Beverley and Paul July 1967

 One of the first things I posted on this site in 2009 was the "Lost Little Girl" story.   The "Lost Girl Tapes" were a Beatles bootleg of a recording a fan named Leslie Samuels made in July 1967 when she went to Cavendish and Kinfauns with a tape recorder and spoke with Paul and George.   

I was obsessed with those recordings.  I couldn't believe that a fan could go onto the property of a Beatle house and talk to them.  I was amazed that Jane Asher served Leslie and her friend lemonade while Paul chatted away with them.   I listened to that Cd over and over again and even made a transcript of the recording.    

Toward the end of the Paul section, you hear a 4th female voice.   You hear Leslie ask the girl for her name, and she says, "Beverley."   She asks how she got there, and Beverley says, "My Grandmother."   Then you can tell that Paul and Beverley leave and then Paul returns to say goodbye to Leslie and her friend.  

So, for at least 15 years, I have wondered, "Who was Beverley? Why was she there that day? Was she a fan?"    I came across a photograph of a girl in pigtails that looked to have been taken on the same day Leslie met Paul.  I knew the girl was far too young to be Leslie or her friend (plus, she didn't look like either of them).  Was she Beverley?   The photo had more questions than answers.

Thanks to Guus at the Solo Beatles Forum -- I now know who Beverely is and why she was on the Lost Girl Tapes!  Thank you so much Guus for solving a mystery.  

Beverley  Sayers was Paul's housekeeper at the time, Mrs. Mill's granddaughter who came to London to visit relatives and stayed at Paul's house in July 1967.   She IS the girl in the photograph and she was at Cavendish when Leslie made her unforgettable trip.

Here is the news story from Herald-News from Passaic, New Jersey which was originally published on August 7, 1967.

Paul and Beverely Sayers 

Lions Head Lass Spends Week in Beatles Home 

Written by Bea Klacsmann 

Beverley Sayers, 11-year-old daughter of Audrey and Charles Sayers, 16 Claremont Terrace, Lions Head Lake, is the Envy of Beatle fans all over the world, for she not only met their idol, Paul McCartney, but actually stayed at his London home for an entire week. 

Beverley is the granddaughter of Mrs Lillian Mills (her mother's mother), who for the last six months has served as housekeeper for the bachelor member of The Beatles, who resides in a 29-room mansion in St John's Woods, London. 

Paul presented his small admirer with several presents, including five pounds in English money to do some shopping, many small gifts of dolls and the like, several autographs, and one of his latest recordings,  "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."   Beverley admits, however, that she liked their earlier recordings more, and this is a "little far out." 

The youngster, who was born in England, has just returned from a five-week visit to relatives and the London suburbs. She traveled on the plane with a family friend, Alan Hayes of Pompton Lakes, and alternately visited relatives: the Brian Mills and Peter Mills families of Ashford, Middlesex, the Leslie Flowers of Stanwell, and the Raymond Coleys of London. 

Beverley's first disappointment was when she took a whole roll of pictures of Paul and the family pets: "Martha," the English sheepdog, and "Thisbey," the cat and her three kittens. Something was wrong with the camera, and the pictures didn't turn out. However, Paul came to her rescue and had pictures taken of his young visitor with himself and his family. 

The young girl had already become used to the mod fashions of London, for her English relatives were right in style with their miniskirts and bright colors. According to Beverley, "Only the old people of London dress like we do here; all of the young people are in mod-style dress. The family attended a wedding where the groom wore a red shirt with orange flowers, bell-bottom trousers and sandals. I saw many of the young men with shoulder length hair tied with a ribbon in a ponytail and most have long droopy mustaches." 

McCartney, when he went out on an evening date, according to Beverley, wore a bright green velvet button-up jacket with bright orange velvet bellbottom slacks. One of his Hobbies is painting in the garden, but instead of scenes or portraits, Paul uses tubes of bright colored paint and pastels to draw geometric designs on his shirts ... no pictures, just different colored lines, dots, x's and squares. 

"His shoes he also paints and bright colors, and when he goes out he wears sunglasses with one purple and one yellow lens," she said. 

On the pictures with Beverley he is barechested and wearing light baby blue bell-bottom trousers with brightly colored designs of children playing all sorts of games. 

Beverley said there are at least 20 girls, ranging from 14 to 24 years old, who are always on the street outside the house. 

Mrs Mills has become a celebrity in her own right and receives her own fan letters and gifts as McCartney's housekeeper. 

Beverley reported that McCartney's home consists of four floors with two kitchens, one on the main and one on the second floor. There is a winding staircase and an enormous ballroom that Paul uses as his rec room, two TVs, a built-in record player and movie screen, and all sorts of recording devices. It was here that Paul showed Beverley home movies of himself and the other Beatles. 

According to Beverley, McCartney drives a dark green Mustang with black bucket seats. However, he also owns an antique Model T Ford which he is having refurbished and painted in various bright colors. 

Beverley was sorry not to have meant the other Beatles. She just missed Ringo Starr whose car was pulling up to the gate as she was leaving for her return to the United States. 

The Sayers family came to this country from England when Beverley was two and they resided at Lions Head Lake for the past 7 years. Beverley, who is entering the 6th grade at Schuyler-Colfax Junior High School in the fall has two sisters, Laurie,4, and Jane,1.

