Ron Pope talks about Lana's past in interview

[Peachycream]

https://m.csindy.com/coloradosprings/ron-pope-reflects-on-his-experiences-with-lana-del-rey-sam-moore-and-a-drop-in-the-ocean/Content?oid=12502683

 

Soon, you'll be like Lana Del Rey; half an octave will be enough.

 

- Yeah, you know, that's all you really need.

 

Of course, as soon as I said that, it occurred to me that you might be best friends with her.

 

-Actually, I knew her in New York many, many years ago, when she was still going by her real name, Lizzy Grant. And I thought that she was endlessly fascinating, because she was always kind of expressing herself by being a character. She would tell you a story and you're like, "I don't think that's true, but I don't care."

 

What was the best story she ever told you?

 

-Well, after we were introduced, she told me that she grew up in Arkansas in a trailer park, and was raised by her grandmother. But I'd already known that she was from a family of means in New York. So I was just like, "Huh, you don't say, Arkansas, trailer park." But it was like being around a performance artist. It's not like they're a pathological liar or something, they're just a person creating a character.

 

Back then, she was a freshman in college, and we were going to play a show together, so she came to my apartment to work on a number to sing together. I was living with a bunch of musicians, and by the time she finished playing her first song, my roommates were seated around her on the floor, just like little kids when their preschool teacher is singing to them. She's an incredibly unique artist and I think she's wonderful. And yeah, as a vocalist, it's not like she or I — or Bruce Springsteen, for that matter — could go on The Voice and sing all the runs and do all the tricks. But we can get across a song in a way that it feels like it means something.

 

 

 

We knew Lana made/makes a lot of things up but never knew to what extent...until now.

[evilentity]

Soon, you'll be like Lana Del Rey; half an octave will be enough.

Um... what does the interviewer even mean by this? Does he mean she'd only need half an octave to be good? Is he implying-- bizarrely-- that she can only sing half an octave? Both?

 

*extremely "So Legit" voice* I don't get it.

 

 

Actually, I knew her in New York many, many years ago, when she was still going by her real name, Lizzy Grant. And I thought that she was endlessly fascinating, because she was always kind of expressing herself by being a character. She would tell you a story and you're like, "I don't think that's true, but I don't care."

You don't say.

 

What was the best story she ever told you?

 

Well, after we were introduced, she told me that she grew up in Arkansas in a trailer park, and was raised by her grandmother. But I'd already known that she was from a family of means in New York. So I was just like, "Huh, you don't say, Arkansas, trailer park." But it was like being around a performance artist. It's not like they're a pathological liar or something, they're just a person creating a character.

Based on her fairly consistent history of namedropping Alabama, I'm betting she said Alabama, not Arkansas, though with her track record of making dubious claims anything's possible. But Ron Pope's memory is not the greatest.

 

While there's little evidence her dad "bought" her career, and it's unclear how much she relied on her parents' money as a young adult-- both claims backlash era haters alleg-- she definitely was "from a family of means in New York".

 

And I can't mention an Alabama trailer park without referencing this awesome song by Jerry Cantrell (of Alice in Chains):

 

 

 

Back then, she was a freshman in college, and we were going to play a show together, so she came to my apartment to work on a number to sing together.

Yup. She did a show with his band the district in October 2006 where they each did a set and then one together. Years ago @@Rafael alerted me to the fact that Ron Pope has spoken on multiple occasions about having once performed a Tom Petty cover with her, but he couldn't remember which song it was when I asked him.

 

Shameless plug for my Early Shows section. Spend some time there. There's a wealth of information I've compiled there. And some mysteries yet to solve.

 

I was living with a bunch of musicians, and by the time she finished playing her first song, my roommates were seated around her on the floor, just like little kids when their preschool teacher is singing to them.

What a great description. Her early acoustic stuff definitely has this kind of quality to it.

 

She's an incredibly unique artist and I think she's wonderful. And yeah, as a vocalist, it's not like she or I — or Bruce Springsteen, for that matter — could go on The Voice and sing all the runs and do all the tricks. But we can get across a song in a way that it feels like it means something.

Yup. Not every singer needs to be a belter or do vocal acrobatics. Timbre, character, or feeling can be even more important.

 

You're up to a quarter-billion streams on Spotify, actually, which means you should have more than a million dollars now. You're richer than Lana Del Rey's parents!

 

I don't think so. [Laughs.] That's not in the cards for any of us who are playing instruments. You're not getting that finance money!

