Glasses case

Lennon

Has his hands full

Beatles '76

Photo does not go with story, but fits timeframe

This story was found in the editorial section of  the October 1976 issue of MacLen fan magazine.  Apparently in the Autumn of '76, a 16 year old held his own Beatles convention and it wasn't very good.    This is what people were writing about, but in the midst of that I found this gem of a story. 



You are so fortunate not to have gone to Beatles '76.  It was so disorganized, run by a 16 year old rude punk.  they were  to have a dancing contest but cancelled it due to no participants.   Allan Williams was there, drunk as usual!   Flea market had a few good things, but they'll be there in February.   The only good thing about this convention was the promos.

The convention was so rotten that I spent 36 hours outside the Dakota.   Saw Sean.   He looks right at you.  He was clapping, playing with his feet and laughing.   His hair is lighter now and is he big!   I didn't take any pics because I respect their wishes.   We saw him about eight times.

John and Yoko came out at 2:00 on Monday.  Does he look good!?!   We hadn't eaten or slept for 24 hours so we just sat there and said "Oh my God!"  They looked at us like "come on."  The doorman blew the whistle for a cab.  John jumped in mid-air!   Meena had an aghast look on her face, so he gave her a mocking one back.   by this time, we stood up and they were in the cab.  He waved, we did, he did, we did, they did, then we went crazy and John smiled at us as they took off 

They returned at 6:00 walking up the street.  We started to "crawl" and they both smiled.  It was sprinkling, but they took time for us.  Meeena's pen wouldn't write, so John licked it with his tongue (souvenir now).  Yoko was fascinated by a picture I had of them in April.  John looked at it and said, "What was I, drunk when you took this?"  Yoko wanted to know all about it.  She thought she was pregnant in it (she wasn't).  She was so funny.  She kept pulling on John's jacket saying, "Oh John, when was this taken?"  Like he would know, right?    When they first walked up to us, John said with so much concern, "they're still here."    In April, Yoko was the one who said that.  He just couldn't believe we'd waited in the rain for him.  Anyway, they want a copy of the picture.  I was so flattered since Yoko is a photographer/artist.  John looked at us and said, "what are you -- the new Beatle freaks?"  I've loved them since I was seven.    He said, "How old were you, 2?"  I told him since I was seven -- their jaws dropped and they both repeated, "seven!"  He things were 15 pushing 20.  He said they only  had a little time because they wanted to see Sean before bedtime.  A young boy was there and he went to shake his hand and John said, "Right on, man!"   As they were leaving, I called to John  and explained that I wouldn't be there October 9th and gave him two cards (Sean and John).  He took them, looked right in my eyes -- just like Macca -- and said "thank you."  It's not much, but for me that did it!   The nanny came out and asked if we were happy and started to laugh, saying she was glad.   She's nice after all.   She took Sean for a walk and it started to pour.  She flew across the street saying, "oh my God."   Sean is just like Daddy because he slept through the rain! 

Anyway,; John had a bit of growth of hair (a start of a beard?), tight jeans.  He looked like he lost weight and looks fantastic.  He's so nice.   So through the whole weekend, John and Yoko made mine worthwhile!

--written by Karen Blackburn (from Delaware)

What's your sign?

Dakota Time

Photo by Tom Carswell 

Photo by Tom Carswell 

Photos of John outside of the Dakota building all taken on March 8, 1977.

Walking rain

Denim Daze

Denim John in 1976

Stories about meeting John outside of the Dakota just fill me with happiness.  I hope this one makes you happy as well.

Photo by Vinnie Zuffante

Photo by Vinnie Zuffante

John Lennon

By Barb Clark

With a Little Help from my friends issue #17 (January 1977)

November 7, 1976 --NYC

Outside of John’s apartment building early that morning, we (Tempy S., Kay P, and I) met up with George Tebbens, Sharon U., and Carol and Nancy.  We all happened to be in NYC to see John and maybe George in court, for the settlement of “My Sweet Lord” vs. “He’s so Fine.”

