Monday, May 18, 2020

Lucky Starr

I usually try to double-check facts on stories before I post them.   This one was difficult to check because the writer did not give a date of this event.  From the story, I think it happens in March or early April 1970.  Maureen would have been in the early stages of her pregnancy with Lee and that would explain why she wasn't feeling well.    At that time Paul was in Scotland and John in the States with George and Ringo being the only ones in London.  

That checks out, but the story itself has an "almost too good to be true" element to it.  Ringo is the last Beatle I would have thought to invite random fans inside for a short chat.  And I don't think he said that if they were in London again to "look him up."    But then again -- who knows?  Maybe Ringo was in a super good mood that day and decided to chat with a few fans from the States.  

What do you think?  Did this story really happen or is it a case of fan fiction trying to be passed as a real Beatle encounter?

I am posting it and you can decide for yourself. 

Ringo in 3 Savile Row in 1970

Lucky Starr
By Susie S.
With a Little Help From my Friends
Issue #4 April 1972

From the sound of the title, this sounds like a fairy tale and in in a sense it is, but reality does have its good points and it’s those that lead me to tell my story.  So if you are all ready, I’ll begin.
Let me introduce myself.  My name is Susie and this being my second trip to London I regarded myself as quite an expert as far as directions were concerned.  After showing my friend Di around the town and just finishing seeing the gaudiness of Carnaby Street (a place you’ll be sure to miss when you visit London) we were off to see the Queen (well her palace anyway).  And as I said before, knowing my directions I decided to take a short cut cross-town (I didn’t want the hassle of the Piccadilly crowds).  So off we went being asked where we were from by local workmen, and in saying Chicago were kidded on how Al Capone was and so on (a little British humor).

At any rate, deciding we had gone a bit too far, we were about to turn around when what to our loving eyes should appear?  It was none other than Saville Row. 

My mouth fell to the ground and I let out the biggest laugh.  Looking down the street, we saw a white Rolls Royce in front of a white building with a black flag with a green Apple on it.  Whew!!!!!

Trying to control myself, we casually walked down the block where we found the front door wide open with not a soul around.  Deciding what to do next, we were confronted by a few young English birds asking us if we had seen any of the four and getting all giggly, we replied no, and tried to mind our own business.  Not being able to, we all started talking, getting into quite a conversation, when one girl’s face turned to that of alarm (or maybe it was shock).  She said, “Oh my God, I don’t believe it” and none other than Richard Starkey should appear climbing out of his six-door silver-gray Mercedes.  Taking  a few long strides past us, refusing autograph books, he leaped up the Apple stairs (three at a time).  Hearing a voice in my head saying, “here’s your chance dummy – say something!”  I blurted out, “Hey, wait a minute!”  I was not actually in control of my mouth.  He pivoted around.  I said, “I didn’t come all the way from Chicago to see you walk in the door.”  He was stunned for a minute then he smiled and motioning with his hand said, “Come on then” and we entered the great hall.  He asked us to wait in John’s office while he checked with the receptionist. The office, just to the right of the front door, was done in all white.  We sat on the leather sofa, scanning the area.  there were John and Yoko’s albums framed in glass on the wall  (all the Beatle albums were inframed in the reception office) a few chairs, and a desk.  While we waited I kept saying, “Just be yourself.”

Rich entered the room and sat down between us.  He leaned back and said, “Well here I am.”  I laughed and said, “Yea so you are.”   We just started liking like we had known each other for years.  He asked us about Chicago and said he remembers the concerts they did in the states and how he would have liked to have seen more of the country and its people than he was able to on tour.  He said he only had a few minutes to talk because George was upstairs with Allen Klein and they were waiting for him and that Maureen was coming to pick him up.  We asked how Mo was and his face kind of and he told us she was pregnant and wasn’t feeling too well and that he was worried about her.  Asking how the boys were, it gave him kind of a lift and he smiled saying they were both fine but mischievous as ever.  Asking if he knew where the other three were he replied, well George is upstairs, John is in the states and Paul is up in Scotland.  (It was John’s Rolls outside.  He was letting Allen use it).  He then looked troubled and said he was worried about the group.  Things weren’t going too well and he was already getting bad vibrations (this seemed to be the beginning of the split).  I tried to encourage him saying things will work out.  We had taken up too much of his time already, so we began our farewells, but I did ask him if he would mind if I took his picture when he left the building.  He said sure, but he couldn’t stop (we understood).  He thanked us for coming and said he felt really good that we were ourselves (I guess not the giddy types he so often runs into) and that if we were ever in London again to be sure to look him up.  He’d like to have more time for us to get to know each other.  With that, he kissed us both goodbye and we watched him go upstairs. 
Everyone outside was asking us what happened.  We just smiled saying not much (we were speechless). 

Maureen drove up, went inside a few minutes later she came and got back into the car, so we knew the time was near.  My finger, a little jittery on the button of the movie camera was ready and out he came giving us a little smile, and he got into the car.

As it pulled away, he turned around and waved goodbye to us.

Well, that’s it!  It may not be as exciting and eventful as some of you others that have visited London, but to me, it was the most beautiful day of my life.  I do plan to go back to London in a while and who knows, I just may bump into my Lucky Starr!

3 comments:

  1. No comments from this author about meeting George? She said that she knew he was in there, upstairs, so you would think that they would have waited to try to meet him as well. (MarkZapp)

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    1. I thought that was strange as well. Did she wait and see George leave? Was she not a George fan? I'm still not sure if I believe this story. The facts line up but did this really happen?

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