Shades of Life (Part 1) - A Book Review

 

Tonight I am going to review the next book in Jude Southerland Kessler's John Lennon Series, Shades of Life (part 1).    This book follows John Lennon's life in 1965 from January until he left for the North American Tour in August.   

If you have read Jude's previous books, then you will want to read this one as well.  However, if you have never read her previous books, then you might be a little confused if you just picked up this one as your first read.  Jude's style of narrative writing takes a little getting used to so I would advise going back to the first book before continuing in the story. 

If you are expecting to read the nitty-gritty details of John's sex life and drug usage in 1965, you will not find it in this book.   Yes, some of these things are touched upon (especially John's first LSD experience), but it is not written as a romance novel.   Really, I think of this book as John's life as told through Cynthia's eyes.   You feel a lot of sympathy for Cynthia while reading this volume as you see the marriage of John and Cyn crumble, and John slips into depression. 

I enjoyed reading the stories that took place during the making of Help (a few that were found on this very site!) and some of the European tour.    Jude always has an interesting point of view of John's life, and after I read one of her books, I feel like I understand John just a tad bit more.   

Again, if you have read the other 4 books in this series, I would recommend the 5th.   I have included the Amazon link for the Kindle version of the book (because her books are sooooo heavy to carry around!)

https://amzn.to/48CGDmZ

Say the "The Word"

 

If you would like -- please check out this article I wrote with author of the John Lennon Series, Jude Southerland Kessler for the Fest for Beatle Fans blog about the song "The Word."  

https://www.thefest.com/rubber-soul-deep-dive-part-6-the-word/?fbclid=IwAR0PNq3aVGzUgR1hYNUFjQWm-wzI42MAZRjdotzHQI4s8Fzi6aiGJvXwIkw

Should Have Known Better : A Book Review

It has taken me all of 2019 to read, but I am now finally ready to preview the newest book in Jude Southerland Kessler's latest book in the John Lennon series, Should Have Known Better.    

If you aren't familiar with the John Lennon series, let me quickly fill you in.    This is book four in the series, which goes through the entire life of John in a storytelling format.  They are NOT fiction books but tell the story of John through dialogue using words John really said in interviews and written material.

This book starts in March of 1964 and ends in December 1964.    So you get to live through the making of A Hard Day's Night,  holidays, premieres of the film in London and Liverpool, the world tour, the American tour, and the UK Autumn tour.

The biggest thing you will take from this book is just how exhausting the year was for all the Beatles, especially John.   Being the only married Beatle, John not only had to focus on the concerns of the band and all of the touring, but he also had a wife and a child to think about.   During 1964 John's home, Kenwood was purchased and the Lennons moved into the home just to start remodeling it.  Anyone that has moved and done remodeling knows how stressful that can be.  John also had written a book that was published and promoted.    John had very, very few days off from being a Beatle in 1964.  It is almost exhausting reading about everything going on.

One interesting thing from the book is that you get to read Cynthia's side of all this.   About her unbelievable devotion towards John.   Her love for him never wavered, even though she wasn't sure just how faithful John was while he was away.    And that is another thing -- I wondered how Kessler would handle the extramarital activities that we all know John was partaking in during 1964.   She does it with respect and tact.    It isn't ignored in the book but is seen through the eyes of Cyn, and her questioning what is going on and wondering if the rumors she had heard were true, but suppressing her fears.

The only thing I questioned in the book was John's devotion to Cyn.   I have no doubt that John loved Cyn, but I just wasn't quite sure how in love with her he was in 1964.    I didn't realize that he called her so much during the American tour or that he came back home to London specifically to be with his wife during the UK tour.     Maybe what I had believed all these years about John's feelings aren't true.   Maybe we will never know because who can know someone else's feelings?


The book is HUGE and it takes a long time to read.   The good thing is that the sections are very small so you can sort of break up the book into parts.   I hear that an e-book version of the book is coming out soon, which would make it much easier to take with you.   If you aren't sure about John Lennon series, this would be a great book to start with!   Give it a chance.


The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon where you can purchase this book..   I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link.  Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online.  Thank you for your support.  Sara

https://amzn.to/49W0TBg

Beatles at the Ridge 2018 -- A run down

This past weekend I went to the Beatles festival called "Beatles at the Ridge" in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas.    This event has become my favorite Beatles convention, and I know that many of you might wonder what makes it so great.


