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Dear Followers,
Do you plan to watch CBS's 50th anniversary tribute to the Beatles this Sunday night?
Like millions of other 15 year old
girls, I was glued to the Ed Sullivan Show when the Beatles made their first
American TV appearance in 1964. (In
fact, 45% of Americans who had TVs were watching.) At the time, I attended a
private all girls high school in Southern California, where we wore plaid
pleated skirts, white blouses and dark green blazers/cardigans—as well as the obligatory
lace-up shoes with ankle socks.
I was a page editor for our school
newspaper who was also a confirmed bookworm, so I had no opportunity to meet—much less get
to know or (gasp) date—boys. At that point in my incredibly awkward and
sheltered youth, they seemed like creatures from another planet. Perhaps that’s
why it was so easy to channel all those mixed-up emotions into Beatlemania.
If anyone had told me back then that
I would grow up to become a journalist who lived in London, I would have been
dumbstruck. And if they’d told me I would visit Paul McCartney at his Apple
music office, and interview him over coffee and cookies, I’m sure I’d have
fainted on the spot. But that’s exactly what happened in 1985, and I’m happy to
say that (unlike many celebrities I’ve met during my career) the experience
exceeded my expectations.
Sir Paul (he received his Knighthood
in 1997) went out of his way to welcome me to his private office—complete with
a giant Wurlitzer Jukebox. Our morning meeting flew by, but fortunately our
time together was captured by my newspaper’s trusty photographer. Thanks to his
good-natured willingness to spend a few hours with me, I now have unbeatable
bragging rights among all my former high school classmates. Lucky, lucky
me.
Marilyn
Murray Willison
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