Two times Ringo

Meeting the model in person

John Hauge's pepper piece

WABC art contest winner

In 1964 the New York radio station WABC held a Beatles art contest and here is a photo one of the big winners.   It looks like she did a cute drawing of Charlie Brown and the Beatles as if they were Peanuts characters.   I wish the photo was a bit clearer so we could see it.    I have always liked Charlie Brown. 

Why I still love going to the Fest for Beatle fans

I have been going to the Fest for Beatles fans (also known as Beatlefest) in Chicago since 1994.   When I started going in the mid 1990's--- it was the boom years of the Fest.   Between  8,000 - 10,000 fans were there over the three day weekend.   It was so crowded!     There were two large rooms that sold Beatles memorabilia, including bootleg Cds.   This was right before Ebay took off and so Beatlefest was the only place to see most of these items.


Over the years, things have changed.   Many of the special guests have passed away, and  attendance has dropped way down.   I would guess about 3,000-4,000 people come over the weekend.   There is almost nothing left to buy in the vendor area.   The prices of the ticket to the Fest and the hotel have gotten very expensive.   And yet the Fest weekend remains my favorite time of my whole year and I wouldn't miss it for anything.   Why?


Before you roll your eyes at me and mumble something about "Oh -- she is a Beatles author now, so she gets paid to say this."   Let me make this clear.   None of the authors get paid to be at the Fest for Beatle fans.    If you buy a table to sell your wares at the Fest, it will cost as much as a 3-day ticket.   You do not get free hotel rooms or free meals or even a free t-shirt.    This year at the Fest I gave a presentation and was on two panels.    I still had to buy a 3-day ticket and wait in line just like everyone else.


So while so many people are on Facebook complaining about how the Fest isn't what it once was and vowing to never return---why do I enjoy it so much??


5.   The special guests are still pretty special.

It was a Wings reunion -- well sort of!

Leon Wildes -- I just love that man!

While the list of guests that are possible to speak at a Beatles convention is sadly getting smaller and smaller, the people that are left still have great stories to share about the Beatles.    They still have funny antidote and they still have music to share.      This year I loved hearing Leon Wildes talk.   I did get to hear him in New Jersey, but I didn't get to hear his whole talk because I was trying to sell books and couldn't leave my table for very long.    

 Wings (Denny Seiwell, Steve Holly, Denny Laine, and Lawrence Juber) was fun to watch perform.   Denny Laine's voice didn't sound very good on several of the numbers and maybe someone else should have sang a few of the songs in stead of Denny.  But---- it was still really awesome.


4.  Beatles sing alongs

With social media being such a big part of the Beatles fandom these days, the need to physically be around other fans isn't as dire as it was 20 years ago.     But there is one thing you can't do on social media that you can do at a Beatles convention:   join in a group Beatles sing along.     I can't explain how thrilling it is to sing along to the B side of Abbey Road with people that also know all the words.  To sing B-sides of Beatles or solo singles and everyone there is smiling, dancing and enjoying it.   The Chicago Fest is known for the large groups of people sitting around the hotel with every instrument you can think of singing Beatles songs into the wee hours of the morning.  



3.   Beatles art work 

Brian Epstein by Allison Boron

Every year there is a big art contest at the Fest for Beatle fans.    I can't get over how creative and imaginative Beatle fans are!    I think as fans, we express our love for the guys in different ways and I am also super impressed by the artwork fans submit into the art contest each year.     I love going into the art room and looking at each piece up close.   Eventually before Sunday comes, I will vote for my top three favorites, but honestly--- they are all winners!


2.  Letting my Beatle geek shine

Panel about 2nd and 3rd generation Beatle fans 

I really think it is fun being on a Beatles panel, but I also enjoy hearing the other  panels and AV presentations.     It isn't every day that I get to hear people talk  about the importance of Sgt. Pepper or the origins of Penny Lane.    I think about this geeky Beatles stuff every day, and finally when I get to the Fest, I get to let it all spew out with other people that have had similar thoughts (or opposing thoughts--that's fun too).     I get to learn new Beatles things and my appreciation for the band grows even more.


1.  Beatle friends

When I was in high school, I was made fun of for dressing in tye-dye and loving the Beatles.   When I went to my first Beatlefest, I finally found other people that were like me!    Luckily, with the internet, our world has gotten smaller and it is easier to find other Beatles fans out there.   But--- it is not the same as spending some in person time with other fans.   And where else can you go to meet new friends than at a Beatles convention?   You know that you have something in common with everyone there, so you are starting out on a common ground.     I often think of Beatlefest as going to summer camp.    You go there to see your old friends that you only see once a year.     I often wonder if the guys in the Beatles have any clue about the amazing friendships that have happened because of their music.  




