Pennie Lane Trumbull

Pennie Ann Trumbull (born July 3, 1954), also known as Pennie Lane, is an American socialite, philanthropist, businesswoman, and entrepreneur. During the 1970s, she formed the group The Flying Garter Girls, which traveled around the country as groupies for famous rock bands. Her time as a groupie was chronicled in the 2000 film Almost Famous and its 2019 stage musical adaptation. She was portrayed by actress Kate Hudson in the film and Solea Pfeiffer in the musical.[2][3]

Pennie Trumbull
Born
Pennie Ann Trumbull

(1954-07-03) July 3, 1954
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
EducationRoosevelt High School
SpouseMink Stavenga (1983–divorced)[1]
Websitepennielane.com

Biography

Early life

Trumbull was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She was an only child and attended Roosevelt High School, where she was an award-winning equestrian and tried out for the Olympic team.[4] Her love of music began at an early age, and she started attending concerts at 16. Trumbull moved to Los Angeles when she was 18 with a touring keyboardist for the band Steppenwolf, and returned to Portland a few months later.[5]

The Flying Garter Girls

In the early 1970s, Trumbull became immersed in the rock music scene. She and four other girls decided to form a group and began pursuing bands. They each gave themselves nicknames, and Trumbull chose the name Pennie Lane in part from the song by the Beatles. The other girls in the group were Marvelous Meg, Sexy Sandy, The Real Camille, Miss Julia, and Caroline Can-Can. The girls had matchbooks made with "The Flying Garter Girls" printed on them to promote themselves.

Later life

Trumbull lived in San Diego for many years. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Cal State Northridge, where she was a competitive fencer, and an MBA in Marketing from Alliant International University in 1988.[6] Trumbull owned her own marketing firm for a time. Upon her divorce in the early 1990s, she moved back home to be closer to her parents. Trumbull bought property on Sauvie Island, Oregon and built a ranch, which she describes as a "Rock n Roll Ranch." Lane owns her own wine label named Swallows and grows her own Pinot noir grapes. She continues to be involved in the music scene in the Portland area. Trumbull is an ordained minister and officiates weddings at her ranch.[7]

Trumbull is a longtime member of the Sauvie Island Grange Association and various other community organizations.[8]

Portrayals in media

Journalist and filmmaker Cameron Crowe and Trumbull met and became friends in the 1970s while Crowe was working as a rock journalist for Rolling Stone. When he began work on his film about their experiences during that time, Almost Famous, Crowe asked for her permission to use her name and likeness.[2]

In 2012, Trumbull was the special guest at the San Diego Film Festival, which featured a special screening of Almost Famous. She continues to make appearances discussing the film and her life in the 1970s.[9][10]

See also: The GTOs

References
  1. "California Marriage Index, 1960-1985," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V6GZ-M4Y : 27 November 2014), Mink H Stavenga and Pennie A Trumbull, 25 Jun 1983; from "California, Marriage Index, 1960-1985," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2007); citing San Diego, California, Center of Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento.
  2. Goldberg, Stephanie (October 16, 2002). "They used to have Rockin' roles". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  3. Paulson, Michael (June 2, 2022). "'Almost Famous,' Now a Musical, Will Open on Broadway This Fall". The New York Times.
  4. "Will the real Penny Lane please stand up?". www.oregonmusicnews.com. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  5. Almost Famous Story Retrieved August 18, 2015
  6. Mother's Best. The Taunton Press. 2009. p. 108. ISBN 9781600850172.
  7. "From Groupies to Grapes". Oregon Wine Press. May 2, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  8. "Agenda Meeting – Grange – Sep 09". Sauvie Island Community Association. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  9. Kryza, AP (September 23, 2014). "AP Film Studies: Almost Factual". Willamette Week. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  10. "Almost Famous: The Real Pennie". Portland Monthly Magazine. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
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