Time That Was So Hard To Find

I heard about his death from Alan Rogan, who rang me early in the morning at Rod’s flat. I burst into tears, I felt completely bereft. I couldn’t bear the thought of a world without George.

When I left him for Eric, he had said that if things didn’t work out, ever, I could always come to him and he would look after me. It was such a selfless, loving, generous thing to say and it had always been tucked away at the back of my mind. Now that sense of security had gone. I was devastated. I’d known that his death was inevitable, but I’d kept hoping that, with all his money, they would find a cure for him. At the end I hadn’t grasped how ill he was as I hadn’t seen him for a few months. The last time had been at my cottage: he had phoned to say he was coming to Sussex to visit Ringo and Barbara and wanted to see me—I think he was curious to know where I was living. I was so glad we’d had that last meeting.

Danae Brook, a Daily Mail journalist whom I had known slightly, on and off, for some years, was due to come to the flat at ten o’clock on the morning George died. She wanted a photograph I had of somebody she was writing about. I was walking about like a zombie when, suddenly, she was there and wanting to interview me. I didn’t say anything to her but when her piece appeared it was all about how we had modeled together and been chums, and she had been with me soon after I received the news that George had died. I felt exploited.

His funeral was in Los Angeles. I didn’t go, but I was invited to the memorial concert, which took place a year later in the Royal Albert Hall, organized by Eric. I couldn’t go: I had booked a spiritual holiday in Peru. Instead, I watched it on video. On the day, I took myself away from the rest of the group and spent the day high in the mountains, thinking of George, the tears trickling down my face. I was happy to mourn him alone and in my own way.

You never know with grief how long it will last, but I think I’ll miss him for the rest of my life. We shared so much and grew up spiritually together and there are so many things that no one else knows about that we did together; and for many years there were so many questions I wanted to ask him and so many things I needed to speak to him about. And then there were the dreams. I would dream he was alive and I would say to him, “Oh George, it’s so wonderful that you are alive after all, this is so fabulous; I knew they had all made a mistake.” Some dreams can be incredibly vivid and so very real and then I would wake up and within the first couple of seconds I would think he was alive, and then that wave of reality would wash over me as I became more conscious. - Pattie Boyd, "Wonderful Today".

coiffet: What was your favourite clothe brand in the 70’s ?

lacey_blank: is it true that you have an affair with marylin monroe

viennadunne: On albums like Revolver and Pepper, what was the key to the drum sounds you achieved?

soulman_uk2000: hi george, you are god

— George Martin, Yahoo! Live Chat. (July 2nd, 2001)

Interview for TV Guide, May 5th, 2001

Interview for TV Guide, May 5th, 2001

— Paul McCartney, interview w/ Dominic Mohan for the Sun. (November, 2001)

— Paul McCartney, Interview by Peter Grant, April 24th, 2001

June 13th, 2001 (Greek Theatre, Los Angeles): While Brian Wilson is performing ‘God Only Knows’ on stage, he (and the audience) notices Paul McCartney has come by to see him.

More than thirty years later, I was opening for Paul Simon, which I didn’t like. It was okay to share a bill with him, but we were playing to older crowds, and that meant the first act, which was me, played when the sun was still up and the crowd was still filing in. It was hard to have a good relationship with the people in the audience under those conditions. At the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, I started the show when it was less than half full. […]

We went through some more hits: “California Girls,” “I Get Around,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” After “Add Some Music to Your Day,” we started in on “God Only Knows.” Right at that moment, the side door opened and Paul McCartney walked in. Everyone saw him. The theater erupted with applause and everyone stood up cheering for him. I saw Carnie in the audience put her hand to her mouth in shock. It was an “oh my God” moment. I waved from the piano. But waving wasn’t enough. We were going into the final verse and I changed the lyrics on the fly to “God only knows what I’d be without Paul.”

After the set Pablo came backstage. That’s what I call Paul sometimes, Pablo. I was happy to see him. He said that when he was coming up to the Greek in the limo, he rolled down the window so he could hear the music. “I wanted to hear those Brian sounds,” he said. He had a question about the intro to “You Still Believe in Me.” There was a keyboard in the dressing room, so I just played it for him. We did harmonies. It was incredible, Paul McCartney and I harmonizing on the intro to “You Still Believe in Me.” Can you believe that?