And so that is why I keep going to the Fest for Beatle fans and why I will keep going until they close the doors on the event.     I hope there will always be events for those of us who love the Beatles can gather to share thoughts, creations, music, and stories with each other in person.    Beatlefest has a lot of flaws, but the spirit of the Fab 4 is alive and well in those of us that still go -- and that makes it worth the money for me.

No more Landmines

I think this is a cute photograph with the kids around Paul.   It looks like they did some artwork for the Landmines charity.  

Bag One art Exhibit

Lennon portrait

Pittsburgh press

Photo by Donnie Johnston

Donnie Johnston entered Conference Room A in the bowels of the arena and was struck by the room’s bland, coldly functional decor -- bare, off-white walls and steel doors. Four chairs had been placed before two drab, gray folding tables that would have been more at home loaded down with casseroles at the local Presbyterian church. Donnie assumed the venue would be a bit more regal.
Reporters and technicians were busy hooking up microphones and stringing cables across the tables.

Donnie got busy with his own bulky equipment. Once everything was ready, Donnie placed his finger on the record button and waited. He had one chance at this and he didn’t want to blow it.

Suddenly, a door opened and Ringo, John, George and Paul were ushered into the room.

No screams or gasps of excitement greeted the Beatles. Most reporters assigned to cover the event were men old enough to have daughters in the throng gathered outside. One was Kaspar Monahan, a bespectacled man in his 60s with a wave of gray hair atop his head and a deep vertical wrinkle in the skin between his eyes. He seemed to be either deeply curious or enduring a twinge of pain.

As drama critic for The Pittsburgh Press, Monahan spent the 1940s and ’50s reviewing films and visiting elaborate movie sets, where he interviewed legendary stars like Humphrey Bogart, Doris Day and Jimmy Durante. In 1938, he reviewed “The Wizard of Oz,” then playing at the Loew’s Penn (“Definitely … a picture to see,” he concluded).

Now he was stuck in a small, sterile conference room that was becoming increasingly smokey from lighted cigarettes. Before him were four odd-looking young men from Liverpool. Guys like Monahan remained certain that songs like “She Loves You” and “Please Please Me” would age like room-temperature fish. Sooner or later, America would wise up and get back to real music by true artists like Frank Sinatra and Perry Como.

In an article that fairly grunts with sarcasm, Monahan gave this account of the Beatles entrance:
“No burst of trumpets -- but, heavens to Betsy, suddenly there they are, girls -- and in the flesh. Not looking too rosy either, sorta muddy pale, and those egg-beater hairdos do nothing for them in the way of sex appeal.”

The Beatles were by now accustomed to skepticism and even mockery from the American press. As they settled into their seats, Paul whistled a tune. Cameras clicked. “Look down here, Paul,” a photographer called out. Paul was the epitome of cool. He continued to whistle. Then he began softly singing lyrics.

“Well no one told me about her,” he sang, almost in a whisper, “the way she lied.”

Few in the room could have recognized the tune -- “She’s Not There,” by another British band, the Zombies. The song was then No. 12 on the U.K. singles chart. It would reach No. 2 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100, but not until December.

Paul wore a gray-blue suit with a tie. The rest of the band wore gray or blue sport coats -- John’s being darker than the rest, and his shirt louder, with those wild blue polka dots. And, of course, there was the hair, which dropped down over the forehead before abruptly veering right (or, in George’s case, left) at the eyebrows.

Outside, thousands of fans waited for the arena doors to open. Several pressed their faces against the arena’s thick glass and peered in. They could sense something was happening. Reporters inside heard their screams and howls.

After several moments, a male voice called out, “How about the wear and tear on the clothes, boys, how many sets did you have to bring?”

And so the Pittsburgh press corps’ first meeting with the musical group that had become a worldwide phenomenon began with a question about the lifespan of clothing.

It wouldn’t get much better.

“What do you like for women’s fashions?” one reporter asked.

"I like long hair, you know,” Paul said. “And modern-type clothes.”

Another question: “How do you fellas go about writing your songs?"

"We sit down in a room and just pick up a guitar or any convenient thing," John said dryly.
"Then I go, 'Hmmm-hmm-hmm-hmm,' " Paul added.

