Beatles FAQ

Mimi never formally adopted her nephew. He came under her guardianship following a complex sequence of events. In 1940 Julia Lennon gave birth to John. At the time she was married to the biological father (Alf aka Freddie Lennon) they were effectively separated. In fact they had never had a joint home together. Julia initially brought up her son by alone, working in bars and cafes to support him. In 1945, she had a second child, Victoria. The father, a Welsh soldier, soon disappeared out of the picture. This time Julia put her daughter up for adoption. A suitable home? Towards the end of 1946, Julia further scandalised her family when she took up with John ‘Bobby’ Dykins, a wine steward at the Adelphi Hotel. The couple moved into a tiny flat in which there was literally one bed. Cohabitation outside marriage was still a major taboo but would not in itself have been of interest to the authorities. The couple sharing a bed with a child did raise concerns. Mimi reported these to the socia...

Ringo Starr has a baritone voice with a limited range but a distinctive tone. Though not usually identified as a vocalist, he has sung regularly throughout his professional career.

John Lennon  first discovered  The T ibetan Book of the Dead  in  the Indica Bookshop, hang out for London's grooviest tambourine shakers in the mid-60s.  John began to scan the shelves. His eyes soon alighted upon a copy of The Psychedelic Experience, Dr Timothy Leary's psychedelic version of the Tibetan Book of the Dead.  John was delighted and settled down on the settee with the book. Right away, on page 14 in Leary's introduction, he read, 'Whenever in doubt, turn off your mind, relax, float downstream.' He had found the first line of 'Tomorrow Never Knows' .   Many Years From Now  Barry Miles Did Lennon understand what he was singing? Though intellectually curious, Lennon always cheerfully conceded that his research tended to be haphazard.  In  Anthology , George Harrison dismisses Lennon's knowledge of Indian mysticism:  I am not too sure if John actually fully understood what he was saying. He knew he was onto something ...

 

  The most famous photo in the history of pop music was what artists call a 'happy accident'. 

For a drummer who supposedly could not sing, Ringo was frequently called upon to carry a tune.

  A special Christmas present

I wrote that in my front parlour in Forthlin Road. I was about 16. 

  In Glass Onion John Lennon writes 'Here's another clue for you all/The Walrus was Paul'. What did he mean?

Of all the women who married a Beatle, Maureen Starkey came closest to fulfilling the job description as seen my the average fan. Not mildly posh (Cynthia, Patty) or intimidatingly foreign (Linda and Yoko) she seemed to have risen from the ranks of the fans.  While the future Mrs Ono-Lennon claimed to have somehow missed Beatlemania, Maureen had been there from the outset - and had the bruised shins from rivals to prove it. If the dream was to to be serenaded by a Fab -then she was living it. Only that was never the deal Chez Starkey. Though well suited in fundamental respects, their record collections were mutually exclusive. Ringo was rock and roll man - with a long standing sideline in country and western. Maureen was much more old school - a lover of crooners  swept both her homeland and her adopted one. Her story is that she arrived in  It is true that her modernist musical set - John Cage and company - were not believed to be first first in line at Shea Stadium. It'...