---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Just as Bowie, Zeppelin, etc., became…"
description: "\"Just as Bowie, Zeppelin, etc., became rock stars by remaking themselves in the image of the California girls, the Go-Gos became rock stars by pretendin..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/590/rob-sheffield-1368_bowie_just-as-bowie-zeppelin-etc-became-rock-s_1429051.jpg"
---

#  Just as Bowie, Zeppelin, etc., became rock stars by…

![“Just as Bowie, Zeppelin, etc., became rock stars by remaking themselves in the image of the California girls, the Go-Gos became rock stars by pretending to be the Buzzcocks and the Sex Pistols. Jane Wiedlin always said her biggest influence was growing up in L.A. as a Bowie girl.” quote by Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/590/rob-sheffield-1368_bowie_just-as-bowie-zeppelin-etc-became-rock-s_1429051.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/590/rob-sheffield-1368_bowie_just-as-bowie-zeppelin-etc-became-rock-s_1429051.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/590/rob-sheffield-1368_bowie_just-as-bowie-zeppelin-etc-became-rock-s_1429051.jpg)

> “Just as Bowie, Zeppelin, etc., became rock stars by remaking themselves in the image of the California girls, the Go-Gos became rock stars by pretending to be the Buzzcocks and the Sex Pistols. Jane Wiedlin always said her biggest influence was growing up in L.A. as a Bowie girl.”

[Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Describes how artists reinvent themselves by adopting styles of other influential acts.

**In simple terms:** Artists reinvent by emulating peers.

Key Takeaway

Adapt and evolve creatively.

Themes

identity reinvention influence rock music

Mood

nostalgic analytical

Type

historical critical

When to use this quote

- songwriting
- fashion design
- branding
- performance art

Key Concepts

cultural studies music history

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance influence and originality?
- What inspires your creative shifts?

A Different Perspective

Copying can risk loss of authenticity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bowie/) [California](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/california/) [California girls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/california-girls/) [Etc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/etc/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Girls Gos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girls-gos-5083380/) [Gos Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gos-rock-5083379/) [Growing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Jane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jane/) [Pistols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pistols/) [Pretending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretending/) [Rock star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-star/) [Rock stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-stars/) [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex/) [Sex pistols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex-pistols/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Zeppelin Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zeppelin-rock-3894461/) [Zeppelins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zeppelins/)

## Related quotes

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[Shooter Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shooter-jennings/)

> [Ah, the bond between English boys and California girls. For those of us who aren't either, it's a bond that fascinates and mystifies. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/ah-the-bond-between-english-boys-and-california-girls-for-those-of-us/)

[Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/)

> [I love the Sex Pistols. I'm a big Beach Boys fan and a huge Zeppelin and Queen fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-mars/i-love-the-sex-pistols-i-m-a-big-beach-boys-fan-and-a-huge-zeppelin/)

[Bruno Mars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-mars/)

> [California girls. Were unforgettable. Daisy Dukes. Bikinis on top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azgraybebly-joslan/california-girls-were-unforgettable-daisy-dukes-bikinis-on-top/)

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> [This is my new dress from California Girls Mall:) in California of course:):)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meee/this-is-my-new-dress-from-california-girls-mall-in-california-of/)

[Meee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meee/)

> [I've had an interesting time adjusting to New York. I'm from California and I'm very much a California girl. I feel lucky to officially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taryn-manning/i-ve-had-an-interesting-time-adjusting-to-new-york-i-m-from/)

[Taryn Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taryn-manning/)

> [I wish they all could be California girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-beach-boys/i-wish-they-all-could-be-california-girls/)

[The Beach Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-beach-boys/)

> [You could travel the world, but nothing comes close to the golden coast. Once you party with us, you'll be falling in love, Oooooh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-perry/you-could-travel-the-world-but-nothing-comes-close-to-the-golden/)

[Katy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-perry/)

> [Ain't you glad we ain't all California girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-wilson/ain-t-you-glad-we-ain-t-all-california-girls/)

[Gretchen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-wilson/)

> [I was not a Southern California girl. I hated having my photograph taken. I felt shy and embarrassed around famous people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-huston/i-was-not-a-southern-california-girl-i-hated-having-my-photograph/)

[Allegra Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-huston/)

> [They write songs about California girls for a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mlynowski/they-write-songs-about-california-girls-for-a-reason/)

[Sarah Mlynowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mlynowski/)

> [Rick Nielsen, Angus Young. Huge Eddie Van Halen fan when I was younger. Jimmy Page is an enormous one who impacts me. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-kubler/rick-nielsen-angus-young-huge-eddie-van-halen-fan-when-i-was-younger/)

[Tad Kubler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-kubler/)

> [We had no money, and we had to go through 'punk' school. We ended up living in the rehearsal room that used to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keren-woodward/we-had-no-money-and-we-had-to-go-through-punk-school-we-ended-up/)

[Keren Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keren-woodward/)

> [I've tried to stay true, in my own fashion, to the ideas of The Sex Pistols, even while I was working with bands like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-temple/i-ve-tried-to-stay-true-in-my-own-fashion-to-the-ideas-of-the-sex/)

[Julien Temple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-temple/)

## More by Rob Sheffield

> [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/)

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> [Morrissey was my Mrs. Garrett, the house mother from the Facts of Life, a soothing adult figure giving me words of wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/morrissey-was-my-mrs-garrett-the-house-mother-from-the-facts-of-life/)

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> [“I had never gotten the hang of dating — I was always going to be somebody who either had a girlfriend or didn't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/i-had-never-gotten-the-hang-of-dating-i-was-always-going-to-be/)

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> [The hottest trash-disco star in the world: Ke$ha! She has a lot in common with Kiss, actually, even spelling her name with a dollar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/the-hottest-trash-disco-star-in-the-world-ke-ha-she-has-a-lot-in/)

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> [“What doesn't kill you maims you, cripples you, leaves you weak, makes you whiny and full of yourself at the same time. The more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/what-doesn-t-kill-you-maims-you-cripples-you-leaves-you-weak-makes/)

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> [“But when you're a teenage boy, you can be narrow-minded about things that are girlie, things that are frivolous, things that are pop. Boys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/but-when-you-re-a-teenage-boy-you-can-be-narrow-minded-about-things/)

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[Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/)

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## More Bowie quotes

> [I was David Bowie-thin up to about 28, and then I discovered food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/i-was-david-bowie-thin-up-to-about-28-and-then-i-discovered-food/)

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> [I am a big David Bowie fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wiig/i-am-a-big-david-bowie-fan/)

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> [ Hearing that \[David\] Bowie passed was like you don't really believe it. It's as if the sky shifted a little bit, to remind you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babatunde-adebimpe/hearing-that-david-bowie-passed-was-like-you-don-t-really-believe-it/)

[Babatunde Adebimpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babatunde-adebimpe/)

> [It's fun to look at people that are so good at acting that aren't actors, like David Bowie creating a mystique about rock n'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/it-s-fun-to-look-at-people-that-are-so-good-at-acting-that-aren-t/)

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