Happy weekend from the Fab 4

 

Poetry Reading

 April 24, 2001 

Paul and Paul

 April 23, 2001 

Lennons and Rt 81 (1971)

 

John and Yoko with Chief Oren Lyons (next to John) and Leon Shenandoah

Lennons and Rt 81

No Writer listed

Syracuse New Times

October 14, 1971

    The state of New York, in its continuing efforts to secure land from the Onondaga Indian Nation to widen Route 81, last week made additional offers of money and land in return for the right-of-way on Reservation land.

     As was the case with previous state offers, the Onondagas turned them down flat. Chief William Lazore explained the decision, saying, "The problem involves more than just this land. Federal and state governments must be made to stop their encroachment on all Indian territories. Our Western and Canadian brothers are looking to the Iroquois to take the first step to secure the rights guaranteed Indians by lawful treaties."  He added that the Onondaga Nation has never broken a treaty with the United States. 

    The broad base of support for the Onondaga broadened even more on Sunday, when John Lennon and Yoko Ono visited the Reservation. The Lennons spoke in conference with several chiefs, then got a guided tour of the highway site where demonstrations halted construction last month. They announced their intention to establish a "John and Yoko Foundation "that would save money ordinarily siphoned off into taxes and allotted to people in need of it instead. 

    Yoko listened to the long history of broken treaties, shook her head, and said, "You believe in people too much."

     "I still believe in people," Chief  Oren Lyons replied. "We think the government of the United States has passed from the hands of the people, but we still believe that the people of the United States can tell the difference between right and wrong."

     Lennon agreed, "The Americans can still be the greatest people on Earth, if they can somehow turn the country around. "

    Chief Lyons ended the meeting by thanking the Lennons and the "many people who have helped us, publicly and privately," for their support. The meeting was filmed by Channel Nine News for ABC Television. 

    Later, Audrey Shenandoah said that the Onondagas were pleased with the Lennons' visit and the international attention it would bring. She added that they would just have to wait and see what effects it would have on their struggle. 

    Her attitude was shared by Wandering River, a young Indian from Alberta who traveled to Onondaga to help out when he heard about the highway dispute. After the publicity died down, he said, "The basic problem of Indian autonomy would remain. I'm going to try to get a bunch of kids together in a van next summer and travel all over North America to wherever there's hassles. We're not doing this for headlines." He concluded, "This is real."

Lennons told Stay on Isle! (1971)

Lennons Told Say On Isle!

Written by Standard Foreign News Desk

Evening Standard

April 24, 1971

     Former Beatle John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, have been ordered to stay on the Mediterranean island of Majorca, following the alleged abduction of Yoko's daughter.  The Lennons were allowed to leave the island's police headquarters in Palma early today, after spending 14 hours there. 

    Investigating magistrate Senor Juan Mari spent the night taking statements from the Lennons and Yoko's former husband, American Anthony Cox. The issue was the custody of seven-year-old Kyoko, the daughter of Yoko and Mr. Cox, who alleged that Kyoko had been kidnapped. Yesterday, he left the police headquarters with the child. 

The case must now go to Manacor, 35 miles from Palma, because the alleged abduction took place there. Later court sources at Manacor said Lennon and Yoko must appear in court on the first and 15th of each month until brought to trial. They added that the date of the trial has not yet been fixed.

     At their hotel suite this afternoon, the Lennons talked with an English solicitor and a Spanish lawyer. The solicitor who flew to Majorca today was Mr. Andrew White. The Spaniard was Señor Caesar  Losano Aldea.  Also there was Mr. Peter Howard of Apple. 

    A spokesman said, "It is much too delicate at the moment to make any statement. John and Yoko are staying in their suite."

     One of the problems being discussed was whether the couple would be allowed to leave the island. It is understood that Mr. Cox, a film director, is also not allowed to leave Majorca until the authorities at Manacor decide whether there was an attempt to kidnap the girl. 

    The Lennons reported to the Palma police station yesterday afternoon. John was carrying little Kyoko. Police sources quoted Lennon as saying, "I took the girl to my hotel because I wanted Yoko to see her daughter."

     According to Mr. Cox, Kyoko had disappeared from a playground at a tourist complex. Her father reported that she had been kidnapped by two unknown men. 

    In fact, according to Lennon, she had been taken by him and his wife to their luxury hotel in Palma. The Lennons revealed that a British Consulate source told the investigating magistrate that they left a lawyer to find Mr. Cox and tell him where Kyoko was. The lawyer could not find the girl's father, and the alarm was raised. As the hours went by at the police station, lawyers representing both Mr. Cox and the Lennons arrived at 2:45am. Mr. Lennon was called before the investigating magistrate for a further statement. Mrs. Lennon told the magistrate her divorce, granted by a court in the Virgin Islands, did not give the custody of the child to either parent. As the legal wranglings went on, a doctor arrived at the police station to treat the child for a high temperature. 

