STELLA STONE (rhythm guitar/background singer): (mutters) I can't believe I'm doing this... (clear throat) So, uh, what should I start with then? Just anything?

INTERVIEWER: Anything that you think would be significant for this interview. It's all up to you.

STELLA: (chuckles softly) Well, then I'd have to start with December 18th, 1972.

INTERVIEWER: That's the date you mentioned in your song, "Margaret."

STELLA: (smiles a bit) It is. I remember that night so clearly like it happened yesterday because it was one of the best days of my life...before everything came crashing down in the years to follow.

EDDIE ROUNDTREE (bass guitar): Yeah, I remember that night even though I was probably drunk (grins nostalgically). Things would probably be a lot different if it never happened.

✯✯✯

Margaret Stone sat on a rooftop of the building she would be performing at in Brooklyn, New York City, smoking a cigarette. She needed some time alone before performing with her band, wanting to practice with herself so she would be perfect.

She had dreamed of becoming a singer ever since she first learned what music was. But it was hard when everyone else seemed to have the same dream.

Even though her parents were kind people, they felt as if she was in over her head. They wanted her to succeed in life and they just didn't think music was the way to go if she wanted to support herself and a family down the road.

But Margaret didn't care. She wanted to be a star.

"Well, my boyfriend's in a band / He plays guitar while I sing Lou Reed / I've got feathers in my hair / I get down to Beat poetry," she sang to herself as her legs dangled off the building, swaying back and forth. She had written the song herself once she had started to develop a serious relationship with her boyfriend a few months ago.

She then heard the door to the rooftop open behind her and she looked over her shoulder, thinking that it would be her boyfriend, Jeffrey, but it wasn't. It was some random guy she hadn't seen before. He also appeared to be drunk since he'd been holding a beer in his hand.

"I might be in trouble. Should I jump off this building now or do it on the double?" He questioned her randomly in a joking manner, gesturing the beer towards her before taking a sip.

She tilted her to the side in confusion before she got up from where she was sitting, smoothing down her white shirt. "I think you've got me confused for somebody else," she told him, smiling a bit since she was entertained.

He shook his head. "Nah, sorry. I-I just got into a little argument with my bandmate and I need to, like, say something about it so I don't go back down and punch him," he rambled, throwing his hands up which made some of the beer spill onto the ground.

She let out a soft laugh. "Bandmate? You're in a band?"

"Yeah. The Dunne Brothers," he answered in a slight mocking tone.

"Oh, yeah, I remember seeing your name on the list. I'm actually performing in a bit with my band, Void," she stated before throwing down her cigarette on the roof and stomping on it to let it out.

The man nodded, seeming to be interested. "Nice. I'm Eddie."

"Dunne?" She guessed, seeing as though his band was called the Dunne Brothers.

Eddie let out an ironic laugh. "Yeah, you'd think, right? No, it's actually Eddie Roundtree."

"Wait, so you're in a band called the Dunne Brothers but you aren't a Dunne brother?" She asked and he nodded with pursed lips. She let out another laugh. "I see why you got into a fight with your band member then, assuming he's one of the Dunne brothers," she joked.

"Oh, yeah," Eddie huffed, rolling his eyes at the argument he had with Billy just prior. They had just gotten done with their set with the small crowd loving them, but Billy had the nerve to point out the one mistake he had made. "But what's your name?" He queried, wanting to forget about it.

"M—" she stopped herself, thinking back to her dream. If she wanted to become a star, she definitely wouldn't with a name like Margaret Stone. Hell, Eddie Roundtree is a fuckin' rock star name, she thought, suddenly viewing him as competition.

He gave her a look, waiting for her to respond since she had abruptly stopped. "Stella," she came up with on the fly, liking the sound of the name since she hadn't heard it often. "Stella Stone."

"Damn, I don't think I've ever heard that name before," he admitted and she smiled to herself, proud she was able to come up with that recognizable name on the spot. "So, what's your role in the band?"

"I'm the lead singer. And I also play the rhythm guitar."

"No way, me too!" He exclaimed. "Well, I was the rhythm guitarist until said Dunne brother forced me to be on bass."

"He seems like an asshole," she insulted, flipping a piece of her smooth, blonde hair over her shoulder.

Eddie smiled as he stared at her. "Yeah. He is," he agreed. "You know, you're like really beautiful. Like, really beautiful," he complimented her after a second.

She awkwardly chuckled, noticing his smile. "Thank you, but uh, I have a boyfriend," she told him before he tried anything.

"I assumed that. I thought I'd just let you know 'cause why not?" He responded with a shrug, taking another swig of his beer.

✯✯✯

EDDIE: Yep, definitely drunk (shakes head at himself).

✯✯✯

"Oh," she said, expecting him to want to keep pursuing her but she was pleasantly surprised. "Well, you aren't too bad yourself," she complimented back.

Eddie laughed as he continued to drink from the glass bottle, gulping it down. "Yeah, well, I should probably get going before my band kills me for taking too long. Uh...good luck. The crowd down there definitely doesn't disappoint, so..." he trailed off.

