Online Beatles

I started my life of an online Beatles fan in 1995 when I was a student at Eastern Illinois University.  I would sit in the computer lab in the library there on these old computers that had green screens.   I was the most active on the irc (internet relay chat) on #beatles.    If any of you out there were on #beatles from 1995-1998, I would love to hear from you!   Some of my sweetest memories as a Beatle fan comes from late night chats on there.    Anyhow, #beatles was a chat room that obviously was focused on the Beatles.   It was the first time that I really was able to have deep Beatle conversations with other people who were just as crazy as me.   We would often joke that it would be funny if someone there was really Paul or Ringo or George just mixing in with the common folks. 

I hate speculating what John Lennon would or would not have done if he did not leave this earth so soon.  However, I think it is pretty safe to say that John would have loved the Internet, especially chat rooms and message boards.    They take his whole idea of "bagism" to another level.   You are just a name that you made up.  No one needs to know the color of your skin, your religious beliefs, your sexual orientation, your weight unless you want them to know.   And in reality, if you are just talking about your favorite band, that stuff shouldn't matter.   I could see John sneaking onto this blog and posting things just to see what type of responses he would get.

While we will never know if the members of the Beatles ever snuck into a Beatles chat group, but there are some known times that one of the guys chatted with fans online.   This is sort of a different category of "Meeting the Beatles for Real."   It is pretty neat to have a question you asked answered live by one of the Fab 4, especially if you get an autograph as well.  

The first time I recall one of the guys participating in an online discussion was in May of 1995.   It was on Prodigy (now that takes you back, doesn't it?).  It people e-mailed Ringo questions and he answered them.   Some of the questions were ones that I don't think Ringo wanted to answer, and he gave sort of quick and easy answers to all of them, but it was the start of a new way to interact with one of the Beatles!   Here is the transcript of that chat.

Ringo was back online with an aol chat in 1999.    This time it was more of a chat, where people were asking Ringo questions and he was answering them.  

Ringo continued on with the chatting with fans online during his 2000 North American tour.   He had four  online chats that took place during the tour.   They were all through 21st Century.   I recall at the time, it was pretty exciting and everyone was looking forward to the next chat.    I couldn't find any transcripts of exactly what was said, just highlights in two parts.

Ringo during one of the online chats of 2000

George Harrison also participated in one online chat.  That one took place on February 15, 2001 through yahoo chat.   There was a moderator who kept things going along, and some fans asked questions.   George's main purpose was to promote the re-issue of All Things Must Pass.   I really like this chat.  George seemed to be having a lot of fun with it.   And internet chats seemed to be something George would like.   From everyone we have read on this blog, George loved his fans and wanted to be in touch with them, but at the same time, he didn't want them to interfere with his privacy and he did not want anyone who was crazy coming around.   Through an online chat, George was able to talk to his fans in a safe environment.   It was a win-win situation for him.    Here is a transcript of that chat.

Paul was the last of the guys to join in on the 21st century fun.   His first chat was on MSN in May 2004.   That chat was similar to George's chat three years earlier.   And you can find that chat's transcript here.

Then in 2010, Paul took online chatting to the next level.   He did a live video chat from his Sussex studio and answered questions and well as signed autographs.  You can easily find that footage on youtube.

Recently Paul did a chat on Twitter.   I am not totally sure how that worked, because it was in the middle of the day here in the United States and I unable to see it live.   The WogBog has the transcript of that chat.    One of the readers of this blog went by the name "dollybird1963" and was fortunate to ask Paul why he decided to call his upcoming album "New."   Then Paul signed a copy of the album "New" for her and is sending it to her!   So she was able to see photos of Paul signing her album.   I am so happy for her!   If it can't be me, then at least it is a reader of this blog!   

So.....always be on the watch for more online chats with Paul or Ringo.   They are a great chance to ask one of them a question and you never know when you might get an autograph out of the deal!