Monday, April 15, 2019

Claudio







This was posted on Instagram from thedailybeatles --  It contradicts what Curt's brother, Ethan reported later. 
Curt Claudio was born Cesare Curtis Claudio in Alameda, California on August 28, 1948. He was a class of 1966 at Kennedy High School in Richmond, CA. His father Cesare Claudio Sr was born in Victoria, BC, Canada to newly immigrated parents from Italy, and soon moved to Seattle, WA., and eventually to San Francisco. Curt's father was a professional violinist and urged all four of his children to become professional musicians. Cesare played the cello at a very young age and went on to the Prix de Rome to study at the St. Cecilia Academy in Rome. Upon his return to the US, he earned a seat in the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra where he played until he was drafted into the Army. At UC Berkeley, Cesare met fellow student, Martha Curtis, they had four sons, one of whom was Cesare Curtis Claudio “Curt”. This story ends sadly with the December 22, 1981 death of Curt Claudio. While it doesn’t say how he died, I imagine he never recovered from the Vietnam war. 
As you can see from his musical family history, it’s no doubt that in his state of mind he felt a connection to Lennon’s music. In memory of Curt Claudio 1948-1981. I hope this info helped those who were concerned about him.



Information from Curt's brother from the comments section:
Hi Fans, my name is Ernie Claudio. I am Curt’s older brother.
My email is ernieclaudio@hotmail.com
Curt was never in the military. He was a straight “A” student in high school and earned a scholarship to the University of California in Davis, California. Then he started using drugs and dropped out of school. He spent most of his life working on farms. We worked at Ford Motors in Milpitas, California until they closed the factory. Ford gave their employees $12,000 so could re-train for another job. I asked Curt,” What are you going to do with your $12,000?” Curt said, “I’m either going to buy a Harley or an ultra-light airplane.” He bought the ultra-light, and that’s what killed him. He was flying too low and too slow and the plane stalled. It happened in Fremont, California. The plane came down, bounced off a carport roof, and landed in a tree, six feet off the ground. The high impact caused his aorta to separate from the heart. Dead was instantaneous.


70 comments:

  1. Unfortunately, for me he will always be associated with John's unfortunate examples of inspiration for writing songs as "...I love Yoko, or I had a good sh*t today".

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    1. I googled “John Lennon Curt Claudio” and came across this-it’s a painting of Curt Claudio purportedly done by his brother Dayton Claudio. Whether Dayton is really his brother or not, the painting is beautiful

      https://www.saatchiart.com/print/Painting-Curt-portrait/8411/6338885/view

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  2. I remember seeing him in the Imagine movie never thought anyone had an idea who he was. I found it very touching when John asked him, "Are you hungry?" and then had him in for lunch.

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  3. To me John always seemed a bit "out of sorts " in the Imagine movie.
    There seemed to be something not right about him.

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    1. yes Alex - y'know we wanted to see as much as John possible but now wonder did he really want the imagine documentary/rather home video (imo) film done or did yoko push for it

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  4. Come on people. Relax! Love them for their gifts to us. There’s enough negativity going around.

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  5. Hi Fans, my name is Ernie Claudio. I am Curt’s older brother.
    My email is ernieclaudio@hotmail.com
    Curt was never in the military. He was a straight “A” student in high school and earned a scholarship to University of California in Davis, California. Then he started using drugs and dropped out of school. He spent most of his life working on farms. We worked at Ford Motors in Milpitas, California until they closed the factory. Ford gave their employees $12,000 so could re-train for another job. I asked Curt,”What are you going to do with your $12,000?” Curt said, “I’m either going to buy a Harley or an ultra-light airplane.” He bought the ultra light, and that’s what killed him. He was flying too low and too slow and the plane stalled. It happened in Fremont, California. The plane came down, bounced off a carport roof, and landed in a tree, six feet off the ground. The high impact caused his aorta to separate from the heart. Dead was instantaneous.

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    1. Hello Ernie - sorry for the loss of your brother. And thanks for your info; seems there's always incorrect stories about people.

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    2. Hi Ernie. Your little brother is one of the people I get asked about the most on this site. I really, really appreciate you taking the time to tell us the the truth about Curt. I am so sorry that you lost him at such a young age. To us Beatle fans he will always be remembered as the guy that was invited inside John Lennon's house for breakfast.

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    3. Ford Motors closed their plant in Milpitas in 1983.

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    4. The NTSB lists a similar accident somewhat matching the description on December 22, 1983 in Modesto, CA. https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20001214X45341&AKey=1&RType=Summary&IType=LA

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    5. Hi Ernie, sorry for the loss of your brother. Like others I am intrigued by his story. Did he travel all the way to Lennon's house from California?

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    6. So where did Sara get the story from about him being a Vietnam vet ?

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    7. NTSB report lists pilot age as 71! Not him.

