Throwback! I hung out with the Go-Go’s in the early eighties when I was working as a desk clerk at Holiday Inn in Ashland, Virginia. We partied for hours. What a fun memory of an incredibly talented group of women. And they were also hilarious. I still listen to that iconic music. My playlists are all 70’s and 80’s rock/pop.
Everything Kathy is revealing here about aging as a woman in this culture is so relatable. It made me so sad to hear she lost her mom before that birthday party. Grieving and anticipating grieving loss is something I never knew would be such a difficult part of growing older. I also dread the day the world is without Mick Jagger or Elton John and so many others who shaped my life.
😜no, but I will say that sobriety has been the best part of my mature life. Forgetting and letting go of regrets from those reckless days, I look ahead to the best things that life promises me. There’s so much to be grateful for every day. Blessings to you and your family.
As a kid in the early 80s NOTHING was cooler to me than the Go Gos. They were just so Bad Ass!!! True story and I tell this often, I had begged my mom for a drumkit and she told me girls don't play the drums (she was Old World and old school). Then the Go Gos came out and I was like, that woman lied to me!!! Girls CAN be rockers!! Which just gave me a huge boost of confidence at 10 that I could literally be anything I wanted and I didn't have to listen to the naysayers in my life. So I may have never learned to play the drums (yet!) but I've done my own bad ass stuff. Thank you Ms. Valentine and all the other trailblazers for being amazing role models!!
hearing stuff like this for decades now is the absolute best part of our band's legacy. it far outpaces any and all accolades. thank you for letting me hear it again! xxK
A great, very honest interview. I agree wholeheartedly when you said that as you aged you had a greater capacity for compassion, empathy, and gentleness for yourself and others. It’s been the best thing about aging for me. By the way, you are gorgeous!
Oh I am so happy to read this interview! I am 55 and also a lifelong rocker and without the Go Gos I don’t know if I would have understood that was absolutely an option. Saw them live at Red Rocks in 1982 as a youngster. My parents dropped me off at 4 am to wait in line on the iconic Red Rocks stairs to get my front row seats. (I mean obviously we were not in our seats! But we were in front!)
Went on to have an amazing career and so much fun making records, writing songs and teaching music and now writing stories and books alongside the songs. She continues to inspire! How absolutely awesome for a younger fan who also still wants to rock. This is great work you are doing! Thanks for the interview.
Kathy Valentine, all I secretly wanted when I was in high school was to be a Go-Go. Now I have hope that a few decades from now, in a retirement home somewhere, it might happen! See you then!
I used to come home from hs basketball practice and my 4 year old cousin would beg me to dance with him to “…the beat”
I drive my mother’s mini van, (she has passed), and it reminds me of her. I have been playing my Go Go’s CD on repeat. Yes, a CD. I wish it were a tape.
So wonderful to read your answers here.
Thank you for being part of my teenage world. What a treasure of hip and cool.
Fabulous 🙌🏽 as I turn 65 on Sunday 🎂 Vibing with everything Ms. Valentine shares: wonderfully passionately grateful to be Here, alive, singing every day, blessed by dear friends of all ages. Respect the urgency of creative projects while mourning the deaths (yet as a medium the dearly departed do not feel so very far from my heart). Rock ON!
I read this interview with the great interest because I am from completely different culture, different country and never heard of the Go-Go's, but I admire the fulness of Kathy Valentine's life and her sober and sensible thoughts about getting old: especially, her dignity, grounding in gratitude; sense of urgency; not waste a moment and contentment. Wish you health and happiness!
Amen Sister! And can you sneak in an addendum for "blur the wrinkle" filters for all mirrors? Like the way they'd Vaseline the lens back in the pre-photoshop era for Doris Day's close ups ;)
Great interview. I love her attitude, her continued curiosity and enthusiasm for life. I often feel the same sense of urgency, even as it exists alongside the inevitable challenges of aging. Reading this was a great start to my day as a 62 year old. Thanks.
This is an inspiration to this 72 year old. I identify with a lot of what is being said here and am grateful for anyone in our age group (65-75) who has the courage to tell it like it is. We need more 'oldsters' (not crazy about that term but it's better than 'elderly') to speak up and help all of us navigate this entirely new landscape of growing old in this age of technology and general craziness. This is not our mother's growing old screenplay. We have the opportunity to change the way aging is understood for the benefit of all those who will come after us. We need more pieces like this. Thanks for sharing it.
I'm 65 too! This interview is so insightful and spot on. I relate to all Kathy has to say about aging, attending to your health and spending time remaining wisely. I've got Tix to see Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders next month with my best high school buddy at a small theater in Washington DC. We will rock out with that 73 year old badsass and feel young again! Keep shining your love and light KV!
Throwback! I hung out with the Go-Go’s in the early eighties when I was working as a desk clerk at Holiday Inn in Ashland, Virginia. We partied for hours. What a fun memory of an incredibly talented group of women. And they were also hilarious. I still listen to that iconic music. My playlists are all 70’s and 80’s rock/pop.
Everything Kathy is revealing here about aging as a woman in this culture is so relatable. It made me so sad to hear she lost her mom before that birthday party. Grieving and anticipating grieving loss is something I never knew would be such a difficult part of growing older. I also dread the day the world is without Mick Jagger or Elton John and so many others who shaped my life.