What I like about Beatles at the Ridge is that is a much more relaxed atmosphere than at other Beatle conventions.   The people of Walnut Ridge are very kind, and the quaint small town adds to the laid-back vibe of the event. 



The town of Walnut Ridge always has a Beatles theme going on regardless of when you visit.   The "Abbey Road" Beatles sculpture is never removed, so if you are in Arkansas, make sure to stop by the town even if Beatles at the Ridge isn't going on.    But when it is time for the festival, the entire town decorates in peace signs, tye-dye and Beatles decore.    This year some high school students painted the cartoon Beatles on the side of the building.    There are also wooden cut-outs of the Beatles and the Yellow Submarine, which make for great photo ops.    My favorite decoration this year was from the library.  They made the Yellow Submarine entirely out of post-it notes!

Standing with the post-it note Yellow Submarine.  

On Friday night and all day Saturday presentations were going on in the building called "The Studio."  This building also houses the Argenta photo collection, which is full of Beatles press photos that weren't used in a newspaper.   It is a fascinating set of photographs.      This year the main speakers were David Bedford, who spoke about his new book Looking for the Fourth Beatle and Vivek Tiwary who talked about Brian Epstein.       Other speakers included Kit O'Toole (who talked about the White album),  Marti Edwards, and myself (talking about the 1964 Beatles U.S. fan clubs).   For me, the highlight of the weekend was Jude Southerland Kessler's panel discussion with Ivor Davis and Art Schreiber.  Both of these men traveled with the Beatles as journalists on the 1964 N. American tour.  They told the best stories!   I got to hear all about George and John playing monopoly.     Did you know that John liked to be the race car?     The funny stories these two men shared were golden to anyone that loves the Beatles during the touring years.

There was plenty of music from a Saturday morning sock hop to live Beatles music to a variety of bands throughout the day and Liverpool Legends to end the event.   Unfortunately, I missed out on most of the music this year because of other responsibilities, but I heard that the bands were good. 


If you want to come to a fun, free, laid-back Beatles event - I recommend making plans now to visit Beatles at the Ridge in September of 2019. 

Report from Beatlefest -- top 5 highlights of the weekend.

I am here for my annual report back from the Fest for Beatle Fans in Chicago.    2018's Fest was a great time.   I was on four panels and gave a presentation -- so I was pretty busy.    I did not have a table set up to sell anything, so I was still able to see a lot of great things.    It was AWESOME talking to so many of you at the Fest!     A special hello to Kristine, Lola, and Kaeli who I met for the first time at this year's Fest and to all the people that stopped me and said "hi."   It really made me happy to see so many blog visitors in person.   You guys are really out there! 

Here are my personal top 5 best things about the Fest this year....


5.    Jude Southerland Kessler's Book Release Party

Before the Fest got going on Saturday morning, there was a special party to celebrate the release for Jude Southerland Kessler's 4th book in the John Lennon series called Should have Known Better.     What a great party that was!   Scott Erickson played John Lennon songs on the guitar,  there were donuts, door prizes, and lots of mingling and chatting about the Beatles and John Lennon.     

4.  Little Nicola

Remember the adorable Little Nicola from the Magical Mystery Tour film?   Well, she is now all grown up and was a delight to hear speak at the Fest.    Her memories were so cute!  It was a treat listening to her and meeting her after her talk.

3.  Seeing the next generation of fans

No need for more cowbell on this great rendition of "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and Monkey" by the Chicago School of Rock 

I can't tell you how much I love 3rd generation Beatles fans.   You guys are amazing!    Let's just stop and think about the fact that The Beatles have three generations of die-hard major fans.    I love the fact that places like The Fest for Beatle fans, all three generations can gather together and express the same passion for the guys.     The third generation fans made a big impression on me at the Fest this year.   The Chicago School of Rock did an amazing job on songs from the White Album and Hey Bulldog on Sunday morning.    If this is how we are going to hear Beatles music performed live in the future, then we have nothing to be concerned about because they play music that rocks!     I also enjoyed talking to several third gen fans.       These are the ones that will keep the Beatles legacy going, so more power to them!

