“Got My Mind Set on You” [1987]: a “Girl in the Video” update

How could something Beatles-related be completely—truly completely—undocumented? 

Welcome to the madcap step-by-step on how I finally found a person who appeared in one music video more than 30 years ago and has virtually no digital footprint.

Got my mind set on you indeed!

In 2013 and 2014, I ran a series called “Girl in the Video” for which I tracked down and interviewed 50 women who appeared in 42 iconic music videos of the 1980s and early 1990s. 

Some were deep in the shadows. Most had not been interviewed about this before. Some of their stories were amusing. Others were moving. 

Though I was thrilled with the people I found and the number who participated, some declined—or eluded me.

TEN YEARS LATER…

10/7/24

I received a message on Facebook from a person who determined possible identifications for the lead woman of two videos: “Should’ve Known Better” by Richard Marx and “Shake Me” by Cinderella. [I am aware that you can’t accurately call that song or video iconic; it’s just one I remembered, and I am steering this Starship.]

He did this by using a facial recognition site called PimEyes. Like plenty online, it can be used for purposes both legitimate [like research for a writing project] and unscrupulous.

The Marx woman did not check out and I’m still waiting to hear back from the Cinderella one. 

This launched a related mission that would play out over five days.

I used the site to check some of the other women on my “where can I find a woman like that” list.

Only one ended in success—up to a point. 

George Harrison released two videos for “Got My Mind Set on You” [1987], his third and last #1 hit and his last song to crack the top 10 in the U.S. The one that got more airplay on MTV features George playing guitar in a room where inanimate objects moved along with the song. The other video is a girl meets boy scene that takes place in an arcade. 

It was the lead girl in the arcade video whom I’d tried to find in 2013. 

I thought my best lead would be the boy from that video, actor Alexis Denisof [Buffy the Vampire Slayer]. He kindly replied to me on Twitter. Unfortunately, he did not remember her name, which I can understand given the short shoot and time passed. 

Upon plugging a screenshot of the girl’s face into PimEyes, I was directed to a 2022 message board thread about her.

In that thread, a woman posted that she attended the same UK school as the video star, and remembered her name was Sarah. She also remembered that Sarah won a 1986 model contest for a British magazine called Just Seventeen—and she bought a copy of that issue so she could come back and report her last name: REDACTED.

In the UK, many people have the name Sarah REDACTED.

Still, I searched that name with the artist and song title. No luck.

I searched that name with the magazine name and found nothing.

That thread seems to be the only page on the entire internet linking that girl to that video and to that model contest.

On Facebook and Instagram, I did not see someone with that name whom I thought resembled the girl in the video, plus she may have a married/different name now.

I went through an online cover gallery of the magazine. It was a weekly, which initially made me think this was going to be time-consuming, but I soon found a November 1986 issue with Sarah on the cover, announcing her as the winner.

I asked several sources if they could email scans of the article [and masthead], hoping it mentioned details that could focus the search, i.e. city she’s from, name of her parents, etc.

Both a kind eBay seller and a UK university archive did. The eBayer refused my offer to pay him. The university collection is cleverly called Femorabilia.

Alas—and surprisingly—the article had no details about her.

I began tracking down people who worked for Just Seventeen magazine at that time, using both the Facebook page for it and searching for names from the masthead.

It was hard to reach most of them. I’m not connected to any of them on social media and messages sent to strangers on Facebook and Instagram go into “hidden” inboxes that many people don’t know about and therefore never check.

When names were uncommon, I tried to find emails, and occasionally did.

The few who replied did not know anything about Sarah.

10/8/24 

The November issue of Just Seventeen indicated that the contest had been announced in an April issue, so I revisited the cover gallery, found the issue, and again requested scans of it. Obviously Sarah wouldn’t be mentioned in the announcement of a contest she had not yet entered, but perhaps it would include other names I could contact.

It didn’t.

10/9/24

It sunk in that the April and November issues said that readers voted on the models. Therefore, there would be an issue between April and November that lists all the entrants/finalists...and maybe more.

Luckily, revisiting the cover gallery yet again yielded pay dirt because a July cover not only said “You pick the winner” but also showed all 10 finalists.

I requested scans of that interior where, finally, I learned one more piece of valuable info: the city Sarah was from.

However, that was not instantly helpful because, as I said above, her name is common.

After a fruitless search of name + city, I went back to the message board. I knew it was a long shot that the former classmate who posted there about Sarah two years earlier would see let alone reply to a new post, but I asked anyway: what school?

Incredulously—within minutes—she responded with the name.