Just Call me "Lucky"

Just Call me "Lucky" (Finding a Beatle in a Haystack)

By Vickie Smallwood

The Harrison Alliance Issue #82

October-December 1992

To borrow an often-used song title, "With a Little Help From My Friends," Barbara Pazmino and I were able to attend the Dylan Tribute Concert on October 16 (1992). We had no intention of really looking for George because, with everyone in town at once, one might say it would have been like looking for a Beatle in a haystack!

We had met up with friends from Chicago and Cincinnati that weekend and sometimes luck is on one's side. And this was one time that we really walked into a windfall! Passing by one of New York City's more luxurious hotels on Sunday afternoon, we happened to spot a small band of faces, some of them familiar. That was all the encouragement we needed to join them to wait and see what would happen next. Our wait wasn't very long, as who should be the two next people to stroll out the door, but none other than Olivia and Dhani Harrison! Even if you didn't recognize Olivia, there's no mistaking Dhani. While Dhani has his mum's coloring, he's George all over again! They stopped for a brief moment and smiled at us. it was just long enough for those of us with cameras to take one quick photo.  They got into a van and drove away.

We waited for what seemed like forever when finally, after what felt like weeks on end, George came out. Up close, you could see that he had gained a bit of weight and looked better than ever! He also looked like he had a more healthy color to his face. 

Unfortunately, for the few of us that are truly fans, there always seem to be a couple of "rotten apples" that have to spoil things, and they all rushed over to George. Anyone's chance of ever asking for an autograph were instantly ruined. Some of us did manage to get a couple of quick photos as he got into a van. As the van pulled away from the curb amid shouts of "Great show, George!" and "Hope you tour soon, George!" much to our delight, George blew kisses to the ladies gathered on the wall. From then until the van was out of sight and out of earshot, "We love you, George!" rang out in the frosty air. 

Joanie and George

 

Maybe one of these dancers is Joanie?

I know this type of story—those of girls who went on a date with one of the Beatles while they were on tour—is pretty popular on this site.   I found this one in a 1973 issue of the Harrison Alliance.  It is obviously a re-print of something taken from 1964, but I don't know where it originated. 

It is a story about a woman named Joanie Sannes, who was a dancer at the Whisky a Go-Go.  I could not find very much information about Joanie,  not even a photograph.  The writer is Pauline Best, who I also could not find any information about.    

Update: Obadiah McDougall Jones found pictures of Joanie!  So now we know what she looked like!  Thank you!!

Joanie Sannes, as told to Pauline Best - August 1964

"In some way, George is the most handsome of the Beatles, but ... I sort of go for Ringo." Lovely 22-year-old Joanie Sannes sat in her Hollywood home staring at a picture of the most famous singing quartet in the world. Her remark was startling because Joanie had just had the unbelievable good fortune of being George Harrison's date at the first party the Beatles had given in Hollywood. 

"George is a real swinging type. He drinks wine and beer - sometimes, he has a glass of each. He's got kind of a devil-may-care approach to life in general, but he's really kind and sensitive."

"The party was a fabulous success," she continued. "Stars and celebrities from all over Hollywood had come to meet the Beatles and stayed till early next morning. I stayed with George most of the time but got a chance to meet and talk to everyone.

"The whole thing was like a fairy tale," she remembered. "I never had swooned over Elvis or anyone else in my life, but the Beatles are different."

Joanie is a professional dancer at the Whisky a Go-Go and has taught people like Steve McQueen, Lana Turner... "But dancing with George was so different," she said, "I was so nervous and excited, but it was wonderful! After the party, George thanked me for coming and said he had a 'fab' time. I was thrilled!"

"I thought I'd never see the Beatles again, so you can imagine my delight when they came to the Whisky the next night. I could hardly keep time with the music—that's how excited I was. And I didn't dream that the dancers would stop and crowd around them. I dance there six nights a week, and lots of movie stars come in, and nothing makes those Watusi dancers stop. But they did when the Beatles came in.

 "George was so cute that night. You see, I dance in a cage high above the dance floor. Well, George came up there just to give me a kiss on the cheek! It was a friendly kiss, very sweet, almost innocent, and shy. 

"When I finished dancing, I came down and joined them all at their table. There was a railing near the booth, and some of the girls were pulling so much at Ringo that he had to grab hold of the railing, or else he would have been pulled away. Finally, they pulled so hard that the railing broke. I picked up the piece that Ringo was holding and took it home with me. It's my most valuable souvenir.

"George and I danced quite a bit, but I also danced with Ringo."

"After the nose had settled down, George and I began to talk. He said he was thrilled to see so many famous stars. Then someone said that the stars were more thrilled to see the Beatles. George couldn't believe it!"

"About this time, the boys suggested that we all go back to their house and continue the party. It was wonderful being in the house, especially for the second time. We talked some more, and I got a chance to dance with Ringo again.

"Now the boys have gone, I have only memories of the two greatest days of my life. But I do have that piece of railing. And all the boys sent me a lovely telegram, saying how much they enjoyed meeting me and hoping that they would see me again. I hope we do meet them again. I liked them all so much. No matter what happens all my life, I'll remember them."

Breath Away From Heaven

 

I knew that George and Olivia enjoyed visiting Fiji in the late 1990s/early 2000s (see photo), but I never heard this story about George's last public performance before.   While I do think most of this story is true, I have a really difficult time believing that the songs George played were "In Spite of All of the Danger" and "Cry for a Shadow."  It sounds like someone got a copy of Anthology 1 and just named the first two songs credited to 'Harrison'  off Disc 1.   I don't know ---  What do you think?

