Meeting George in 1991

Photo of the autograph the author of this article obtained from George in 1991.

Also in the Spring 1992 issue of Tokyo Beatles fan club magazine is this story written by Rumiko Uchizono and translated by Jun Hirao about a Japanese fan who met George during his tour of Japan with Eric Clapton.

Hoping the Metropolis Speedway would not be crowded, I left my office at 7:30 p.m. on December 14, 1991. I wanted to reach the Capitol Tokyo Hotel before 9:00 p.m. While driving my car, I was enviously thinking of how my friend was having fun at the Harrison / Clapton's first Tokyo show. It was already 9:00 p.m. when I got off the speedway. I was disappointed because I thought that I wouldn't see George and all I could do was just to stay at his hotel with my friend.

When I checked in at the hotel, I found that my friend hadn't returned yet. So, I assumed that George hadn't returned, either. I got my key and went to my room. After putting my luggage in my room, I went into the lobby. There were no fans there. "I wonder where George will come from. Is he already in his room?", all thought while waiting.

I couldn't think of how to kill time. Although I brought a paperback, I didn't read it because I knew I could not concentrate. I was absentmindedly sitting on a sofa.

I don't' remember how long I waited. When I casually looked up, I saw a man carrying a big black bag. He looked as though he didn't belong in this hotel. He then suddenly started running to the lobby. I saw that a van was parked outside. I quickly got up from the sofa and hurried to the lobby. "Could he be George?" I wondered. As I ran to George, a lot of fans had already fathered around him. I didn't know where they had come from. It seemed that George's bodyguards didn't know how to cope with us. When I gave a postcard of George to George, he gave me his autograph. I don't remember if I said "Thank you " to him and can't remember what clothes he was wearing. George said something to me, but it didn't reach my ears. ("This pen" was all I could hear).

My head was blank. My friends weren't there., with whom I could share the enjoyment. I wanted to sit on the floor to recover. But I tried to see him off using the last of my energy. I remember his smile when he was in the elevator wand waved at me.

I can't believe that I really got his autograph, my dream suddenly came true. As I hurriedly put the autograph into my handbag, the ink smudged. That is my only regret, but it's O.K.

"Arigato, George!" - I will say these words to him when I see him next time.