Entertainment & Music Industry Interview - Lorraine Lewis on Femme Fatale, New Music, & Life in the Spotlight.

Greg Staffa 0:00

You're listening to the Staffa Corner Podcast a Staffatarian look at entertainment and life with your host, Greg Staffa. My guest this episode is talented rock musician Lorraine Lewis. She's best known for the singer Late 80s femme fatale. She was lead vocalist in all-female legacy rock group band vixen as well. Thank you for joining us today thank you so much, greg.

Lorraine Lewis 0:31

I'm happy to be here.

Greg Staffa 0:32

Let's do this rocking in the 80s. That seems. First thing that comes up to my mind is you know, 80s rock band is usually, to me, male dominated the hair. You know everything that you got the hair for the 80s rock band is usually, to me, male dominated the hair. You know everything like that. You got the hair for the 80s rock band but female rock bands how was that getting started?

Lorraine Lewis 0:52

It was definitely different in the 80s. It was a different time. I mean, everything has changed so much. But look, I was a girl with a plan and on a mission, leaving Albuquerque, New Mexico, moving to Los Angeles to follow her dream. It's the rock and roll story come true. I wanted to be David Lee Roth. I didn't want to date David Lee Roth, I wanted to be David Lee Roth. So I moved out to LA to get a record deal and that's exactly what I did.

Lorraine Lewis 1:21

But it was challenging being a female in rock back then, because radio stations wouldn't play females a lot, there weren't a lot of women rock and roll singers, and so I just really had to keep my vision, keep going, do what I knew in my gut that I wanted to do and wanted to be, and I just stuck with it. But you know I never really had issues with other guys or bands or saw the casting couch, if you will, nothing like that. I mean, I just really went for it, stayed true to myself and you know I got there and it happened really fast. So yeah, those were the middle days.

Greg Staffa 2:02

You had the audience, you had the fans, you had the support from them. What was your hurdle? I mean, why couldn't they see the dollar signs when you had? You know you were selling out, you were getting, you know you had your fans. What was the hurdle that was causing kind of that hold back?

Lorraine Lewis 2:21

I have no idea. I don't know. I don't even know what you mean by hold back. I mean, look, we got a record deal with MCA Records. We put out two amazing videos that were produced by director Marty Cullner, who is a famous videographer, director, famous for the White Snake videos with Tawny Katane rolling around on the Jaguar. You know two killer, killer videos from him that still hold up today.

Lorraine Lewis 2:46

So you know, we did everything that we knew to do, which was rock and roll, went out on tour with Cheap Trick and everything was going great, you know it, and everything was in the in the cards, in my opinion, for being hugely successful. It just didn't turn out that way. You know, things changed, the climate of the music industry changed. We were kind of at the tail end of the 80s, you know, got signed in 1988. And everything just kind of ran its course and before we knew it, it was, it was over and done with. But I have no regrets. I've lived my life to the fullest, as I do every day now. And did we sell platinum? No, Did we go gold, Close to gold? But look, here I am in 2025, still rocking and rolling. I mean, it doesn't get any better than this. People still know, people still care, people still are going to rock and roll with me. So I feel very lucky.

Greg Staffa 3:44

What's the biggest misconception that people have about the rock and roll kind of lifestyle?

Lorraine Lewis 3:50

Oh, I think that I think that people always think that you know you're, you're tearing up hotel rooms, you're fucking everything in sight, that you're getting drunk every day, every night, and and I mean that is true on some nights for sure, but for the most part, you know, when I'm on tour, I have to take care of myself. You know the voice. You got to take care of the voice. That means get a lot of sleep, that means take care of yourself. So I am not out partying like a rock star every night, but I definitely have had my moments.

Lorraine Lewis 4:25

But no, you have to take care of yourself when you're on the road or you're going to burn out. You know, and I mean you know I still look good, I look healthy and I look, I look young, and I think that I attribute that, attribute that to not succumbing to all of the sex, drugs and rock and roll of the 80s. Yep, so now I can continue rock and rolling for the rest of my life.

Greg Staffa 4:48

Recently I watched there's a documentary on Bon Jovi, his life and his legacy and I was surprised to see that, given how much he's done, there's still a lot of regret. It sounded like in his voice talking about how much more he intends to do and you're kind of like sitting there going Bon Jovi, you have a lot more to do and with his voice and everything, there's concerns over that. There's a lot of regret of his legacy and how he views his legacy. Despite selling millions of copies of records and stuff like that, where do you see your legacy and how much more do you see needing to kind of fulfill that until you're content with?