2.  Tea and memories

On Friday night there was a nice session called "Tea and Memories" where those of us who regularly attend these conventions came together and shared our favorite Fest memories, photographs, programs along with a lot of laughs.    The Fest has become a sort of family reunion among all of us that go and it is a great time to spend with each other.   We have made so many wonderful memories and so many unforgettable things have happened over the years that it was so great to share those memories and be reminded of things forgotten.    Wally was a wonderful host. 

1.  Jack Douglas

John Lennon's producer, Jack Douglas was one of the best guests the Fest has ever had.    He really was the star of the weekend.    He told so many stories about John while making Imagine and during Double Fantasy.    His stories really brought out John's humor and personality.    Jack showed some photos and then he played the songs "Watching the Wheels" and "Woman" starting with the demo, then the rough mix and the final mix.    Hearing those songs like that was really emotional for everyone, but it was so appreciated that Jack brought them for us.     He was such a nice man.  He met with every one after his talks and his line was really long because he spent time telling more stories at the table.    He signed the book "Starting over" for me underneath a photo of him in the book and he told me all about when the photo was taken.    Such an unforgettable moment, especially since I am such a John lover.   

Honorable mentions go to All of the panel discussions, Geoff Emerick, late-night sing-alongs, singing "Hey Jude" on the stage, the artwork in memory of Nicole,  Ringo's drum kits,  and the brownies at the staff party.         It was great and I hope to do it again next year.     Attendance was noticably low, but it was pretty crowded on Saturday and everyone I spoke with was having a great time.   

10 Reasons why you should not miss out on Beatles at the Ridge this year!

September is here and that means one thing for me--it is almost time for Beatles at the Ridge in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas!       If you have been following this blog for the past few years, you will know that the 2-day Beatles festival is one that I just love to attend.    And here are 10 reasons why you should make your way down to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas yourself and see what the excitement is all about.


10.   It is FREE!   Unlike most other Beatles festivals around the globe, the Beatles at the Ridge festival is completely FREE.   It is free to park, it is free to get autographs from the guests, it is free to hear the bands.    No one can complain about the price of the tickets, because there isn't a price!   Of course you will want to bring along some money because you will want to eat something while you are there (I recommend the Dark Side for sandwiches and ice cream or the dinner that serves 'Beatles burgers and onion Ring-o's) and you will want to spend money on the Beatles goodies and other vendors.

9.   Liverpool Legends.    On Saturday night the Beatles tribute band, Liverpool Legends will perform.  I am not big on Beatles tribute bands, but I do admit that Liverpool Legends are one of the best ones I have heard.      They take you through all of the Beatles periods in music and costumes.   These are the guys that were picked by Louise Harrison herself and they have a permanent gig down in Branson, MO.      The Liverpool Legends aren't the only band.  There are 2 stages with live music being played through the day and night.     There is also a talent contest with all sorts of great talent.   If you like live music, Beatles at the Ridge has got it covered!

8.   Beatles-themed town.     Everything in Walnut Ridge is all done up for the event in Beatles theme for a contest called "Tye-dye the town."    From large cut-outs of the cartoon Beatles, to a big yellow submarine, and every store front painted in Beatles, peace and love---you will want to make sure your camera is working and ready to go!


7.   Good Ole' Freda.    I sure hope that many of you have seen the amazing Beatles documentary, "Good Ole' Freda" about Freda Kelly, the Beatles fan club secretary.    There will be a showing of the film at this festival this year.   There is nothing better than watching a Beatles film in an air conditioned building with other fans.    And afterwards Cameron Hicks will be leading a Beatles sing along!  Fun Beatles times!

6.  Aaron Krerowicz.    Aaron is a Beatles music expert and has a great amount of knowledge about the guys.  He is doing a "lunch and learn"  (bring your lunch and learn something new) about the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.    Come learn more about the music of these two British rockers!

5.  Me!    Yes, I will be at Beatles at the Ridge this year with my book "Happiness is Seeing the Beatles."    There is going to be a book release party for the book, which means that there will be cake!   I love cake!    After the party, I am going to have a presentation about what is in the book that will have audio and a short video.    I am holding a raffle for a 1966 Beatles tour book for anyone that buys the book during the festival.    

4.  Lanea Stagg.    Lanea will have McCartney tea with scones and lemon curd during her "a Day in the life of a Beatle!" presentation.   Lanea is the Beatles food gal and makes great treats that everyone always enjoys.   

