Sex, drugs and disco: Grace Jones bares all
Before Madonna, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus, there was Grace Jones.
The legendary supermodel, actress and pop icon opens up about her exuberant career of more than 50 years in her ironically-named book, "I'll Never Write My Memoirs," reports CBS news correspondent Michelle Miller.
The 67-year-old icon says "behaving is boring" and is unapologetic even if she is nearly two hours late to an interview.
But that attitude made Jones fascinating, frustrating and ultimately famous. Never one to be shy, Jones bares all in her memoir: sex, drugs and disco.
Beverly Grace Jones was born in Jamaica, the child of conservative religious parents. But when they moved to the U.S., Jones was left in the care of her grandmother and her boyfriend, who Jones says was abusive.
"It's just a rollercoaster ride of joy, of seeing myself as a small child, and being defiant," Jones said.
By 18, Jones moved to Manhattan and tried modeling, but agencies weren't interested.
"Your mouth is too big. Your nose is too small. I was like, 'where do you fit?'" she said.
But she decided that rather than change herself, she "had to change everybody else."
In the 70s, Jones moved to Paris. European designers loved her chiseled features, androgynous physique and exotic persona.
When she returned to New York a few years later, disco was in full swing. Her regular appearances at legendary dance club Studio 54 were a mix of drug-fueled antics and inspired productions.
Photographers loved her, and she was a muse for Andy Warhol, who she said was a "constantly playful person" who looked at her "in a way no one else did."
Talking about her sexuality, Jones said it was a "complicated place" that gave her a sense of guilt. But that sexuality helped fuel her career.
She abandoned disco in the 80s, recorded six new albums and took her boldness to the big screen. In 1985, Jones played the first female bond villain in "A View to Kill" and starred alongside Hollywood's famously strong and funny men.
As for other women in pop culture, Jones said she wanted them to push the envelope, but in an "individual way."
"I just want them to dare themselves to do something different," she said. "Shock always sells. You know? But you could shock in good taste."
Taste is relative, but at 67, shock is what keeps Grace Jones dancing.