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    8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    11. I believe his comment is completely accurate and he is the brother.
      This is the father's obituary and mentions the son and mentions Ernest.
      https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicoer/obituary.aspx?n=cesare-claudio&pid=169631247

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    12. Together with the Claudio family I'm putting together a documentary to tell the true story of Curt's life. If you knew him or want to contribute please contact me through the website www.findingclaudio.com

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    13. Hi this is Ernie Claudio, Curt’s brother. I am guessing that it took some time to close the Ford Plant in Milpitas, California. So I’m thinking Curt received the $12K from Ford some time before they actually closed the plant. My understanding is that all the Ford Plant employees received money with the intent that the money would be used to retrain for another job.

      Curt’s first attempt to go to England failed. He purchased a ticket on Icelandic Airlines, not sure about the name of the airline. So Curt’s plan was to hitchhike across the USA, jump on the plane and fly to England. Unfortunately, on his first attempt, he befriended a fellow hitchhiker in the Nevada desert. Curt’s friend gave him a handful of blue pills that night. The next morning, our mother got a call from a Fallon, Nevada sheriff. The sheriff said, “We found your son talking to a tree.” The drug turned out to be Belladonna. The Belladonna high is not fun because the user remembers nothing, in fact, it is impossible to have a conversation with a person high on Belladonna, because they are unable to hear your words. Curt had run through the desert that night barefooted, and there some snow on the grounds. He feet were very swollen. Curt was successful on his second attempt to hitchhike across the the United States, and fly to England.

      My understanding was that George and Ringo were in India with a Guru, and Curt was unable to get near Paul.

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  6. Curt died in Dec 81 in an ultralight aircraft crash in California .

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  7. While I realize Curt was originally seen in the Imagine documentary, I have to assume this recent flurry of activity is due to the Above Us Only Sky documentary. Yes? I know that's what brought me here. Ernie, so sorry for your loss and I definitely hope Curt is RIP. I find it interesting that they (I don't remember who) said he was a shell-shocked Vietnam vet who had just been released from the hospital - and the way it's said makes it seem as though it's a mental hospital. I just wonder where that whole line of thinking came from. Anyone know?

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  8. hello people...both stories about Curt are interesting...we all are made in the image of God and have our own life story...I only wonder how can both be true or why does one disprove the other?

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  9. Hi , Was it Curt that appeared in the audience , in the USA ? it has been suggested that this was Curt fro the imagine film and John seemed to reconize him but this was never confirmed

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    1. No, that other person is nothing like him, only that they both had long hair. Just compare how low down the forehead centre parting is on Curt in the middle image supplied above. Then compare this with the audience guy. You shouldn't need to ask his brother to figure out they are totally unalike people. But many seem to believe this based on solely on a hair length that was very common in the late 60s/ early 70s. They aren't the same person.

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  10. Curt is also in Montreal in the video give peace a chance recorded at St Elizabeth hotel. Look at the video youll see him there in the room. Trust me :)

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    1. I think he became friends with John and Yoko.

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    2. No he isn't, no he didn't and no I don't trust you!!!

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  11. Curt's dad's obituary. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicoer/obituary.aspx?n=cesare-claudio&pid=169631247

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  12. Curt was memorable to me because he was a good-looking guy. He looked good on camera - his hair, that coat, and great eyes. I like that I found out so much about him.

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  13. Cesare Curtis Claudio 8/28/48 to 12/22/81 Alameda Calf.VietNam Vet./US ARMY.Rest well brother. Destiny granted you a privilidge moment with an all great of music John Lennon. Rest well! you now belong to the ages same as John Lennon! GODSPEED TO BOTH!

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  14. On this date i remenber Claudio and began searching for him. It sadden me to know that he did not end well. He deserved better but that damn war has taken too many good people.Rest well Cesare Curtis Claudio. Thank you for your Honorable service to this ungreatful country. We the few appreciate you!

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    1. Curt did not serve in the military and was not in Vietnam, as per his brother, Ernie, above.

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  15. Keep on working, great job!

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  16. Hello. impressive job. I did not imagine this. This is a fantastic story.
    Thanks!

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  17. Regards for helping out, excellent info.

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  18. Actually when someone doesn't know after that its up to other users that they will help, so here
    it happens.

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  19. Since Curt passed in late 1981, was was his reaction to John’s death?

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  20. Ernie's story is completely true. Curt was never in the military, never in VietNam, and he was never in a mental hospital. When John Lennon passed, Curt was devastated. However, that had no affect on his ultralight accident. The night before his accident, Curt went to see his brother, Ernie (who at the time was living in San Jose). Unfortunately Ernie wasn't home when we went by to see him. Curt passed away 12/22/1981 in Fremont, CA, exactly the way Ernie told the story. It saddens me when someone opens up and tells a true story about their family member and people don't believe the story. Curt and most of the employees were laid off from GM before 1983 and they were compensated in 1980-1981. Hello Ernie-I think of your and your family often, and I still miss Curt. He was extremely smart, and a beautiful person inside and out.-L.