I asked this person to email me so I would not clog up the message board with my additional questions.

In the meantime, I learned that the school closed years ago. I went back to Facebook to ask groups connected to the school if anyone knows Sarah or knows anyone who might.

You can’t post to certain groups unless you’re a member, and sometimes such groups don’t accept you if you don’t have a direct connection. Sure enough, one of them declined my request.

I searched for articles about the school with the hope that I’d find alum names for whom I could then find contact info.

I tried to find emails for the admins of those Facebook groups, the only members whose names I, a non-member, could see.

I contacted a newspaper archive in Sarah’s hometown, figuring a local model contest winner would have gotten some press and hoping someone would be willing to check, well, most of 1986…obviously a big ask.

10/10/24

The archive suggested posting to a Facebook group for her hometown, which has many more members than the school groups. Also, the archive could research for me for £35 per hour.

While waiting to see if the hometown group would accept me [which it did, after about six hours], I tried another Hail Mary—looking for any of the nine model contest finalists.

I knew they’d all met because they posed for a photo together, but assumed they didn’t learn much about each other that day—or if they did, likely wouldn’t remember it nearly forty years later.

Most of their names were also common. Of the nine, I did a quick search for six. I found that one had spent three years in isolation in Tibet and adopted a Buddhist name:

Rebecca Tisbury, 23, hugs a friend goodbye as she prepares to embark on 3 years of isolation at the Samye Ling Tibetan retreat, November 7. Rebecca, formerly a top fashion model, will emerge from the retreat in February 1997

I found record of another of the finalists, but didn’t pay to access contact info.

I found a third on Facebook and was surprised that she responded quickly [given that my message had gone into that aforementioned hidden inbox]. She did not know about Sarah but kindly said she’d ask around. I thought she meant the “former models” community. 

Minutes later, she sent a link to a Facebook profile I’d seen the day before but had quickly moved on from because that Sarah REDACTED [who was wearing sunglasses] did not immediately seem to resemble 1986 Sarah. But that was before I knew that Sarah was from the city of REDACTED…and this profile says this Sarah is from SAME REDACTED.

I messaged this Sarah, but instead of waiting weeks or more for her to stumble upon it [her last post visible to me was from 2014], I found emails for some of her Facebook friends and emailed them, hoping someone could connect us or pass along my request.

10/11/24 

Under my post on the Facebook page for her hometown, two kindly wrote that they know Sarah and will notify her. A person I emailed said the same.

Then weeks of silence.

11/4/24 

One of those go-betweens told me she was glad to reconnect with Sarah after at least a decade but also reported what already seemed clear: Sarah does not want to be interviewed.

Hugely disappointing.

But also exhilarating to solve at least part of a mystery that lasted five days, and before that 10 years, and before that 26 years. 

Appropriately, it was there all along in the lyrics to “Got My Mind Set on You”:

It’s gonna take time

Whole lot of precious time

It’s gonna take patience and time

Hopefully one day soon Sarah will feel comfortable sharing her memories of that experience.

Proving people wrong

Friend and fellow writer and illustrator and superb presenter and other things Mike Rex recently reached out to suggest an especially eclectic topic for a picture book. I thought it sounded really fun and I can see kids loving it. Both of us are loaded up with other projects so neither of us is planning to pursue the idea at the moment, but in case Mike ever chooses to, I’ll be vague: it’s about a creature. And it’s a true story. 

I was flattered Mike thought of me for this (I am generally flattered anytime anyone thinks of me for anything). He explained why (and allowed me to quote him here): 

“Not sure if it’s picture book material...but then again you’ve made a career of proving people wrong with that!”

Though I probably shouldn’t lead with that in pitches, I’m again flattered.

Nothing worthwhile comes easy

Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman was rejected 34 times over three years, then helped correct a high-profile cultural injustice.

Batman & Bill (2017) was the third attempt at making a documentary about Bill Finger. The first two attempts (2008 and 2011) failed.

Convincing New York City to honor Bill Finger took more than five years.

Don’t give up.

Inaugural speaker for Pat Scales lecture series at University of Montevallo

On 4/19/18, I had the honor of being the inaugural speaker for a lecture series at the University of Montevallo. It's outside Birmingham, Alabama, a city I'd visited for the first time only a month before, for (elementary) school visits. The university used to be all-female; males began to attend through the G.I. Bill (apparently all-male and coed campuses did not have enough slots to accommodate the number of men returning from WWII).

The lecture was part of a larger event called the Forte Festival of Creativity. Its theme was "Heroes and Heroines."

