Don’t Call Bebe Buell a “Groupie.” She’s a Muse

It’s Pronounced “Bee Bee”

Beverle Lorence Buell was born on July 14, 1953, in Portsmouth, Virginia. The daughter of a U.S. Navy officer and World War II veteran, she didn’t see her father all that much. In fact, Mr. Buell wasn’t around at the time of Bebe’s birth, and her mother waited until he returned before naming their daughter. The nurses at the hospital started calling the infant “Baby Buell,” which is where the nickname “Bebe” originated.

Bebe Buell posing in front of a pink background / Bebe Buell posing in a rock n roll magazine t-shirt

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

And, for those who aren’t sure, Bebe is pronounced as “bee bee.” So, the baby whose earliest nickname would stick for a lifetime eventually came to live up to her name. From a very early age, Bebe was a rock ‘n’ roll baby.