It’s no wonder why Motörhead‘s Lemmy Kilmister and The Plasmatics‘ Wendy O. Williams crossed paths as they were boundary pushers and troublemakers that stood out, and they gave one hell of a show to crowds of people. Their collaboration on the cover of Tammy Wynett’s ‘Stand By Your Man,’ was an organic outcome of their personalities. It ultimately inspired Kilmister to dedicate the track ‘No Class’ to the problem child, Wendy O. Williams.
Wendy was a rebel from an early age; she dropped out of high school and went on a crazy journey that ultimately ended up in the music industry. The adventurous life that started with hiking and macrame swimsuits turned into shoplifting and time in Italian jails before she saw an ad placed for performance artists for an experimental ‘Captain Kink’s Theatre,’ by Rod Swenson, which were scripted live sex shows under an ‘arts’ umbrella.
That was Wendy’s way in the business alongside Swenson as they formed The Plasmatics. She was unique in that she had created a persona called ‘The American Dream Girl Gone Nightmare’ with a bleached blond mohawk, minimal clothing, and growling vocals with a chainsaw. The stage shows they put together were out of this world, where there were explosions, nudity, theatrical blood, cross-dressing, car crashes, and demolition.
Along the way, she was charged several times for having her nipples on display, resulting in ‘obscenity’ charges and acting in a ‘lewd’ manner. The trials received so much publicity that the band and Wendy became the talk of the town. When she grew in popularity, the following TV appearances eventually led her to go on a solo career.
Her solo career was very fruitful; alongside modeling and acting gigs coming her way, the opportunity to work with Lemmy also became a discussion. Before she knew it, they had worked together on the cover of ‘Stand By Your Man.’ The rocker shared with Rolling Stone that they worked together on the track, but it was a challenge and a half. Kilmister described Wendy as a ‘problem child’ where it was hard to predict her next move, and she was all over the place. However, after their time together and many years later, Motörhead dedicated their track ‘No Class’ to Wendy and her rocker soul.
Lemmy Kilmister’s words about the song he dedicated to Wendy O. Williams after working together:
“I didn’t write ‘Stand By Your Man,’ but we did it with Wendy O. Williams. Wendy was a problem child. She was all over the place. It was awkward all around, but we did our best. She was not easy to work with in the studio. We later dedicated ‘No Class’ to her because she had no class [laughs]. She was very good in bed.”
Lemmy Kilmister’s description of the track ‘No Class’ read:
“Even older than ‘Ace of Spades!’ From 1979, a good old-time rocker. Dedicated to the memory of Wendy O. Williams, who covered it. R.I.P.”
By being her authentic self, Wendy had created a persona and blazed a trail for women in rock n’ roll by contradicting every norm possible, whether she intended to or not. However, her unique way of existing also brought her opportunities in the entertainment industry, including collaborating with the icon Lemmy himself.