In a case of near-perfect timing, the day of the lecture was 80 years and a day after Superman debuted in Action Comics #1 (April 18, 1938). A lovely group of educators, students, and other community members attended.

I've not met Pat Scales but I hope to. She attended Montevallo and went on to become an advocate for intellectual freedom and a crusader against censorship. I delivered the lecture in a room in the library newly created to house Pat's generous donation of papers and children's books.

The room was bedecked with fantastic vintage Book Week posters. I wanted every one of them.

I was further heartened to learn that Montevallo attracts students who did not feel they could be themselves out loud in high school in the South, such as those who identify as LGBTQ. The campus was clearly open-minded and artistic.

And not-so-clearly haunted. 

Around 9 p.m. the night before my lecture, I was taken to where I'd spend the night: the King House.

Note: This is not what it looks like at night.

Built in 1823, it was one of the first houses in Alabama with glass windows. It sits in the middle of campus where it has developed a reputation for being a hotbed of paranormal activity. One of those ghost-hunting shows filmed there…and picked up readings.

The woman who showed me around the house did not bring this up on her own, but when I asked, she was more than happy to share stories…even though I was about to stay there by myself. Again, I brought it upon myself!

She said grown men have refused to step foot in the house. One guest saw a black faceless humanoid form hovering over the very bed I would sleep in. A notable author called campus police at 1 a.m. and asked to be taken to a hotel (the nearest of which was, I believe, about 30 miles away). Some have reported seeing Mr. King himself walking his former property with a lantern, perhaps looking for the gold he'd allegedly buried centuries ago.

I was told I may see Mr. King (the gentleman behind me) later that night…and not in a painting.

Even though I am interested in ghosts and have written about ghosts and have long wanted to experience something ghostly, I was a bit spooked staying alone in that house. I admit I left on the downstairs hall light and the bathroom light on the second floor, adjacent to the room in which I would sleep. Scaredy-cat and Mr. King.

Around midnight, when I was still up, I heard one unusual bang downstairs, as if someone had dropped something heavy or slammed a book against a wall. I did not go investigate. 

Morning came without other additional incident—at least any I was aware of. In the light of day, I did a walk-through and did not see anything on the ground that could have fallen and made the sound I heard.

This was both fortunate and unfortunate.

One of the students who heard me present saw my social media post and reacted in charming disbelief.

King House is not the only campus location with ghost sightings. In 1908, a student named Condie Cunningham caught on fire in her dorm room and ran down the hallway in panic, later dying from her injury. Some have reported that she is still around—and that her face "burned" into the door of what was her room. The door has been removed and is now stored in the campus archives.

Wondering about the possible implications of taking a photo of it, I hesitated at first. Then I figured that because I survived King House, maybe I'm not an unwelcome presence among the unexplained of Montevallo.

Thank you again to Anna Mary Williford for inviting me to Montevallo. Your introduction humbled and tickled me; thank you for allowing me to quote part of it (lightly edited):

I have been at the University of Montevallo for just over a year now. Prior to that, I was a librarian at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg in Pennsylvania where I had the pleasure of coordinating their annual children's literature conference, which is where I met Marc. About a year before the conference, I received the first of what would be many emails with subject lines like, "Batman at Pitt Greensburg in 2015?" or "Batman, you know. Superman, you know. Nobleman, you will know." And I would think to myself, "Who is this guy who will not stop emailing me?!" I booked him as one of our keynote speakers for May 2015, a decision that I've never regretted!

But I will admit that at the time, I assumed his persistence was simply because he was doing his job, part of which was promoting the books he'd written. After hearing Marc speak, though, I realized that presenting his work was so much more than "part of the job" to him. Sharing his research with a wider audience was an essential part of his quest for the truth about Batman to finally be acknowledged. For a lot of authors, simply publishing Bill the Boy Wonder might have been enough—the book was out there now, people could read it and learn about what happened for themselves. But that wasn't enough for Marc, who wants to personally deliver his message to as many people as possible. I'm pretty sure that he set out to turn every student, teacher, librarian, or conference attendee who crossed his path into a soldier in his army for justice for the legacy of Batman, and I think that's exactly what he's accomplished over the past few years.

So when I watched Batman & Bill, I had to laugh at the fact that the first word Marc's wife uses to describe him is "persistent," as he is definitely one of the most persistent people I've ever met, but in a good way! That persistence is why he's here with us today, in more ways than one.