Lorraine Lewis 5:27

it. Oh well, I don't think I'll ever be content with filling a legacy and I don't really, you know, I don't really succumb to any of that. I just know that I love rocking and rolling. I love being belly to belly with my fans, my people, my tribe. I love performing. I am a performer to the max, I'm an entertainer, it's what I do.

Lorraine Lewis 5:47

So there is no outdate for me. We keep rocking and rolling. Lorraine keeps rocking and rolling forever. I mean there's no reason to stop there. There just is no reason to stop, and so I'm just going to keep on going, and if that's fulfilling my legacy, great. I just don't really see it that way. I just see it as I am living life the way I want to live it, and that means rock and roll is a very, very, very big, important part of that. That's never going to stop, that's never going to change. And even though I didn't sell as many albums as Bon Jovi, I feel really, really fortunate, especially in the day and age of social media, that people have found out about me Young people, you know. I've got girls that are 18 to 24 dressing up like me on social media and sending me photos or sending me videos of themselves singing waiting for the big one. So I love all of that. So, yeah, there's no reason to stop ever.

Greg Staffa 6:42

I'm in a really great place Now the MTV era kind of ended and then we had social media. What has kind of been the biggest influence to kind of change things up and mix things up, Like when MTV first hit the airwaves? What have kind of been the big changes that have fueled and kind of reignited passions for music?

Lorraine Lewis 7:05

Oh, hands down. I think it's social media. I mean, I think a lot of people put down social media, but I have met so many people through DMs and Instagram and TikTok et cetera and I just think it's the best. It is my way of communicating with people. I'm rarely on a phone call, I'm rarely on, you know. I mean I don't really communicate that way anymore, I communicate through social media. Even my sisters, like they, messaged me through Instagram because they know I'm on Instagram all the time. So that is my main source of communicating with people and getting to know people.

Lorraine Lewis 7:39

And I love social media. I have no problem with it. I know a lot of people think it's evil or they put it down and think it's like the end of us, but I love it and it's been really good to me as a matter of fact, because of social media and because of Instagram. That is how I landed working with Lou Graham, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer from Foreigner. We recorded a song together that is going to be out later this summer and I'm just you know I couldn't say more about how great social media has been to connect with someone like Lou Graham. I mean that's huge for me, so I love it and it's never going to stop. I think it's a plus.

Greg Staffa 8:21

Does it change the way you approach releasing music as far as releasing a usual studio album, versus just putting it out there on social media.

Lorraine Lewis 8:31

Yeah, doing it completely different. I mean the plan right now. I have about a half of an album ready to go, well, working on a half an album's worth of music with my producer, and we have that much music that we're working on. But the plan I'm not planning to release a vinyl of it or an album, so to speak. We're going to drop singles. We're going to drop singles and we're going to drop videos every two to three months. That's our plan and I just feel and he does too that that's just a way to stay current and keep feeding the people something to be excited about every two to three months. So that's the plan right now. It's definitely different from back in the day and I love it. I mean to have a video and a single out every couple of months. That's hella cool to me. I love it, love the idea.

Ownership of Unreleased Music Releases

Lorraine Lewis 9:19

Greg Staffa 9:19

Now one of the things that I find interesting, and I don't know how much you know the details or can explain it, but, like a group like Femme Fatale, you guys were working on a studio album back in 1990. You guys didn't finish it before the band broke up and everything like that. What happens to stuff like that that gets recorded or is in the process of, and then the band breaks up? Where does that ownership go? Where does that fall? And if you revive the band 10 years later, does that ownership of that music go back to you? Are there things out there that you could release that have never been released before, that are from the 80s and 90s?

Lorraine Lewis 9:57

well, we just I just released um. I just released a few things recently on F&A Records. I released the second demos. That was supposed to be the second album for MCA. But look, we went in with our demos, they hated it and they told us to go back to the drawing board. That's the simple black and white of it and I ended up releasing that music about gosh. I want to say it's been five years. On F&A Records, great songs. On FNA Records, great songs A song called One More for the Road, which was actually in an episode of MacGyver back in the day.

Lorraine Lewis 10:32

I just saw that episode literally like a week ago. Somebody sent it to me and I had totally forgotten that that song made that TV show. So that's cool. But you know, I'm a songwriter so I can release whatever I want whenever I want, because I've written the songs. They might be co-writes with certain people, but you know I get to do what I want.

Lorraine Lewis 10:54

I don't have any more music really that has not been released. Everything has been F&A Records. Just about two months ago Well, it's been about six months now. About two months ago well, it's been about six months now we released um the live when I was on tour. When femme fatale was on tour with cheap trick, we released those live. Uh, the show basically was recorded when we were on tour with them and so we just released that about six months ago on cd. And then two months ago we released what we call the chocolate vinyl albums, and that is the live performances as well as demos. That actually secured the record deal.