3.  Jude Southerland Kessler.    You know that I just love Jude!  She has became a great friend over the years.   She is a true Beatles fans and her love of John Lennon makes me like her even more.    She gives some of the BEST presentations of anyone out there!    This year she is talking on Friday night about John Lennon's Liverpool.    She has traveled to Liverpool many times and her talks takes you right back to the streets of Penny Lane and Lime Street.   I am really excited to hear her again!

2.   Ivor Davis.  Ivor knew the Beatles.   He traveled with them during the 1964 North American tour and was with them in 1965 when they met Elvis.   Ivor wrote as "George Harrison" for a newspaper.     His memories of that time are funny, insightful and makes you want to hear more.    Ivor is speaking on Friday night and you will fall in love with this amazing man. 

1.  Beatle friends!   This will always be my #1 reason to any Beatles event!   Nothing is better than Beatle friends!   I am excited to get together with the friends I met last year and at the Paul McCartney concert in Little Rock.   I am anxious to talk Beatles with others who love the Fab 4 and are just as excited about the new Beatles CD as I am.    If you have never been to a Beatles event and are shy, it is alright.   You automatically have friends when you come to Beatles at the Ridge.   Beatle fans are amazing and we aren't the type of group that doesn't welcome new people.   The more the merrier!    So even if you don't want to buy a book, don't be scared to come up and chat with one of the authors.   We all are just Beatle fans like you and want to talk about John, Paul, George and Ringo because that is the reason we are there!


I hope to see you at Beatles at the Ridge on September 16-17, 2016.  For more information, go to www.beatlesattheridge.com

Sara's top 10 favorite parts of the Fest for Beatle fans 2015

 It always amazes me whenever I get home from Beatlefest that I get online and read a ton of negative comments about the Fest.    It almost seems like I went to a totally different convention than everyone else.    For me, the 2015 Fest for Beatle fans in Chicago was one of the best ones I have been to in the past 10 years.     There were two big changes:  The Fabortory (which was a very small room that was laid back and allowed for great discussions) and the Apple Jam Stage.   These two things are truly a step in the right direction of the changes that need to be made to keep the Fest going for more generations to come.    

The Fest was a family event this year--both of my parents joined me.  

As I have stated before, I realize that a large percentage of people go to Beatle conventions to hear music and I am not really in that group.    Yes, I realize that the Beatles were about the music, however I like to hear my Beatles music coming from well---the Beatles themselves and not from a band.  Don't misunderstand me, I DO listen to the music at Beatlefest, but if there is a choice between listening to a band play and hearing a panel talk about the Beatles, I will pick the panel discussion.  

 So here they are:  Sara's top 10 favorite parts of the Fest for Beatle Fans 2016 Chicago



10.   Liverpool doing the Shea Stadium set list on the 50th anniversary of Shea

 Saturday, August 15, 2015 was the 50th anniversary of the famed Beatles' Shea Stadium concert.   The Fest celebrated this event with the house band, Liverpool, playing the 30 minute set that the Beatles played that night.    Talk about fun!     It was neat to sort of pretend like you were there.   And Liverpool did an outstanding job playing the set list from that concert, although there weren't any crazy antics on the keyboards.

9.     Apple Jam Stage
This is a new part of the Fest and I hope it continues.   Sadly, I wasn't able to spend a whole lot of time there, but I enjoyed what I saw.   The Apple Jam stage featured musicians that played a variety of Beatles' songs.    There were many, many bands as well as a dance floor and a bubble machine going on there.  People were listening to music, dancing and having fun.   I think each group played for around 40 minutes and then the next group came up.   The Apple Jam stage really gave other musicians a chance to get the spotlight.     Bonus points to whoever came up with the name!

The Yellow Submorons (A Rutles tribute band) perform a set on the Apple Jam Stage

8.    Beatles puppet show
You really can't consider it Beatlefest without attending at least one of Bob Abdou's Beatles puppet shows!    Are the jokes terrible?  Yes!   Do you still laugh anyway?  Yes!    Are the puppets adorable?  Yeah yeah yeah!     I have made sure to see Bob's Beatles puppet show ever year since 1997.    I love to see what puppets he brings in---this year the new puppet was Martha the dog!    What I think makes Bob's show great is that he is as big of a Beatles fan as the audience and you know that he loves what he does.  