Then John: "Sometimes Ringo and I go …” And he begins to whistle melodically.

"Would you repeat that?" a reporter requested.

"Yes, “ said Paul. “Hmmm-hmm-hmm-hmm.'"

Very cute. Kaspar Monahan wasn’t happy. He didn’t bother asking any questions. Nothing seemed worthy of jotting down. At one point, someone asked about all those buttons overeager admirers tore off the Beatles’ jackets. “Paul or John or one of them said something funny, for there was a laugh, but I missed the riposte,” Monahan wrote.

Seven minutes into the session, Donnie saw an opening. His voice rose up, higher pitched and obviously younger than the rest, the words bent by a slight Southern twang:

"Ringo, there's a rumor that you're running for president. Do you have any comment on that?"

“No,” Ringo replied, “I’m not running.”

This was followed immediately by a question about Ringo’s tonsils, and whether he’d have them removed in the U.S. (No, Ringo said, he’d undergo the procedure in England.)

Sitting in the second row of reporters was a young woman who had no notebook and was keeping a low profile. Joyce Barniker wasn’t a reporter, she was a 22-year-old recent graduate of Wheaton College whose uncle Howard Shapiro was one of the concert-promoting Shapiros. That connection resulted in a pass to the press conference and, later, a front-row seat to the concert.

Joyce had a good view of Paul. She could clearly see that, in the midst of this noisy and somewhat chaotic press event, he was doodling on a piece of paper.

What on earth was he drawing? she wondered. Joyce determined to get that piece of paper.
Flashbulbs filled the room with quick explosions of light.

Donnie raised his Brownie Starflash camera, a simple device that cost about $8. Donnie knew it made him look like a small-town hick among the professionals using more expensive Nikon models. But he didn’t care.

He moved close and popped off a few images -- George staring into the camera and smiling, John looking down with a cigarette between the fingers on his right hand, Paul leaning forward and answering a question while a man in a suit emerges from behind to offer a drink in a glass with a straw. Donnie’s images are rare color pictures of the event.

The Beatles answered random questions from the crowd of reporters for about 20 minutes. Then began the press event’s second stage. Radio reporters lined up in front of each Beatle to get brief one-one-one interviews for on-air use. After several minutes, the television reporters would get their chance.

Donnie got in line. He had a favor to ask of one of the Beatles. He’d considered asking John Lennon, but Lennon’s sarcastic wit and the withering look he shot at reporters asking stupid questions gave Donnie pause. Maybe Paul would do it, Donnie thought.

He’d have to wait, however, behind KQV’s Steve Rizen, a cowboy-hat wearing DJ proud of his Texas roots. Clutching a microphone, he leaned close to Paul and asked, “Have you ever seen a Texas hat like this before?”

“Yes,” Paul replied.

“You been to Texas yet?” And then, “What is your opinion of Texas?”

Thus began the first extensive face-to-face interview with a Beatle in Pittsburgh -- with talk of cowboys and oil wells.

During the entire press conference, Rizen’s colleague Bill Clark was stationed just outside the room, where he could look inside and provide narration, repeat questions radio listeners couldn’t hear and offer comments and observations. Live broadcasting was prohibited, but Clark’s radio audience got the next best thing.

KQV used special equipment, recently developed by ABC, that allowed the station to air its coverage on a seven-second delay. Those standing outside the arena could listen to transistor radios and hear updates about events happening inside, sometimes just a few yards and seconds away.

From where he stood, Clark could see cheering fans pressed against plate glass windows “two door thicknesses away.” The crush of people was alarming.

“Frankly,” he said, “I would very sincerely urge those of you out there listening to KQV …. that you not press that hard. You’re going to come through that glass.”

Fans outside chanted, “We want the Beatles! We want the Beatles!”

And still they pressed against the glass.

“Take it easy out there,” Clark urged.

One of the arena’s glass windows would give way that day and shatter into thousands of pieces, newspapers later reported, but no one was injured. Replacing the window would cost concert organizers $450.

The room by now, Clark said, was hot, the air filled with cigarette smoke.

Rizen had finished his brief interview by accepting a sip of Paul’s drink -- “7Up, or something,” the Beatle said.

Finally, Donnie’s turn arrived. He stood in front of Paul and made a special request: A girl named Susan from Culpeper wanted a Beatle to say ‘hello’ to her.

“Paul accommodated me in the most gentlemanly manner,” Donnie recalled.