Lorraine Lewis 11:35

But other than that, I really have nothing from back in the day that hasn't been heard really. I mean, I have a few songs kind of hanging around, but I don't really plan to do anything with that. I'm all about the future and the now and what's next and great music coming. I've been in this studio with my producer. We have a great, effing single ready to go that is getting mixed right now. I can't wait for it to be released. I am lining up my players right now. I can't wait for it to be released. I am lining up my players right now. I just announced last night on Instagram that my rhythm section is locked. It is Sean McNabb and Matt Starr. So Sean McNabb on bass, matt Starr on drums the most killer, killer rhythm section a girl could ask for. So more to be revealed as we go along.

Greg Staffa 12:23

I was watching a YouTube video of Robbie Williams performing live at some event and it was amazing to see the crowd reacting, singing his song while he was singing and performing it. And you can see in the video there's moments where you just kind of paused to take it all in. When you're performing, how hard are you able to kind of distance yourself, even if it's just for a second, to kind of take in everything that's going on in the fans and everything like that? Or are you so locked in on the performance that it's just let me get through it and then I'll appreciate it?

Lorraine Lewis 12:58

That's a really great question. It's challenging because there are moments when I do just want to just take it in, as you will, but I have to stay focused. I will say I find little nuggets where, you know, maybe the other musicians are the focus and I'm able to look out into the crowd and really appreciate. I would say when we performed last year Wacken Festival in Germany, there were moments like that where I mean it was 60,000 plus people and there were moments where I just really took it in. But for the most part, I am performing, I'm wanting to put on a good show and that is my focus 100%. But I will say when I was getting ready to crowd surf and I jumped off the stage into the area where I was able to turn my back and go into the crowd, that was probably a moment that I remember that I just took notice of the massive amounts of people and how fucking lucky am I to be in Germany rocking and rolling this and rocking and rolling with this crowd and this stage. So there are moments like

Life, Music, and Future Plans

Lorraine Lewis 14:14

that.

Lorraine Lewis 14:14

I heard an interview with Liam Gallagher, who I'm obsessed with from Oasis recently, and he he was asked the same question and he said yeah, he said sometimes I just kind of zone out, but he doesn't. It's not really that he's. Yeah, he said sometimes I just kind of zone out, but he doesn't. It's not really that he's zoning out, taking it all in about the people, he's just zoning out, thinking about the price of beans in another country. It's what he said. It was really funny. But I've noticed when he's performing on stage that he does look out into the crowd and he's just, you can tell just taking it all in and so grateful. And it's good to take moments like that and kind of pinch yourself for sure where does your drive come from?

Greg Staffa 14:56

the drive to perform? Is it the fans? Is it the, the accolades? Where does your love of doing what you do? Where is the source of it?

Lorraine Lewis 15:14

Yeah, I don't really care about accolades. To be honest with you, that doesn't hit me at all. I mean, my whole deal is I love the people and I love attention and I love affection. So you know, I mean, like I said at the beginning, I'm an entertainer, I'm a performer, it's what I do. I love walking into a Starbucks and having people turn and look at me. I mean I love attention. So for me, being on stage is a way to connect with people, to have fun with people, to just elevate to another level of being that you are one with these people that are digging what you do and digging the music. I mean, there's nothing like it. It's not for everybody, you know, not everybody is fearless on stage, but I definitely am, and it's a way for me to just be one with the people and I'm just like you. I just happen to have a really cool fucking job and I love what I do and, uh, yeah, rock and roll forever for the record.

Greg Staffa 16:08

Uh, I get to talk to you, so in my mind I do have a cool fucking job too. So we both have cool fucking, no just yeah, yeah what's like your dream collaboration with someone.

Lorraine Lewis 16:26

Oh, dream Collab is what I just did with Lou Graham. Lou Graham was my number one choice for recording a song and we've done that. So Lou Graham has always been number one, paul Rogers number two. Number three is David Lee Roth. So, look, I'd love to work with Paul Rogers and I'm hoping to record something with David Lee Roth. I have a song in mind and hopefully we'll be able to do that.

Lorraine Lewis 16:53

I haven't spoken with him. I don't even think he knows who I am, to be honest with you. But, david Lee Roth, if you're listening, let's do a song together. I've got the song. I think it would be cool as hell and I think people would be shocked and it would be very exciting to do, because you are the reason that I got into rock and roll, for sure. I mean, look, I was raised on Crosby Stills, nash Young, linda Ronstadt, but it was when I saw Van Halen and David Lee Roth hit the stage crotch first as he walks out on stage that I knew I wanted to be David Lee Roth. So my hat's off to him.