Breath Away From Heaven (Was George's Last Public Performance Near To Heaven?)

By Patti Murawski

The Harrison Alliance Issue #105

March-April 2002

Ex-patriate Collin McKenny lives and works in Lomalagi, a resort she owns on Vanua Levu in Figi. A refugee from corporate America, Collin acted on a dream in 1996, and after finding just the right site in Fiji, built a beautiful resort which so aptly reflects its name which means "heaven" in Fijian. Just a few short years after the resort opened, her life crossed with George's and Olivia's in a way she couldn't have imagined. 

For quite some time, the Harrison had been visiting Fiji as a stopping point between their homes in Maui and Australia. The local media was bursting with stories that the Harrisons were visiting various spots on this island nation, talking to developers, and looking to buy property in Fiji. 

Collin shared her experiences with me [The Harrison Alliance], a story of George's generosity and, remarkably, a story about a gathering in a small village that just may have been George's last public performance.

George and Olivia went for a stay in Fiji at Lomalagi (lo-muh-LONG-ee), a small resort situated on a working coconut plantation overlooking Natewa Bay on Vanua Levu. Lomalagi has spectacular views and is quite secluded, the latter being a quality that wasn't wasted on the Harrisons. 

"It was April or May 1999, for five nights. They visited Fiji at least once a year and were considering buying property here, " said Collin. But up until that point, the Harrisons hadn't invested in land. "They had been disappointed a couple of times, feeling that the settings weren't tropical and green enough. This was their first trip to Vanua Levu, which is much more lush than most other parts of Fiji.

"George and Olivia were looking at real estate in Fiji because they liked the idea of having property halfway between their homes in Hawaii and Australia. 

"They found us through our website! Goerge's secretary made the booking through a travel agent," she recalled. 

"I got a call at 6:30AM on the morning they were due in on the domestic airline they were scheduled on. They had decided to charter a plane from them because they didn't want to wait around for the scheduled flight at 8:00AM. By the time they scurried around fueling the plane and locating a pilot, they got to Savusavu airport about 20 minutes before they would have arrived on the scheduled flight. 

"Everybody in Savusavu knew they were going to be at Lomalagi," she said. "But privacy is very much respected here. Celebrities who come here are never bothered in any way."

Collin said the Harrisons were the only visitors to the resort for part of their stay, and although they were enjoying their quiet time, they often joined her for lunch and dinner.  "For several meals, it was just the three of us. We had many nice conversations at lunch and dinner."

"They took a lot of walks on the beach. All beaches in Fiji are public, and at low tide, you can walk for miles. Our beach is a mix of coral sand, shale, and lava, fun for beachcombing."

The Harrisons had friends staying in Fiji at the same time they were there. Actor Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, as well as Gavin DeBecker, were in the area.

"Hanks was in Fiji filming the first part of Cast Away.  George and Olivia made plans to have lunch with Tom and his wife on their last day here. I tried to subtly suggest that they all have lunch here at Lomalagi, but there was a guy here from LA, Gavin DeBecker, who does security work for celebrities, so they had lunch at his house instead. George and Tom were good friends. I don't know how far the friendship goes back, but I do know it was a strong one."

Collis also recalls Dhani phoning and asking to speak to his parents. "Their son was at college at the time, somewhere on the east coast. One afternoon, he called for them (the villas don't have phones), but they weren't close by, so his message was, "Just tell my mom and dad that I called and that I love them very much." I thought that was so special. "

After a few days at Lomalagi, George and Olivia asked if they could visit the local village of Nasinu, about 3 km from the resort by beach and 15 km by car. "The chief asked if he could tell the people in the village who he was. Everybody knows the Beatles, even in a remote Fijian village! George graciously said yes, but asked that there be no photos taken. 

"When we arrived, they had a big area set up, with mats and cushions for all of us. Tea was served. The Fijian men performed a meke, a beautiful choreographed Fijian war dance, complete with warrior costumes and war paint. They looked very fierce! The meke lasted for about 30 minutes. 

"George didn't stick around for tea! As soon as the Lomalagi Band Boys (a group of local musicians that regularly entertain at the resort) sat down with their guitars and ukelele, Geroge immediately jumped up from where we were sitting and joined the boys on the mat-covered ground. 

"The first thing he did was to take the ukulele and start playing a Beatles song! The villagers went crazy! He then played chords with them while they played and sang Fijian songs. A bit later, he borrowed one of the guitars and again played some Beatles music. George played with the boys for more than an hour.

"The rugby coach went running off and when he came back, he was waving a Beatles cassette. Apparently, he had seen the Beatles perform in New Zealand many years ago. 

"The musicians' guitars and ukelele were very old and pretty beat up. About six weeks after George's visit, a huge box arrived containing three guitars, a ukelele, small percussion instruments for the band and for the school children, and lots of extra guitar and ukelele strings. 

"Later, two more packages arrived a couple of weeks after the guitars and ukelele. In one of them were a dozen Beatles cassettes for me; that was a fun surprise! George also sent a package of cassettes to the rugby coach!"

I asked Collin if she recalled any of the songs that George did at the village. She couldn't remember but asked the Lomalagi Band Boys if they did.  "Two songs they remember are 'Cry For a Shadow' and 'In Spite of All the Danger.'"  I told her those were pretty unique choices and probably were never performed publicly before. "Our lead guy found the two song names on some of the cassettes Geroge sent me! George sang some other songs as well, but those two, for sure, are remembered by Leraki!"

