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There was a interview with Beta there.
It's really Beta on it? I've never read it before.
Anyway, here it goes:
Another interview, this time translated by MOI (from Portuguese)
Interview with Beta Lebeis
Who is this woman? Before January 14, 2001, she was just a 45 years old Brazilian woman from Sao Paulo, living in California, divorced and mother of 3 children. After that day, she also was known as "Axl's mom". When she was called on stage to be Axl's interpreter in Rock In Rio III and received ovation from the crowd, she became a great celebrity. Her picture appeared on every cover of Brazilian newspapers and magazines. At the bar of Hotel Intercontinental, she gave me this interview where she talks about her personal life, her children and also reveals that Axl is a very romantic person. He was so passionate when he was dating Stephanis Seymour that "he showed up at her house, riding a horse and carrying flowers". This is Axl, according to Beta.
Mom?
I always cook and bring meals to the studio. I make cakes, pies and I bind for them before show to wish them good luck. I always light candles for them. It's like, I am "a mother for GN'R".
Did Axl write a song for you?
I don't know, I don't think so. He said one of the new songs was dedicated to me and my family.
When did Axl leave home?
He left his home when he was very young. His stepfather beated him too much and also sexually abused him. This is the biggest reason for why he is so repressed. I think he left home when he was 14 or 15 years old. Now he is 38.
Is it now when he's discovering what is maternal love, right?
He doesnt have anything against his mother, the only thing he can't understands it is why he didn't receive maternal protection. He sees this protection in my relationship with my children. Now, he understands a mother has to be protective, and he never felt protected.
Does this situation influenced him a lot, right?
I think what we are is a consequence of how we are educated, how our families behaved in the house, how we related to our parents. We are the mirror of our family. The basic level of how we will be in the future comes straight from home, and Axl never had this. This "feeling of family" is very difficult to grow in the heart of an adult.
When we are growing up, we see these proofs of love everyday, like the good-night kiss. Axl never had this. Therefore, he doesnt know how to demonstrate this kind of love, and it is very difficult for a grown-up to deal with this. It's not the same.
His music reflects this lack of love?
Yes, correct. Old songs reflect that, new songs are different...
Does he have any contact with his mother?
She died five years ago.
Who lives with him in Malibu?
Only Axl and I. My older son lives with other people now, in my house. I have a house in California, but in another block. But it is very close to Axl's house.
I think you are a leader for him, you organize everything?
(laughs) That's the exact word to define me, because everybody ask me, "What do you do?!?". I am his personal assistant, I organize his house, I coordinate his personal life.
Do you give advice to Axl?
I give him advice when he asks me for it. I know he values my opinion a lot. He never got me wrong. I have to see people from every angle. You have to look a person from 360º and you will always find something good in that person. If he makes any contracts or comminments with the band, that's his own personal decision. He only asks me what I think about what he does. He always wants to know if he must or must not do something. He wants to know if he's being fair. He's very worried about being fair, he doesn't like doing something that is not true or correct. He's always trying to do things right, because he's worried about what people could say about him. That's why I think I influence him a lot, and it worries me at the same time, because I am scared of all that much responsability.
When did you enter Axl's life?
I used to be Stephanie Seymour's son's nanny. She was a Victoria Secret's model, eleven years ago. I began working for Stephanie in February and by May, she started dating Axl. It seems to me they have had "something" going on before this.
After the break-up, you remained by Axl's side?
He asked me to stay with him when they broke up. But I was a nanny to Dylan, and I was worried, because the baby was only 2 years old and Stephanie was always travelling, she was never at home.
Which are the reasons for Axl and Stephanie's break-up?
It was because she used to bring a lot of people to Axl's house, and Axl found out about it. He adored her. She moved to New York and Axl called me to work for him. And I accepted because, between Axl and Stephanie, I had no doubt that I wanted to work for Axl. He won over her 100 to 0, from my point of view. Since he is a guy, our friendship is amazing. I really trust him. He is who he says he is. Stephanie was a certain way with me, and other different with other people. He values me more than she did.
Do you believe in past lives?
Yes, Axl and I believe. As a Brazilian, I believe in this. I think it is impossible for two people who never met before, to get along this well. When I opened the door and he was there, I felt as if I knew him from ages ago.
Do you know what Axl thinks about Queen?
He loves Queen too much, it is his favorite band. Freddy Mercury liked Axl a lot. Axl even paid homage to him in the second show of RIR 3. Axl is still friends with Brian May. He plays guitar in one of the new songs.
Can you speak about Axl's depression?
Axl is a person who wants to do everything right. I think he was that kind of passionate man a lot of women would like to have in their lives. He was like a charmed prince. He did, for Stephanie, all kind of things you could find in a romantic book.
So he is a lover, like old time lovers?
Yeah, of course! When they were almost breaking up, he went to her house, riding a horse and carrying flowers. The things he did for her could only be read in books of ancient history. What he did doesnt exist in real life anymore! I think a lot of women would have loved to be in her place. I would never leave a man like that. But Stephanis is very pretty and sexy, she can have any man she wants. She uses men as toys.
Have you ever seen a child with a new toy? They play with it and later they dont want to play anymore. I always told her she could hurt Axl more than she thought. Other men who fell in love with her, would never suffer like Axl did. He wanted to do everything right, and he really thought everything was going right. He took this relationship very seriously. She almost killed him.
