Some figures in popular culture come and go like a shooting comet in the sky but leave no less of an impact on our lives, even if we haven’t thought of them in years. Of the dozens of rock-n-roll bands that hit the radio in the post-Nirvana wave of the early 1990s, Blind Melon is one of the more seminal and sentimental, in no small part thanks to the memorable hit single “No Rain” and its equally memorable video featuring the delightful Bee Girl. The self-titled debut album and the single were huge hits, with the former reaching #3 on the Billboard 200 Album charts and the latter hitting #1 on both the Mainstream Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks. Though lead singer Shannon Hoon’s unfortunate and untimely death of a drug overdose in 1995 ensured that the band would never reach those heights again, both the record and the song have been cemented in popular culture — to say nothing of the charming Bee Girl.

In its heyday, the Bee Girl was just as popular as the band, if not more so. In fact, you could say she managed to go viral even though the internet wasn’t yet ubiquitous. From the minute she appeared in the video’s opening seconds, she became an overnight star, and almost instantly became a symbol for outcasts, outsiders, and individualists looking for belonging. Like many people of a certain age when the video was getting ample airtime on MTV, we’ve periodically wondered about the Bee Girl, who she really was, and where she is now. Here are a few facts about the woman behind the costume.

 

Who is the Blind Melon Bee Girl?

1. The Bee Girl’s name is Heather DeLoach. She was born on February 1st, 1983, which means she was approximately 9 years old when she appeared in the “No Rain” video and tap-danced her way into the hearts of an entire generation.

 

 

2. While HeatherDeLoach appears in the famous video, she is not the same person on the cover of Blind Melon’s self-titled debut album. That person is Georgia Graham, who happens to be the younger sister of Blind Melon drummer Glen Graham. You can now get this classic 90’s record on vinyl!

 

Click on record to buy!

 

3. Pearl Jam wrote and recorded song about her. “Bee Girl” was released on Lost Dogs, a 2003 collection of b-sides and outtakes. With lyrics like “Becoming a star will become your doom,” it’s sympathetic to Heather’s sudden fame, if not exactly uplifting.

 

4. Heather DeLoach reprised her Bee Girl role in the 1993 video for Weird Al Yankovic’s “Bedrock Anthem.” Curiously, the song doesn’t parody Blind Melon but two hit Red Hot Chili Pepper singles: “Give It Away” and “Under the Bridge.”

 

5. Music videos aren’t Heather’s only acting credits. According to IMDB, HeatherDeLoach has appeared in episodes of ER, Tracey Ullman’s Tracey Takes On… and the short-lived Judith Light vehicle Phenom. She also appeared in Camp Nowhere (1994) with Christopher Lloyd, Wayne Wang’s Anywhere But Here (1999) starring Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman, and I’ll Do Anything (1994), directed by James L. Brooks. Most recently, she was in a 2008 episode of Reno 911.

 

6. HeatherDeLoach attended the California State University, Fullerton and is now married with two children. According to her Facebook fan page (which you are invited to like), she is still in touch with the band and they even sent her a Blind Melon onesie for her daughter.

 

7. Inspiringly, HeatherDeLoach has embraced her past role as the Bee Girl from more than 25 years ago and is very proud of her place in popular culture. “People come up to me all the time with stories about how I changed their childhood and got them through a tough time of not being accepted,” she told NME in 2016. In June 2020, she posted on Facebook and shared the impact being the Bee Girl has had on her life, writing:

 

The “No Rain” music video delivered such a powerful message. It has made an impact in so many lives and has left an everlasting impression on hearts all over the world. The Bee girl was different, she didn’t feel accepted by others. She was laughed at until she cried off stage. She went in search of acceptance. She found her field of other bees through the beautiful gates and she felt pure joy. She felt love and community. Her story forever changed me.

 

8. On October 15, 2020, Heather appeared on the FOX show “I Can See Your Voice,” performing Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” to an excited audience and panel of judges. The show included a segment of Heather’s life today, and whatever you think of her vocal abilities, it’s still a trip to see her in the bee costume all grown up.

 

 

It’s all too easy to dismiss one-hit wonders and flash-in-the-pans for never matching their biggest success, but it’s far better and healthier to recognize the positive contribution these people make to our shared zeitgeist. Scrolling through Heather’s social media yields many comments from people about how the Bee Girl gave them an image of unconditional acceptance during a time in their lives when they felt like outcasts. It’s downright inspiring and endearing to see Heather take such satisfaction in all this more than two decades later, and it’s a lesson many of us can learn from.

 

While you’re here, check out some of our other content, like What Songs are Butthole Surfers Known For?, Rare & Obscure Muppets, Facts About Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, and 10 Awesome Books about Dinosaurs & Paleontology.

Like early rock-n-roll? Then check out the Content Bash guide to the best pre-Beatles records you should own!

 

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