The Bangles are the subject of an authorized biography. Eternal Flame, from author Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, published on February 18, 2025, via Hachette Books. The book, named for one of the all-girl group’s most-beloved singles, is available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here (where it will arrive on March 13). The author had unprecedented access to founding members Debbi Peterson, Susanna Hoffs, and Vicki Peterson.
After the Peterson sisters met Hoffs for the first time, sister Debbi wrote in her journal, “Not only does she love the Beatles, she’s into everything ’60s! She loves everything about that decade, just like we do. Well, we all caught on like a house on fire, it was amazing! She plays rhythm guitar and has a Rickenbacker (a black one … cool, cool).”
From the publisher’s announcement: From their first meeting in 1981, the Bangles were ambitious, focused, and intentional; their hard-work and determination resulted in millions of records sold across the globe, before becoming the first all-girl band to have five Top 10 singles. Not long after coming together, they toured the world, released #1 records, and collaborated with the biggest artists of the day. They seemed unstoppable—until tensions within the band, artistic differences, and the pressures of sudden celebrity tore them apart less than a decade later.
Eternal Flame is the story of those eight years: of a diverse and vibrant Los Angeles music scene, unfettered work ethics and self-belief, the dawn of MTV, the unpredictable consequences of fame, life as a touring band, and their rapid rise to global domination—then imploding at the height of success. But it’s also a story of the very real challenges faced by women attempting to follow their artistic dreams in a media and music industry ecosystem which seemed set up for their failure from the start.
Eternal Flame is the first authorized biography of this iconic group, featuring exclusive stories, input, and interviews from the pioneering band members themselves as well as those that knew them best. From playing the club circuit in 1980s’ Los Angeles to bunking with Sting during a PR trip to the U.K. to topping the Billboard chart, to interludes with Prince and appearances on the definitive MTV, Eternal Flame traces the band’s rise to superstardom, taking readers behind-the-scenes and sharing with them never-before-shared anecdotes and personal ephemera.
As Debbi Peterson herself notes, “I think it’s about time that our true story was told. People only see certain aspects of the Bangles, especially as the media has twisted the past and we have been misrepresented for a long time. Plus, certainly in the eighties, we were women making it in a man’s world. I think that needs to be celebrated.”
“Manic Monday” was the first of five Top 5 hits that the Bangles earned in the U.S., reaching #2; “Walk Like an Egyptian” and “Eternal Flame” were both #1 smashes. “Hazy Shade of Winter” hit #2 and “In Your Room” peaked at #5.
Issues among the bandmates developed and simmered. “Cracks started to show pretty obviously,” Vicki Peterson told the New York Times in an interview published in February. “I spent a lot of time and energy just trying to keep us together. I didn’t want this thing to fall apart. I loved writing songs with Susanna. But she had her own reasons for branching out. The label didn’t care, they were just desperate for us to make the next record.”
Author Bickerdike told the Times, “Susanna was pushed forward as the sex symbol. But Sue is really smart and goofy, she’s actually kind of a dork, you know? So I think that was an uncomfortable role for her.”
“Debbi and Vicki weren’t happy with what the perception of what the band was,” said Hoffs, who was seen as the band’s leader, in the same Times interview. She was “unsure of everything at that point. The one thing I was sure of was that I couldn’t take the tension in the band. It was too much.”
Bickerdike is a rock and roll cultural historian and author, working across music heritage, fandom, broadcast and academia. Originally from Santa Cruz, California, she has appeared in over 50 documentaries about pop culture and is the author of a number of books on music, including Why Vinyl Matters.
Related: Our feature story on the Bangles’ debut album, including an extensive interview with Vicki Peterson
The Bangles’ recordings are available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.
3 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationPrince was so infatuated with Susanna that he thought offering the song Manic Monday may win her over. I don’t blame him.
“unprecedented access to founding members Debbi Peterson, Susanna Hoffs, and Vicki Peterson.” I wonder why Michael Steele isn’t included/participating. Since she’s the one who has been in and out, you’d think she’d want to say her side. (Plus, I was always on the fence on who I had a bigger crush on – Susanna or her.) I love band bios, so I will def be picking this one up to find out more about this great band.
The Bangles like the Runaways paved the way for female rock groups it should be a good read but yeah the absence of Michael is a little bit of a downer. Still I think it should be an interesting biography to read.