5 minutes telling us something like it's his birthday but he's short on cash and needed $20 to go buy shawarma for his annual birthday celebration. It's so long winded and rapid fire that other people in line with us have stopped their own conversations to look."
"When he is finally done, my friend just says something like "sorry bro but I need this cash to buy a big mac" and this guy immediately loses it. Screams for a few seconds, goes into a squat and slaps the floor a couple times. He runs a lap around the restaurant, jumping up and onto some of the tables, and runs out the door into the night. Couple seconds pass with nobody saying anything. Someone quietly says out loud "Damn, must be some pretty good shawarma""
– chickenyogurt
Pants On Fire
"Guy got on the subway with his pants smoldering. Smoke drifting around him and he's slapping at his thigh area. Naturally everyone turned to look at him. He was like, what you all lookin at?"
– whosevelt
"Lol, happened to my brother once running to catch the train. Two books of open matches rubbing against each other in his pocket. Flames coming out the pocket as he's slapping that sh*t down!"
– Realistic-Drummer565
Costumed
"When things started opening back up in 2021, my friends and I were chilling in Washington Square Park and we saw a man dressed as a rat climb on top of a garbage can."
– Revolutionary-Tiger
"Are you positive that wasn’t just a New York rat?"
– Zogamizer
Get the image of a human sized rat out of my mind, please!
Do you have any "only in NYC" stories? Let us know in the comments below.
How is it possible that certain people keep their jobs?
That is a question I have long been dying to answer.
Sometimes it feels like some folks get a pass just because they have a good smile.
Or because they know how to have a few wild nights with the higher-ups.
And then the higher-ups wonder why things are a mess!
Granted, employees need protection.
Too many people have been fired for petty, ridiculous reasons.
But some people have literally burned down the building and only walked away with a slap on the wrist.
Redditor Virtual-Bunch-9131 wanted to hear about the times we all thought someone would get fired but then didn't, so they asked:
"What is the most fireable thing you have seen someone do at work that didn’t get them fired?"
I've been left gobsmacked by the things I've seen co-workers get away with.
Whoops!
truck forklift GIFGiphy"He hit the OSHA inspector with a forklift."
ScarnAndMacklinFBI
"I'm sorry I laughed out loud at this."
solojones1138
"Work drunk. This was in car sales. The dude showed up drunk or heavy hangover constantly. But he sold a lot of cars, somehow, so they didn’t care."
MurtZero1134
"I did this for six months. Couldn’t even remember half the people I sold to but my numbers were great. Eventually, I got sent home for two weeks and told that they’d have to fire me if I drank on the job because the liability was too high. Sadly my sales dropped by about 25% selling sober."
proleterising
Info Drop
"Accidentally send out the entire company's (3,000+ employees) headcount to the company distro. The file contained everyone's salary, birthday, government numbers, etc."
Yead1971
"Ohh this reminds me of when the registrar for my graduate program accidentally sent out an Excel doc with ALL info about the students in the program. They’re GPAs, GRE scores, recruitment priority, disability status, affirmative action status, various notes about them, and a bunch of other stuff."
marmosetohmarmoset
"My boss did this once, on purpose to about 15 folks. He emailed different versions of an unlocked Excel file that had everyone else's information hidden. Right click, unhide, boom, had everyone's salary. Lol. The sad thing is that I was probably the only one that noticed."
jonjon737
Let's Pretend
Working Work From Home GIF by Bare Tree MediaGiphy"The supervisor freaked the f**k out on the sales guy and just clocked out. It was a super busy shipping day and he was just done. He got to the end of the driveway and turned around and clocked back in and they just acted like he didn't tell them to f**k off lol."
GuySaysStuff
I love when supervisor's freak out.
They reap what they sow.
Peace Out
When I worked retail, I once challenged a customer to step outside and fight. The customer - I'll never forget this - said, 'Dude, you're at work,' and walked out, shaking his head. Sometimes the customer is right!"