Greg Staffa 17:31

In addition to performing for live audiences, you've also done soundtracks, such as Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, random Hearts, license to Drive. What's it like going to a movie and hearing something that you've performed in a movie, and how is your reaction to how they use that in a movie?

Lorraine Lewis 17:48

Yeah, I've actually had a lot of songs in movies and TV shows and actually my show Ex-Wives of Rock myself and Athena and her son co-wrote the theme song for Ex-Wives of Rock. So I've had my stuff in quite a few things. I would love to have even more. But yeah, there's nothing like hearing your song and hearing your voice in a movie and one of my favorites is Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead and a song called Chains and I love it. When that song comes on it's in a really climactic, climatic, climatic part of the movie and you hear the drums kick in and it's a really cool, cool song and it feels great. It feels great. It feels like, wow, I'm alive, I've done some cool shit in my life and it feels really awesome to do that. And again, I don't really care about the accolades, but me just knowing that I've done some great stuff, it's just good to know. It's like a pat on my own back.

Greg Staffa 18:44

Now you mentioned it briefly, now you mentioned it briefly your co-creator and executive producer of the rock reality show XYZ Rock, which was on for three seasons.

Lorraine Lewis 18:59

You also cast for many shows. What got you to branch out and doing those kind of things? Well, I wanted to always be in television, and then it was just. I was working with my business partner at the time and we came up with the idea. I mean, I've always wanted to do reality TV or be involved in it, and it was just the right timing for it. So I worked on that show for a good four years and after that I started working for a company called Renegade 83 Productions, famous for my Feet Are Killing Me, naked and Afraid, on Discovery Network.

Lorraine Lewis 19:28

There's just so many shows that we've done. I've been at the company for nine years, believe it or not, and so we've cranked out a lot of shows. My boss, mr Peter Higgins he's been the head of casting and I am his next in command, if you will, and he just started his own casting company, peter Higgins Casting, and we just start a new show tomorrow, as a matter of fact, for Netflix. It's a dating show, so stay tuned to that. I love working in television. So, look, I'm really busy. Music TV, my social media, my OnlyFans I mean, I'm really, really busy. I have no husband. I have no boyfriend. I have no children, I have no pets. It's me to be free to do whatever the F I want, and I choose business and I choose fun.

Greg Staffa 20:19

That's a great way to put it. What is some of the more? What I mean? You mentioned some of the things that you're doing now. Are there other things on the checklist of bucket list, things that you want to do or get your foot involved in? Is there other creative outlets, like you said, the OnlyFans? There's the social media aspect. What other kind of things are you looking at dipping your toe in?

Lorraine Lewis 20:42

Yes, look, I'm working on a documentary idea that Marty Cullner has said that he's too busy to actually direct it, but he said he can be consulting director, so that's great. It has to do with rock and roll. So I have an idea for a documentary about rock and roll and the women of rock and roll not in bands, but the women who were behind the rock stars that made it big and how important they are. And then I also have an idea for a remake of a very popular movie. I'm not going to mention the movie, but I would love to bring that out from the dust, shake it off and do a remake of a certain movie. I would love to do my own podcast.

Lorraine Lewis 21:26

My sister and I have talked about that, because we're sisters and we were raised by the same parents but have a very different experience about money and things like that.

Lorraine Lewis 21:37

And she knows things about money that I don't remember being taught by my family, and I think that there's things that people need to know you know credit scores and high yield savings accounts and things like that that nobody told me and I had to figure out on my own. So, look, I would love to help people with that kind of stuff. So I'd love to do that. And then I've also thought about doing a podcast about guys being so dumb when it comes to dating, and I would like to help them out, because I've had some really dumb dates and guys that just don't have a clue. I mean, I've had some really amazing dates as well, but guys don't really know how to date and I think I need to teach them. So, yeah, I have a lot of things in my mind. I have an idea book that's right here. It says ideas, and I write things down every day of things that I would like to do. So, yeah, it's never over.

Greg Staffa 22:31

When the crowds are gone and the cameras aren't in front of you. Who is Lorraine Lewis?

Lorraine Lewis 22:39

Oh, what a great question. At the end of the day, or after the every, you pack everything up and you go home. You know, for real life, 24-7,. I'm the girl that won't go away. I'm the girl that is going to live life to the fullest.