During our discussion, it occurred to me that this impromptu concert was probably George's last known live public performance. Later, I researched it carefully and discovered that with the exception of some private parties for the birthdays of a couple of friends, I had been correct in my assessment. Collin was stunned. "Wow, that gives me the goose bumps! Last public performance. What a legacy we'd have here."

Collin ran into George again at the airport in Savusavu about six months later. In the fall of 1999, the Harrisons were still looking to invest in property in Fiji. Accompanying George was Gavin DeBecker. 

"I was at the airport waiting for a flight, and he came in on a helicopter. He'd been looking at an island that was for sale," she recalled. They had made an offer on a 25-acre island between here and Savusavu town just before George was attacked in his home in England. After that, they withdrew the offer.

"He spotted me, walked over, and gave me a hug and a kiss! He was a lovely man."

Collin had one last story to relate about George. 

"Right after George died, the Lomalagi Band Boys had performed for our guests and were sitting on a platform down below the dining room. They frequently do this -- play and sing while we are at dinner. The ukulele George sent was on the deck, in front of one of the boys. All of a sudden, a coconut dropped from a tree high above and crunched down on the ukulele. We now have it hanging on the wall in the dinning room."

https://www.lomalagi.com/

At Rehearsal With Paul

 "At Rehearsal With Paul- May 7, 1976"

The McCartney Observer #23 Winter 1983

Written by Pat Sudds

As a teenager, I worked as a volunteer at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit for the Red Wings hockey games. After doing this for 5 years, my friends (4 of us all together) and I got to know all the other staff...i.e., concession people, maintenance people and doormen, etc...quite well. By this time, I was 19, and we were getting ab it braver with our free entrance privileges. The bright idea occurred to us to try and get into rock concerts dawned on us slowly. we found that the doormen just let us walk in, thinking we were going to work that night. Of course, we had to show up at our usual time of 5:30-6:00 to make it work. 

On May 7, 1976, I met my friend, Fran, in the parking lot as arranged. Our other friends, Barb and Sandy, wanted to wait until the Saturday show to go. From previous experiences, we knew that almost all the other bands didn't show up until just before showtime and stayed completely out of sight behind the stage (Alas, we had no backstage friends to risk their necks for us!)

Once inside the building, our usual habit was to go to the executive offices and talk to the girls that worked there (sometimes the stars came in and they had gossip to report). As we headed for the stairs, I told Fran that someone was tuning a piano. She says, "So?" I was quite excited becaues the equipment is usually all set up to go by the time we got there. She pushed onto the offices. The girl on the switchboard told us that they were late getting the equipment from New York and were still setting it up. Fran looked at me with an I-told-you-so look. I persisted in checking this out (could be cute roadies). She gave in (to shut me up), and we went into the arena at the end opposite the stage.

Immediately, we noticed people on the stage, and they did not look like roadies! As we walked closer (ran closer?), we realized it was Paul, Linda, and Wings. Paul was at the piano. By the time we got up to the stage, he had left the piano and walked over to a guitar, picked it up, and strapped it on (his bass, I think). He had on a blue Hawaiian-style print shirt and jeans. I must admit that I could not tell you what Linda and the others had on as I never took my eyes off Paul.

Then, if all this wasn't enough (I really expected to be chased out of there), he spoke to us! He asked us to sit down, and they would play us a tune as the equipment just came in from New York, and they wanted to check the sound out. I looked around with a "Who me?" expression, and he gestured to the seats, and I realized he meant us!!

As they started to play, I remembered I had brought my trusty Kodak Instamatic along, just in case. I got it out and held it up tentatively. I did not want to offend Paul by taking pictures without asking. I guess this was my lucky day. His answer was to WAVE at me. So, I snapped while he mugged for my camera. 

They finished playing, and we clapped, and he said, "See you at the show," or words to that effect, and headed off the stage. 

After reading other accounts in "The McCartney Observer," I can really identify with the other accounts of not knowing what to say. I could just kick myself now for not saying something. But I was in a fog. Actually, I do not remember all the details of the concert because I kept returning to events earlier in the evening. 

Anyway, after he left, we rushed back to tell the switchboard girl about it and giggled, pinched ourselves, and giggled again until concert time. 

The next day, after hearing of our good fortune, Barb and Sandy tried to get close to the stage before the concert (although no one was on it), and the lightman told them to get out; no one was allowed in. After discussing the light man with them, Fran and I ascertained that he was there on our night, too, but let us go by without a second glance. Perhaps we looked more business-like, or he thought we really were working there!

I have taken that as a sign of fate, that we were just supposed to be there on Friday and have a special, private concert with Paul. 

Unfortunately, my pictures turned out to be as wobbly as my knees! Also, as I knew of no fanzines or that other shared in my Beatlemania after it was over, I never wrote everything down, and I cannot for the life of me remember what he sang to us (although I do remember that they ran the "Band on the Run" video on the big screen while he sang to test it out).

But, I know who it is in the photos, and I can remember how he looked at me and sang to me, and no one can take those few special moments away from me. 

In Quest of a Teenage Phenomenon

Photo  by Scott C. Dine (St. Louis Post Dispatch photographer)
The apex of a Beatle fan's career -- Miss Gale Wachsnicht touches Ringo's sleeve. George follows John in a rear door escape from their Chicago motel.  "I grabbed George," Gale said breathlessly, "just a couple of seconds before the policeman grabbed me."