After several minutes, the radio reporters moved aside to make way for television crews. The press conference was nearing its end.



This story can be found on this site:   http://newsinteractive.post-gazette.com/longform/stories/beatles1964/index.html

Erotic Litographs

From the looks of things, these fans were offended at all by John's artwork.

French Art

You need feet...

I really like seeing the artwork and items from the fans in the background of the Bed In photos, and this color photos makes the items very clear.   It is nice for John and Yoko to at least display the gifts while they were there.

Ready, Steady, Go!

On Friday, March 20, 1964 at 6:15pm, Beatles fans in England were treated to watching their favorite guys from Liverpool on the television program, "Ready, Steady, Go!"   Now this wasn't the first time the boys had been on this show, but it was pretty great that they took time out of making their new movie to appear on television. 

It was a pretty impressive show.  The Beatles mimed to some of their songs "(It Won't be Long, Can't buy me love and You can't do that).   John talked to the host about his new book and the guys were interviewed.   One of the highlights of the highlights of the interviews was when Cathy McGowan interviewed Ringo and one of the questions she asked him was if he was a mod or a rocker and of course Ringo answered very off the cuff, "I'm not a mod or a rocker, I'm a mocker!"   Of course this is a great line and it was included in the Beatles movie, "A Hard Day's Night."

The neat thing about the show was the background consisted of artwork of the Beatles made by fans.  As you know, fan art is something Beatle fans have made since the beginning of the fandom and it continues today at Beatle conventions.    I think having the fan art decorating the Beatles while they are performing and being interviewed is awesome!  And just think if YOU did some of the art and to see the Beatles standing in front of it would totally just put you over the moon.  

Towards the end of the program, the Beatles judged the art contest.  But they judged it in typical Beatle style, buy drawing mustaches and black eyes on the art.   Here is what Tony Barrow had to say about it:

Toward the end of the programme, the camera found Keith Fordyce standing in front of a wall covered in caricatures of the Fab Four: 'Last week we had a contest asking you to send in paintings, drawings, cartoons or photo montages of the Beatles and we got an absolutely fabulous response, 32 sack loads of entries.' To the accompaniment of their recording of ' This Boy' all four Beatles inspected the impressive selection of entries, using marker pens to add mustaches and comments here and there.  John scrawled "Buy My Book" in big letters across one and drew in a funny face on another.  Paul blackened in the eyes of a cartoon of himself.  Eventually they decided that someone named Jeremy was the winner and with shouts of of 'Good old Jerry!' John handed him a pair of albums as a prize.

This is one of the fan drawings that was in the contest and drawn on by the Beatles (I think by George).  Can you see it in the background of the photos?   It was sold at auction many years ago.

So who was this young man, Jeremy, who won the contest?   It was Jeremy Ratter who would later be known as Penny Rimbaud  who was the drummer of a heavy punk band in the 1970's called "Crass."  Strangely the albums he chose were two classical albums, which I always wondered if that was really what he wanted or if it was done for a joke.     The Beatles signed Jeremy's winning piece of art, which was his artistic take on "I wanna hold your hand."  But it is unknown what ever happened to the autographed artwork.

John giving the classical albums to Jeremy Ratter.  His winning drawing is right behind him.

The Beatles on the March 20, 1964 Ready Steady Go is a great show to watch.  If you decided to find it on youtube, make sure you look for Mal Evans totally walking in front of the camera and the host pushing him out of the way.   It makes me laugh every time!

--Information for this post was found in the article "Ready Steady Go!" by Tony Barrow published in the October 2000 issue of Beatle Book Monthly

Report back from the Fest for Beatlefans Chicago 2013

Sara's report on the Fest for Beatlefans (aka Beatlefest) Chicago 2013

People who attend Beatle conventions do so for a variety of reasons.   None of those reasons are better than the other; it is just a matter of personal choice.   That sort of stood out to me this past weekend at  the Chicago Fest for Beatle fans.   As I saw it, there are mostly three groups at the Fest.  Obviously this is a generalization and will not be completely  true.   There is one group of fans who are at the Fest for the music.    They listen to all of the bands, all of the sound alike contests and all of the musicians.    They might be a musician themselves and brought along a guitar and joined in for some late night/early morning jam sessions.    These people are the ones that you will hear saying things like, “We are here for the music.  That is what the Beatles did—make music!”      The second group are the “scholarly” Beatles fans.   These people attend panel discussions on the strange details of the Beatles.  They enjoy the lectures and the trivia.   And there is a third group of people who are simply using the Fest as a springboard to party.    They brought a huge cooler full of their favorite alcoholic beverages and are ready to drunkenly sing “Hey Jude” with those musician people.   They have little interest in attending any sessions or discussions.   They are there just for the party.

