Gina Schock is best known as the drummer for the The GoGo’s—and a 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
She’s also a photographer and author, and the Rubine Red Gallery in Palm Springs will be featuring some of her limited-edition photographs and memorabilia from four decades with one of the most successful all-female bands ever. Made in Hollywood: The Photography of Gina Schock of the GoGo’s will open on Saturday, April 8, with a reception featuring Schock.
The band—which also includes Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Jane Wiedlin (guitar and vocals), Charlotte Caffey (guitar, keyboard) and Kathy Valentine (bass, guitar)—wrote their own songs and played their own instruments, which was rare for an all-woman band when The Go-Go’s arrived on the scene in the late 1970s.
The book Made in Hollywood: All Access With the Go-Go’s, released in 2021, is Schock’s chronicle of those years. The book includes contributions from the other members of the band, along with personal photos and all sorts of stories.
“My show is real,” Schock said. “It’s true; it’s honest. Some people might find it shocking. But don’t be offended that I offend, because I’m actually a nice person.”
But it’s not all glitz and glamor. “It’s photos of everyday life behind the scenes,” said Jason Howard, owner of Rubine Red Gallery. “We see them wake up with bed hair, walking around in their sweats. They’re just like us. It’s just fun.”
Schock said she was happy that her bandmates were so supportive of Made in Hollywood.
“Everyone participated and I was really happy about that,” she said. “Kathy Valentine wrote the foreword, and the others wrote little essays as well. The photos mostly focus on the early years, with a handful from the ’90s, but mostly from ’79 to ’85.”
The book also includes pictures of David Bowie, Kate Pierson of the B-52’s, Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, and Jodie Foster.
“We always did well in Palm Springs,” Schock said. “We’ve always had fans and support from the LGBTQ community, and we always worked for everyone having equal rights.”
One of her favorite memories (“There were so many that it’s hard to choose,” she said with a laugh) comes from when the band’s first single came out.
“I was driving my car around L.A. with my friend,” she said. “All of a sudden, our song ‘We Got the Beat’ came on the radio. I was so excited. It felt like we finally made it.”
Palm Springs triggers memories, too. In 1984, Schock was diagnosed with a hole in her heart, but before the operation to correct it, the GoGo’s rented a Cadillac and a Jaguar, and went to a favorite spot. She wrote in her book: “Out of all the party favors we brought with us, I was only allowed pot, Valium and mushrooms. I was really high, and we were all having fun and doing goofy stuff. It was all in typical Go-Go’s fashion.”
The Go-Go’s have been off and on over the years, most recently performing last October. The breaks have given Schock time to do other things, including caring for her elderly parents in their last years.
“I promised them that I would never leave them, and I kept my promise,” she said. “They died in my home in San Francisco.”
She co-wrote, with Ted Bruner and Trey Vittetoe, the title track of Miley Cyrus’ 2008 album, Breakout. She also co-wrote “Naturally,” recorded by Selena Gomez.
“I’m always learning more and more,” Schock said. “I will never be stuck. When some people get older, they get tunnel vision, but not me.”
Made in Hollywood: The Photography of Gina Schock of The GoGo’s will open on Saturday, April 8, with a special opening-night reception from 5 to 9 p.m.; tickets are $75. Schock will also take part in a free book-signing from 1 to 4 p.m., Sunday, April 9. The exhibit will be on display through Monday, April 24, at Rubine Red Gallery, 668 N. Palm Canyon Drive, No. 102, in Palm Springs. For tickets or more information, visit www.rubineredgallery.com/madeinhollywood.