On December 19 (1974) I heard John would be playing with
George for his last show in N.Y., and that’s when I decided to go. Since I didn’t know anyone there at the time,
I tried to get in touch with Billy Preston.
Billy seemed like the only one who could get me in the concert. While Harrison was in Chicago I met Billy and
one night as he was going out he asked if I’d like to go to a bar with him and
a friend so I said sure. We went to a
bar owned by the Staple Singers called Peru’s House on East 79th
Street. Well, I finally reached Billy
and he got Chris O’Dell to get me a ticket.
Miss O’Dell is George’s secretary (remember the “B” side to “Give me
Love”). In N.Y. I met Margie and Ann of
‘MACLEN’ and Nancy and Sue of Maryl at the Plaza. We were there for the same reason (a Beatle,
or as George puts it, an ex-Beatle.
Funny thing is that he still acts very much like a Beatle with his wall
of “guards” who say he’s tired).
The five of us stayed together all afternoon and then went
to the concert. After it was over I was
going to go home but I couldn’t get a flight so late. That was my excuse to stay. Really I stayed because I heard McCartney was
in town and where he was staying.
After following Harrison around for a while I checked into
the Stanhope around 3am. I woke up
around noon and called Paul’s room. What
a surprise to have him answer as I’ve always heard that was Linda’s job. He told me he was very busy and said he’d
talk to me later. Around two I decided
to send flowers and a card as a Christmas gift to the family, then follow it up
later. This as I found out later
worked. It really softened them up.
Around 4 I went up and Heather answered the door and got
Linda. I explained why I was there and
why I sent up the flowers. She was extremely
friendly to me, something that I heard she rarely was. Well, anyway Stella and Mary came to the door
while we were talking just to look and say hi.
Linda said I was a “friend” of “hers and daddy’s.” Linda then told me Paul was busy in the
living room going over papers with whom I believe was Peter Brown. Paul said hello and waved as I left and Linda
told me that they’d pose for pictures later around 7 or 8.
Finally after about 3 hours they came down and walked right
outside. Linda tried to stop Paul, but
he pulled her right past me to the crowd in front of the Stanhope. Here they signed autographs for
everyone. I just kept clicking away with
my camera. Linda saw me trying to get a
shot of Paul and told him to look over at me (the guy who sent up the
flowers). This is when I got a great
close-up of him. Then they went off.
 |
| Close-up of Paul by George Tebbins (this is the on that he mentions in the story) |
I stayed around with some new friends. It was getting late so about 1, Cindy and I
were the only ones left. About 45 min.
later Paul and Linda came back and were in a good mood. Linda told Paul I sent the flowers up. He shook my hand and thanked me about 10
times. Linda was also appreciative and
thought it was nice that I included her and the kids in the card. She said people usually just sent things to
Paul. Linda got Paul to pose for me. He
let me take two shots and let Cindy take a shot of me with them. He told me to ride up with them so we could
talk. In the elevator I told them that
I’d been in touch with Alan Crowder one of his managers on the possibility of
working for Paul when he’s on tour. Paul
said to keep in touch with Alan because he does the hiring. Then Linda broke in and told me to tell Alan
that I met them in N.Y. at the Stanhope and that they like me. She also said as far as she was concerned
she’d like me to work for them while on tour.
Then the elevator door opened and we said goodbye.
A couple days after I got home the girls from N.Y. sent me
Paul and Linda’s autographs. Paul said
to say thanks and he was sorry that he didn’t write any messages since he was
so busy. Then money I spent on that
weekend in N.Y. was really worth it.
I'm in doubt it was Peter Brown, he was working for Stigwood at that time. You never know, though, paul did trust him ; something he lived to regret.
ReplyDeleteI believe you are correct about the signing of the papers with Pau clip...though, did George have the mustache in that clip? Or is that in 1976? I have to see it again, but I just happened to re-read May Pang's "Loving John" this past week and there is a big chunk of the book dedicated to these days. George played Nassau Coliseum, apparently really laid into John at the hotel. The next day was Madison Square Garden, they made up, went to the show but George ended up not asking John to play (even though John had offered). The next part of the book is John refusing to sign the agreement. In Paul's "Many Years From Now" book, he says that George was furious at John, and shouted over the phone "Take your sunglassess off and sign the papers". (That gibes with May Pang's account of George, in the middle of yelling at John, demanding for John to take off his sunglasses....which John reportedly obliged....put on his regular spectacles....and according to May, George ripped John's spectacles off of John's face!)
ReplyDeleteSo anyways, this was definitely a visit in which they were all going to sign the papers. (Ringo was to sign them in England, since he was ducking being served legal papers by Allen Klein...) Paul was probably in there, reviewing the agreement.
If I hadn't re-read the book this week, I wouldn't have all this at my fingertips....but there you go!