 

In Quest of a Teenage Phenomenon – the Beatles

By Sally Bixby Defty

St. Louis Post Dispatch

August 27, 1965

 

“I touched them!  I touched all four Beatles with this hand!” Miss Barbara Ziegenbein gasped as her idols sped away from their Chicago motel to a doubleheader at White Sox Park.  To touch even one Beatle requires the resilience, imagination, and raw courage of James Bond, Barb, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ziegenbein 111 Five Meadow Ballwin, had spent three months planning the feat. She and Miss Gale Wachsnicht, whose parents are Mr. and Mrs. Henry Washsnicht 10334 Oak Avenue, Overland had obtained tickets in May.

Craftily, they wrote to the five swankiest Chicago hotels saying they would be in Chicago the weekend of The Beatles’ arrival and did NOT want to be involved in mob scenes.  “Please assure us that the Beatles are not staying at your hotel,” the letter concluded.  The one hotel that did not reply was obviously their target, the girls reasoned.

“It’s not sex,” the girls explained.  “The Beatles are just cuddly.  We’d like to do their laundry for them – things like that.”  When asked who was her favorite, Barb answered, “First I  liked Paul best, then John’s book came out and I loved him.  After I saw “A Hard Day’s Night” I liked Ringo the most. Now that I I’ve read the book by their manager, Brian Epstein, I kind of go for HIM.” 

Having received a tip that these mid-century phenomena, would be staying at the Sahara Inn near O’Hare airport, I decided to accompany the girls in their quest last week.  I arrived at the motel to find them casing the layout of the sprawling Sahara.  Eager-eyed teenagers filled the corridors.

A porter confided that the Sahara was already planning to sell the Beatles’ sheets at $1 a square inch.  (The girls ended up such friends of the head maid that they were given free swatches of both Thursday and Friday night sheets).

Many informants believed that the Beatles were to stay on the sixth floor of the motel tower. The junior detectives telephoned all rooms on the sixth floor, but received no response we decided to investigate via the fire escape under cover of darkness.

As we crept to the fifth floor, Barb spotted a ladder leading to a parapet on six. We climbed up gingerly only to find the sixth floor was under construction. In the inky blackness we debated whether to tie a rope to a stud and slide down the outside of the building to rap on a Beatle window when they arrived.  Gale sighed, “Oh, if they only knew what we go through for them!”

All kinds of girls came and went during the long vigil in the parking lot. There were cleanout girls in madras shirts and denim skirts, Courreges girls in white boots and short dresses belted at the hip, and a trio with long, straight hair, tight white Levis, black leather caps and jackets and pale impassive faces so tough they scared me.

It was after 4a.m. when, without fanfare, black limousine glided to a stop before the motel and was immediately buried under ecstatic girls, including Barb and Gale.  After police scraped fans off the car, out came the real live Beatles:  first Paul (the cute one), smiling and gently raising his finger to his lips to quite the crowd; then George (the man of mystery), Ringo (the Chaplinesque Beatles) and John (the thinking girl’s Beatle)  (John has just published his second book ‘A Spainard in the Works’ which has been called the teenagers introduction to James Joyce.)

Girls stuffed themselves into the Cadillac to breathe Beatle air.  A tiny blonde ran up to me glowing and said, “Look! A chewing gum wrapper from the floor!” I started to examine it and she cried, “Don’t unfold it!  THEY squashed it up that way!”

I awake the next morning to find a sea of teenagers on the parking lot waving, shouting or just staring at the fifth floor.  By early afternoon they had become a formable force which broke police line as if it were a daisy chain.

So Barb and Gale sneaked around to the back door and when the Beatles emerged the girls had their idols almost all to themselves. They returned dazed and weak in the knees.

“I got to touch Ringo!” Gale said, “and then I grabbed George!” Though a policeman had pushed her to the ground to disentangle her from George, her current favorite, it was an experience of a lifetime.

At the concert at White Sox Park the screaming rose to an excruciating pitch   as the Beatles trotted from the dugout to a stage set up on second base.

Leonard Berstein, who considers the Beatles’ music an art form, listens to them in person with his fingers in his ears.  I discovered that the conductor of the New York Philharmonic knows what he is doing.  A gentle pressure on the ears muffles the piercing yells so that one can faintly hear the twang of guitars and the beat of Ringo’s drums.

Though a few girls wore “Please don’t scream – sing!” buttons, most of the audience of 30,000 shrieked as though in agony.  Weeping, shaking their heads with faces contorted, fists clenched, they screamed in staccato barks of pain.  Barb explained it, “These girls have been waiting so long – they just love the Beatles, they’ll never love anyone else, and at the same time they know they’ll never get close to them and it’s all in vain.”

Paul, smart and well-groomed in striped shirt with a stiff white collar, tie, and well-cut navy suit, appeared poised and cheerful at the press conference. Ringo, dressed in a wide stripped T-shirt and jacket, looked indescribably woebegone. His eyes and his eyebrows slope down toward his earlobes, the mouth droops, and that nose….

When asked why he always looks so sad, Ringo answered, “Thot’s joost the way the face works.  Ah’m really quite hoppy inside, it just doesn’t show.”

