Donita Sparks' Mushroom Mullet

I remember going to see L7 at London's Brixton Academy as a teenager. It was 1992, I was 15, and L7 were, in my opinion, the crown princesses of grunge. The show was pubescent riot grrrl heaven...I wore black eyeliner, torn fishnets and DM boots and wished I could look like them, an angry mess of lanky hair in faded hues of green and blue. I had recently watched their legendary live performance on the British TV show The Word, which culminated with Donita Sparks pulling her jeans down at the end of Pretend We're Dead. As she stood there, proud and defiant in her bushy glory, guitar hanging from her shoulders, I knew I was smitten. This is a photo of Donita and her tampon at the Reading Festival that year, shortly before said tampon was hurled into the crowd.

You can imagine my excitement when I heard that Donita was opening for X at the House of Blues last night, a show for which Steffie had blagged free tickets. We were running late, and as Steffie argued with the doorman about not being allowed to bring her camera in to the venue, I raced inside to catch the last moments of Donita on stage with her new band.

And there she was, same ol' attitude, same ol' voice...but with a hairdo so wrong it sent shivers down my scalp. Those majestic greasy locks of yore had been replaced with a heavily layered, peroxide mushroom mullet that looked like it belonged on the set of Dallas. It didn't help that she seemed dressed for the national drumline championships, in glittery blue cheerleader shirt complete with epaulettes.

From L7 to Loni Anderson - Donita, what happened?

Donita Sparks

Loni Anderson

(Photo of Donita Sparks by Sean Murphy, Photo of Loni Anderson by hissandpop.com, tampon pic from thenextleft.com)

Comments

[Thalassa]

You've switched the picture labels, unless it's deliberate.

[Caroline Ryder]

It was deliberate :)

[Thalassa]

Oops! I spoke too soon, nitpicker that I am :).

For the links, you can add them directly in your main template, if it is possible. Here's a page I found that might be useful:

http://weblogs.us/tutorial/links/add.html

[bob]

How utterly mean. You caught the last moments of what was an amazing show. But the fact that Donita is out there rocking her ass off is inconsequential to you. From one time wishing you could be like them to tearing her down like this..... based on her hairdo. You should be ashamed. I think she looks hot.
Maybe, as you note in your own profile, you and Manson share more in common than just birthdays. "...didn't get to be a rock and roll star, so he started fuckin' wipin' people out. Dig that."

[Caroline Ryder]

Bob, honestly, whatever floats your boat. If you like her hair, that's great, somebody has to. I am in no way commenting on her music or the show, I didn't see enough of it to say. I'm sure she still totally rocks. I just didn't like the hair. And I'm sure Donita herself could give two shits whether anyone, especially me, likes her hair. But it's very gallant and rather charming that you take such offense on her behalf. She's a lucky gal.

[steve]

Hey Bob,
Jeez, remember this is "the Style Council" for chrissakes. I too, am sure ol' Donita was "rockin her ass off" that nite; too bad that dumb wig didn't rock off instead! Personally, I think the bloody tampon brought out her highlights quite nicely, and, combined with the blue and white streaks, gave her an "all-american girl" sorta look.

[Capt. Jack Sparrow]

I remember the days of dying parts of my hair blue so I could look like Donita. But that was in the early 90s, when brightly-colored, messy hair was edgy. Nowadays if people dye their hair like that it just looks too desperate for attention.

Alas, she had to move past that and try something different. In the late 90s she went blonde, and now her hair's gone smooth. What next?

[govokinolij]

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G'night

[tolikimer]

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G'night

[Dan]

I thank the Lord for giving us the gift of brilliant preachers!m