7   The Strange and Curious Beatles World tour of 1964
This presentation was by author of the John Lennon series, Jude Southerland Kessler and the Rock n Roll detective, Jim Birkenstadt  and they had a great visual presentation about the strange things that happened when the Beatles (and Jimmie Nichol) toured the world in June-July 1964.    They really had me laughing!   The Beatles had some strange adventures during that tour that we have looked at on this blog last year, but it was fun to hear about it again.   Plus---they had awesome photos to go along with the talk.   


6   Something about the Beatles live podcast
 "Yes I do know...something about the Beatles!"    I am not sure how many of you listen to the podcast "Something about the Beatles" by Robert Rodriguez and Richard Buskin, but you really should!    They did a live taping of the show at the Fest and it was awesome to say the least.   The discussed the best Lennon and McCartney solo songs, but the catch is that Richard is not a McCartney lover to say the least.    So the banter between these two is hilarious as well as thought-provoking.    If you have never heard their show, I recommend it!   http://somethingaboutthebeatles.com/

Richard and Rob duke it out

5.   Kit and Kaboodle
Every Thursday night at 8pm, everyone knows not to bother me.  Why?  Because I am listening to the John Lennon Hour on blogtalk radio!    And the best thing about the John Lennon Hour is when it is "Kit and Kaboodle."   Kit is Dr. Kit O'Toole and Kaboodle is Jude Southerland Kessler.    They have a discussion about something John Lennon related that really makes you think and their live  version at the Fest was no exception.    They discussed John Lennon protest songs:   righteous or rubbish and truly made me rethink "Woman is the Nigger of the World."    Jude is a big John fan and while I Kit tends to lean more Paul, it is obvious that she knows her stuff about John!   You can hear the show every Thursday night right here: 
 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thejohnlennonhour

My mom and I with Kit and Kaboodle

4.   Ron Appea
 This was a surprise guest of the Fest and I had no idea who he was!   I just saw in the program that he was going to be talking about "Walls and Bridges."  Since that is my favorite John solo album, I HAD to listen to it.   Ron Appea played saxophone as part of the "little big horns" on the album!   His stories about John were so great!    He talked about the time that John put his face down on a copy machine and photocopied his face!   That's our John.    I was thrilled to get to meet him and get him to sign a photograph of him and John.    He was such a humble and kind man.   What a treat!

Ron Appea and me!

3. Late night jam sessions

Typically at the Fest for Beatle fans, the fans would meet under the stairs (or next to them) in the basement of the hotel and sing.   Well---this year that area was closed, so they ended up congregating in a corner next to the men's restroom.    But this my friends is what the Fest is all about!   People of all walks of life:   different races, religions, sexual orientations,  ages, and abilities coming to together and just being Beatle fans.    Sitting around while this guy named Roy leads us in the B-side of Abbey Road or Sgt. Pepper.   People dancing to "Twist and Shout" and every instrument known to man being played.    The late night jam sessions bring a true sense of community that I know I have only felt at he Fest and at the Cavern club in Liverpool.    It doesn't matter who you are or what problems you are facing---when you are sitting around with other fans singing, all that matters is remembering the words!

I found this on facebook---can you spot me singing in the crowd?

2.  Meet the Beatles for Real Session
Okay---so maybe it is a little self-centered to put my own session on my countdown--but it truly was one of the top highlights of the weekend.    I held a session of "Meet the Beatles for Real" at the Fabortory, which is a small room that is more informal and experimental (aka sort of weird stuff).  25 people crammed into the room with more at the door trying to get in for this session.   We put the seats in a circle and I shared the story of Elizabeth the runaway and then opened it up to the floor to share any stories anyone had of meeting a Beatle.   And did I get stories!!   We heard one woman who got to meet all four Beatles at the Edgewater hotel in Seattle in 1964, a woman who shook Paul's hand on the sidewalk in 2002,  a girl who's Dad was the manager of a restaurant in the 1970's and John told him that he put the right amount of mayo on his sandwich, a security guard that welcomed Paul to Chicago a few years ago, a store owner that met Ringo this past October and many more!    As I am sure you know, I love hearing the stories of the fans that met the Beatles and I loved that people were open to sharing these stories.    It truly was an amazing experience for me.

She met all four Beatles in 1964!

He met Ringo!!!

He is a security guard and his telling of meeting Paul backstage was so engaging!

