Beatle Bob

George playing at the St. Lous Arena in 1974

If you live in the mid-west part of the United States, particularly where I live, teh St. Louis area, and attend concerts, then you most likely have seen a strange fellow dancing around to the music that goes by the name "Beatle Bob." I am not a Beatle Bob fan. Some people run up to him and ask him for photographs and autographs. I think he is a little strange, but harmless. While flipping through my old issues of "What Goes On" (The now debunked St. Louis Beatles fan club newsletter), I found this interview with Beatle Bob where he talks about his brief encounter with George Harrison

WGO: Let's turn toward the Beatles; a couple Beatle questions here. What Beatles shows have you seen? Did you see them here in '66?

BB: Yeah, I saw them in '66.

WGO: And any of their solo shows?

BB: Solo shows, well George Harrison once during his solo tour in '74 at the old Arena. I've seen Ringo's tour 4 times, and I've seen McCartney 6 times over the years.

WGO: Have you ever met any of the Beatles?

BB: Met, just for a brief minute, George Harrison when he did that solo tour. He was staying at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel and I found out he was staying there and believe it or not I was the only fan in the lobby. And he came down and the security wasn't as tight was it is now since John Lennon's murder. But he came down and there wasn't really a security guy he was just helping with the equipment and George spotted me and he kind of went around these sofas and the other guy said, "Don't get too close." But I wish I would have been a little more aggressive because he wasn't really being you know, evasive and the security guy wasn't being real pushy. I took some pictures of him and he smiled, but I wish I would have said, "Hey George. I 'm the only fan in here could you take the time, it will only take a second." I really regret that to this day. It was a golden opportunity.