Karen Smith is suing the 1970s for damage to her self-esteem, due to the sexual indifference of the pop stars of the day, many of them household names. Now 57, she remembers the seventies like they were yesterday, though, for Karen, the memories are filled with sadness.
“My friends and I were mad for all the pop stars. After gigs we used to dodge the security guys and get into the bands’ dressing rooms. It was long before AIDS, of course. What was the worst that could happen... carpet burns?”
Despite her willingness to perform sexual acts of a frankly demeaning nature, Karen’s generosity was spurned. All the bands ever wanted her to do was “a bit of light dusting” or to make up a foursome at bridge. “While the other girls were being shagged senseless”, she now says, wiping away a tear, “I was ignored. It was humiliating”.
Having learned to overcome the gag reflex, Karen was ready to demonstrate her new skills. She even brought along her own knee pads. “I tried to give Keith Moon a blow-job but it was a disaster”, she recalls. After half an hour of diligent fellatio on the Who’s charismatic drummer, she’d barely got the wrinkles out. “I tried to interest Gary Glitter in a cocaine-fuelled threesome, but he pretended to be more interested in some kids’ programme on TV. As for Jonathan King, when I offered him some girl-on-girl action he just gave me one of his lop-sided grins and said he’d prefer a night out with the boys”.
While it may seem unusual for an entire decade to be taken to court, Karen and her lawyer are confident of success. They deny they’re looking for a payout. “Unlike Max Moseley”, Karen insists, “I’m not strapped for cash”...