George, a distinctly lupine young man with a mouthful of crooked teeth, said that in Houston teenagers had broken police lines and swarmed over and under the airplane.

“When I saw them lyin’ on the wings smokin’ I thought we were dead for sure.” He said in a soft Liverpudlian burr.

Philip G.D. Adams, the British Consul-General made his way to the front of the room. “I do beg your pardon,” he intoned in a Rule Brittania voice, “but do you chaps consider that you do a good job for your country?” John leaped to his feet with a fixed toothy grin and a snappy salute.

As the Beatles nodded their assent to the question amid general laughter John shot a level glance at the British official and quietly asked, “Do you?”  

"Like a Dream"

Jacqueline Best (teacher), Brid Hennessey, Jordan Johnston, Jacob Wiener, Kaleb Walker, Noah Simpson
Faith Harriman, Daniel Reeves, Livvi Webster and Andy Riek (teacher) meet Sir Paul McCartney. Picture: MPL Communications

 The following story comes from the Sunshine Coast News and was published on November 6, 2023.  I could not find the author of the story.   I want to send my congratulations to these students and their teachers.   What an amazing unforgettable opportunity for them. 

A talented group of students lived a Beatles-worthy dream on Saturday as they rocked out with the legendary Sir Paul McCartney at his Gold Coast concert.

McCartney, a living legend and one of the most influential figures in the history of modern music, welcomed the members of Suncoast Christian College’s Senior Band, a group of eight exceptionally gifted students, to an exclusive meet-and-greet session.

The students had the unique opportunity to share a few moments with the former Beatle, exchanging stories and inspiration with one of the world’s greatest songwriters.

This once-in-a-lifetime experience left a lasting imprint on the young musicians and the entire school community.

“The entire day was like a dream, I couldn’t believe we got to meet such a huge musical legend,” said Jacob Wiener, a piano player and vocalist in the group. “Sir Paul McCartney is my ultimate lifelong musical hero and it was the opportunity of a lifetime!”

Principal Greg Mattiske couldn’t hide his enthusiasm.

“This was an absolute ‘Helter Skelter’ of excitement for all of us here at Suncoast. To meet a living legend like Sir Paul McCartney was a privilege and an honour,” he said.

Music teacher Andrew Reik, who encouraged the group to apply, said he hoped the experience would inspire the students.

“The dedication and hard work of our students paid off brilliantly,” he said. “Meeting Sir Paul McCartney was a major testament to their talent and effort, and I have no doubt our incredible students will go on to achieve great things in the world of music.”

The eight senior students won the prestigious Frontier Touring #GotBackToSchool competition, which granted them a ‘ticket to ride’ into McCartney’s sound check at his Gold Coast concert.

The students’ remarkable rendition of McCartney’s classic Maybe I’m Amazed showcased their talents and dedication, after forming the band and mastering the song in just two weeks.

The band, which includes members who play drums, piano, bass and guitar, along with a lead singer and back-up vocalists, clinched the top prize from a competition pool of more than 40 music classes across the country.

The win included an exclusive photo opportunity with the former Beatle, access to Sir Paul’s sound check and 40 coveted seats at his concert.

“Sir Paul has been a source of inspiration for me as a person and a musician,” Jacob said.

“He’s undoubtedly one of the greatest songwriters of modern times.”

Mr Mattiske expressed his pride in the students.

“This achievement is a testament to the students’ skill, hard work and dedication,” he said.

“We are delighted to see them receive such a well-deserved opportunity to meet a music icon like Sir Paul McCartney.

“It’s inspiring to see artists like Sir Paul encouraging the next generation of students.”

Music teacher Jacqueline Best also shared her enthusiasm.

“This win underscores the dedication, passion and musical talent of our students, and it highlights the incredible opportunities available to students at Suncoast Christian College,” she said.

“This extraordinary experience will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on the young musicians and inspire them to pursue their dreams in the world of music.”

Another member of the winning group, Faith Harriman, revealed their aspirations beyond school.

“Sir Paul McCartney is a huge inspiration to all of us, and this win has motivated many of us to consider pursuing careers in music beyond our school days,” she said.

How I Got George Harrison's autograph (a fan story from 1966)

 

Just a week before this story, George was in San Francisco

Sometimes the most charming stories of a fan meeting a Beatle (for real) can be found hidden in an auction listing.  Often to verify an autograph as genuine, the seller writes out how the autograph was obtained.   That is the case with this story.   The seller's name was not listed, but she included her story along with her diary pages.  

How I got George Harrison’s autograph

 

In 1966 I was 13 and lived in Hinchley Wood, not far from Esher where George Harrison lived at the time.  I was a massive Beatles fan!

On 2^nd September my friend Linda and I went to the shops.  I then walked home, crossing the road by the traffic lights next to the EFS petrol station.  I saw a black mini with tinted windows with George Harrison at the wheel.  There was no self-service back then so his window was down.  Star-struck as I was, I could still see he looked like he had a raging hangover!  I was entirely overwhelmed, but very polite, and asked him if he was George Harrison.   He said, “If you want an autograph, no, but if you’ve just come to say hello, yes.”  So I lied and said I didn’t!

I went home and told everyone including Linda who lived nearby.  Also, a Beatle fan, she was naturally really jealous.