    The first to leave the Magistrates Court were a beaming Mr. Cox with Kyoko on his back and his present wife, the couple embraced on the courtroom steps. A few minutes later, the Lennons departed. They looked serious and disappointed, said witnesses. The former Beatles Secretary, Mr. John Richter, said police returned Mr. and Mrs. Lennon's passports, which they had earlier withdrawn when they left the magistrate's office. 

    There was a 'Do Not Disturb' notice on the door of the Lennons' bedroom at the Melia Mallorca hotel this morning. Staff at the hotel said the couple returned rather dejected earlier this morning. Mr. J. G. Joyce, British Vice Consul in Palma, who was at the Palace of Justice with the Lennons, said, "They're very surprised to be accused of abduction. They brought the child to spend the day with them in Palma and buy her a few presents. At the hotel they noticed she had a slight fever and called a doctor. It was then the police arrived."

     The Lennons arrived in Spain three days ago. Their private aircraft landed at Madrid airport, but was prevented from continuing to Majorca due to technical trouble. 

Mr. Cox and his wife have been in Majorca, attending meditation classes given by the Indian guru. Maharishi.

John arrives

 

Leaning in the doorway

photos taken by Jürgen Vollmer

 

Approximately April 22, 1961 

I have always heard the blurry figures in front of John are Stu, George and Paul but I am not sure if that has been proven. 

Have Troubles Altered the Public Image of the Beatles? (1969)

 Have 'Troubles' Altered the Public Image of the Beatles?

By:  Glen Goodey
Associated Press

April 29, 1969

      These are changing times for The Beatles. "Once we were everyone's darlings," said George Harrison, "but it isn't like that anymore."

     "They hate us, "Ringo Starr adds. "It's shocking the way some sections of the public have turned on us. It's completely unmerited."

     What's happened to the Beatles image?

     George, Ringo, and the other Beatles, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, haven't given a public performance together in two years, although they have continued to make hit recordings, and their joint business enterprises have run into problems. 

    George and John were recently fined on drug charges. John and his Japanese bride, Yoko Ono, drew some barbed comments from British newspapers when they spent their honeymoon ostensibly as a sleep-in for world peace and invited full publicity.

     Amidst all this activity, Ringo Starr was busy on a separate career as a movie actor, but he has not turned his back on his fellow Beatles. In an interview, he insisted that the Beatles were retaining their fans and that their financial affairs were being straightened out. The interview was on the set of The Magic Christian a film that pairs Ringo with actor Peter Sellers.

     Dressed in a brown suit, extravagant bow tie, and frilly shirt, Ringo talked as much with gestures as with words between mouthfuls in the studio canteen, his hair hung in long folds over his shoulders, and his Mexican-type mustache drooped over his mouth. He looked heavier than his 150 pounds distributed over his five-foot-eight frame. 

    "Despite the critics, we are as popular as ever," insisted Ringo. To back up his point, in the Electrical and Musical Industries-- EMI, who cut the Beatles' discs, reported the group's recording of "Hey Jude" last fall sold 750,000 copies in Britain alone, equaling sales of previous releases. 

    In 1965, The Beatles were decorated with the Order of the British Empire for promoting British exports. "We've done a lot for this country," Ringo said. "We don't necessarily want any thanks, but at least we don't want to be criticized every step of the way.

     "Just because John leads a different sort of life than most people, that doesn't give everyone the right to attack him out of hand. I would never be seen in the nude," added Ringo. "John can get away with it, but I never could."

     Ringo denied rumors that the group was breaking up. He said he did not expect them to perform together in public again, but insisted they would remain together for recordings, films, and broadcasts.

     "We shall branch out and pursue our individual careers, but we shall always be the Beatles. I won't say we will last forever, but we will go on for a very long time-- unless we get shot or something."

     Observers of the Beatles trace the beginning of their eccentric ways to the death of their manager, Brian Epstein in 1967. "Yes, his death did affect our career tremendously," said Ringo. "Now we have to do everything he used to do in the office. It's very hard. Not only are we the Beatles, but we're our own managers and agents. There could never be anyone to replace him. We have appointed certain people to do certain things, but no one could do all that he did, and we wouldn't want them to."

     The Beatles launched their own company called Apple in early 1968 to promote films, records, and clothing. In January, John Lennon said it had turned sour, and unless something was done, they would be broke within six months. 

    "Apple would have been broke," said Ringo, "but we wouldn't. It was a bit mixed up. At one time, we were employing lots of people we didn't want, but we pruned it down, and it's on the right line now."

 Ringo, whose real name is Richard Starkey, is 28

Ringo on Holiday

 

Getting Kyoko

 April 22, 1971