— Brian Wilson, I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir. (2016)

— Paul McCartney, interview w/ Lisa Bernhard and Steven Reddicliffe for TV Guide: Listen to what the man says. (May 1st, 2001)

The Carrot, Sussex, 2001 Photographed by Mary McCartney

Hey you know what? Okay actually can we talk about the circumstances of Paul talking about his dad’s abuse in that Howard Stern interview? Paul’s obviously in a very vulnerable place at the time, and he’s quite self-conscious as he says “he did used to, kind of, hit me.” For one, Stern repeatedly says Paul must’ve had this “perfect childhood,” which Paul tries to put a stop to it with “my mum died when I was fourteen,” which admittedly makes Stern pull up short. But the first thing Stern said after Paul revealed that his father physically abused him was “I’m glad to hear that…[otherwise] it sounds like a fairy tale life.” Which. I don’t know how many of you have had the misfortune of being abused, and I hope it’s a very low number indeed, but even if you haven’t I’m sure you can guess that this isn’t how to respond to someone saying this. Especially if this is the first time you’ve ever publicly told anyone this, which was the case for Paul. This makes someone feel like they have to defend their abuse, which is a shitty position to be put in. And indeed, the next thing Paul says is “It’s not all great.” What Stern should’ve shown him was empathy, or at the very least respect, such as refraining from cutting him off when he’s recounting an emotional and painful moment. When Paul recounts the time he stood up to Jim, Stern interrupts with “he slapped Paul McCartney?” This is another instance of Stern not being able to read the room at all. Sure, you could file this as him trying to relieve tension by making a joke, and Paul certainly spins it that way, but there’s a moment where he sort of fumbles before picking up the humor. Again, he’s making Paul feel unjustified and alienated and, dare I say, made fun of for having the courage to admit this very personal, very painful thing. Stern ends the conversation with “he slapped a Beatle.” This was also around the time when George was sick; it aired about a month from his death. Is it any wonder Paul never brought up his father’s abuse again?

Paul McCartney interviewed by Howard Stern for the Stern Show (18 October 2001).

HOWARD: Let’s go to Caroline. Caroline, you’re on the air with Paul McCartney.

CAROLINE: You’re just coming across the radio right now with such positive— you sound like you’re in a place in your life where you’re just so satisfied with everything, I had to call.

HOWARD: That’s what kills me! I’ve never met a human being more satisfied, who could have everything, yet consumption is not your major drive in life.

PAUL: I don’t know, I’m at a good point in my life. I had a lot of problems the last few years—

HOWARD: Did you have loving parents or something?

PAUL: You know, I did. Jim and Mary.

HOWARD: You had perfect parents.

PAUL: Jim and Mary, talk about even perfect names!

HOWARD: And did they talk to you? Did your father treat you like a—

ROBIN: You had a good relationship with your dad?

PAUL: Like a gentleman.

HOWARD: You were able to talk to him about problems?

PAUL: Yeah. Not sex. Everything but sex.

HOWARD: Were you able to talk to your mother and really say stuff without her making it about her?

PAUL: Yeah.

HOWARD: You had a perfect childhood.

PAUL: Yeah. My mum died when I was fourteen. 

HOWARD: That’s rough.

PAUL: It was a blow. But no, they were great parents.

HOWARD: Your dad never called you a moron over and over again, repeatedly.

PAUL: Dad didn’t, no. I’ll tell you what—

ROBIN: Did they encourage your musical talents?

PAUL: Yeah, because he was a musician himself. Our house was the only one we could go to, to rehearse. So he was cool. And he’d sit in the other room kind of listening. But you know, it’s funny talking about this sort of parents— the things was he did use to kind of hit me, occasionally. Like, that was what they did in those days. You’re not allowed to do it so much these days, but—

HOWARD: I’m glad to hear that! Sounds like a fairy-tale life.

PAUL: Yeah, no, but you know, I was— [mutters] it was not all great. But I tell you what, what comes to mind — or just the memory — of the one moment when I was about, I don’t know, sixteen, seventeen or something. And he came in with the usual stuff. He’d just sort of slap me. We’re having an argument, he’d slap me.

HOWARD: He slapped Paul McCartney?

PAUL: [joking] You know who I am? [serious] So, I just stood there — and it was like an amazing moment in my life — I said, ‘Go ahead. Do it again.’ And he was like [makes descending sound].

HOWARD: That was it, he couldn’t do it.

PAUL: And he never did it again.

HOWARD: He slapped a Beatle.

PAUL: It was, ‘Go ahead’, you know. This was it. [laughs] The record companies would sue him.

:’)

this makes me want to cry

I’m crying

He’s so cute he’s my lovely boy

😭 he’s a gift.

this is literally the sweetest thing to ever happen

GEORGE

you missed my favorite answer!

UKELELE!!!!!!!

I’M CRYING SO MUCH

AAAAA GEO I LOVE YOU

Georgie, I love you❤🥺

What do you miss most about John Lennon?

George: John Lennon

I’m crying.

@stfu-imeleven come get your George 🥺

✍️ buy ✍️ an ✍️ ukulele ✍️

Got it 👍

I’m actually crying I miss him so much

Does anyone have the source for this? Wondering if there’s anymore bits and pieces!

EDIT: I found it!  here’s the full transcript if you guys are interested!