"Thank you. It was nice talking to you, Eddie Roundtree," she voiced, giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder.

"Likewise, Stella Stone."

✯✯✯

Margaret, or should I say, Stella, stepped onto the small stage with her band to get ready to perform. They were only performing one song, but it was almost six minutes long.

She grabbed her rhythm guitar while her boyfriend grabbed the lead guitar. Kevin hopped up on drums and Steve grabbed his bass guitar.

"You ready, baby?" Jeffrey asked me, making sure his guitar was tuned correctly. Jeffrey had been seven years older than her, which her parents didn't really like that much, but she assured them he was a good guy. He had brought her into his band, after all, since they were looking for a lead singer.

"Uh-huh," she hummed before stepping up to the mic. She looked out into the crowd, seeing mostly men since it was a bar. "Hello, everyone. We're Void and we are going to be playing Brooklyn Baby for you all. We hope you enjoy!"

"Show us your tits!" She heard one of the men yell before more men cheered in agreement. Stella elected to ignore it since she was used to that kind of behavior and she didn't want to get thrown out by getting angry.

She then looked over her shoulder and nodded to the guys — who were visibly annoyed by the comment as well — prompting them to start. They all began to play their instruments before Stella started vocalizing, "Ta-da-da-da-da-da-da / Ta-da-da-da-da-da-da / Da-da-da-da-da-da-da."

She then got a bit closer to the microphone, strumming on her guitar. "They say I'm too young to love you / I don't know what I need / They think I don't understand / The freedom land of the seventies," she sang. "I think I'm too cool to know ya / You say I'm like the ice, I freeze / I'm churnin' out novels like / Beat poetry on Amphetamines."

"I say / I say," she sang in a higher register. "Well, my boyfriend's in a band / He plays guitar while I sing Lou Reed / I've got feathers in my hair / I get down to Beat poetry / And my jazz collection's rare / I can play most anything / I'm a Brooklyn baby / I'm a Brooklyn baby."

She looked at her boyfriend, who gave her a smile as the crowd cheered at the Brooklyn part since they were mostly natives to the area like she was.

"Ta-da-da-da-da-da-da / Ta-da-da-da-da-da-da / Pa-ta-da-da-da-da," she trilled again as the band played behind her. "They say I'm too young to love you / They say I'm too dumb to see / They judge me like a picture book / By the colors, like they forgot to read / I think we're like fire and water / I think we're like the wind and sea / You're burnin' up, I'm coolin' down / You're up, I'm down / You're blind, I see."

"But I'm free, ooh-ooh / I'm free," she sang in a higher key again. "Well, my boyfriend's in a band / He plays guitar while I sing Lou Reed / I've got feathers in my hair / I get down to Beat poetry / And my jazz collection's rare / I can play most anything / I'm a Brooklyn baby / I'm a Brooklyn baby."

She then let go of her guitar, letting it dangle from the strap of her neck as she placed her hands on both sides of the microphone. "I'm talking about my generation / Talking about that newer nation / And if you don't like it, you can beat it / Beat it, baby / You never liked the way I said it / If you don't get it, then forget it / 'Cause I don't have to fuckin' explain it."

She then grabbed her guitar again, stepping back from the microphone so she could strum it again. "And my boyfriend's in a band / He plays guitar while I sing Lou Reed / I've got feathers in my hair / I get high on hydroponic weed / And my jazz collection's rare / I get down to Beat poetry / I'm a Brooklyn baby / I'm a Brooklyn baby."

"Pa-da-pa-pa, pa-de-da / Te-de-de, da-da-ah / Ooh-ooh, woah," she vocalized yet again. "Yeah, my boyfriend's pretty cool / But he's not as cool as me / 'Cause I'm a Brooklyn baby / I'm a Brooklyn baby," she sang with her boyfriend at the same time, although his microphone was at a lower volume. "Pa-da-da-da-da-da-da / Da-da-da-da-da, baby / Ah-ta-da-da-da-da / Da-da-da-da, baby / Pa-da-da-da-da-da / Pa-pa-da-pa-da, yeah / Yeah, yeah."

They all finished strumming out on their guitars with the drums as well before they finished the song, making the most of the crowd erupt in applause. It sounded different than most of the music they had heard being played there and that's what they liked about it.

"Thank you for having us! We were Void and have a great night!" Stella announced into the microphone. The crowd applauded for them, but some men booed since she didn't exactly show them her breasts. She continued to ignore them as she and the band packed up their things, heading off the stage to let the other band who signed up for the gig to start setting up.

"You were great, babe," Jeffrey complimented her before pulling her closing, placing a kiss on her lips.

"So were you," she replied before she looked at Kevin and Steve. "So were you both," she added and they gave her a grin and a nod. "But, uh, I'm gonna go grab a drink. Any of you want anything?"

"I'll take a beer, thanks," Jeffrey told her and she nodded before she made her way over to the bar. She had just turned 20 a few months ago, but since New York had lowered its drinking age to 18 only recently, it didn't matter. It was still hard to get alcohol though if some places didn't think you were 18.