That's the passion Marc has for his work, and it will come across when you hear him speak in just a minute. On the subject of passionate folks, Pat Scales unfortunately couldn't join us this afternoon. However, she is familiar with—and a fan of!—Marc's work, and I am certain she'd be pleased with the fact that the inaugural speaker in the lecture series named for her is someone who shares many of the same values she's championed throughout her career: the desire to see the truth prevail; the importance of literacy and education; a calling to correct injustice, whether that injustice comes in the form of a banned or challenged book or a buried legacy just waiting to be uncovered and brought to light.

And thank you again to the plethora of Montevallo staff and students for extending me such a warm welcome.

If I come back, I want another shot at the King House…

The Girl in the Video: “Sister Christian” (1984)

Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video 2” (including list of interviewees).

The video: “Sister Christian” by Night Ranger.

The girl-now-woman: Macha Bennet-Shephard.

Macha would have been far easier to find if I had known she no longer went by the name she used at the time of the video, “Annie Hubbard.” And it wasn’t just the maiden name that is gone; the first name changed, too.

How I found Annie-now-Macha (take a big breath...and this is not even every step):

• A “Cheryl” in Westland, MI posted on Songfacts, revealing Annie’s name and city at the time.
• I eventually discovered that Cheryl also posted on IMDB, but with her last name, Carey.
• I searched for Cheryl Careys in Westland and found the right one; she said she’d been trying to find out what happened to Annie for a while; her additional recollections, alas, were limited (Ritz Café, friends with Dating Game staffer David Greenberg, lived on Sunset Boulevard in early ‘80s but not with Cheryl, though on Songfacts she said they had been roommates).
• Based on another Songfacts poster’s hunch, I called a Little Rock, AR beautician named Anne Hubbard. Her officemate said “That’s not her,” then Anne herself came on the phone and kindly and convincingly said she is not the one from the video. However, when I showed Cheryl a photo of that Anne, Cheryl said “That is her!” I called Anne back, leaving a message explaining that it would save me time if she would let me know if it was in fact her in the video, even if she does not want to do an interview; however, people connected to her on Facebook who can see her birthday then confirmed that she is too young to have been in that video. Sorry I second-guessed you, Anne!
• The video was shot at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, CA. I contacted people who were students there at the time; all remembered the shoot but none remembered useful details about Annie.
• I learned that the three most likely high schools for someone from Cupertino would be Cupertino, Monta Vista, and Homestead.
• A contact at Cupertino High School checked and Annie didn’t appear to go there.
• Cupertino Library looked through yearbooks for Monta Vista and Homestead from my estimated years of 1978-1982 and found no Hubbards in either except for Janice Hubbard, class of 1980, at Monta Vista. I contacted her but did not hear back.
• I asked the high schools (in particular San Rafael High School) if they’d archived an article about the video shoot (I assume a school paper would have covered something as atypical as that), but no luck.
• I called various Hubbards in the 1982 Cupertino area phone book and Hubbards there now, but no luck.
• I asked Jeff Watson of Night Ranger via writer Paul Liberatore; Jeff kindly responded but did not remember useful details.
• I asked other former San Francisco models in this series (Signy Coleman, Janet Cross, Sandra Wilder) if by chance they knew Annie. Janet and Sandra didn’t but suggested checking with San Francisco modeling agencies. I asked which in particular, which led me to former modeling agency head John Anderson (I saw on LinkedIn that he merged two agencies in the 1980s and is now in construction); he remembered Annie and told me to contact Joan Spangler at Look Talent (one of the two he merged, I believe), whom I had already emailed earlier that same day. At the same time, I asked John if he remembered any of Annie’s friends; he didn’t and Joan had no info on Annie.
• I tweeted my quest, also asking others to do so.
• I posted a screen grab from the video on the Cupertino Facebook page, thinking that while such efforts usually go nowhere, I had to continue trying any possibility; a few days later, someone named Robin responded…recognizing the photo as Ann Hubbard, Lynbrook High School class of 1982—and even posted her yearbook photo! (Of the possible high schools a Cupertinoian could have attended, I was told Lynbrook—which is actually in adjacent San Jose—would have been the least likely, so I did not even contact them. Relearned a lesson I already knew...try every lead!)
• For the first time in my research for this project, I used Classmates.com because it posts scans of whole yearbooks; however, Ann did not appear in Lynbrook ‘82. It turned out that the yearbook photo Robin posted is Ann and is from that school but is from the 1980 yearbook, in which Ann appears in the sophomore section; in other words, she would have graduated Lynbrook in 1982…had she stayed at that school.
• I contacted Lynbrook ‘82 graduates in search of names of people who planned their latest reunion. I found one, and she gave me various names including Robert (not his real name) Hubbard—who turned out to be Ann’s brother—but she did not know where he lives now. I called Robert Hubbards I found in public directories till I reached Ann’s sister-in-law, who was most kind. She said Ann no longer goes by “Ann Hubbard” and said she’d asked Robert (who is a pilot and who was flying at the moment) if it would be okay to tell me more.