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    1. thanks for your info

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    2. Hi, are you Linda? Together with the Claudio family I'm putting together a documentary to tell the true story of Curt's life. I’d like to speak to people who knew him from 1970–1981. If you knew him or want to contribute please contact me through email info@findingclaudio.com (mailto:info@findingclaudio.com) or my website Home | Finding Claudio (http://www.findingclaudio.com) Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you. Gavin

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    3. Hi (are you Linda?), Together with the Claudio family I'm putting together a documentary to tell the true story of Curt's life. I’d like to speak to people who knew him from 1970–1981. If you knew him or want to contribute please contact me through email info@findingclaudio.com or my website Home | Finding Claudio Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you. Gavin

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    4. Gavin,
      I am so excited about your documentary. When will it be released and will it be for sale or just for viewing?

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    5. Hi, thanks for your kind words. The research and pre production is all done now. I intend to look for funding to produce it and release it in the coming year. I'd like it to be free for the viewer but this would depend on the conditions of the investors. If you'd like to keep up to date on the production please sign up for my newsletter at www.findingclaudio.com

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  21. "It saddens me when someone opens up and tells a true story about their family member and people don't believe the story". Anybody can come out of the woodwork and make any claim they want to about anything in the world. Since you claim to know so much about it, why are you hiding behind an anonymous account?

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  22. Anybody can come out of the woodwork, making any claim about anything on earth. Since you claim to know so much about it, why are you hiding behind an anonymous account?

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  23. Wait....I'm confused witch story is true?

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  24. Also, what the anonymous person backing "Ernie's Story" cannot explain away, is that some posts above someone who actually tried to find hard evidence seems to have discovered that the age of the pilot in the ultra light crash is given with 71. While Curt died aged 33 (like J.C.)

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  25. If you check with Curt's brothers public Facebook account, you'll find a post from May 2019 (a few days before he posted in this thread) that backs up what he claims. You will also find a post there where he thanks a friend for sending high school photos of his brother to him. There should be no doubt that what he claims is right.

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  26. The caption is wrong about the Vietnam war. The story of Curt's brother is true. Please change the text under the photo's. Kind regards. Patrick

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  27. Like everyone else, I was curious as to what happened to Curt Claudio after watching the documentary. I see two wildly different stories in this threat.

    I have no reason to doubt that Ernie is his brother and that the story he related was true and I appreciate his relating it. No one would make up a story about a senseless accident.

    As to the whole Vietnam Veteran/Mental Hospital version in the film, the answer may lie in that although his brother states that Curt wasn't in the war, he doesn't address the mental issues other than stating that Curt was strung out on drugs (for a while at least). In the film, it's related that Curt communicated with Lennon's people several times. Who knows what he was writing if he was strung out, trying to interpret Lennon's songs, trying to relate to Lennon's Vietnam War position, sometimes thinking he was Lennon, etc.?

    As to Lennon in the scene, he's seems to be trying to having an empathetic conversation and trying to get Curt to understand that he's really just a regular guy underneath the personae.

    In other words, maybe everyone's being honest here. At least that's how I like to see it. It's a positive view and why not look at it that way? I'm not being critical of some of the other commentators in this thread, but isn't it better to assume the best in people?

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    1. Whoever the person in the film is, he appears to be a bit obsessed and out of touch with reality. Rather than being ’strung out’ on heroin, speed, etc. It's more likely that he took one too many doses of potent LSD. I have two friends who did just that in the mid seventies and only one of them ever returned to stable condition. While in such fractured mental states it's not uncommon for people to suffer identity crisis and imagine conspiracies, omens, and deeper meanings than actually exist.

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  28. Ethan, I am so sorry for the loss of your brother. Thank you for sharing your story. I lived in Newark, not far from you.

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  29. This link is abot his father.
    The desription you posted above is about his father who served in WW2 and does not contradict the message from his brother. "Upon his return to the US, he earned a seat in the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra where he played until he was drafted into the Army." Is about the father. His father was drafted in WW2. They have the same name. The son was not in Veitnam.

    https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicoer/obituary.aspx?n=cesare-claudio&pid=169631247

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  30. I should have added the father's Obituary confirm's his son's died before him and mentions his other son Ernie Claudio. So I believe his message is truthful and accurate.

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  31. Together with the Claudio family I'm putting together a documentary to tell the true story of Curt's life. If you knew him or want to contribute please contact me through the website www.findingclaudio.com

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  32. Is all this attention to this troubled person simply because he was seen on film talking incoherently to John Lennon? Doesn't seem that important.

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    1. sorry he passed away but have to agree w/9-12

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    2. Why does it matter if this person is considered to be "important" or not?

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  33. Todo lo que tuvo que ver con John Lennon es importante

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  34. Todo lo relacionado con John Lennon es importante... Aunque John probablemente opinaria todo lo contrario

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    1. I met this Curt Claudio in California in 1987. As a big Beatles fan myself, I was surprised when he said he was invited to meet John at his Tittenhurst home in 1971. How could this guy die in 1981 and how could he know about the Imagine documentary...

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    2. He is still alive

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  35. I met this guy in 1987

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