It is no surprise that I tend to fall into the scholarly type, and maybe more so this year than any other year.    Strangely I did not hear Liverpool perform at all and I did not attend any of the musicians’ forums or performances.    I did not hear Chad and Jeremy or Joey from Badfinger.    The only music thing I did (besides singing under the stairs) was attend the Battle of the Beatle Bands contest.     But you can’t be everywhere at once at the Fest, and I had to choose what I wanted to hear the most.

Let me just go ahead and get the negative things out of the way.     I go into the Fest with the attitude that I will have a good time.   I am there to celebrate my favorite subject, the Beatles, with others who also love the Beatles as much as I do.    So it would take a lot for me to say that I didn’t enjoy the Fest.    So these observations are not me in any way complaining or trying to say that I didn’t have fun.   The Fest wasn’t as well attended as it has been in years past.    The venders selling Beatles goods in the marketplace was MUCH less than I have ever seen it.     The truth of the matter is that the Fest is in need of making some changes if it wants to continue on.    As the people in the Beatles camp continue to pass away, it is getting harder and harder to find guest speakers with a Beatles connection.     There are a lot of ideas I have in my mind.  Ultimately I am scared that this trend of less people and venders is the beginning of the end and in 10-15 years there might not be a Beatles convention anymore.   The idea of that makes me so sad.   I hope those of us who love these type of gatherings can work together to make sure that doesn’t occur. 

On with my report:

Friday:

As usual, my mom and I took the Amtrak Train from Alton, Illinois to Union Station in downtown Chicago.  From there we walked to the “EL” station and got on the blue line that took us directly to Rosemont, where the hotel is located.   Well, my mom sprained her ankle a week and a half before our trip and it is still purple, so we had to move a lot slower than usual.   But we arrived and got checked into the hotel and were all set for our first day at the Fest for Beatles fans.   

We started off the festivities by watched “A Hard Day’s Night” up on the big screen.   It is always fun to watch with other fans and I will never get tired of watching that amazing film.   Then we traveled downstairs to where the art exhibit, memorabilia museum and marketplace are located.    I was able to catch up with, Chuck, who has an amazing book about the Beatles American tours (see the link at the top of this page) coming out next year.   You heard it here first…the book “Some Fun Tonight” will be THE book of 2014 for Beatle fans to get!    I was able see  the preview of the book and  was privy to some super rare photos!   Total highlight of Friday for me  (and that wasn’t even an official Beatlefest activity or anything).   

This little George Harrison doll didn't win the art contest, but was my favorite piece.

From there it was up to the room where all of the discussions were held.   I listened to talks about Collecting Beatles Memorabilia,  100 things Beatles fans should know before they die, Talking Beatles art (with the wonderful artist Eric Cash and Georgia Flood), A Culinary Tribute to the Beatles (yeah I thought it was going to be stupid, too.   But it was actually a fun presentation and the free samples were yummy).  The last thing for the evening was a discussion about 35 years of Beatlefan magazine.   What a delight that discussion was!   Being a 20 year subscriber to the zine, I was fascinated to hear how it all began and what has kept it going for the past 35 years.

Artists:  Georgina, Eric, and Deco with moderator Wally

Saturday:

The morning started off with breakfast away from the hotel with some friends.    When we returned we watched Rob Shanahan, who is Ringo’s official photographer, talk about his photographs.   Next up was Bruce Spizer talking about Vee-Jay Records followed by Larry Kane discussing his new book.    Larry Kane is a really great guy!   I love hearing him talk about his time on tour with the Beatles.   

Larry Kane:  toured with the Beatles and was the man behind the Helping Hands marathon in 1975. 

After a bit more shopping, we watched a great presentation by Jude Southerland-Kessler where she read from her upcoming book, She Loves you  while showing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show.   Then it was finally time for the reason why I wanted to come to Beatlefest so badly this year:  The premiere of the film Good Ol Freda.   As you know, I have been a Freda Kelly fan for a long time.    I donated to the campaign to get the documentary made.   This film is one of the best Beatles documentaries I have ever seen.   It was just amazing.   I will be posting more about the film and how we as fans can get the word out there about it.    The stories Freda tells in the film and the photos and everything are just so good.   Freda and the film’s producers took some questions after the showing.   I could not stay for the entire thing because I was needed upstairs for the panel I was on.