The yearbook photo.

The next day, Macha emailed me.

Where you going
What you looking for? 

Indeed.

How do you pronounce your first name?

“Ma-sha,” like a New Yorker saying “Marsha.” :-)

How old were you when you appeared in the “Sister Christian” video?

19.

Where were you living at the time?

When I was cast for and during the shooting, I lived in San Francisco, not far from the Mint.

What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?

I had done one PSA for car seat safety for babies. (I always seemed to get auditions for young mothers or airline stewardesses.)

first photo shoot

 first photo shoot

How were you cast in “Sister Christian”?

One of my agents—I think I had five at the time—called me with the one and only audition he ever got for me, if I recall correctly. He said it was for some sort of musical, which made me most nervous as I thought it would possibly require singing or dancing. Neither is in my skill set. 

The audition itself was in a hotel room with the director’s wife, Mary Rezeka (sp?) [NOTE: Mary Guida directed the “Sister Christian” video, and she and fellow former video director Mark Rezyka know each other]. She looked at me, asked me a few questions, and that was pretty much it.

Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?

No, [but] knowing me I’d assume I was anxious and very excited. But mostly anxious.

Had you already heard of Night Ranger?

No. But I’ve never been someone who pays attention to what’s “in” at any given time, so that doesn’t mean much.

Where was the video filmed?

In a high school not far north of San Francisco. [San Rafael High School]

How long was the shoot?

I’m not sure, but I think it was a two-day shoot.

How did you feel making the video?

Great. It was fun. It was odd being the “star” character, but it was a pretty small, low-key production, so it wasn’t too much.

What was the hardest part of the shoot?

Nothing, really. It went well as far as I could tell, and my part was pretty easy. The hardest part of any shoot is always the “hurry up and wait” thing.

How was it to work with Night Ranger? What were they like? Did any of them hit on you?

Now how did such an indelicate question get in here? I’m quite sure it must have been a mistake, so I’ll just pretend it wasn’t asked. The band were, of course, all complete gentlemen. ;-)

Any funny stories from the shoot?

Um…no, not really. Not that I can remember. There’s a brief shot of nuns at the top of the staircase, waving as the girls go down the stairs—they were on roller skates. That doesn’t qualify as funny, but I’m afraid it’s the best I can do at the moment. If I do remember any I’ll of course send it on…

Anything go wrong on the shoot?

Not that I can remember. From my 19-year-old perspective, it ran like a well-oiled machine.

What did you think of the video?

I thought it was “tame” at the time. Now I look back and think that for the most part, it was in pretty good taste compared to some of the other stuff being made at the time. It’s stood the test of time better.

What did your parents think of it?

That’s a good question. I don’t really know. They didn’t say much.

What did your friends think of it?

They loved it. And they loved having a friend who was in it.

Did you watch the MTV World Premiere of the video, and if so, where and how did that feel?

You’re going to hate me—I don’t remember. Probably not. Maybe I did.

Did the video ever affect your dating life in any way (i.e. when you first told boyfriends you were the woman in it)?

I don’t think so. I didn’t/don’t date a lot. I usually didn’t tell people right off the bat, only after I got to know them. Now I hardly tell anyone. :-)

How did it come to pass that you were also in “When You Close Your Eyes”?

I don’t remember. I think it was all arranged over the phone; they were hoping to recreate the success of “Sister Christian.”

What was that shoot like? Any stories about the chimp (or anything else that happened on set)?

The chimp’s trainer was down in the foot space (don’t know what that’s called) and had an immense chain attached to the chimp. That added a rather disturbing element to the scene. I really liked the chimp. But then I like animals better than people.

There was a scene where I had to throw a flower in the band member’s face (my character’s boyfriend) and I just couldn’t seem to do it. I don’t throw things in people’s faces and couldn’t seem to get beyond it.

Did you receive fan mail? If so, do you still have any of it?

No. I never got mail, even before I changed my name. 

Why did you change your name? 

It was due to personal family issues that are best left alone.

Did the video generate any controversy that you know of?

No.

What were you paid?

$250. :-)

Were you ever recognized in public?