Lorraine Lewis 22:57

I put a positive spin on most things. I believe in being happy. I don't watch the news at all. I stay away from things like that. I stay in the happy and I stay in the good. Am I always glamorous? No, although I like to think that I am, but a lot of times I just have a ponytail on top of my head and I've got some fancy pajamas on and some high heels, hanging around at home and just chilling and coming up with ideas and affirmations, and all of this stuff, all of the good stuff. In seven to eight years we'll see where I'm at. I see myself pretty much the same way, but maybe add a couple of pit bulls to my life, or donkeys. I'm obsessed with donkeys lately, so I might be acquiring a couple of pet donkeys soon. I'll keep you posted.

Greg Staffa 23:52

What advice would you give to young rockers, young women that are looking at forming a rock band that sees it as a male-dominated industry or group? What advice would you have to young women that are thinking about taking on that Lorraine Lewis lifestyle or wish they could?

Lorraine Lewis 24:09

Oh, that's really cool. Well, first of all, I would say I don't really have advice for women. I have advice for musicians in general it's go with your gut. Don't ask advice from people. Don't listen to people, because they're coming from their own experience and you just need to listen to yourself and what's in your gut. So I just say work hard, don't give up your dream, believe in yourself and don't give a fuck.

Greg Staffa 24:35

That's it. You're remiss not to ask. I recently made a lot of news starting OnlyFans. Tell us a little bit about what made that decision happen and what was your reaction like? It seems like there's a lot of I don't want to say criticism or a lot of judgment. It seemed that I saw in the articles that had you doing it, and not many people actually talked to you about it, though yeah, so so first of all, yes, I'm so excited that I have joined only fans.

Lorraine Lewis 25:03

I'm really stoked about it. I wanted to do it for a long time. I knew that I couldn't do it in the last band that I was in because I knew I would most likely get fired, but I wanted to do it for a really long time. Look, I've been the girl that has been rolling around in videos. People know me for that. People know me for my song Waiting for the Big One. That's been a theme song of mine for 35 years.

Lorraine Lewis 25:26

I've always been sex, hugs and rock and roll right, so this really shouldn't be a surprise to anybody at all. If people are going to focus on my age, that's their problem. I'm a still young, vibrant, sexy rock star that wants to get out there and have some fun and get to know people. So I made my decision quite a while ago. I actually joined in October, kind of under the radar, and invited select people from my Instagram to come follow me, and I've had the best time. It's just a way to express myself, to have fun, to be flirty, to be sexy and, look, I mean the bottom line is have you ever seen your favorite rock star naked. Have you ever seen any rock star naked? Probably the answer is no, so I'm having fun with this. This is a place where you can come and get to know me.

Lorraine Lewis 26:22

I talk to people about music, rock and roll. They want to know stories, backstage stories, all this stuff. So it's an amazing platform. I'm having the time of my life To people that are saying anything negative. Bottom line. I don't read your comments. I really don't. I don't read any of it, just like I don't watch the news. I don't read things like that. I just stay in my zone. I do what's true to myself, which is live life to the fullest and don't give a fuck.

Greg Staffa 26:50

What's your favorite, and that's well said. What's your favorite non-rock thing to do in life? What are some of your hobbies?

Lorraine Lewis 27:00

I love animals. I really love animals. So I mentioned donkeys earlier. There is a pair of donkeys that were saved from the LA fires Micah and Mishu, I believe and I reached out to the Instagram page of the people that had saved them, and I get to meet them next week. So I love animals. I'm going to be going to meet those donkeys next week. I'm really excited about

Lorraine Lewis

Lorraine Lewis 27:27

that. Other things that I do as far as hobbies look, I'm addicted to Starbucks. I love getting away from my desk and driving over to Starbucks and going through, either through the drive-thru or walking in, and I love spending some time there. Other things that I like to do I mean I do my hot girl walks in the morning. Other fun things I like to do I love hanging out with friends. Charisse Neal lives here in Palm Springs, Not that far away from me, so we love to go out and have fancy dinners. I love to drink martinis. I love to flirt with boys and, yeah, that's what I like to do.

Greg Staffa 28:05

Well, Lorraine, thank you so much for coming on. I look forward to seeing more of you, not just with the OnlyFans, I guess, but just with your release of the single that you mentioned. Thank you so much for coming on today.

Lorraine Lewis 28:20

Thank you so much. Yeah, everybody come and say hello on Instagram, Lorraine Lewis rocks. I pretty much answer everybody at least within 24 to 48 hours. I'm always going to at least heart what you have to say and sometimes it's it starts a conversation. So come and see me, my website, Lorraine Lewis rockscocom, Get yourself a t-shirt and support and all this stuff, and then my only fans only fanscom Lorraine Lewis rocks. Come check it out.

Greg Staffa 28:48

And I'll include links to all that In this posting. So thank you.