Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Capital of America











Unfortunately there's not much to go on about John and Cynthia's adventure in Washington DC during The Beatles First US Visit in February of 1964. They traveled by train to the USA’s Nation Capital with Cynthia wearing a dark wig so she wouldn't be recognized by fans. Although John did teamed up with George Harrison, and Ringo Starr on some antics for the press that were traveling along (Paul McCartney was not in a good mood to joke and social), he hung out with his disguised wife for the four hour trip. On February 11th, was the train ride and the Beatles’ concert at the Washington Coliseum, their first concert in America.

“At the end of their fortnight in America, a showbiz bible Variety declared that The Beatles had ‘shattered the steady, day-to-day domination of made-in-America music here and abroad’. At home in London a Fleet Street journalist called me: ‘I hear Paul married Jane Asher in America. She was seen with The Beatles in a wig and dark glasses on several occasions.’ Not so, I assured him. The mystery girl was Cynthia, John's wife…”
Tony Barrow

During the Beatles’ performance at the Washington Coliseum, Cynthia sat with George's sister Louise (who came to New York after getting word that George was sick with the flu and took care of him) to watch before they went back to New York for Carnegie Hall before flying down to Miami Beach, Florida. After the concert, the Beatles made an appearance at the British Embassy, mixing in with political satire. It didn't go well, needless to say. The rich Diplomats condescendingly demanded autographs and one snipped off a piece of Ringo's hair without his permission. They told Brian never to arrange something like that again. I don't know if Cynthia was there. Anyhow, John had enough and left early while Paul, George, and Ringo politely stuck it out further. Interestingly enough, later on John would get extremely political! I would say that the trip to Washington DC was a good 24 hours visit.  

"I was sitting next to Cynthia and we were both kind of sitting there with goosebumps, listening to the tremendous amount of vibrations that were in the theatre. For she and I, sitting together, to think that it's our guys that is all for was wonderful"
Louise Harrison Caldwell, George's sister

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