When the band was over, he thought he could have a family, he would be married and would have children. This would be the second part of his life. He would have enough money and would dedicate his time to his family. He dreamed of a family, children, everything he never had. I think that when I entered his life, he began perceiving that someone actually cared about him, someone loved him.
I am a patient person and I trust in him, but he doesnt trust in himself. Im not a psychologist, but he needs someone who listens to what he has to say and I am here for that. When I have to be his friend, I am here as his friend. When I have to be his assistant, then I am his assistant. I dont mix things up. When I am his assistant, I put our friendship aside and I work. He doesnt take advantage of our relationship. I respect him as if he was my boss and then it turns into a work relationship.
Is he happy for playing for 200,000 people?
His dream was to return to Brazil. When we met, our first conversation was about Brazil. He talked about poor people, the "favelas" and how he wanted to build up a hospital where everyone could get medical treatment, despite their financial condition.
I think Brazilians did like the new band...
Yes, they loved it, this is wonderful!! We got surprised, this is not a "gunners" generation, but they still loved the band.
Is Axl out of the world of drugs?
Totally. I've known him for 10 years and I've been working with him for 7 years and a half, and he was never drugged. He even quit smoking.
And drinking?
He drinks once in a while...
You already met people addicted to heroin, is it hard to stop?
I never saw that. Axl doesnt allow that kind of stuff in his house or group of friends. Not even smoking is allowed in the studio, and never close to him. If you want to smoke, then you go outside. Therefore, I never was with drug addicts.
Does he have a recording studio in his house of Malibu?
Yeah, he does.
Were drugs one of the reasons for his fight with Slash?
There was no fighting. The problem is that Slash said he already knew all of the GNR recordings. Slash's last recordings were horrible, and Axl wanted something better for the new songs. You cant make the same music you used to make when you were 15 years old.
Is there a lot of electronic equipment in Axl's new music?
Nowadays, music is more electronic, but not completely. Slash wanted to stay in the past and then he had some trouble with drugs. Axl could never count on Slash because he would never show up for rehearsals, or he never was really "ok".
Does Axl have a daily routine?
We have a doctor who tells us what we must eat. Axl works out all day long. He runs almost 8 KM every two days. His workout plan is of 4 hours a day. He doesnt go out that much, we go a lot to the movies though, because he loves attending to films. He doesn't like bars or clubs.
Does he go to bed late at night?
According to his grandmother, he never liked the day, doing things during the day. He writes a lot in the night, because there's no phone or other thing that could interrupt him. He is more creative late at night.
Is his grandmother still alive?
The grandmother on his mother's side is still alive. He never met his father. He thinks no one in his family ever protected him. He suffers enormously in the inside. His sister was abused by his stepfather and his mother continued living with this man. No one would do anything, not even his grandmother.
Does Axl like eating?
He eats a lot of healthy food. Lots of fruits and salads and drinks a lot of water. He loves brazilian food.
How old are your children?
24, 23 and 22 years old.
Did you raise them by yourself?
I got divorced 15 years ago, so I basically raised them by myself.
Are you a protective mother?
Too much! I'd have to be of "this" size!
Are you a "rocker" mom? I can see a tattoo...
(laughter) Im not a hippy! I went to the first RIR to see Queen.
Were you a secretary before you moved to the US?
I used to work at Quaker, in Itajaí, Santa Catarina. I was an executive secretary. I moved to the United States because the situation in Brazil was difficult, I was divorced with 3 children to raise. I thought I wouldnt be capable of raising my children the way I wanted if I stayed in Brazil. They were 3 little children. I gathered some money and I left to the USA alone, leaving the children with my mother. Later, I took one by one to the US.
Did you go there with courage?
Yes, I sold everything I had, so I didnt have a way to come back. After one year, I took one of my children with me, then another and finally, the last one.
You say everybody's calling you on the phone. What do you think about that?
I never thought this would happen. I was translating what Axl was speaking to the audience, when he suddenly called me on stage. I thought he would only thank the audience. When he said "Seven years ago...", I began to choke, and I didnt know anything anymore!!! Then his director took me to stage, and I started translating everything wrong and mixed up, as if I didnt know a thing. It is very difficult to translate someone who is talking about you. I was very nervous, and I couldnt explain what I was thinking in that moment, in front of all those people.
What do you always carry in our purse?
Cellphone and pager. I dont go out if he (Axl) can't contact me 24/7.
Speak about your love life....
I lived 12 years with the father of my children, in Santos. During the last 4 years of our relationship, I didnt know he had married someone else. It was a shock for me. Nowadays, he owns a company called "Santos Nave". I suffered a lot, so I moved to the USA and I married an American man. After 6 years, he told me he wasnt ready to be married, as well as he didnt know how to say this to me. So he grabbed his stuff, put them in his car and left. It was my second separation.
I always put a lot of effort in relationships, and I want everything to go right, then I suffer. Now I think I have a goal: either I finish my mission with my children or I dont do anything anymore. I am distrustful of getting involved with someone that could hurt me. I have placed a barrier, and currently I dont have any love life. I work and take care of my children.
Do you spend time with friends?
Axl's friends are my family. The guys in the band call me "big mom".
Do you oftenly come to Brazil?
I visited Brazil six years ago.
Something that it's weird.
She said that Axl was 38 and then she tells about the ending of Rock in Rio 3.
@ Rock in Rio 3 Axl was 39...
This post has been edited by ChrisMaciel: 26 October 2009 - 05:14 PM
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