1.  Beatle friends

The single best part of the Fest for Beatle fans?   Talking to you old Beatle buddies and making new ones!   Where else can you go and talk about nerdy Beatles stuff with other people that get it?     Beatle fans are some of the best folks in the world and it is awesome to get to spend time with like-minded people.    Beatlefest is full of new friends and no one is truly a stranger.    I can't wait to go again in 2016!!!!

Here I am with my Beatle buddy, who knows more about the touring years than I do (he 's the author of "Some Fun Tonight) Chuck Gunderson

My mom and I with our Beatle buddy, Dr. Kit O'Toole.  We were so thrilled that she has written her first book, The Songs We Were singing

Listen to this Podcast!

Hello friends of Meet the Beatles...for Real!    I am here to announce that I will be on Jude Southerland Kessler's podcast on Blog Talk Radio, "The John Lennon Hour" THIS Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 8:00pm central time (9:00 eastern).    


I will be telling a few more of my favorite stories from this blog and talking about the blog as well as talking about the book I am writing.    It should be a lot of fun!    I hope all of you regular visitors here can listen to it.   If you can't listen to the broadcast live, don't worry----it will be archived and you can listen to the show anytime you want.

To listen to the John Lennon Hour, you will just need to click on this link:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thejohnlennonhour



If you are just aching to ask me a question about this blog, please call in!   Once the show begins and you click on the above link, you will see the number to call.   And if any of you have a story about meeting the Beatles that you want to share...here is your chance!   It would be so awesome to hear from people who read this blog   (there are people that read this blog, right?)

So I hope you all remember to tune in on Thursday to the John Lennon Hour!


Peace and Love,
Sara s.

The John Lennon Series -- a book review

Tonight for my "Wednesday review" I am going to review the three books in the "John Lennon Series" written by Jude Southerland-Kessler.

Sara with author, Jude Southerland-Kessler at the Chicago Fest 2014

So far there are three books in the series, Should've Been there, Shivering Inside and She loves you.   And when it is all said and done, there will be 7 books total that chronicle the life of John Lennon from his birth until his death.     I am almost finished reading She loves you (on the last chapter and will finish it up tonight) and it focuses on 1963-the Beatles first U.S. visit in 1964.

I am going to be honest with all of you.   I first heard about these books at a Beatlefest quite a few years ago.   And I recall hearing about them and saying, "Oh, that's nice....but I don't read fan fiction.  I like to stick to nonfiction books."   And I totally dismissed them.    And I don't like to read a whole lot of fiction and fan fiction, especially is not for me.   But my Beatle friends, I am here to tell you that these books are NOT FICTION!    I know a lot of people online claim that they are.   I am a reading teacher.    I have a master's degree in reading and I teach genre every day.   If I had to pigeon-hole these books into a category, I guess I would have to label them historical fiction, but even that isn't right because they are really in a genre all of their own and I will tell you why.

Jude Southerland-Kessler has spend years of her life researching, interviewing people and traveling to Liverpool to tell the most truthful story of the life of John Lennon as she can.   The book is written as a novel, however the facts in the book are completely true.   Almost all of the quotes and conversations come directly from words that were spoken in interviews or written in letters.  So she did not make up the story of John Lennon's life, instead she researched it in the same way that Mark Lewisohn does his research and instead of telling it like a biography, she tells it like a novel.   Her books are well-written and entertaining.   You can tell just by reading the books that the author isn't someone who just has a passing interest in John.   And when you meet Jude in person, you will quickly see that her love for John is real.   I think the fact that I am also a big John fan is why I enjoy these books.  I am not sure if I would like them if they were written about Paul; however my mom (the world's greatest Ringo fan) also reads the books and she really enjoys them.   She has said that she doesn't care to read biographies and likes the way that the John Lennon series is read like a novel instead.

Personally, I have to be in the right mood to read one of these books.   It isn't a quick read and you have to set aside some time to read it.  The books are HUGE (in the name of 800 pages) and so they are not easy to take with you on a long trip.  They are, however all available on kindle editions, which makes things easier for travel.   

If you ever get an opportunity to hear Jude give a presentation, do not pass it by!   Jude is a very engaging speaker and she just pulls you right into the story.   If she is talking about John Lennon in Liverpool, she paints a picture with her words that take you right down the middle of Mathew Street, or if she is talking about the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, then you want to start screaming along because you think you are there.

