Perry Farrell recently shared some stories from his youth on ‘The Adam Carolla Show,’ which was posted on Instagram. Among the topics mentioned was his stint giving escort services before his music career took off.
At just 17 years old, Farrell left his home searching for adventure, boarding a bus to California. During the interview, Farrell recalled his early days after that:
“There was a club in Orange County – forget the name of the club right now, but they were doing modeling shows, and there was a lot of hankie panky going on and rich dudes with yachts. It was like that scene, and I’m waiting this chick, she’s running the show. It’s a modeling show. A ‘modeling show’ at this place.”
He continued, sharing a humorous exchange with a woman at the club:
“So, she asked me, ‘Are you a model by any chance?’ And I said, ‘How did you know? Yes, I am a model.’ I’m thinking through my head, ‘She’s going to give me a job.’ But I didn’t want to be a model. So, I said to her, ‘But I can do many things. I can do impersonations of singers. I can do Frank Sinatra. I can do David Bowie. I can do Mick Jagger.’ You know, I never did it before, but I knew if she gave me the shot, I could do it.”
The Singer’s Days As An Escort
When he left his family home in North Miami Beach, Florida, Farrell brought a surfboard, art materials, some weed, and other belongings. The singer had to live in his car as he didn’t have much. Wanting to get a job, he revealed:
“I started doing impersonations of Frank Sinatra, Bowie, and Mick Jagger. And this modeling gig turned into, ‘How would you like to go to this party on this guy’s yacht?’ So, it was a bit of – No, it wasn’t a bit. It was an escort service, as well. My wife knows all this, so I don’t mind telling you these stories, but I briefly escorted some older ladies, and I had a girlfriend…”
When the recent show’s host asked Farrell to confirm if he actually worked as an escort, the Jane’s Addiction vocalist explained:
“I was invited to the parties, and there I was. Yeah, [I was sort of a gigolo]. Like, they saw me as ‘Wow! You look like David Bowie.’ And I would have my following. [Laughs] And I had a girlfriend, too, that followed me up from Cardiff. She ended up leaving me for the guy whose yacht we were on.”
The Music Career Following That Experience
Initially aiming to focus on surfing, Perry Farrell found himself drawn to music, inspired by bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin. This new passion led him to Los Angeles, where he lived among ‘street kids’ and punk rockers, thanks to a connection from his modeling days.
In Los Angeles, Farrell took on various jobs, including working as a Frank Sinatra impersonator, club singer, construction worker, and waiter. Discussing his transition to music in a 2011 chat with The Quietus, the singer shared:
“I thought, if I was an actor, the equivalent to doing Frank Sinatra impersonations was probably selling toothpaste on TV commercials, which would not be good. So, as a singer, I thought I should be writing about my own life instead of singing about other people’s lives, but to do that, I also had to create my own life and to make it exciting and interesting.”
He continued:
“This was the late 70s, and punk rock made me think, ‘You know, I could do this…’ Even though I hadn’t received any training to be a singer as a child. I thought that maybe you didn’t need that. You could just learn a few barre chords and have an attitude and have a character, and then you would be… free.”
Later, the frontman formed Jane’s Addiction with Eric Avery. The band is now getting ready for a European tour this May and June, with their next performance scheduled for May 23 in South Derbyshire District, United Kingdom.