Brand_Ex2001
"My brother did this to a customer who was verbally berating him. The moment the customer realize this staff member didn’t value their minimum wage job nor was gonna let some idiot insult him, made the decision to calm down and apologize."
sketchysketchist
Just a Joke
"It was me, but I faked a coworker's death by putting a makeshift memorial up in his assigned parking spot on April 1st. It had his picture, flowers, a handful of candles, the whole deal. The head of HR was not amused. Everyone else loved it, though. To make matters worse, this was during peak covid. I had just returned from a small vacation and had no idea my friend I did this to had been out for 3 days due to suspected Covid."
dlebs83
It's a Boy
"In a hospital, the person went out to get a patient and called out in the waiting room, 'Where's my little (insert name of disease the infant had) baby?' Basically just told all the people in the room what disease the baby had and the mother's jaw dropped and was furious. Nothing happened. She ended up quitting on her own 3-4 years later."
Candersx
"They’re incredibly lucky. My roommate in college was nearly kicked out of nursing school because after a birth she told the grandparents sitting in the lobby, 'It’s a boy' for others around to hear. She was a stand-up, grade-A student with no issues in school aside from this. HIPPA violations are some serious stuff."
curious_24
Excess
Kermit The Frog Reaction GIF by Muppet WikiGiphy"Watched a coworker rent an entire big box retail store parking lot to a BMW dealership for cash on the side so they could park excess inventory. Corporate didn't know. He pocketed all the money."
OopsNiceTry
People can really be brazen.
How do you NOT get fired for theft? LOL.
Every country has its own cultures, beliefs, and practices. We know this, and yet, when we hear how a country does something differently than our own, we remain surprised.
Americans, in particular, seem to be endlessly surprised about European practices.
Redditor TREE__FROG asked:
"What is something that is normalized in Europe yet is a completely unknown concept in the US?"
Nudity
"Nudeness."
"No, we don't all walk around naked all day."
"Yes, we have nude beaches. Yes, on most regular lakes where people go swimming, you most likely see their little kids running around nekkid. Yes, most saunas are "nude only". Yes, you see boobs, a**, and p**is on TV (like, if there's a movie and the situation 'demands' it). Yes, we have sex education where they use books with images of naked humans in school."
"It's just a body. And no, nude doesn't mean 'sex!'"
- kant0r
French Fries Without Ketchup
"Mayo with french fries."
"I’m in the US but have cousins in Holland. They introduced me to to this years ago and it’s pretty awesome."
- Robhow
"The irony of Americans putting mayo on everything EXCEPT french fries.
- TheMightyMustachio
Maternity Leave
"Maternity and paternity leave."
- misterbondpt
"I think California has the most progressive parental leave policies in the nation. But it’s not as good as what my friends in Europe have."
- TheOsider
Affordable Healthcare
"Providing healthcare to sick people without bankrupting them."
- EXXPat
Walkable Cities
"Walkable cities."
- TenNinetyThree
"More specifically - not just cities but basically every single town having walkable areas."
"I knew coming to Europe that the cities would be like that, but living here has shown me that it’s everywhere where people live."
"We’re pretty aware of terrible diets leading to obesity in America, but not having the ability to walk anywhere doesn’t get talked about nearly enough as a contributing factor."
- BradDaddyStevens
Refrigerated Eggs
"Not putting eggs in the refrigerator."
- blacksystembbq
"It depends on which country you're talking about. Here in Denmark, all eggs are refrigerated, simply because they'll last longer that way."
- MBAdk
Vacation Days vs. Sick Days
"I’m a project manager in the US, and it baffles me that my European team gets an entire month off in the summer."
"I’m over here saving my vacation days in case I get sick."
- smileysarah267
Metric System
"Using the metric system."
- RosmarinSalbeiTee
"Nah, that's EVERYWHERE except the US."
