Do you remember the first time you heard My Sharona?
Maybe you heard it when it first came out in the late 70s. Or perhaps you first heard it while watching the movie Reality Bites in the mid-90s.
No matter when you initially heard it, it’s the type of song you don’t forget.
Read on to learn more about the song’s origins and who the real Sharona is.
Let’s get started!
Who Originally Wrote My Sharona?
The Knack originally released My Sharona in 1979. The band included Doug Fieger, Berton Averre, Bruce Gary, and Prescott Niles.
Doug Fieger was born in Michigan on August 20, 1950. He was introduced to music at an early age. He learned piano when he was five, took trumpet lessons at 11, and then the guitar. When he was 14-years-old, he was the bass guitarist for the Sky. Although they recorded two albums in 1970 and 1971, they weren’t a hit, and the band split up.
In the early 70s, Fieger ended up in L.A., where he met Berton Averre. The two of them started a songwriting partnership. Fieger already knew Bruce Gary, a drummer from Burbank that started playing the drums during his childhood.
Fieger, Averre, and Gary connected and then invited Prescott Niles to join The Knack. The band was official by 1977.
Fieger and Averre wrote their biggest hit, My Sharona.
So, Who is Sharona?
A 26-year-old Doug Fieger met a 17-year-old clothing store clerk. Although he was dating someone, he invited the teenager to a club to watch The Knack perform in L.A.
This 17-year-old was none other than Eve Sharona Alperin, who went by her middle name. She began attending Knack performances at the Troubadour and the Starwood.
After meeting Alperin, Fieger was inspired to write many songs during an intense two-month period. And yes, the teenage Sharona was the inspiration for My Sharona. Fieger fell in love with the teen.
Fieger and Averree worked on the lyrics and melody for the song. Averre didn’t want Sharona’s name in the lyrics, but Fieger was relentless, and Averre eventually gave in. According to Fieger, the song only took 15 minutes to write.
Sharona had no idea that Fieger had written a song about her until she heard the band perform it. She had been dating someone else, but she ended up with Fieger.
The two dated for four years. During that time, Sharona went on tour with them, was on the album cover for My Sharona, and went to dinner with celebrities such as Cher and Gene Simmons.
Although Fieger’s love for Alperin inspired the lyrics, much of the sound came from popular songs of the 60s. Especially songs like the 1967 “Gimme Some Lovin” by the Spencer Davis Group and “Going to a Go-Go” from Smokey Robinson and the Miracles in 1965.
The “Muh muh muh my Sharona” reflects the 1965 Roger Daltrey vocals from “My Generation” by The Who.
What is Sharona Doing Now?
Although Sharona Alperin and Doug Fieger dated for years, they married different people. Alperin and Fieger stayed in touch, and Alperin visited Fieger in the final months of his life back in 2010. When asked why she and Doug split up, she said she wanted to be her own Sharona.
When My Sharona first came out, Alperin became a bit of a sensation. Why? Well, she was on the album cover, and people recognized her on the streets.
Today, Sharona lives in L.A. and sells high-end real estate. She’s a single mom with two kids.
What Popular Covers Are There of the Song?
During their In Utero tour, Nirvana performed a short live rendition of the tune. It was less than two minutes of messy lyrics and sound before they launched into “Drain You.” There are no official copies, so you’ll need to hunt for it on bootlegs.
In 1995, Veruca Salt released their version of My Sharon. It was the B-side of “Victrola” and embraced all things grungy and seductive.
Eldritch went all metal with their 2001 version. It’s not so sweet, but still catchy. The band included the cover on their 2001 album, Reverse.
If you’ve always felt like My Sharona lacked a certain dance vibe, you might want to check out D.J. Miko’s version. It came out in 1999 and is a total dance track. There are zero guitars; just that typical beat meant to get you on the dance floor and lose all sense of time.
Lastly, we have to include Weird Al Yankovic’s parody version. Why? Because it’s ridiculous and in line with what Yankovic does. He released his version in 1979, and it’s called My Bologna.
Living Her Own Life
We’re happy Sharona was able to live a normal, successful life away from the spotlight and be herself. And, now, you have all the trivia answers you need for a My Sharona trivia night.
What did you find most interesting about the My Sharona story?