The next day she and I walked to the shops together to buy her Beatles Monthly (I had mine delivered).  On our way home – incredibility - - George Harrison was getting petrol again, this time in his green Ferreri with Patti.   He gave us the autographs I claimed not to want the previous day, and a smile!  Linda’s was on her Beatles’ Monthly (my turn to be jealous!) and mine on a scruffy piece of paper. Whether it was mine or George’s I can’t remember.

Like a real teenage stalker, I wrote everything in my diary – including the car registrations! 

Famous Father Girl

The following is an excerpt from “Famous Father Girl,” by Jamie Bernstein. Copyright © 2018 by Jamie Bernstein.

Eventually, word got back to John Lennon — or to his manager or press agent or somebody — that Leonard Bernstein was thinking about possibly setting some of the “In His Own Write” poems to music. This led to Daddy being invited to meet Lennon backstage during a dress rehearsal for “The Ed Sullivan Show.” It was by now the summer of 1965, and the Beatles were returning to the U.S. to make their highly anticipated second Ed Sullivan appearance. Naturally, our father asked if he could bring his two older children with him to the rehearsal.

We were going to meet the Beatles!!!

Daddy drove us into town from Fairfield. I was painfully conscious of the fact that I had braces and still didn’t shave my legs. What hope did I have of getting any Beatle to fall in love with me? Our father was summoned backstage first, while Alexander and I remained, perplexed and frustrated, in the theater seats watching a tedious rehearsal of a comedy duo who thought it was funny for one of them to wear a Beatles wig. Finally an usher came to escort us through the grimy backstage corridors of the theater until we were in front of a door with a star on it. The usher knocked.

No actual event in my life would ever be more exciting than the seconds containing that anticipatory knock, on that particular door, on that particular day.

The door opened and there they were: John, Paul, and George. But no Ringo. Why? Because the other three had been eating hamburgers with onions, and any Beatlemaniac worth her salt knew that the two things Ringo hated most were onions and Donald Duck, so of course he’d gone off to a less smelly room.

Alexander and I were introduced, and shown to chairs. I was seated next to Paul, who went to the trouble to be friendly and ask me some polite questions. (I have since heard many similar reports from people who met the Beatles; Paul was a gent.)

Daddy was sharing cigarettes with everyone and chatting away with them as if they were old friends. Maybe we sang them a round of “Moldy Man”? I don’t remember. I was in a coma of awe.

The three Beatles had an interesting argument about whether to put on their signature suits for the rehearsal. John and George didn’t want to. Paul said, “Come on, lads, it’s a dress rehearsal! We ought to be dressed, then!” (Once again, Paul was the one behaving like an adult.)

On our way out, the usher knocked on the adjoining dressing room door. We heard a muffled “Come in,” and when the door opened, we saw two feet in red socks on a cot; the head of the bed was obscured by a locker. But when the body wearing the socks sat up, it was a sleepy Ringo; we’d woken him up from a nap. Sorry, Ringo!

The next day, back at my day camp in Connecticut, there was all-out pandemonium when the girls found out where I’d been the day before. Sometimes it was purely great to have Leonard Bernstein for a father.

Birthday party memories

Paul and Delphine at his 22nd birthday party in Sydney 

 

With Paul heading to Australia this week, I thought I'd look at information about when the Beatles traveled to that continent in 1964.   I watched a documentary from 1994 called "The Beatles Down Under"  and discovered this story from the blond girl in these photos, Delphine Dockerill (age 17).  She entered a contest to win an invite to Paul's birthday party. 

"I won because I was able to tell a white lie and I think it appealed to the judges.  I said I used to play with Paul as a child in Liverpool and I'd like to see if he remembers me now how I am today.  In fact...I'd never been to Liverpool."

"I liked Paul McCartney.  He's the one I remember dancing with a great deal of the night.  I can say Paul was a very good dancer."

"We did dance slowly but I can't comment on anything else.  That's too far in the past."

Meeting Richard

 

Photo and Story Posted on Facebook by Bobby Chirmside:

This is my first post to the group and I warn you it's going to be a long one but worth reading. In 1978 I was Road Manager for Bruce Springsteen. We were playing multiple nights at the L.A. Sports Arena and I had never seen so many celebrities at any of Bruce's shows. Max Weinberg informed me that Ringo was coming to the show on this particular night. The band were freaking out. We had never met a Beatle before. Max gathered the crew and told everyone no antics tonight, don't embarrass me in front of Ringo. 

About 30 minutes before doors opened the head of security came to me and said Ringo has been going around to your crew guys and taking their laminate passes. If the guys don't have passes, they might be thrown out. Well, in a panic I went to Richard. He had asked us to call him Richard, not Ringo. I noticed he had about 20 or more of our backstage all-access crew passes around his neck. I explained the situation and asked him for the passes. He laughed and said no way they were his. I explained one more time it was crucial for me to get the passes back to our crew. Once more a laugh and a no way. I told him I was going to turn him upside down and shake him until the passes came off. Once again he said, I'd like to see that. So, I picked him up, turned him upside down, and shook him for a bit. He was laughing his ass off while our drummer Max was having a heart attack watching me do this.

 Anyway, it all ended fine and Richard/Ringo came into Bruce's dressing room after the show to take this picture. That's me on the far right with Ringo's finger extending my smile. What an unbelievable night 

From sorting fan mail to seeing Abbey Road being made: my life as a teenage Beatles employee

 https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/24/from-sorting-fan-mail-to-seeing-abbey-road-being-made-my-life-as-a-teenage-beatles-employee?fbclid=IwAR1poeeJzUNdEe3gge4YOLIC-67vAPZkGv9fjRXH5E7ck0OiFJPQIr69hjQ

Merele sitting at John's desk in his Apple Office on Savile Row in 1969.