Too cold outside to stand, we sat in our cars.  George’s car was parked in front of John’s.  We were parked across the street, wondering if he’d come out at all, it being Sunday and the weather looking down.  I kept an eye glued to the front of his house.  People came and went.  Then, there he was! I yelled, “There’s John!”  We ripped open the car doors, and not looking at the on-coming traffic, raced across the street, which explains the look on John’s face --- a bit worried that one of us would get run over.  The Chicago gang was then out of the car – John stood and signed autographs.  He looked as good as ever – dressed in jeans and a denim jacket with fur trim.  His hair was cut a bit like “Walls & Bridges” time and he was so nice.   He asked where we were all from.  I uttered “Cincinnati” under my breath.  As someone else said “Chicago,” he said “Why are you all here?”  No one answered.  Finally Kay said, “too see you.”  Yoko stood there quietly—looking a bit scared.   They posed for pictures.  John said, “Wait here, we’ll be back, you wait here, don’t follow us.”  He and Yoko turned and walked down 72^nd Street.  We watched them walk down the street.  A car had pulled out and left a parking spot almost behind George’s car, so we all spread out and stood in the space until Kay got her car.  The nanny brought Sean out for a stroll – cute as ever a getting big.  They weren’t out very long.  She took Sean back in.  We sat in our cars.  A cab pulled up alongside of us.  It was John and Yoko.  As John got out so did everyone else!  He signed autographs again.  As cameras went clicking and questions were asked, he laughed and said, “This is like a press conference!”  He wanted to know why we weren’t in school.  He was in a great mood.  A cop walked by and said, “Was that Paul McCartney?”

He came out later.  Yoko was dressed up.  They hurried and got into a cab.  We waited for them to come back.  A couple hours later they returned.  As he got out, he uttered, “You’re all crazy!”  He laughed a bit and looked up at us and repeated again, “You’re all crazy!”  As they started into the apartment he said something like, “You all go and get some rest.  We won’t be out any more tonight.”  I said “Okay John.  Goodnight.” And patted him on the shoulder.  After that we all went out and celebrated!  About 2 am we called it a night and went back to our hotel, the Holiday Inn.  About 4am this alarm went off.  I thought it was an alarm clock in the next room.  Then I woke Kay and Tempy up thinking maybe it’s a fire alarm.  I went to the door, being stopped by Tempy who wouldn’t let me open the door for anything, thinking it was a trick and someone wanted to ransack the rooms.  So we went out the patio doors.  No sign of fire.  Someone called on the phone finally and said, “get out, the place is on fire!”  A fireman came through the patio door helping us get out.  We grabbed camera first and then whatever else we could.  We went out in our pajamas and stood outside.  About 6am they sent us back to our rooms.  The fire happened to be 3 doors down from us!  We went to bed for about an hour, got up and got to the courthouse by 8a.m.  But we found out they didn’t have the trial until that afternoon.  And that George didn’t have to be there.  So we all went back to John’s.  The afternoon came.  The Chicago gang stayed at John’s while Kay, Tempy and I got a cab and went back to the courthouse only to find that George wasn’t going to show up.  The courtroom was the same one used in the promo film for “This Song.”  We got the subway back to John’s and about an hour later John arrived in a gray limo.  He signed a couple autographs and said he was tired and that he’d been at this all day.  And that was the last time we saw him.

Later we met up with Michael Stankowitz and talked a bit.  His friends and he left, and then we all went down and had pizza.  The Chicago gang then left for home.  We left the next morning.

Toward the end of the Kinfauns days

Japanese Lessons

Photo by

Sharon Uzarewicz

One of the nice folks that follow "Meet the Beatles for Real" on facebook, Christopher Lackner posted this amazing John photo in the group this week. 

He says that he purchased the photo from Sharon Uzarewicz in 1986 or 1987 for just $5.00 at a Chicago Beatlefest.    Sharon told Christopher that the photo was taken in New York city when John was either going to or coming back from a Japanese language lesson.   From the look of that jacket and hair, it seems to be spring of 1976 to me.

Paul on the run

Photo by Silvia Purbs

Dakota at night

Cars

I think these were taking around the same time.  Don't you agree?

1976

Removed by request of photographer / copyright holder.   10/10/12 :(
R. Gadye has another John Lennon photo that he took and has never published (this one taken in 1976) up for auction on ebay.   I REALLY like this one!   Do you think Yoko was cropped out?

Jeans

Here is a slightly different frame than what I have previously seen.  It is almost the same, but John has a different look on his face. 

a tired looking John

Early 1970

Thanks to the Kenwood blog!

Just John

Taking a family stroll