Freda Kelly and Ryan White talking about "Good Ol Freda"

I got to hear the end of Jim Berkenstadt and Chas Newby talking about the Jimmie Nichol book that Jim wrote.   And then it was time for me and the rest of the ladies of the “We’re Talking about Girls now” panel.   It was such an honor to be on a panel with such well-known female Beatles historians.   Honestly I don’t know if I fit in there, but it was good fun to talk a little about this blog and why I do what I do.     Once the panel was over with there was a fun discussion about Liverpool and its humor with Billy J. Kramer, Freda Kelly, Joey Molland and Chas Newby.   Great fun and a lot of laughs.

From there, there really wasn’t a whole lot left to do.   I am not a Martin Lewis fan, so I didn’t want to hear him speak.    So we ended up going into the video room and watching the Beatles in 1964 videos until they kicked me out.     That Around the Beatles Special is just so funny.   It has been awhile since I last saw it. 

We're Talking about Girls panel

Sunday

The last day of the Fest for 2013.    I am not sure if I can go back next August because the Fest is a week later than it was this year and most likely school will be starting back up.   Having a “real job” is a true drag at times.   As much as I like being a teacher, sometimes I just wish I could be a Beatleologist full time.

We started our day with the early bird puppet show by Mr. Puppet, Bob Abdou.     I used to think his puppet shows were a little lame and just goofy.  However, in the past 3-4 years  they have really improved.   His Beatle puppets are adorable and his jokes have gotten better.    Ten years ago I would have said to skip the puppet show, but now I try to see it ever y Sunday of the Fest.    

Next up was Jude S. Kessler again.  This time she did an outstanding presentation on John Lennon’s Liverpool.   Wow!    It was extremely moving and especially interesting to my mom and I since we were just there in Liverpool last month.   Jude is a sweetheart of a John fan and am so glad to have gotten to know her through the Fest.     

I went to the Beatles auction.   There were quite a few autographs that did not sell at all.   I bid and won the Gobel  Yellow Submarine figurines.   

With my winning item in the hotel room.

Robert Rodriguez has a new book (so many books!) about the Beatles Solo in the 70’s, and I didn’t want to miss his talk about it (since I missed it due to the Freda Kelly film on Saturday).    There was a very good discussion about the Beatles in the 1970’s, and I could have participated in that for many hours if they would have allowed it.   Next up was Al Sussman previewing HIS new book about the time in history between Kennedy’s assassination and the Beatles arrival in New York.    I left his talk a bit early to get Freda Kelly’s photograph and talk to her people about my blog.    Then Martin Lewis did a short interview with Freda.    The interview was better than last year’s interview with her, although I still think he asks some questions that are strange.   Even Freda said something along the lines of “what an odd question…” 

My mom really wanted to hear Bruce Spizer and Al Sussman’s talk about country music and its influence on the Beatles’ music.   I am not a country music fan at all, but I figure my mom sat through some topics that should didn’t like (such as the solo Beatles in the 1970’s), so I went to that with her.   It was interesting enough.

Then there was door prizes given away and I won for the first time in 15 years!   I won a Paul McCartney poster from the 1989 world tour.   Art contest winners were announced and the it was the battle of the Beatle bands.   Sadly there were only 8 bands competing this year.   I remember when there were over 20 bands.    The bands were good, but most of them used the same drummers and guitarists.    The winning band was “Ringer’s All Star Band” who sang “Never Without  You.”    The lead singer really does resemble Ringo Starr and he had his mannerisms down. 

Ringer with his All Star band

We were going to listen to Liverpool perform, but decided to go under the stairs and sing.  And so that is where I was from 9:30p.m. – 2:00a.m.,  under the stairs singing my heart out to Beatles and solo Beatles songs.    

Singing under the stairs:  have some fun tonight!

I had a great time!   It was wonderful to see so many of you who are readers of this blog.   I am a bit shy and I hope I didn’t come across as rude to anyone.     I hope some of you have found this blog from picking up one of my cards that I had lying around.   If so, then welcome to MTBRF!! 

Art Contest

Paul appears to be judging some Paul art in some sort of an art contest here.  Maybe giving the results on the radio or in an interview.    Paul was always busy doing something during the Beatles tours, wasn't he?   If it wasn't a beauty pageant he was judging it was an art contest.