I briefly spoke to the author of this artile, Merele Frimark when I was writing my current book "Dear Beatle People:  The Story of the Beatles North American Fan Club."  I thought her story was extremely interesting and I am happy to see that she has written some of her story for The Guardian and also publish some of the photos she took for the Official Beatles Fan Club in the United States.   Only 2 of her photos (2 of John Lennon) were sold through the club.   Other photos she has taken have been leaked over the years (incorrectly said to have been taken from Yoko Ono's stolen camera).  So few photos are available of The Beatles recording Abbey Road, so these are amazing.   

Merele had a very interesting story in the Official Beatles Fan Club in the United States.   If this story interests you, then you might be interested in buying a copy of my book.   I currently have hardcopies and paperbacks available directly from me.   Let me know if you are interested in buying one.   beatlesbusch66@gmail.com

Photos are taken and belong to Merle Frimark

From sorting fan mail to seeing Abbey Road being made:  my life as a teenage Beatles employee

Written by Merele Frimark

The Guardian

August 24, 2023

On the afternoon of 23 July 1969, I was a nervous 18-year-old American on my way to EMI Recording Studios on Abbey Road in St John’s Wood. Inside, the Beatles were putting the finishing touches on the song Come Together which would end up on Abbey Road . An endless stream of pilgrims would soon arrive at the pedestrian crossing on the cover, and the studios would be renamed to match.

As I entered, I heard voices and wailing guitars. Their assistant Mal Evans greeted me and put me at ease. John, Paul, George and Ringo were scattered around the studio. The place was bustling, with crew setting up, moving equipment and microphones, placing towels over the drum heads. Then came the introduction. The boys – as everyone seemed to refer to them – were reminded that I was from the New York office. They all smiled; I felt warmly welcomed. Then they got down to business. Not wanting to be intrusive, I took some candid photos; I was by no means a professional photographer, and this is the first time they’ve been published.

How did I get here? Two years earlier, I was a young fearless teen growing up in Queens, New York, who wanted to be Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane.  I had been to both Beatles concerts at Shea Stadium in 1965 and 1966, and was totally enamoured the minute their songs began playing on the radio and their now historic February 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Mine and so many other lives changed forever in that moment.

In high school, I heard the Beatles had an office in Manhattan. I took the subway to the office building in the heart of Times Square and took the elevator to the 18th floor. The sign on the door read Beatles (USA) Limited and Nemperor Artists, Ltd. I knocked and went inside. “Hi, are you here to be interviewed?” asked the woman at reception and I immediately said yes, having no idea what I would be interviewed for.

They were looking for teens to help sort the sacks of fan mail and hired me immediately. Each day after school I would hop on the subway and go to the office, and after graduating high school in 1968, they offered me a full-time job. I will never forget the excitement the day the demo of Back in the USSR arrived in the office before it was released – we were all so thrilled and played it immediately, over and over, blasting it out.

In July 1969, I paid to take a two-week vacation to London. I spent time in the Savile Row HQ of Apple Corps, with fans waiting outside for a glimpse of any Beatle that might pop in. I watched the moon landing on a small black and white TV at the office alongside Donovan.

Then Derek Taylor, the Beatles’ press officer and a great mentor to me, arranged for me to go to EMI Studios, and in I wandered. Bearded George, dressed in blue jeans and matching shirt sat atop the organ; John in all white, with beard and beads, sat in front of the drum kit area; Paul was dressed casually in a white T-shirt and barefoot, constantly moving around the studio, with Ringo in bright red trousers at his drums. George Martin was there too, checking just about everything.

As they began to rehearse sections of Come Together, Paul seemed to be taking the lead. At certain points he would stop, suggesting “it’s four beats, Ringo,” and walk over for a pow-wow: “All good.” Paul and George harmonised together as George worked on his wailing guitar solos. John ran his fingers along the neck of his guitar as he tuned up.

Paul was the most animated that day; John was rather quiet as he had recently returned to the studio following a car accident in Scotland. I brought some white flowers for him and he placed one on the amp next to him. George remained rather pensive, while Ringo had great patience and calm.

I continued to tiptoe around. Trying to take it all in, listen to what they were playing while being invisible. I made eye contact with John and Paul a few times. I remained cool and smiled. Time stood still.

It was time to leave. I waved goodbye and ventured out and down those famed steps.

At that time, I had no idea what was to come: Within a year the band would split up.

In 1970, with the breakup imminent, I left the New York office (though I remain in touch with my former office mates to this day). Fate continued to shine on me, as my maternal grandfather predicted. A Russian immigrant and musician in the early 1900s, he would tell fortunes and read tea leaves, and my mother asked him if her very active little girl would be a musician. He replied: “No, she’ll be involved in show business, but behind the scenes.” Not wanting to influence me, my mother hadn’t told me this. I then took a job at one of the city’s top theatrical PR firms, working on the original Broadway production of the musical Hair and more – the start of a successful career in entertainment marketing and PR.

Later, in August 1980 while biking in Central Park, I happened upon John sitting on a bench with his baby son, Sean. I approached, said hello and chatted for a bit. He was so very happy. Four months later he was gone. What a privilege and honour to have come together with him and his bandmates for that brief, momentous time in history.