Cyrinda Foxe
Encyclopedia
Cyrinda Foxe was an American actress, model and publicist, best known for her role in Andy Warhol's Bad
. She was married to both David Johansen, of the New York Dolls
, and Steven Tyler
, of the rock band Aerosmith
.
, to an Armenian
family. She grew up as an army brat in an abusive household. After graduating high school, she lived in Texas
briefly before settling in New York City
, where she got a job working as an assistant to Greta Garbo
. She later changed her name and began frequenting Max's Kansas City
, the famous nightclub, and became an actress. She's best known for her role in Andy Warhol
's Bad (1977). Foxe had an affair with David Bowie
, while working as a publicist for MainMan Artistes LTD, Bowie's management company. She also appeared in the music video for Bowie's 1972 single, "The Jean Genie
".
Foxe grew up idolizing the Rolling Stones. She later became involved with the New York Dolls
, a protopunk
band often compared to the Stones. In 1977, after years of dating, Cyrinda married David Johansen
, the singer for the New York Dolls. At the time, the New York Dolls had the same management as Aerosmith
, and while Foxe was involved with Johansen, she met Aerosmith's lead singer Steven Tyler
.
After less than a year of marriage to Johansen, Foxe left him for Steven Tyler. Foxe and Tyler married and had a daughter, Mia
, but the marriage was troubled by drug addiction, extramarital affairs, and physical and emotional abuse. Foxe and Tyler divorced shortly before Aerosmith made a comeback in the late 1980s. She raised Mia in Sunapee, New Hampshire
and New York City.
, Dream On: Livin' on the Edge with Steven Tyler and Aerosmith, co-written with Danny Fields
, was published. As anticipated, it received mostly negative reactions from Aerosmith fans. Not long after the book was released, Foxe announced that the paperback edition of Dream On would include nude photos of Steven Tyler. But in 1999, Tyler won a lawsuit against Foxe, preventing her from publishing the photos. In 2000, she launched a web site in which she was selling nude pictures of Tyler, but by the end of the year, the site closed for undisclosed reasons.
In 2001, Foxe had a mild stroke. She received Medicare and food stamps as she had no apartment or place to live. Myra Freidman organized a benefit at CBGB
to raise money for Foxe. Embarrassed by Foxe's poverty, Steven Tyler met with her and their daughter Mia at Balthazar, later donating a signed Aerosmith guitar to the benefit, which sold for $5000. David Bowie also donated an acoustic guitar. Tyler agreed to pay for a room for Cyrinda at the Gramercy Park Hotel
where on August 28, 2002, she married Keith Waa.
Foxe died from an inoperable brain tumor on September 7, 2002.
Andy Warhol's Bad
Andy Warhol's Bad is a 1977 comedy film, directed by Jed Johnson, starring Carroll Baker, Perry King and Susan Tyrrell. It was written by Pat Hackett and George Abagnalo, and produced by Andy Warhol....
. She was married to both David Johansen, of the New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
, and Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
, of the rock band Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
.
Early life and career
Foxe was born Katheleen Victoria Hetzekian in Santa Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, to an Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
family. She grew up as an army brat in an abusive household. After graduating high school, she lived in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
briefly before settling in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where she got a job working as an assistant to Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
. She later changed her name and began frequenting Max's Kansas City
Max's Kansas City
Max's Kansas City was a nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South, in New York City, which was a gathering spot for musicians, poets, artists and politicians in the 1960s and 1970s.-Origin of name:...
, the famous nightclub, and became an actress. She's best known for her role in Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
's Bad (1977). Foxe had an affair with David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, while working as a publicist for MainMan Artistes LTD, Bowie's management company. She also appeared in the music video for Bowie's 1972 single, "The Jean Genie
The Jean Genie
"The Jean Genie" is a song by David Bowie, originally released as a single in November 1972. According to Bowie, it was "a smorgasbord of imagined Americana", with a protagonist inspired by Iggy Pop, and the title being a pun on author Jean Genet. One of Bowie’s most famous tracks, it was the lead...
".
Foxe grew up idolizing the Rolling Stones. She later became involved with the New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
, a protopunk
Protopunk
Protopunk is a term used retrospectively to describe a number of musicians who were important precursors of punk rock in the late 1960s to mid-1970s, or who have been cited by early punk musicians as influential...
band often compared to the Stones. In 1977, after years of dating, Cyrinda married David Johansen
David Johansen
David Roger Johansen is an American rock, protopunk, blues, and pop singer, as well as a songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the seminal protopunk band The New York Dolls and also achieved commercial success under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter.-Early life:Johansen was born in...
, the singer for the New York Dolls. At the time, the New York Dolls had the same management as Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, and while Foxe was involved with Johansen, she met Aerosmith's lead singer Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
.
After less than a year of marriage to Johansen, Foxe left him for Steven Tyler. Foxe and Tyler married and had a daughter, Mia
Mia Tyler
Mia Abagale Tallarico , better known as Mia Tyler, is an American actress, plus-size model, public speaker and advocate. She is the daughter of Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, and the actress groupie Cyrinda Foxe. She is the paternal half-sister of actress Liv Tyler...
, but the marriage was troubled by drug addiction, extramarital affairs, and physical and emotional abuse. Foxe and Tyler divorced shortly before Aerosmith made a comeback in the late 1980s. She raised Mia in Sunapee, New Hampshire
Sunapee, New Hampshire
Sunapee is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,365 at the 2010 census. Sunapee is home to part of Lake Sunapee...
and New York City.
Later years and death
In 1997, Foxe's memoirMemoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
, Dream On: Livin' on the Edge with Steven Tyler and Aerosmith, co-written with Danny Fields
Danny Fields
Danny Fields is an American journalist and author. As a music-industry executive in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, he was one of the most influential figures in the underground and punk rock scenes.- Early life :...
, was published. As anticipated, it received mostly negative reactions from Aerosmith fans. Not long after the book was released, Foxe announced that the paperback edition of Dream On would include nude photos of Steven Tyler. But in 1999, Tyler won a lawsuit against Foxe, preventing her from publishing the photos. In 2000, she launched a web site in which she was selling nude pictures of Tyler, but by the end of the year, the site closed for undisclosed reasons.
In 2001, Foxe had a mild stroke. She received Medicare and food stamps as she had no apartment or place to live. Myra Freidman organized a benefit at CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
to raise money for Foxe. Embarrassed by Foxe's poverty, Steven Tyler met with her and their daughter Mia at Balthazar, later donating a signed Aerosmith guitar to the benefit, which sold for $5000. David Bowie also donated an acoustic guitar. Tyler agreed to pay for a room for Cyrinda at the Gramercy Park Hotel
Gramercy Park Hotel
Gramercy Park Hotel is a luxury hotel located at 2 Lexington Avenue, in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, adjacent to Gramercy Park. It is known for its rich history.-History:Gramercy Park Hotel was designed by Robert T...
where on August 28, 2002, she married Keith Waa.
Foxe died from an inoperable brain tumor on September 7, 2002.