Rob had a successful career in advertising (very Mad Men) before getting into real estate and then domain name investing.

 

I don't think having just over a million dollars would make you richer than her parents.

[Ultra Violet]

I like this  but Lana lying?  I don't get it. There's interviews of her at the trailer park. But idk still. 

 

How could she actually be making it up?  It's what truly defines the AKA era

[Peachycream]

I like this but Lana lying? I don't get it. There's interviews of her at the trailer park. But idk still.

 

How could she actually be making it up? It's what truly defines the AKA era

That trailer was in jersey and people even speculated about her actually living there as well.

 

She lied to him about growing up in Arkansas and being raised by her grandma lolz (or as evilentity said which seems more accurate- Alabama )

[Ultra Violet]

That trailer was in jersey and people even speculated about her actually living there as well.

 

She lied to him about growing up in Arkansas and being raised by her grandma lolz (or as evilentity said which seems more accurate- Alabama )

Oooohhh okay I see. I don't know anything about where the US States are in regards to eachother,  but yeah now I get it  hmm. That's quite a leap. 

[harveyswife]

I really really really miss when she was fully committed to her persona. It made her so fascinating and enigmatic and meshed so well with the music and visuals :'( . It really was like she was living art each era. 

[Summersault]

"And I thought that she was endlessly fascinating, because she was always kind of expressing herself by being a character. She would tell you a story and you're like, "I don't think that's true, but I don't care.""

 

"But it was like being around a performance artist. It's not like they're a pathological liar or something, they're just a person creating a character."

 

"I was living with a bunch of musicians, and by the time she finished playing her first song, my roommates were seated around her on the floor, just like little kids when their preschool teacher is singing to them." 

 

These are some of the most spot on descriptions of Lana I've ever seen! He doesn't gloss over the fact that she's making up sh*t, but he also sees that it's exactly the kind of eccentricity that makes her so interesting. He genuinely appreciates her for the kind of artist she is.

 

I wish more journalists could see what he sees. Would have spared the world (and Lana) for a lot of unnecessary think pieces

[HollywoodHills]

We knew Lana made/makes a lot of things up but never knew to what extent...until now.

 

I thought we all knew this since 2012...

[Peachycream]

I thought we all knew this since 2012...

Well we knew she reached a bit with things she said but we never knew what she actually lied about...

[Formation]

I knew Lizzy was a crazy b*tch lol It's interesting that you can still see traces of that quirky persona.

[evilentity]

What was the best story she ever told you?

 

Well, after we were introduced, she told me that she grew up in Arkansas in a trailer park, and was raised by her grandmother. But I'd already known that she was from a family of means in New York. So I was just like, "Huh, you don't say, Arkansas, trailer park." But it was like being around a performance artist. It's not like they're a pathological liar or something, they're just a person creating a character.

Forgot to include this thought in my earlier post:

 

A lot of people have compared Lana to Holly Golightly, but she's more like Holly Golightly in reverse: a New Yorker of means masquerading as rural southern white trash rather than the other way around.

[graham4anything]

Who is Ron Pope and why is he relevant? Does he have product coming out that he is pushing so he name drops her?

 

as to Audrey Hepurn, I could picture her on the boardwalk looking behind her at everyone who can't keep up while she eats icecream, and goes in a new direction no one anticipated,  while singing Salvatore. (I originally thought Cardinale or Loren, but Audrey makes sense too.)

[LAman]

I think gets creative with elements in her life. We having a documented example with Cola where she name drops Harvey Weinstein, but it was more for fantasy/imaginary purposes even though she worked with him. I think this is what makes Lana fascinating and mysterious; we're not sure how much to believe and I'm ok with that.

[softcore babyface]

I want to know more about Lizzy and her lies. I wonder if someone like Reeve Carney or David Kahne has any stories like this one.

[DinahLee]

Everytime...... I just read.... "Pope talks about Lanas past"......... You know...

[softcore babyface]

I love the idea of Lana telling people she grew up in a trailer park in Arkansas or Alabama with her Grandmother. It really fits the image of her homemade videos. Lizzy Grant sitting in her trailer with wigs on and party city decorations. Spliced in footage of Axl Rose, fireworks, Las Vegas, and other miscellaneous footage.

[terencelovesyou]

All autobiography is fiction. There are no exceptions.

[Kurac na Biciklu]

nice little interview

[Venice Jesus Whore]

Lizzy honestly seems like that weird, loner girl who was in her own little world that everyone thought was crazy, avoided her, and just nodded and agreed with out of pity when they had to deal with her.