Yes, I used to get recognized. All. The. Time. People used to ask for my autograph, which I found funny as they had no idea what my name [was]. It always seemed I was more likely to be recognized when I was running down to the corner store for some half and half first thing in the morning, no makeup on, in sweats, hair not brushed…

I don’t know if you remember, but at the height of its popularity, that video was shown every single hour. I’d turn on MTV and see myself on TV at pretty much any given time. That’s a very strange thing. Feeling blue? Turn on the TV and see yourself! Instant mood-lifter!

another from the first photo shoot

after she started at Cal State L.A., 

by which time she had changed her name

Did you appear in other music videos after that?

The next one—“When You Close Your Eyes”—but nobody seems to remember that one.

 

Did you ever meet other women who were female leads in a mainstream ‘80s rock video?

No, I don’t think so.

If you went to college, where and what did you study?

Yes. I went to Cal State LA first, then transferred to Art Center College of Design and graduated with honors with a BFA in fine arts/painting.

What are you doing these days?

Mostly I “mom.” I have an image consultancy, but I’m not putting a lot of energy into it at the moment. The economy isn’t really in the proper condition to support such a “luxury” service, so I’m not pushing very hard. And momming is pretty time consuming anyway.

Where do you live?

Los Angeles.

If you are/were married, what was your future husband’s reaction when he learned you were in this video?

I was married. He remembered it and thought it was pretty “neat.” Most people my age remember it.

How many kids do you have?

One son, nine years old.

What does he think of the video?

He doesn’t really get how big MTV was at the time or how popular this video was. He makes animated films (at his school, he’s won the PTA art contest in the “film production” category two years running) and I’m sure some day he’ll appreciate it. He’s just a little young.

What did you think when you first heard from me?

“How the hell did you find me?” :-)

Has anyone else ever interviewed you about this?

No. No one has found me before.

Have you appeared at any fan conventions to sign autographs? If not, would you?

No, I haven’t. I’d definitely be interested in hearing about doing this.

Did you stay in touch with anyone from Night Ranger?

No. I’m not exactly an extrovert, and not particularly social—in case you couldn’t tell.

When was the last time you were in touch?

During the shooting of the video.

How do you look back on the experience?

I’m very glad it happened and that I had the experience. It’s something I’ll always “have.” Like I said before, I feel this has stood the test of time and has aged well. I’m proud of it.

Anything you’d like to add?

When I think of anything, I’ll send it along. (I’ll undoubtedly think of lots of things to add as soon as I hit the send button.)

Tweet about this interview to @nightranger @MBennetShephard!

7/21/14 addendum: A week after this interview posted, Macha and I met in person.

Next: Rod Stewart, “Infatuation” (1984).

The Girl in the Video: “867-5309/Jenny” (1981)

Introduction to series “The Girl in the Video 2” (including list of interviewees).

The video: “867-5309/Jenny” by Tommy Tutone.

The girl-now-woman: Karen Morton.

I wish finding Karen was as easy as calling 867-5309.

And I wish she was here to see this interview publish.

But on 2/11/14, before I followed up on our August 2013 interview to ask a few more questions, Karen died.

A note from Facebook:

At approximately 3:10 p.m. PST, Karen Elaine Morton Forsey passed away at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Burbank, CA. Cause of death was allegedly organ failure as a complication of Karen’s long struggle with Stevens-Johnson syndrome. She passed quietly and without pain. Present were her family.

RIP, Karen. Though I knew you only shortly and from afar, it was clear what a good soul you were.

How old were you when you appeared in the “867-5309/Jenny” video?

21.

Where were you living at the time?

With my husband Keith Forsey in Giorgio Moroder’s house in Los Angeles. [Keith] is British and we were living together a long time. There was a band called Sparks that I knew really well. They worked a lot in Europe. That’s how I met Giorgio.

What music videos, shows, or movies had you appeared in prior to that?

I was discovered in the produce section in a Von’s supermarket in Toluca Lake with my grandmother. I was tan in a white tank top. Someone asked, “Would you be interested in auditioning for Playboy?” [I thought about it.] My grandmother said, “Have you called those people back? Elaine [Karen’s cousin, a 1970 Playmate] did!” But she was a totally different circumstance, living in Burbank. She lives in Hawaii now. She works for the school district and travels a lot.

I was working with two modeling agencies. I got the “Jenny” interview through them. I did a video with Keith who did his own album at one time, “Take Me to the Pilot.” It wasn’t his thing but he did it. He always said “It’s all luck.” It went top 10 in France. I danced on The Sonny and Cher Show in high school.

How were you cast in “867-5309/Jenny”?