- ThongsGoOnUrFeet
The Presence of Wildlife
"Not worrying about wild animals when you're going out hiking. In most of Western Europe, at least, needing to carry bear spray or whatever is just not a thing. Our 'wildlife' such as it is is pretty tame and sadly, any wilderness we have isn't really... wilderness on the scale of North America."
- palishkoto
Rights to Online Privacy
"Legally enshrined right to online privacy."
- Quegyboe
"Not just privacy but the constitutional right to informational self-determination. This means you have the right to decide what happens to your information including your likeness and who is allowed to have it. Even if you've given it before, you have the right to demand to have the information about you be erased."
"That's why Facebook has huge issues in Germany because German judges don't f**k around when it comes to the right to informational self-determination."
- not_ya_wifey
Access to Alcohol
"More people are day drinking in Europe than I have ever seen in America."
- CamilaHelena
"I mean it’s a whole different culture around alcohol you guys even have a separate verb of 'day drinking' because apparently that’s different than just drinking."
- baddolphin3
"This was going to be my answer. Completely different cultures and outlooks on alcohol. I believe in The States it's viewed as an addiction to alcohol rather than a regular daylight hours thing to see. In addition, the drinking ages we have are lower or far more relaxed depending on the country."
"Same situation with nudity and sex. Not all nudity is sexual inherently. In my country, we are not ashamed of nudity nor immediately correlate it with sex. It's not unusual to see nudity in public parks, in newspapers, on TV, shared public showering nude after swimming nude, advertising. There are too many examples, I can't even think of them all, as it's normal to us... and highly shocking to Americans to the point of outrage."
- That_Babe_Anethesia
Tipping Culture
"Here in Europe, you don't have to tip people for doing their job."
- xxGURIxx
"Yes, because we pay them a living wage by law. Including health care!"
- 077u-5jP6ZO1
Reusable Shopping Bags
"Taking your own shopping bag(s) to the supermarket."
"Totally normalized in all European countries as far as I know. Or buy a (firm) shopping bag at the store if you don't have one with you."
"All those plastic bags in US stores, so small that it can only hold two cans of milk so you see customers with a dozen plastic bags for their groceries... unthinkable in Europe."
- Shrooma11
No Gaps Needed
"Bathroom doors with no gaps."
- P1nk_barbie
"Those are gaining a little bit of traction here in the States and I’m so glad."
- RockNRollTrollDoll_
Taxes Included
"Prices already include taxes."
- Bada**-19
"I’ve lived in Australia most of my life, but I spent a few years living in the US when I was young."
"I vividly remember having saved up for a Wii game I wanted, going down to the electronics store with my 50 dollar note, and trying to buy the game with a '$50' sticker on it, only to get to the counter and find out that it actually secretly cost more than that (and the guy at the checkout was pretty rude about it, too)."
"I had to go home empty-handed because I didn’t know enough about US taxes when I was 12."
- mayanais
Every country is bound to be different, but instead of looking at the ways we're different as bad things, we could instead look at these differences as a source of inspiration. There's always room for improvement!
Gia Carangi took the modelling industry by storm with her fearless, androgynous look and risk-taking sensibilities. Although she is widely considered to be the first supermodel, her early exposure to substances derailed her career right at the peak of her success. Gia's story is a cautionary tale—one of heartbreak and regret—and it only ends in tragedy.
1. She Came From A Broken Family
Born January 29, 1960, Gia Carangi had it rough right from the get-go. Her home life was violent and unstable, and when she was only 11 years old, her mother walked out on the family. After that, Gia didn't see her mother for years. She spent her youth in Philadelphia, working at her father's small restaurant and trying to forget her yearning for a maternal figure.
But this sense of loss never went away.
2. She Marched To The Beat Of Her Own Drum
Gia found other meaningful connections in her friendships and was shamelessly open with her feelings. She often declared intentions of friendship with floral bouquets. No flowers for the boys though! Gia was all about the ladies. In high school, she pivoted from platonic girl crushes and began frequenting gay clubs, subverting gender norms every chance she got.