Jude gives a multi-media presentation at the Fest in Chicago in 2013

Beatles at the Ridge -- Festival Review

On September 19-20, 2014 my  mom and I drove down to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas for a Beatles festival called "Beatles at the Ridge."    Those of you who follow this blog and know the history of the Beatles 1964 are familiar with the reason why Walnut Ridge, Arkansas is part of Beatles history as it was the Walnut Ridge airport that the Beatles stopped at in 1964 on their way to and from Reed Pigman's ranch.   It is really just a blip in Beatles history, but the town of Walnut Ridge has decided to make the most of their small Beatles connection for the sake of improving tourism to the region.  A large metal sculpture of the Beatles crossing Abbey Road can be found in the town as well as a cute shop called "Imagine" that sells Beatles items.   There is a 115-ft-long by 40-ft-wide guitar on the ground that is a replica of John Lennon's guitar in an area called the "Guitar Walk."    All of this is well worth seeing if you are in the area.   Once a year the town throws a big city-wide festival called "Beatles at the Ridge."

Beatles at the Ridge is not completely a Beatles convention.   It is very Beatles centered and there are a lot of Beatles activities and things going on, but it is also a carnival-type fest for the town.  There are booths and tents from area groups and organizations as well as activities that have nothing at all to do with the Fab 4 (such as a duck calling contest).

But if you are a Beatles fan (and I know that you are), there is plenty of Beatles fun.   My wonderful author-friend, Jude Southerland Kessler was the chair of the first ever Beatles author symposium at this festival.   She put together some of the BEST authors and speakers to talk about their books.   There also was a Beatles photo display that was extremely good, an art display by Enoch Doyle Jeeter who drew pictures for each of the songs on the Meet the Beatles album and a display called "Meet the Covers" which showed album covers that were parodies of Beatles album.   It was really fun to see!

When I arrived on Friday afternoon, the first thing I noticed was that the entire town of decked out in 1960's and Beatles theme.   Every store-front window had things like peace signs or cartoon Beatles in the windows.   There was a large cut out of the Yellow Submarine and the Cartoon Beatles and it made for a fun photo opportunity.   It was really festive and put us in the mood for the weekend!

My mom with the cartoon Beatles cut outs

After looking around for a bit and getting our bearings, we made our way into the author's room and found our friends.   Even though I had just seen everyone just a month earlier, it was great to see Chuck Gunderson, Lanea Staggs, Kit O'Tool, Jude and Rande Kessler and  Anthony Robustelli again!

My mom and I with Jude Southerland Kessler (I know I look terrible here!  I had been driving all day and just blah!)

On Friday night we heard a GREAT talk about the events of 1964 by Jude and Chuck.   This multi-media presentation was just amazing.   Both of these two authors are amazing speakers and they know their Beatles stuff!  We stuck around and listened to a band perform for awhile, but we were super tired and decided to try to get some sleep.

The Beatles statue looked REALLY cool at night!

On Saturday, we were up bright and early for a full day of Beatles fun.   At first we walked around outside and looked at the booths and venders.    We saw that Danny Donuts, who we recognize from all of our years going to the Chicago Fest for Beatle Fans (even though he doesn't know us) was running a fun children's section.   He had a bubble machine going and kids were jumping around to Beatles music.   He had a parade later in the day, but we missed that.   It looked like fun for the kids.

We had a full day of listening to the authors in the symposium because---well that is what I like to do.  But before that, we went back into the Imagine shop and talked to Carrie Mae Snapp, who as you might recall was the girl who's father took the photos of the Beatles at the Walnut Ridge airport and she touched George's elbow.   Well, she said to us, "do you want to see the pictures?" and she proceeded to pull out all of her photos from that day and tell the story to just my mom and I with more details than what I have heard before.   It was so great!  

Lanea Stagg did a brunch based on some of the recipes in her Recipe Records Cookbook that were really tasty.  I recommend "Everybody's got something to hide except for me and my monkey bread."  Then we heard Kit O'Tool give two talks--one about the Abbey Road medley and another about the top Beatles sounds.   Both of these were really fascinating and help me listen to Beatles music that I  have heard forever in a new way.   We also heard Anthony Robustelli's presentation where he stripped down Beatles music so that you just heard the harmonies or just the guitar.   It was really some amazing stuff.  If you like that sort of thing, I highly recommend listening to Anthony's radio program on Beatles a rama radio online on Sunday nights.