Stella had been a part of the popular crowd when she was in high school, meaning that drinking was very prevalent. Some even got their hands on drugs, but she rarely ever took anything unless she really wanted to forget the night.

Once she transitioned to college, which was a community college since she was too focused on pursuing music to do better in school, she partied even harder until she met Jeffrey. He allowed her to join the band and she dropped out of college to do what they were doing now, much to her parents dismay.

Before she could order her beers, an older man stepped in front of her with a friendly smile. "Oh, excuse me," she spoke, trying to get past him but he stepped in front of her again. She let out an awkward laugh, knowing that some men did this on purpose to try to flirt with her. "I'm sorry, can I help you?"

"Yes, you can actually," the man replied which made her brows furrow. "My name is Teddy Price. I'm a producer with—"

"Ellemar Records, holy shit," she realized once she heard the name, her eyes widening.

Teddy chuckled a bit at that. "So, you've heard of me? Good. I didn't feel like convincing you that I was a real producer," he joked and she let out a breathless laugh, not believing that this was real. "I liked what I heard up there. What's your name, kid?"

"Stella. Stella Stone," she answered, using the fake name she had told Eddie.

"Well, Stella, I believe you have potential to be something great. My office is back in L.A., but if you'd be up for a drive and a plane ride, we can record right away," Teddy told her.

"Oh, wow. Uh, yes, I'd love to do that. Let me just let the guys know so they could get all their things together. Thank you so much," she spoke excitedly, turning around to tell the guys.

"Wait," Teddy said, making her stop and turn back around. "I just want you. Not your band."

Stella's smile faltered a bit. "You just want...me? Why?"

"Because you've got somethin' different. I can feel it. Your band is good, just not the same as you," Teddy explained, making her look down at the ground. "I understand that may be tough for you to hear, but I wouldn't waste this opportunity. This can make you a star."

She looked back up at him at the end of his sentence, a glint in her eye. He was offering her the chance of a lifetime; something she had always wanted. She couldn't just pass it up just because she wouldn't be doing it with her band.

She started to nod. "Okay. Let me just tell them what's happening."

Teddy grinned. "I'll be out in the car. You'll see me as soon as you step outside."

✯✯✯

STELLA: So I told the band. And my boyfriend at the time. Yeah, they weren't very happy (shakes head).

✯✯✯

"What the fuck do you mean he just wants you, Marge?" Jeffrey interrogated her angrily.

"He just wants me to record the song, not our whole band," she explained with wide eyes.

Jeffrey chuckled ironically. "So you're just gonna go with him then? You're just gonna leave me and the band?"

"What else am I supposed to do!?" She exclaimed, holding her hands out.

"Not do it! Wait until someone else wants all of us," Jeffrey argued. "We want this, too."

"I know you do, but why can't you just let me do this? This could open up more opportunities for all of you if it works out," she reasoned, not wanting this to end badly.

Jeffrey shook his head. "No, you're just being selfish. All you care about is yourself if you decide to walk away from us."

"Selfish?" She repeated, her nose scrunching. "Selfish because I want to live my dream? It may be yours too, but it's also mine. And at the end of the day, in this business, it can't be shared. Things like this happen once in a lifetime. I can't just waste this opportunity, Jeff."

Jeffrey narrowed his eyes before he glanced at Kevin and Steve, who didn't know what to say. "Fine. Then go. But we're fucking done."

"Fine. I'll be fucking plenty of hot guys anyway now once I get to California," she fired back before walking away from him, giving him the middle finger without looking back.

✯✯✯

STELLA: If I looked back, I don't know if I would have changed my mind. I don't think I would've because I cared so much about music that I would do anything for it. I think that may been my downfall.

EDDIE: Passionate is definitely one word to describe Stell. (clears throat) Stella, I mean. A lot of guys were scared of that...but I wasn't.

KAREN SIRKO (keyboards): Stella's passion was something I always admired. She wouldn't let anything or anyone get in her way. Or, she at least tried to not let anyone get in her way (gives the interviewer a knowing look).

BILLY DUNNE (lead singer/songwriter): Yeah, Stella and I...we didn't get along for most of the time. I didn't even want her in the band in the first place, but, uh (scoffs), I can't believe I'm saying this, but I guess she made us better.

DAISY JONES (lead singer/songwriter): I always loved whenever Stella would yell at Billy for being the dumbass he was. Her and I were alike in that way (grins mischievously).

GRAHAM DUNNE (lead guitar): Honestly, I'm still kinda scared of Stella. She's really nice, but whenever she got angry...yeah, it was bad (raises eyebrows).

WARREN ROJAS (drums): Stella and I always vibed. I'm not really in contact with the rest of the band, but she's the one person I've spoken to many times after the breakup. She's like a sister to me (smiles happily).

CAMILA ALVAREZ (photographer): I knew Stella never liked Billy. I couldn't blame her for it, she had every reason not to like him. But that didn't stop us from becoming good friends (smiles sadly).

TEDDY PRICE (producer, 1982 interview): When I first saw Stella perform, it wasn't like anything I have ever heard before which made me want to give her a record deal. But at the time, I don't think people understood the genre she had created. I hope more people learn to see what I saw.