However, Gia did have time for one man, and one man only—her idol, David Bowie.
3. She Looked Up To A Legend
Gia and her friends obsessed over Bowie's glam style, bisexuality, and playful gender subversion. Taking cues from the legendary musician, Gia adopted an androgynous style. She wore men’s clothes—army pants and combat boots–and kept her hair cropped short and brightly dyed. But that wan't all. Gia was a barefaced beauty all the way through and never wore a stitch of makeup.
While out at the clubs, she definitely stood out from the crowd.
4. She Stood Out From The Crowd
Everyone noticed Gia—it was hard not to. She was a hip vision in her thrifted vintage wardrobe of men’s castoffs, and her signature style was a striking contrast to her unadorned natural beauty. Instantly captivated by Gia at a club she frequented, a local shutterbug, Maurice Tannenbaum, asked to take her photograph on the dance floor. Before long, bold, confident, and self-assured Gia began to model in local advertisements.
But that wasn't all the nightclubs had to offer.
5. She Was Gay and Proud
LGBT banner lotPhoto by Teddy O on UnsplashWhen she was only 15 years old, Gia partied at the gay club DCA and set her eyes on a short and beautiful blonde girl named Sharon Beverly. She'd actually briefly dated Beverly's brother, but in the end, her overwhelming attraction to Beverly won out. However, there was one caveat—Beverly was quite a bit older than Gia and it was about to get her in a lot of trouble.
6. She Was Too Young
Although Kathleen Sperr wasn't especially close to her daughter Gia, it didn't stop her from laying down the law. After finding out about Gia's lesbian romance with Sharon, she immediately called up Sharon's parents and warned them that their daughter was far too old to be hanging out with Gia. Of course, this never stopped Gia from pursuing what she wanted—whether it be a woman or a career or a bad decision.
7. She Took A Chance
With some exposure and experience, Gia decided to see how far she could get with modelling. Like many before her, Gia’s dreams and aspirations were bigger than the confines of her hometown. The bright lights and endless possibilities of New York City drew Gia to the pulsing metropolis. Only 17, and all on her own in an unfamiliar and strange city, Gia didn’t have to wait long before being discovered.
She soon met a woman who would not only be her agent, and mentor, but also a dear friend. This was the maternal figure she had been searching for all along.
8. She Was A Hit
When Gia met Wilhelmina Cooper, one of the most successful models of the 1960s, everything changed. Although Cooper’s career had been based on her icy, aristocratic look, she immediately recognized the edgy, blue-collar Gia as a new breed of model. After signing her on, Cooper took Gia under her wing, and before long, Gia herself had become a one-name wonder.
9. She Got Her First Big Break
The first major shoot Gia booked was so chaotic and iconic it’s still talked about to this day. In it, Gia climbed and posed against a chain link fence. And then she amped up the drama. She started shrugging out of her clothes, eventually shedding them all together. When another model joined her on set, the two of them took it to the next level.
10. She Was Obsessed With Her Makeup Artist
Sandy Says Goodbye on Vimeovimeo.comOn the day of her infamous photoshoot, Gia had two costars. The first round of shots were taken with Lisa Vales, but for the second round, the photographer wanted to do something more personal and asked the makeup artist, Sandy Linter, to step in. That's when the magic really started happening. She and Gia had unbelievable chemistry.
11. She Bared All
Together, Gia and Vales turned up the heat, sharing steamy smouldering gazes through the wire, with only the fence between them. It was risky and fearless, and absolutely successful. The pictures are now part of fashion history and still have tongues wagging to this day. More than that, the snaps launched Gia’s career into the stratosphere.
12. She Became The First Supermodel
The photos caused a sensation, and in a short time Gia established herself within the modelling world. She began working with top fashion houses including haute couture heavyweights Versace, Armani, and Saint Laurent. But that wasn't all. She also booked coveted jobs as a cover girl for Paris and American Vogue. As Gia’s star rapidly rose, there was one person she just couldn’t get out of her head.