Interview. I actually did two videos on that album and one was with a girl from Saturday Night Live, a redhead whose name I don’t remember.

Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?

I didn’t know what I was going to do. I just went to do the job. I still have the dress—I just have to find it. But not the wrap that goes around it. I think it might’ve been my own dress.

What kind of music did you like?

I’ve always loved Led Zeppelin, Rod Stewart, the Stones. Seventies music. That was where my head was geared. I was a big fan of the Knack. All Billy Idol.

Where was the video filmed?

I don’t remember.

How long was the shoot?

Three or four days.

What was the hardest part of the shoot?

None. It was fun.

How was it to work with Tommy Tutone? What were they like? [NOTE: Tommy Tutone is the name of the band, not the lead singer.]

They were great. I guess I really only know Tommy [Heath, the lead singer] and one other. I knew everybody in Van Halen. [see below]

Any funny stories from the shoot?

I can’t think of any. I know we all had fun backstage, doing makeup. Backstage at Van Halen was off-the-wall.

How so?

[did not get chance to ask]

Anything go wrong on the “Jenny” shoot?

No.

What did you think of the video?

I would do shows and turn the TV on when I was getting ready and say, “There I am!” I always remember putting my hand on the table. I remember combing my hair in that mirror. I didn’t know I would have to kiss that guy.

Is that the first time you saw yourself in something?

Yeah, it was probably my first video.

What did your parents think of it?

I honestly don’t think my parents had MTV. Or cable. I don’t think they ever did see it.

Ever?

I don’t think so.

What did your friends think of it?

They were like “Wow.” Now friends call me when people karaoke it.

Have you ever seen someone karaoke it?

No—I’ve heard it on the background. When she was ten, my daughter said she had a friend who had that phone number and she said “Do you know how much it would cost to get that phone number? $50,000.”

I didn’t know you had to pay to get a phone number?

I don’t get it either. Now if you call that number with any area code, it doesn’t exist. I think one time I called and I left a message. (laughs) Probably in the ‘90s.

Did the video ever affect your dating life in any way (i.e. when you first told boyfriends you were the woman in it)?

No. I would show friends at parties. Not in ‘81, probably later, on videotape.

Did any guys recognize you from the video?

Probably right after.

Did you receive fan mail?

I don’t think so.

What were you paid?

Most were flat fees. I don’t remember. Maybe $5,000—approximately what I got paid for a lot of things.

Were you ever recognized in public?

People would say, “Who’s this? She’s one of the prettiest girls I’ve seen in my life!” (laughs) I wish I was now. I did promotions when I was doing Playboy but it wasn’t like it is now, when it’s more socially acceptable.

I had a stalker and it was really scary—religious letters. He was an English teacher in South Carolina and I even got a letter from his mother in Colorado. I turned it over to Playboy security. He actually showed up where I lived with Keith. One time I was going to take an exercise class and he was at the door. It was way early. He was off to the side so you couldn’t see him through the keyhole. He was six foot two. I slammed the door, ran to my bedroom, and called the police. They escorted him out. One time I was at the MTV Music Awards in New York with Billy Idol, as a friend. This guy showed up at the door!

How did you stop him?

[did not get chance to ask]

Did you appear in other music videos after “Jenny”?

I did a lot of videos in the ‘80s.

Van Halen’s “Dance the Night Away.” [NOTE: I could not find a video of this 1979 song that featured Karen.]

“X-Ray Vision” by Moon Martin was filmed in Griffith Park and then in Chinatown. That was a fun shoot but people don’t remember the song.

A heavy metal one I can’t remember.

I worked on The Young and Restless as an extra. I did the Humanoids from the Deep trailer. That was Roger Corman. I was in the trailer but not the movie. I don’t know why. I remember asking “When’s the monster coming out? It’s getting dark.” I did History of the World Part II with Mel Brooks and Madeline Kahn. I was the flower girl. There were a lot of Playmates in it. Madeline picked me as the flower girl. That was a really fun shoot, too.

I did a lot of commercials—Levi’s, Clairol. A lot of work for Japan, shot here. A Broadway ad.

Did you ever meet other women who were female leads in a mainstream ‘80s rock video?

Yeah—“Hot for Teacher.” I knew the girl in that video but I don’t remember her name. I think I tried out for that video and I was mad that I didn’t get the job. I didn’t know whether or not to say I was or wasn’t a Playmate. For “Hot for Teacher,” the first question was “Are you the Karen Morton who was a Playmate?” I said no—and didn’t get the job.

