Celebrity Lifestyle

Kanye West and Steven Tyler Pay This Woman to Bite Them

Dr. Dot Stein may be the best-kept secret in Hollywood—the $150-an-hour masseuse puts her teeth on the backs of her celebrity clients in the privacy of their homes and hotel rooms
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler gets a massage from celebrity masseuse Dr. DotPhoto compliments of Dr. Dorothy Stein

There are many perks that come with being a world-famous musician: private jets, worshipful fans, and millions in the bank. But there is another, more elusive hallmark, one that Katy Perry, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, and the Rolling Stones count on. Her name is Dot Stein—crowned Dr. Dot by client Frank Zappa in 1988—and many Hollywood A-listers have her on speed dial. Dot, often called the “rock and roll masseuse," is known throughout the entertainment industry and especially the music world for her massages, which begin with her recently trademarked bites. “Ninety-five percent of the people I massage want to try it. Once they have it, they want it every time,” Dot says of her unusual technique, simply called a Bite Massage. “It's like an appetizer at a meal. You start out with the bite to tenderize the back. There's no other feeling in the world like it.”

Dr. Dot with Kanye West in Berlin.

And while Dr. Dot oversees a 900-person army of masseuses (known as “Dot Bots”) around the world through her company, Dr. Dot's International Massage + Chiropractic Team, only her personal clients get to receive her special skill, as those who work for her are not permitted to dole it out. The treatment starts at $150 an hour, and the price goes up as it gets later in the evening (due to celebrities' unorthodox hours): It's $200 an hour after 10 P.M.; $250 an hour after midnight; and $300 an hour after 2 A.M. Both Dot and her Dot Bots charge the same amount ("I'm not snobby," she says), but it's rare that she sees a new client these days. "I have a lot of agents contact me, and then eventually the star gets my number and they just call me directly," she explains.

A day in the life of Dot could include massaging Lady Gaga’s feet at four in the morning during a video shoot in Brooklyn, a two-hour massage in the middle of night for Kanye West while he visits Berlin, or massaging Sting’s shoulders backstage at a concert in London. “At this point, it's hard to impress me when it comes to celebrities,” she says. “But I still enjoy it a lot. I get to go to free concerts all the time. Last Sunday, I went to a very private dress rehearsal of Roger Waters for his tour.”

Sting, at home, with Dr. Dot.

But Dot, who began giving her mother bite massages at the age of five and was professionally trained in 1997 in Berlin, says not all clients receive her stamp of approval. Dot gives a thumbs-up to some unusual choices, such as Simon Cowell, who has often flown her to London to utilize her services; Courtney Love ("She's out of her mind, but she's fun," Dot says); and Paris Hilton ("Everyone else thinks she's a bitch, but she's the nicest person you'll ever meet"). Even controversial West, whom she massaged in a five-star hotel room for two hours in Berlin, received a rave review ("Cool as hell, believe it or not").

But it seems the masseuse and Mariah Carey were not a match: "I cannot stress the fact enough, everything you read about her is true," says Dot, who adds that the songstress insisted on watching Mean Girls three times during the extremely lengthy massage. "It's a huge production to massage her. She doesn't want anyone touching her bedsheets. She refuses to lie on a massage table. God forbid my saliva would have touched her; she would have erupted. So I didn't bite Mariah."

A thank-you note from David Bowie, a former client she massaged about three times, according to Dot.

Dot's relationship with another iconic female singer, Lady Gaga, is much better. "I did not really like Lady Gaga's music. But now I have total respect for her. She used my whole company for a few of her tours," Dot says. "She just bought Frank Zappa's house for $5 million, and he has a massage room. I'm like, 'You're smart!' She will not live without massage."

Spending time with celebrities in their luxurious homes or hotel suites has given Dot a discerning eye when it comes to what makes for the perfect massage space. “Scratch the idea that everything needs to be white,” she says. “Massage shouldn't be medical; the more medical or white it looks, the more uptight people are going to feel. Colors make people relaxed: turquoise, purple, orange, or green [are favorites].” The ideal space is also warm (“Heated floors are the ultimate necessity in a massage room!”), dim (“The bigger the celebrity, the more darkness they want”), and soundproof. And if money is no object, a sauna and Jacuzzi are also key for continuing the relaxation post-massage.

Dr. Dot and Simon Cowell, who has flown her to London for her services.

As for her major design don’t: “I would avoid any waterfalls. That just makes people have to pee the whole time,” she laughs. And unless it’s a massage right before bedtime, skip the lavender oil. “It puts people in a relaxed mood and then they want to sleep. So, I prefer a citrus scent for daytime massages,” she explains.

But in a pinch, Dot doesn't discriminate. The weirdest spot she’s given a massage, perhaps, may be "on an oblong, marble catering table backstage in Berlin. I was massaging Oasis,” she chuckles. Or: "I massaged Sting's shoulders onstage at Live 8 in London, while he watched The Who. And then he massaged my shoulders! And everyone was like, 'Who the hell is this chick getting a massage from Sting?' His wife Trudie was standing right there. I told him, 'If this little music thing doesn't work out, you should be a masseur.' He's strong! He gives the best foot massages in the world. No wonder Trudie stays with him."

A thank-you note from Bruce Willis, whom Dr. Dot massaged in Berlin.