13. She Shot Her Shot
The day after their steamy photoshoot, Gia put the moves on Linter, and asked her if she wanted a ride in her bright red sports car. Linter went along with it and soon after, things started getting serious. After her busy work days, 19-year-old Gia didn't want to spend the rest of her night alone in an empty apartment. With Linter, she found companionship—a balm to her ever growing sense of isolation.
14. She Fell In Love
Gia and Linter loved one another deeply and while Linter has since admitted that it wasn't a "torrid love affair," these two girls certainly shared a special connection. They spent most of their time together. There were flowers, restaurants, and wild nights out at the clubs, but most importantly, there was the mutual feeling of being understood.
But this comfortable relationship was never destined for "happily ever after."
15. She Was Intensely Lonely
Kathleen Remembers GIA on Vimeovimeo.comPeople described Gina as a loner, but those closest to her claimed the opposite was true. When it came to her relationship with Linter, Gia always wanted more—more stability, more affection, and more time. Unfortunately, Linter just wasn’t able to give her any of this, and was hesitant to put labels on their relationship. Slowly but surely, Gia's constant need for attention doused any hope of a long-term commitment.
Without Linter and with the constant pressures of the modeling industry, Gia sought out other—more dangerous—coping mechanisms.
16. She Was A Casual User
Partygoers of the decadent disco era were nose candy enthusiasts, and the powder was ubiquitous in the night club culture that Gia adored. The hotspot club Studio 54 was a notorious place for using substances, and bumping lines off the closest mirror was commonplace with the party people crowd Gia ran with. This was a slippery slope, and Gia dove down it—head first.
17. She Was Oblivious
Of course, this underworld had sinister consequences. It was almost too easy for an unsuspecting user to snort a different substance by mistake...like say, if the substance was a white powder. Gia, like many others at the time, was sorely misinformed about it and believed that you couldn't get addicted unless under certain circumstances. As she soon learned, it was far more dangerous than she ever expected.
18. She Hit Her Peak
Amid the temptations of New York's nightlife, Gia was at the top of her game. To her delight, she participated in a rite of passage for A-list models, making a guest appearance in a music video. The band was Blondie, and as a huge fan, Gia cut across the dance floor, bobbing her head to the song "Atomic." With the music video and her unparalleled success, everything was going according to plan...
...But just as she was taking off, a tragedy struck.
19. She Lost Her Mentor
When Gia learned that her mentor Wilhelmina had been diagnosed with lung cancer, she felt her world crumbling around her. This powerful woman had acted as her center—her maternal figure and guiding light. At the tragically young age of 40, Wilhelmina succumbed to her illness, leaving Gia all alone. Devastated and grieving, the young model made a terrible mistake.
20. She Couldn't Keep It Together
white blue and orange medication pillPhoto by Myriam Zilles on UnsplashWith only two years of industry experience, Gia immediately began to falter without Wilhelmina's strong guidance and encouragement. Her depression drove her to self-medicate with the many substances available to her and it wasn't long before she disappeared into the grip of addiction. Of course, this self-destructive behavior didn't bode well for her blossoming career.
21. She Was A Diva
Even before her troubles with addiction began to have an impact on her work, Gia was a total diva. Her high-maintenance behavior was part and parcel of her edgy style that made her unique. But there was only so much people were willing to tolerate. She was notoriously hard to work with. And as her use only escalated, so did her difficult antics...
22. She Lost Control
Before substances, it wasn’t uncommon for Gia to wander off and ghost a set, or cancel work over a bad haircut, but under the influence, it only got worse. While on set, she started pulling vicious temper tantrums, and sometimes, she'd even abandon a job just to seek out a score.At an extremely low point, her overwhelming exhaustion had her falling asleep in front of the cameras. But that wasn't all.