Not a woman, but I am friends with Billy Idol. I was a big Clint Eastwood fan and I was set up on a dinner date with him at the Playboy Mansion on a Muhammad Ali fight night. This was before I met Keith, maybe [first half of] 1979. We had two helpings of peach cobbler. I was too shy and now I kick myself. I thought Clint was a lot taller than he is, but he’s still pretty tall. I didn’t push it—no second date.

© Playboy

Mick Smiley was married to my girlfriend. [It had come up that I’d interviewed Mick.]

If you went to college, where and what did you study?

I went to North Hollywood High School. It’s amazing the actors and people that have come out of there—Nick Cassavetes, Erin Moran from Happy Days, Denise Crosby (Bing’s granddaughter), Rita Wilson was two years older than me. I’ve met Tom Hanks and he’s so nice. My daughter and I met him at a fish market in the late ‘90s and I told him I went to school with his wife. Then I went to Valley College. It’s a community college.

What have you been doing since “Jenny”?

I worked for Cosmopolitan. I can’t find the magazine. The pictures were very, very pretty. I did another ad for Cosmo in a negligee.

After that I got a job at a bank and got fired the first day. I don’t remember why! Then I went to Long Beach State and learned makeup.

Since 2006, I’ve had this rare disease. I was allergic to a sulfur medication and came down with something called Stevens-Johnson syndrome. It’s named for two doctors in the twenties who recognized this. It sometimes goes undiagnosed. You burn from the inside out.

I’d hiked that morning with my dog. The first thing I noticed was that my face had a bit of a rash. I went to the emergency room. I’ve had eye infections from makeup so thought it was that again. But I was unlucky.

I was the first patient of this doctor’s residency. I sued the doctor because I was misdiagnosed. I lost because they didn’t want to ruin a young doctor’s life. I was like “What about my life?”

I had a 103-degree fever and the burn center was eight feet away and he sent me home. He also didn’t see the rash. I came home and I imagined I kissed my daughter goodbye in the garden and out by the tree. Keith said, “No, you were under your covers.” Keith thought I had cirrhosis.

Four days later, Keith called an ambulance and I went back to the burn center and they gave me a spinal tap, which is supposed to be incredibly painful but I don’t remember.

They put me in an induced coma. Everyone had to wear suits to prevent me from getting more sick. Hugh Hefner wanted to send me roses but couldn’t, so he sent me a sweet little 1950s card.

The burn center saved my life. Amazing. Angels from heaven.

I was in a coma for eight weeks. I woke up and said, “Did anyone water my roses?” (laughs) Everyone said “She’s back.”

After, I couldn’t leave this house for two years. I had to be creamed down with this special cream eight times a day. It was a fortune. I was always a sun worshiper and now I can’t do that like I did.

How are you doing now?

I need surgery on my left eye—actually, probably three surgeries. This year has been one thing after another. I didn’t think it could be worse than last year.

Are you driving?

I can’t drive right now. I sold my car.

Can you read?

I can read a little with a magnifier. Everything I love I can’t do right now—bike ride, hike, snorkel, beach, sun.

What are you doing for money?

I would like to start the mail order again—selling autographed photos myself. My cousin Elaine [1970 Playmate] does signings. I haven’t done a show since the eye issue started. I’d like to start doing them again.

Where do you live?

California. My daughter’s in college and I’m separated. My mother’s staying with me and my father passed away in 2002, after I moved into this house.

What was Keith’s reaction when he learned you were in this video?

I met Keith sometime before “Jenny” because I found letters he wrote dated November 1979. I walked through the door and he was playing guitar in jeans and T-shirt at Giorgio’s house. I spent my 21st birthday with him.

What does your daughter think of the video?

She liked it.

What did you think when you first heard from me?

I didn’t know who you were. I don’t have a sister named Lisa. (laughs) [MTN: When I first called Karen answered but as an initial precaution said she was Karen’s sister, Lisa. I got suspicious when I came across an archival article from a newspaper in Iowa—Karen had lived there at one time—describing Karen as an only child. “Lisa” had told me that doing this interview “will make Karen happy.”]

How often do you get calls for interviews?

Not that much.

Has anyone else ever interviewed you about this?

No.

How do you look back on the experience of being in the video for a famous song?

Is it really that famous?

The song certainly is. Anything you’d like to add?

I was born in California at the hospital where Neil Armstrong’s kids were born. My dad had gas stations there.

I was real good friends with Dorothy Stratton.

People said I should’ve been Playmate of the Year, but I was too shy. But my centerfold [Miss July 1978] is a classic.

Karen Morton 1958-2014

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Next: John Cougar, “Jack & Diane” (1982).