Rock-'n'-Roll Confidential

By Harriet Barovick

When VH1 programming chief Jeff Gaspin came up with the idea for a documentary series that would help resurrect his then flagging network, he didn't anticipate that the show would also help resurrect his musician subjects' careers. But with its addictive human-interest stories of adversity (bankruptcies, addictions, arsons!) and redemption (rehab, comebacks, band reunions!), Behind the Music has done both.

A big part of BTM's appeal is that the artists--from scandalized lip-synchers Milli Vanilli (whose story kicked off the series in August 1997) to Heart to Shania Twain--talk candidly about, well, pretty much everything. Mothers and fathers and siblings and lovers spill too. Because artists often own the rights to their songs--and BTM relies on them for permission to use that music--VH1 won't do the show without their cooperation.

What motivates rockers to relive their most painful moments on TV? For one, fans respond viscerally to hearing stars speak openly about personal obstacles. "They appreciated getting to know me more personally," says Donna Summer, who detailed her battle with depression. And it doesn't hurt that fans express their appreciation with cash. Sales of Lynyrd Skynyrd's 1977 Street Survivors more than doubled the week after its show premiered. In June, Tony Orlando took out a full-page ad in Variety to thank BTM for reviving his career.

There's another benefit: it's therapeutic. Heart's Ann Wilson says that talking about how her obesity and industry sexism helped derail the band in the '80s left her feeling "freed up, because once you talk about it, it can no longer eat you alive." Fabrice Morvan, half of Milli Vanilli (his partner Rob Pilatus died of a drug and alcohol overdose last year), says, "For the first time I could show who I was as a person and an artist. I felt a sense of respect."

As BTM generated buzz--including plugs from Rosie O'Donnell and parodies on Saturday Night Live--it caught the attention of hotter, hipper acts. After Madonna agreed to be a BTM subject last season, says executive producer Gay Rosenthal, "the perception really changed from that of a series about has-beens to one for current artists." Recent subjects have included Melissa Etheridge, Lenny Kravitz, Cher and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Critics say BTM sometimes sensationalizes. Jason Goodman, who produced the Madonna and Cher episodes, says he had to fight for the relatively low-key Heart show: "They aren't as interested in artists who haven't made tabloid headlines." Before his show aired, Lenny Kravitz was at a loss to guess the angle: "I hadn't killed anyone, and I wasn't broke or on heroin, so I wondered what they'd focus on." The show detailed his divorce from actress Lisa Bonet and the death of his mother. Still, Kravitz, like most BTM subjects, was pleased. Says Rosenthal: "Everyone benefits." Especially VH1. A half-hour BTM spin-off for newer bands, The Road to Fame, will air this fall.

--By Harriet Barovick