23. She Became An Addict
Gia's addiction became so bad that in one of her datebooks she made it a top priority, scrawling the words, "Get heroine." Ugh! The grim misspelling is so multilayered. Gia, instead of continuing to be the hero of her own story became hopelessly enthralled by the narcotic that would doom her. As her addiction spiralled out of control, her peers and few friends began to see that Gia was on a crash course for disaster.
24. She Didn’t Have A Lot Of Friends
During this time, one of the few friends Gia had left was her ex-girlfriend Sandy Linter. Linter herself was no stranger to using in nightclubs, and at the time, had no idea how destructive it could be. But witnessing Gia's descent into addiction changed all that. She was shocked to discover that, at the vibrant age of 20, Gia had so little energy she could barely dress herself.
But the side effects of addiction didn't end there...
25. She Had Surgery
blue plastic tube with black stringPhoto by Raghavendra V. Konkathi on UnsplashIt’s fair to say that a model’s face and body is their brand and their product, and Gia certainly wasn’t careful with the merchandise. As she constantly shot up in the same spot, her habit caused an abscess and infection that damaged a vein and required her to undergo surgery. Still, the surgery didn't fix the problem, and soon, the constant injections became an even bigger issue.
26. She Had One Supporter
To her dismay, Gia's track marks soon became too noticeable to ignore. The scars and bruises marred her photos, and soon barely anybody wanted to work with her. Only one fashion photographer kept coming back to Gia. Francesco Scavullo, who had met Gia when she was just a teenager, stood by her. He had seen her potential from the get-go and supported her every step of the way.
But during a photoshoot in the Caribbean, even Scavullo couldn't deny that Gia needed some serious help.
27. She Needed Help
While shooting with Scavullo on location, Gia had a total breakdown. She couldn’t find any scores, and became tearful and unstable. Luckily, Scavullo stepped in like a guardian angel and calmed her down, forcing her to go to bed for some much-needed rest. Gia was circling the drain—rock bottom was just around the corner.
28. She Became A Terrible Client
During one of her last shoots for American Vogue, Gia’s track marks were highly noticeable. So visible, in fact, that they can be seen in the final pictures. No amount of airbrushing could conceal the unsightly scars and bruises. This damage coupled with her lax professionalism endangered her career, and Gia was steps away from being blacklisted.
29. She Jumped Ship
Wilhelmina as a company meant nothing to Gia without Cooper at the helm, and she left the agency to sign with competitor Ford Models. But her plan went horribly wrong. Ford Models dropped her almost immediately, and from there, Gia’s career quickly went downhill. But the fashion companies weren't the only ones to steer clear of Gia, and soon she found herself more alone than ever.
30. She Had Nobody
gia carangi by RedForeman https://flic.kr/p/5yJz8g | Flickrwww.flickr.comAs her work dried up, her fashion industry “friends” scattered like rats from a sinking ship, and even by some accounts her old bestie Sandy Linter wouldn’t talk to her anymore. She became so toxic that no one wanted her rep to rub off on them by association. Jobless, friendless, and completely consumed by her addiction—Gia knew it was time for a change.
31. She Upped And Left
Gia desperately needed a break to find some clarity and came up with a strategy to get her life back on track. She made a drastic decision and abandoned the temptations of New York, returning home to Philadelphia to stay with her mother and stepfather. More than anything, she wanted to get clean, and decided to try a 21-day detox program. Perhaps this was the answer to all her problems...
32. She Tried To Get Clean
After the detox program, Gia's sobriety seemed hopeful. But to everyone's dismay, the detox program didn't yield any long-lasting results. Not long after finishing the program, she relapsed...and she relapsed hard.In fact, she landed in some serious trouble. On one memorable occasion she incited a car chase with the authorities where she sped recklessly through the suburbs.
