Eye on L.A. goes back to the '80s
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The '80s meant neon brights and big hair, it was a time when punk and new wave fashions ruled. Los Angeles was at the forefront of the movement with Melrose Avenue brimming with the hottest new fashions and the Sunset Strip exploding with music we had never heard before. In this episode, take a walk down memory lane to one of the greatest decades ever! The trends, the music, the movies, the people, and the parties, we've got it all! Including some bonus treasures of vintage Eye on L.A. footage from the '80s!
GROWING UP IN THE '80s
Growing up on MTV in the '80s meant we were no longer looking to fashion magazines for style inspiration, it was all about the music videos. Vintage L.A. expert and L.A. historian Alison Martino shares some of her personal genuine mementos and memories from L.A. in the '80s.
SHOPPING ON MELROSE
Melrose Avenue was the place to shop in '80s L.A.! Betsey Johnson and Olivia Newton-John both had stores there, along with Aardvarks, Wacko Soap Plant, and you might remember a little store called Heaven. Remember Doc Martens?
WACKO SOAP PLANT
One of the iconic shops from the '80s is still around today, the quirky Wacko Soap Plant is now in Los Feliz. Back in the '80s, the Wacko Soap Plant became a magnet for casual shoppers and celebrities like Johnny Depp, Jack Nicholson and Madonna. Today, they still have classic '80s novelties.
RICHARD BLADE
Richard Blade became the voice of '80s L.A. with new wave music rockin' iconic radio station KROQ. Today, he's still reuniting us with some of the music legends that helped define the '80s on his Sirius XM show. Richard is still spinning sweet beats at private events and local clubs like the "Totally 80s Bar" in Fullerton.
MUSIC ON THE SUNSET STRIP
From punk to pop, new wave to hairbands, music of different genres seemed to be exploding all around L.A. in the '80s. The Sunset Strip was the place to hear all the rising bands like Boy George & the Culture Club, Devo and Loverboy. Thirty years later, Guns N' Roses is back, the recent iHeart '80s concert sold out, and stars like EG Daily and the band Missing Persons are planning shows this summer!
For tickets to EG Daily's and Missing Persons' show at The Whisky go to: http://www.whiskyagogo.com/site/event/e-g-daily.
TONI BASIL
One of the most iconic songs of the '80s was about a boy named Mickey sang by a girl named TONI BASIL! Did you know that she conceptualized, choreographed, directed, and edited all of her music videos? She's also earned real street cred as manager and member of one of the original members of the first professional street dance group The Lockers with Don "Campbellock" Campbell. Toni incorporated all of her talents behind the scenes as well, choreographing and directing some of the biggest names in the business like David Byrne, David Bowie, and Bette Midler.
http://www.thelockersdance.com/
BREAKING WITH SHABBA DOO
Adolfo "Shabba Doo" Quiñones is another member of The Lockers dance group who exploded on the scene in the '80s as the star of the west coast street dance movies, "Breakin'" and "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo." Shabba Doo even took his moves on tour with Madonna, choreographing for her. He's still dancing, and giving lessons to kids at the Performing Arts Center in Van Nuys.
http://www.performingartscenter.net/
EG DAILY
Like oh ma gawd! Not only did EG Daily have big frosted hair, but she starred in two of the biggest movies of the '80s, "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" and "Valley Girl," which introduced her and the world to a whole new culture-The Valley!
ANGELYNE
You can't think about the '80s in L.A. without thinking about billboard queen Angelyne. Her ads were all over Los Angeles promoting... well, we're not sure exactly, but you can still catch Angelyne driving around Hollywood in her pink corvette, miniskirts and all! If you buy a tee shirt from her, you can even get your picture taken with the L.A. icon. Call 310-289-4469 to join the official Angelyne fan club.
https://www.facebook.com/officialangelyne/
ALLEE WILLIS
To say Allee Willis is a talented multimedia artist is an understatement! She wrote Earth, Wind, and Fire's megahits "September" and "Boogie Wonderland" and the theme song to TV's "Friends." She also won a Grammy for the "Beverly Hills Cop" soundtrack, and co-authored current Broadway hit "The Color Purple." But if you ask Allee what her biggest skill is, she'll say throwing parties. Her parties in the '80s were legendary!
PATRICK NAGEL
Patrick Nagel was at the forefront of a new wave of art in Los Angeles during the '80s. He rose to fame after his work was featured on the cover of the bestselling album "Rio" by Duran Duran. Sadly, Nagel died in 1984 at the height of his career, but we found a rare interview with him in 1982 on a now vintage episode of Eye on L.A.
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