Birtha (band)
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1968 in Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Founder | Shele Pinizzotto, Rosemary Butler, Sherry Hagler, Olivia "Liver" Favela |
| Defunct | 1975 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Music albums |
Number of employees | 4 (band members) |
Birtha was a pioneering all-female American rock ensemble originating in the early 1970s, based in Los Angeles. The group comprised Shele Pinizzotto on guitar, Rosemary Butler handling bass duties, Sherry Hagler on keyboards, and Olivia "Liver" Favela on drums. Vocally, all members shared responsibilities for lead singing and harmonies.
Biography
Raised in Los Angeles and Orange County, Pinizzotto, Butler, and Hagler began collaborating musically during their high school years. Before Birtha's formation, Pinizzotto and Butler performed with the Fullerton-based girl group the Ladybirds and later joined forces with fellow students from Fullerton Union High School to create the Daisy Chain. This band released a single album entitled Straight or Lame in 1967 under a small independent label. Following the Daisy Chain’s breakup in 1968, Pinizzotto and Butler established Birtha, recruiting Favela that same year. The band built their reputation by touring various clubs along the West Coast—from California up to Alaska—while refining their musical style and composing most of their songs by 1971. Songwriting assistance occasionally came from Mark Wickman and Gabriel Mekler. Management was provided by Michael Pinizzotto, Shele’s brother.
In 1972, Birtha secured a contract with Dunhill Records and released their eponymous debut album produced by Mekler. Their touring circuit expanded throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. During a UK tour supporting the Kinks, promotional material boldly proclaimed "Birtha has balls." That same year, they appeared on the British television program The Old Grey Whistle Test. Their Los Angeles performances frequently took place at renowned venues such as Whisky a Go Go, The Troubadour, and Glendale's The Sopwith Camel.
Birtha's sophomore album, Can't Stop the Madness, arrived in 1973 with production by Christopher Huston. The band maintained a rigorous touring agenda—exceeding 250 days annually—and shared stages with notable artists including Fleetwood Mac, Alice Cooper, Poco, Black Oak Arkansas, Cheech & Chong, B.B. King, Three Dog Night, and James Gang. The group disbanded in 1975.
Their track "Too Much Woman for a Hen Pecked Man" was later featured on the soundtrack of the 2013 Spanish motion picture Perdedores Natos (Natural Born Losers).
Olivia "Liver" Favela (née Sotelo; born April 6, 1950), the band's drummer, passed away on June 1, 2011. Guitarist Michele "Shele" Pinizzotto (née Tary, later Urquhart; born April 2, 1947) died on February 4, 2014.
Studio albums
- Birtha (1972), which includes the single "Free Spirit"
- Can't Stop the Madness (1973)
External links
- , dedicated fansite
- Live rendition of "Free Spirit" on The Old Grey Whistle Test