33. She Crashed And Burned
Just like her attempt at rehabilitation, her car chase antics ended in disappointment. She crashed into a fence and was taken into custody. There, they determined that she was indeed, extremely intoxicated and high as a kite. Resigned to her own dependencies, Gia tried to look for more work. But more than anything, she just wanted her old life back.
34. She Put On A Brave Face
In 1981, Gia had her first and only television appearance. Her 20/20 interview on ABC highlighted the darker side of the modelling world, but also gave Gia the chance to set the record straight. She hoped to show the world that she'd overcome her many demons, and was ready for a comeback. Nothing could be further from the truth.
35. She Lied On Television
person sitting in front bookshelfPhoto by Sam McGhee on UnsplashThroughout the interview, Gia claimed that her life of using was over, and that she was completely clean. But her glazed look throughout the segment only proved that she was still using. Her empty claims had her lying through her teeth—so desperate was she for the industry to give her another chance. Then, later that year, something promising happened.
36. She Attempted A Comeback
In late 1981, Elite Model Management decided to give Gia the benefit of the doubt and signed her. But even then, finding work was a struggle. Because of her tarnished reputation, many companies refused to even consider working with her. No matter how hard she tried to leverage her past status, her comeback soon proved futile.
To add insult to injury, her very last photoshoot sadly mirrored the success of her first one—they were both infamous–but for very different reasons...
37. Her Photoshoot Was A Disaster
Gia's last magazine cover shoot was for Cosmopolitan in 1982. Behind the camera was none other than her tried and true friend—Francesco Scavullo. But not even his comforting presence could make this last project a success. One of Scavullo's assistants later reflected on Gia's dwindling health: "I could see the change in her beauty. There was an emptiness in her eyes."
Unsurprisingly, the photoshoot was a disaster.
38. She Hid Her Scars
The Cosmopolitan cover featured Gia with both her arms hidden by the full skirt of her dress. The awkward pose was the only solution to cover up how disfigured Gia's arms had become from her continued use of needles. After this disastrous shoot, Gia had no choice but to resort to modeling for department stores and catalogs. But even then, fate offered her another shot at redemption...
39. She Had One Last Chance
Despite her notoriously bad behavior, Gia was given one last miraculous chance. While doing mostly catalog work, she landed a gig with famed fashion photographer, Richard Avedon. But this wasn't just any gig—it was a campaign for the fashion house of Versace. For once in her life, this was one gig Gia couldn't afford to mess up.
40. She Played Hooky
aerial photo of brown concrete buildings under cloudy skyPhoto by Matthew Landers on UnsplashAfter a hard night of partying, Sandy Linter remembers Gia in the morning light, sitting in the kitchen with the phone pressed to her ear. When Gia asked her whether she should go into work or not, Linter immediately responded with "Not if you feel the way I do!" In retrospect, this was a huge mistake. When she found out what it cost Gia to skip out on work, she wished she could take it all back.
41. She Missed Out
As a supermodel, missing one day of work means sacrificing a lot. When Gia took Lister's advice and played hooky, she missed out on a $5000 payoff and so much more. When she didn't show, the model Rosie Vela took her coveted position. She had effectively blown her very last chance in the modelling industry—and it was a very high price to pay.
42. She Hit Rock Bottom
After this debacle, Gia was effectively blacklisted: She was no longer able to book work with any major agency, and went at whiplash speed from a hot commodity to a pariah. Her job prospects dwindled down to nothing, and it was about to get very, very desperate. In her darkest hour, she had no choice but to scrape the very bottom of the barrel.
43. She Couldn't Keep A Job
Gia began her illustrious career posing for ads in her hometown paper, and things came full circle when she found herself doing catalog work for an obscure German mail-order company. But even that job was too much for her to manage. Gia used on set and, unwilling to tolerate this behavior, the company fired Gia and sent her home. But while this seemed like the end, the nightmare was only just beginning.