Wow!
hope we weren't asking you to score for us!! thank you for your reply : ) xk
😜no, but I will say that sobriety has been the best part of my mature life. Forgetting and letting go of regrets from those reckless days, I look ahead to the best things that life promises me. There’s so much to be grateful for every day. Blessings to you and your family.
"The next morning he was either a boyfriend or you moved on" -- perfect description and so hard to explain today with the rise of purity culture!
Totally related!
right? xk
As a kid in the early 80s NOTHING was cooler to me than the Go Gos. They were just so Bad Ass!!! True story and I tell this often, I had begged my mom for a drumkit and she told me girls don't play the drums (she was Old World and old school). Then the Go Gos came out and I was like, that woman lied to me!!! Girls CAN be rockers!! Which just gave me a huge boost of confidence at 10 that I could literally be anything I wanted and I didn't have to listen to the naysayers in my life. So I may have never learned to play the drums (yet!) but I've done my own bad ass stuff. Thank you Ms. Valentine and all the other trailblazers for being amazing role models!!
hearing stuff like this for decades now is the absolute best part of our band's legacy. it far outpaces any and all accolades. thank you for letting me hear it again! xxK
Wow! Just wow!! Keep on being a Bad Ass!!
A great, very honest interview. I agree wholeheartedly when you said that as you aged you had a greater capacity for compassion, empathy, and gentleness for yourself and others. It’s been the best thing about aging for me. By the way, you are gorgeous!
thank you Monica xk
Oh I am so happy to read this interview! I am 55 and also a lifelong rocker and without the Go Gos I don’t know if I would have understood that was absolutely an option. Saw them live at Red Rocks in 1982 as a youngster. My parents dropped me off at 4 am to wait in line on the iconic Red Rocks stairs to get my front row seats. (I mean obviously we were not in our seats! But we were in front!)
Went on to have an amazing career and so much fun making records, writing songs and teaching music and now writing stories and books alongside the songs. She continues to inspire! How absolutely awesome for a younger fan who also still wants to rock. This is great work you are doing! Thanks for the interview.
So glad this resonated, Camille!
Loved this comment Camille!!
Great and wonderfully frank interview with an iconic rocker. Well done!
Kathy Valentine, all I secretly wanted when I was in high school was to be a Go-Go. Now I have hope that a few decades from now, in a retirement home somewhere, it might happen! See you then!
I'm already thinking up names. THey are sick I think I put them in a Note! welcome to the band
I used to come home from hs basketball practice and my 4 year old cousin would beg me to dance with him to “…the beat”
I drive my mother’s mini van, (she has passed), and it reminds me of her. I have been playing my Go Go’s CD on repeat. Yes, a CD. I wish it were a tape.
So wonderful to read your answers here.
Thank you for being part of my teenage world. What a treasure of hip and cool.
Checked them out. They're great!
My 2 favorite Substacks rolled into 1 today. It's a good day.
I didn’t know about Kathy Valentine’s and I am SO EXCITED!
She's a wonderful writer ❤️.
Yes!
Fabulous 🙌🏽 as I turn 65 on Sunday 🎂 Vibing with everything Ms. Valentine shares: wonderfully passionately grateful to be Here, alive, singing every day, blessed by dear friends of all ages. Respect the urgency of creative projects while mourning the deaths (yet as a medium the dearly departed do not feel so very far from my heart). Rock ON!
I read this interview with the great interest because I am from completely different culture, different country and never heard of the Go-Go's, but I admire the fulness of Kathy Valentine's life and her sober and sensible thoughts about getting old: especially, her dignity, grounding in gratitude; sense of urgency; not waste a moment and contentment. Wish you health and happiness!
how lovely, thank you Larisa! xk
Thank you, Kathy! You are great, wise lady!
On the topic of hearing aids, tooth implants, and cataract lenses, I like to think that we're just getting closer to becoming bionic women.
I wish they'd hurry with the growing teeth and 3D print organs in my lifetime
I love this so hard. Kathy Valentine for President.
ack! first bill; ears, eyes and hearing renovations for all the olds in the land! xk
Amen Sister! And can you sneak in an addendum for "blur the wrinkle" filters for all mirrors? Like the way they'd Vaseline the lens back in the pre-photoshop era for Doris Day's close ups ;)
Great interview. I love her attitude, her continued curiosity and enthusiasm for life. I often feel the same sense of urgency, even as it exists alongside the inevitable challenges of aging. Reading this was a great start to my day as a 62 year old. Thanks.
thank you for reading xk
This is an inspiration to this 72 year old. I identify with a lot of what is being said here and am grateful for anyone in our age group (65-75) who has the courage to tell it like it is. We need more 'oldsters' (not crazy about that term but it's better than 'elderly') to speak up and help all of us navigate this entirely new landscape of growing old in this age of technology and general craziness. This is not our mother's growing old screenplay. We have the opportunity to change the way aging is understood for the benefit of all those who will come after us. We need more pieces like this. Thanks for sharing it.
How about “ Queen Agers”? We ARE Queens! We are from the best generation of music!
Cheers Carrie! xk
I'm 65 too! This interview is so insightful and spot on. I relate to all Kathy has to say about aging, attending to your health and spending time remaining wisely. I've got Tix to see Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders next month with my best high school buddy at a small theater in Washington DC. We will rock out with that 73 year old badsass and feel young again! Keep shining your love and light KV!
Definitely want to read this memoir! Thank you for sharing!
I'm going to read it, too!
It's good! :)