Then for something silly---we needed to eat, right?  So mom and I went to a local diner that was serving Beatle burgers and Onion Ring-o's.    We were laughing about that through the entire meal.

We came back to the site and got ready for the concert by Liverpool Legends (Louise Harrison's Beatles tribute band from Branson).   But before that we had to listen to this country band that was really boring.   I think they were called Rockabilly.   I do not like country music.  At all.    I especially do not like country music about food.   Yeah...these guys were tolerable for the first 20 minutes but then they went on and on.  And they didn't even sing one single Beatles song or even Carl Perkins or someone like that.   I was so bored!

Finally Liverpool Legends came on.  They sounded great.   As I have said before on this blog, I am not a big fan of Beatles tribute bands who like to act like they are really the Beatles.   The whole dressing up in costumes  with wigs and saying things like "this is a song from our first movie...."  it just irritates me.   So I disliked these guys trying to look and act like them, because let's face it---none of these tribute bands are guys in their 20's.  They are not the Beatles.   But I really enjoyed the music.  They sounded really good and I was there to have a good time and enjoy some Beatles music.  I do have to admit, the last costume the "George" guy wore was great!  

Check this out!  George totally wore an outfit just like that!

Next year is set to be even better than this years festival and there is hope for more Beatle fans to travel to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas  for this event.    So make plans now to be there!   Here are some tips for you if you plan to go---

1.  This is a FREE event.   People were asking how much it cost and the answer is nothing! 

2.   Bring a lawn chair with you if you plan on staying for the concerts.  

3.   Walnut Ridge is located in a dry county.   Yeah....that is a real thing in the United States in 2014.  There are places were you cannot buy alcohol and this is one of them.   So plan accordingly (whatever that means to you).

4.  There are not really any hotels in Walnut Ridge.  The closest town with hotels is Jonesboro, Arkansas.  I stayed at a place called the Fairview inn and suits.   It was cheap and clean, but old and little run down.  

Listen to me live on the wireless machine.

You all may or may not realize it, but this Sunday (March 9th) marks the 5 year anniversary of this blog!    It totally blows me away that I have been doing this for 5 years!   Think about that---it is the  same amount of time from Please Please me to the White album.  One of the things I am doing to celebrate this milestone is appear as the guest on Jude S. Kessler's online radio program, The John Lennon Hour.

I will be telling some of the stories that have appeared on this blog (ones that sway more towards John) and talking about photos and this blog!      I have never, ever been on the radio before.  So if you tune in, please keep in mind that I was nervous and little flustered, but I did my best.    I recorded the program tonight, and  I know I made some mistakes and tripped up a bit, but overall I think it will be good and it was a fun time.  

The program is on Beatles a-rama radio station.   If you don't listen to Beatles-a-rama, I high recommend it.   I like to put it on when I am doing things like cleaning the house or folding laundry because it makes the time go by faster and you get to hear a variety of Beatles music.  There are also some great programs on there, such as Jude's "John Lennon hour."

So tune in at 8:00 eastern/ 7:00 central on Sunday, March 9, 2014 to hear me on the John Lennon Hour!

If John Lennon was at the recording of the John Lennon Hour, I would have been much more nervous! 

The Beatles arrive in America! (by Jude Southerland Kessler)

I first met Jude Southerland Kessler two years ago at the Chicago Fest for Beatle fans.  We were both speaking on the women's Beatles scholar panel.   I felt like I was way out of my league.  I mean Jude has written two great books about John Lennon, has a popular webcast and goes around the country speaking about the Beatles.   And me?   I run a Beatles blog from my house in Illinois where I mostly scan photos from old magazines and type out stories of fans meeting the Beatles.  But Jude is such a sweet women, and she had a way of making me feel so much better about what I do and that I belonged there just as much as she did.

Jude writes for the "Do you remember" site and has written an article about the Beatles arriving in America.  I got an email this week from the site asking me to publish a link to her article.  I usually don't do that, but because Jude wrote it, I wanted to help support my fellow John Lennon lover.

So please check out Jude's article when you have a chance and make sure you look for her new book, She Loves you, which will be premiered this Sunday at the Fest.

http://doyouremember.com/beatles-arrive-america/