Another excerpt from my book-in-progress: I Read the News Today: The Beatles Phenomenon 1963-1970.
On April
23 – the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth – John was
celebrated as the guest of honor at the Foyle’s Literary Luncheon, an esteemed
event hosted each year by one of London’s oldest booksellers.
Christina
Foyle, herself, had extended the invitation for John to attend and the event
was packed with reporters, camera men and celebrities, including John’s movie
co-star Wilfred Bramble, fashion designer Mary Quant (promoter of the
increasingly popular mini-skirt), classical violinist Yehudi Menuhin and former
Goon Harry Secombe.
The
expectation, of course, was that John would give a speech that reflected the
sharp wit on display in his book. Perhaps he’d provide another news-making,
class-busting remark along the lines of his “rattle your jewelry” line during
the Royal Command Performance, or his joke about “purple hearts” in the
presence of Harold Wilson. As he stood up to acknowledge the room’s applause,
everyone was anxious with anticipation.
Glancing
across the crowd, John gave a nervous wave and said, “Thank you very much. God
bless you.” Then he quickly sat down, adding, “You’ve got a lucky face.” There
was an uncomfortable pause and then the bemused audience clapped. And that was
that.
This
time, John had made news by saying virtually nothing. Afterward, humorist and
former Member of Parliament Sir Alan Herbert leaned over to Brian Epstein, who
was seated next to him, and said: “A shameful affair, he should most certainly
have made a speech.” But recollecting the incident later in his own book,
Epstein said, “John was behaving like a Beatle. He was not prepared to do something
which was not only unnatural to him, but also something he might have done
badly. He was not going to fail.”
In her memoir, Cynthia Lennon recalled that
John was severely hungover during the luncheon due to partying the previous
night with friends at London’s Ad Lib Club. He could barely make it through
shaking hands and making small talk at the event, let alone giving a speech –
and he had had no idea that a speech was expected.
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