The Real-Life Inspirations for ‘Almost Famous’

Stillwater guitarist Russell Hammond The Eagles’ Glenn Frey

Crowe profiled the Eagles for a 1975 cover story, forging a bond with Frey that lasted for decades. “He was the coolest guy I’d ever met,” Crowe said. “There’s one line he really did say: ‘Look, just make us look cool.’ ”

Penny Lane Pennie “Lane” Trumbull

Trumble was a founding member of the Seventies groupie collective “The Flying Garter Girls,” whom Crowe met on the road in 1973. “They were soulful girls who told themselves that they didn’t get involved emotionally,” Crowe said. “Only later did I realize they all broke the rules, got emotionally roughed up, and came back for more — like any great idealist.”

Stillwater’s plane nearly crashes Crowe’s traumatic plane rides with Heart and the Who’s T-shirt guy

In 1973, Crowe traveled with the guy in charge of the Who’s nascent T-shirt business, flying into a fierce storm where he thought they might die. Years later, he flew into another storm with ex-wife Nancy Wilson and Heart. “We ended up landing in Tupelo, which is why it’s Tupelo in the movie,” he said. “The joke was that we were going to die in Elvis’ hometown, so it could never be famous for where we crashed.”

“I am a golden god!” Robert Plant

One night in the 1970s,

Plant stood on the balcony of L.A.’s Continental Hyatt House and loudly declared himself “a golden god.” In the movie, Hammond bellows the line before swan-diving into a swimming pool at a fan’s house. ANDY GREENE