The Crystals’ La La Brooks – HuffPost 3.4.11

Mike Ragogna: Do you have any advice for new artists?

La La Brooks: For new artists and young artists? I was 13 when I joined The Crystals, and I was fortunate because I had a guardian. I went to private schools, I went to school with Patty Duke, Duncan Quinn, Bernadette Peters. So, I would say for young people, make sure that you’re grounded because the business can swallow you up. Make sure you have a guardian to protect you morally. I had a woman named Mrs. Wright, she was my guardian on the road. When people say, “It was so young when you joined the group,” I was protected. I had to be there at a certain time, I had my homework. I would say that always make sure when you’re in a group or if you’re a single artist and you’re young, stay grounded. I remember playing England and getting off the plane and The Beatles were waiting because they were coming to America. We had just arrived, and I remember guys coming up and asking me at a young age, “Do you want purple hearts?” which were drugs and I didn’t know it at the time. That was available for me when I was 14 and 15. The reason these things come at you is that, if they know that you are into drugs and stuff like that, it’s a control mechanism. When you get into drugs, you don’t have a balance of right and wrong. I was always guarded from the time I was very young to know that it’s not right. That’s what kept my spiritual part and my longevity. There are wolves out there and people out there that would steer you in the wrong direction. Before you start the show business thing, you have to love yourself; if you don’t love yourself someone else will come in on you. When the show business is going and you’re hung up on the thrills and glitter, it’s not the real world.