OP/ED by Adam Wilcox
It was an E! True Hollywood Story on Shannon “Savannah” Wilsey in 1999 that initially sparked my interest in the adult industry, long before I even considered trying my hand at writing porn-related articles. That documentary opened my eyes to the fact that so many XXX performers are beautiful and unique people with fascinating stories plying their trade in an often misunderstood and deceivingly complicated business. I wanted to commemorate the 16th anniversary of Shannon’s passing with a biography piece on her. I hope you enjoy.
It was on this date sixteen years ago that Shannon Wilsey – who performed as one of the most prominent adult film stars of the 1990s under the stage name “Savannah” – ended her life in the garage of her luxury home in the Hollywood Hills. She was 23 years old.
Born Shannon Wilsey on October 9, 1970 in Laguna Beach, California, the future porn superstar entered adult entertainment following a failed long-term relationship with musician Greg Allman, whom Shannon had started dating at age 16. She began with topless and nude modeling gigs before moving onto hardcore sex films, and it wasn’t long before the gorgeous blonde’s striking looks and voluptuous body caught the eye of Vivid Video, the world’s top adult cinema studio. Vivid signed Shannon – who had adopted the moniker “Savannah” as her stage name (inspired by the film Savannah Smiles, a childhood favorite of Shannon’s) – in the Spring of 1991.
Under the Vivid banner, Savannah skyrocketed to icon status in the adult industry and courted an impressive array of celebrity boyfriends, including actor and comedian Pauly Shore, Motley Crue front man Vince Neil, and Slash, former lead guitarist for heavy metal band Guns N’ Roses. She was also romantically involved with fellow porn actress Jeanna Fine. In 1992, Savannah captured the AVN award for Best New Starlet.
Despite her high profile within the adult video business, Savannah was not well-liked by her peers and developed a reputation for being difficult and disruptive at work, often making outlandish demands on set or outright refusing to perform when her wishes were not accommodated. Additionally, Savannah was a longtime heavy drug user, a habit she acquired during her days as a teenage rock groupie. In 1993, Vivid Video head Steven Hirsch decided to cut his losses and parted ways with the eccentric, unreliable actress.
Upon her release from Vivid, Savannah filmed several movies with former employer Video Exclusives. In June 1993, she agreed to star in the inaugural Starbangers gang-bang flick for director John T. Bone. Following the shoot, Savannah’s porn gigs became few and far between and she began exotic dancing on the strip club circuit.
During the early morning hours of July 11, 1994, Shannon Wilsey was driving home after a long night on the West Hollywood party scene. The intoxicated former porn queen lost control of her white Corvette and crashed the vehicle into a picket fence. Her companion (Jason Swing, a friend of rock/hip-hop band House of Pain) escaped injury, but Shannon’s face had been noticeably injured. Still, she managed to drive the wrecked car back home and into her garage.
Shannon became frantic upon seeing the damage done to her face, as she had been scheduled to leave the following morning for a lucrative dancing engagement in New York. According to reports, Swing later returned to the garage to find his friend sitting in a pool of blood with a 9mm handgun between her legs. Shannon had used the pistol (which she kept for protection against an alleged stalker) to shoot herself in the right temple.
Shannon was rushed to St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank, California. When informed that she would not survive, Shannon’s father granted permission to have her life support system removed. She died at approximately 11:00 AM on July 11 with her dad, friend and manager Nancy Pera (who had also been present at Shannon’s home the previous night), and reportedly Pauly Shore at her bedside. Authorities concluded that Shannon was a deeply troubled young woman driven to suicide by family issues, complaints of childhood abuse, a string of failed romances, ongoing problems with the Internal Revenue Service, and her uncontrollable drug and alcohol addiction compounded by the car crash.
Texas-based rock band Okkervil River and musician Bryan Adams have written songs in memory of Shannon Wilsey. In 1999, the E! Network produced an episode of E! True Hollywood Story documenting her life and career. She is also a member of the AVN Hall of Fame.
Sources: E! True Hollywood Story (1999), Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0767437/bio), Celebrity Skin Magazine, 1995 (http://www.adultoutlook.com/nsmith/savannah/fallen.html), FindaDeath.com http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/s/savannah/savannah.htm).