44. She Was Destitute
Gia's glamorous life in New York had come to an end, and having spent all her money, she was essentially homeless. She began dividing her time between her hometown of Philadelphia and Atlantic City, New Jersey while couch surfing among a handful of lovers, friends, and family members. After one last stab at rehab, she swallowed her pride and tried to find employment.
45. She Took A Job In The Real World
person in white shirt standing in front of foodPhoto by CDC on UnsplashGia tried her hand at a number of jobs. First she tried retail, and when that didn't work, she became a checkout clerk. She even tried working at a nursing home cafeteria. But none of these occupations ever stuck. By 1985, Gia started using again, but this time she had no safety net—no second chances. With nowhere to go, her life took a dark and dangerous turn.
46. She Became A Night Worker
In lieu of unemployment, Gia resorted to selling more than just her image, but also her body. Compounded with her spiralling addiction, this was a recipe for disaster. In December 1985, she was admitted to a hospital in Pennsylvania. She was extremely ill and doctors diagnosed her with bilateral pneumonia. But little did Gia know, she wasn't out of the woods yet.
47. She Had A Devastating Diagnosis
A few days later, doctors revealed another, more terrifying diagnosis: Gia had AIDS-related complex. Gia was diagnosed with AIDS at a time when doctors knew very little about the disease, and there was precious little that could be done to save her. In the fall of the next year, Gia was in hospital once again—and this time, she was in much worse condition.
48. She Was One Of The First
In 1986, Gia faced a horrific ordeal—she was attacked and left out on the street. On October 18, her health took a severe nosedive, and she found herself hospitalized for the final time. With so little known about her disease, doctors treated her as though she was highly infectious. They rigorously wiped down every surface she touched, and anyone attending her wore full protective gear.
49. She Had Regrets
Although the end was near, Gia didn’t find much solace in her brief life or career path. Shortly before her passing, Gia had a casual conversation with one of her nurses. Oblivious to Gia's past, the nurse told her about a photographer who wanted to take pictures of her daughter. Gia's response was absolutely tragic: "Don't do it. Even if she wants it, don't let her do it. I used to be a model. You don't want your kid to be a model."
50. She Had A Tragic End
AIDS Awareness Ribbon | Red ribbon, the international symbol… | Flickrwww.flickr.comOn November 18, 1986, Gia Carangi passed away from AIDS-related complications. She was only 26 years old. In fact, she was one of the first famous women to ever succumb to the disease. Her family held a small service in her hometown of Philadelphia. Having been such an icon in the modelling world, one might expect Gia's funeral to be attended by a great number of old coworkers and friends...But this just wasn't the case...
51. They Forgot Her
When her long-time supporter and collaborator, Francesco Scavullo, heard the tragic news, he sent his sympathies and a Catholic Prayer card to her family. However, not one single person or any of her so-called friends from the fashion world attended the service. The world had already moved on from Gia Carangi, and her replacement was rearing to go.
52. They Replaced Her
After Gia stepped onto the modelling scene, her signature tomboy look became highly sought after. After she disappeared from the scene, agents worked quickly to find a new model to carry the torch and fill the void left in Gia's wake. Fashion experts soon shopped around a new young model and even dubbed her “Baby Gia.” Who was this young model? None other than Cindy Crawford.
53. She Has A Biopic
In 1998, Angelina Jolie starred in the HBO made-for-TV biopic, Gia. Jolie had really interesting, albeit bizarre things to say about portraying Gia. Among the least weird was, “I’d like to date Gia. I’d want to be her lover.” Which is one thing, until you remember Jolie was playing her. But no matter her comments, it's safe to say that this film keeps people coming back to Gia's story time and time again.
54. She Lives On
File:Aids Quilt.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.orgOne fitting and somber tribute to Gia is her square on the AIDS Memorial quilt. The NAMES Project created the folk-art quilt that weighs over 50 tons, and in 1989 they were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Gia’s square reads, “You know what I think? I think there’s a reason for everything. God has a big plan for me. Just not in this life.”