Rock 'n’ Roll Girlfriend

Paul, John, Cynthia, Val Christie (later Carter), and unknown 

at the Casbah Coffee Club on August 29, 1959.

“Cynthia's grown up with it, with me.”

John

“John was very wayward in those days, he didn't want to work, he wanted to play his guitar.”

Cynthia, 1995

Right from the beginning, Cynthia knew music was John's first love. When he entered their Lettering class, his guitar would be hanging over his shoulder. John idolized Elvis Presley and his mother also loved him- it was their bond that got stronger through music. When Cynthia entered John's life, she knew nothing about rock 'n’ roll. She was more into classical music. Rock and roll was still in its infancy; it wasn't long that Cynthia got quite an education on the genre by John, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison.

In a way, Cynthia was the original Yoko Ono. Yoko is famous in the Beatles’ history of sitting in during the recording sessions every day. John wanted her there and they received glares from Paul, George, and Ringo Starr. Rewind 10 years in the past since 1968, 1969: John wanted Cynthia there during practice sessions during lunchtime. This time, Paul and George did not shoot out glares. Instead, it was more friendly and all very new, plus they were all still teenagers rather than near 30’s when Yoko came along. Unlike Yoko, Cynthia kept out of their jamming and spoke when it was appropriate or offer support.

“It was a beautiful period. It wasn't just a musical convenience that put them together. By the time I saw them playing at the college, they were friends, at one with each other. They seemed to have been friends for many years. It was intuitive. George, being younger and not writing songs, didn't have the communication with them, but John and Paul couldn't stop playing together, practicing the cords of the latest Elvis Presley song, the Everly Brothers, and getting the confidence to try writing their own words. I sat there, on these 'away days’ of rehearsals, absolutely mesmerized. Their harmonies were so beautiful. John had this image of being the toughest boy in college but his music showed what all of us knew underneath. He had a gentleness that needed to come out and it did in those songs.”

Cynthia, 1985

“Right next to the art college where John and I studied was the school Paul McCartney and George Harrison went to. They were so young that they wore shorts and ties and school caps then. They used to come and we’d sit around eating fish and chips and playing the guitar together.”

Cynthia, 1996

“In those days, there were frequent meetings and practice sessions. Sometimes we’d go to John's stepfather's house when he wasn't home, climbing in through the downstairs bathroom window which John knew he'd always left open. We’d then make our way to the sitting room. There the boys would feed records into the record player and attempt to play along to the music. I was always terrified of getting caught but the boys seemed quite unworried. As for John was concerned, the only drawback was that there was never any food in the fridge and, like typical students, we were always starving.”

Cynthia, 1994

“I always got on great with the others. I was a little bit older than them, so I had that edge, and I was also John's girlfriend, so we had a lot of fun together. What John did was accepted and if I was John's girlfriend that was accepted as well.”

Cynthia, 1988

“The four of them always seemed to me very vulnerable. I was older than all of them and I felt like their big sister. I thought they needed one, although I'm pretty sure they didn't think they did. The Beatles were married to each other, and in many ways, the girls were superfluous.”

Cynthia, 1976

“I was proud of him, because I’d been there right from the beginning, whilst John and the boys were still at school and college. So it seemed wonderful what was happening to them, but John just didn't have time for us [Cynthia and Julian]. It's as simple as that. Six years’ solid work and that was as long as our marriage lasted.”

Cynthia, 1999

Whenever John, Paul, and George performed at the Jacaranda, Cynthia would hold broomsticks with microphones taped on. If a club or the neighborhood was too rough, Cynthia wasn't allowed to attend- John didn't want to worry not just for himself but for Cynthia too.

“It was pathetic, but it showed how basic it all was. There they were, about to embark on a four week stint in Germany, which was really a big deal, really something, and they were crammed against the wall in Allan Williams' club with their girlfriends holding these brooms with microphones shoved on the top.”

Cynthia

There was one interesting thing Cynthia learned about John: despite his tough guy attitude, he was a coward.

“I think because he was afraid the other Teddy Boys would beat him up. John was always a bit of a coward, you know.”

Cynthia, 1999

There was one incident where a couple of guys ragged on John and his looks. Cynthia wanted to confront them…

“I had no fear so I went for them. He dragged me out so quickly. He said, 'Don't ever do that again, they'll kill you.’ I thought it would have been him confronting them. But he always backed off from real aggression.”

Cynthia, 2005

In August of 1959, a new club in the domestic area opened up for the fledgling Beatles (not yet their band name) to play in. It was the Casbah Coffee Club, run by Mona Best. It was held in the family basement. The neighbors must have loved the noise and crowds! Mona had three boys: her eldest was Pete, who became friends of the Beatles through George and Neil Aspinall. Mona enlisted John, Paul, and George for their help to set up the new club by painting the walls and ceiling. John came with his girlfriend, who also contributed her art talent.

“It was the first step to reality of life: Mo [Mona] in her home, with a club underneath it. Any kid would have loved to have that in their house. A normal household upstairs and a rave going on downstairs.”

Cynthia

John, Cynthia, Stuart Sutcliffe, Paul, his brother Mike McCartney, George, his brother Peter Harrison, Ken Brown, Pete, and his brother Rory Best cleaned, decorated, setting up the coffee bar with coffee and soda. Because of his weak eyesight, John used a different kind of paint that did not dry quickly; it was still wet on opening night.

“I think because it was a home set-up, a home situation, it wasn't like a commercial club. It was very special. When we went downstairs, the whole set-up was wonderful- for an aspiring young rock'n'roller to have that on their doorstep and to be able to perform safely… it was safe and secure, it was part of Pete’s mum’s house. It was Pete's mum's situation, it wasn't some person from afar that was running the club. It was just a very homely, homey situation.”

Cynthia

“I remember Cynthia Lennon sitting there. She only had eyes for John.”

John Miller, a Casbah regular

“I remember the Casbah night, opening night, because we were upstairs in this house in West Derby with John and Paul, then Pete came in and I thought how much he reminded me of the film star John Chandler. What a handsome man, but so quiet, there with his mother.”

Cynthia

A year later, in August of 1960, after going through a number of stand-in drummers and Paul drumming often, The Silver Beatles needed a fifth member to go to Hamburg, Germany. Stuart was already in the band at John's insistence- despite the fact that Stuart couldn't play, but he was good-looking. Pete joined. The Jacaranda club owner, Allan Williams, was managing their gigs. Before Pete joined, Allan sent the band to Scotland as a backup band. It was John and Cynthia's first separation. Cynthia was still in art college. It was only for a few weeks; John sent her postcards. Then Hamburg. Back in Liverpool, the Silver Beatles continued to regularly play at the Jacaranda, the Casbah, and the Cavern (which will be included in the Hamburg post).

While John's music career was starting to pick up, he rarely attended college. His relationship with Cynthia was solid and steady (despite his wondering eye- more about that in another post). It got to the point to meet the family.