Massive Crowd

 

Getting Off

 

England to Austria

 

Wild Birthday Night

Stephanie La Motta

Stephanie La Motta was born in July of 1959 to Jake and Dimitria La Motta; Jake was a professional champion boxer. Stephanie was an actress, musician, model, boxing and fitness instructor until she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1979. Stephanie started to date Ringo in October of 1979 after meeting at Tramps nightclub. They traveled to Vienna, Austria and Greece but after returning to London, they saw little of each other.

Ringo and Stephanie in Vienna, October of 1979

"You know, I'd never noticed that until today. I just used to be in Tramps and that's where you would meet people. I was sitting at a table when the manager came over to say that Ringo wanted me to go and join him at his table. He didn't know who I was and he was curious. I told the manager that I was a lady and if Ringo wanted to meet me, he had to act like a gentleman and come over to my table. He came over apologised and introduced himself. He was so funny. We dated regularly for about six months. It was a wonderful time for me. Ringo is a beautiful person - he really is. He makes you laugh all the time. I cried my eyes out when we parted."

Stephanie La Motta, 1982 

"Our affair was crazily happy, yet tinged with sadness. I think I left a little of my heart with Ringo and that I am still a bit in love with him...I loved Ringo for his mind, his cute ways, his funniness, his great warmth. On our third day together we felt we had known each other all our lives. We were so comfy together. Like my favourite movie star Humphrey Bogart - I've seen Casablanca 23 times - Ringo is the sexiest unsexy man I've ever met." 

Stephanie La Motta, 1981

Julian and Stephanie went to see Billy Connolly in concert at Cambridge Theatre in London and went to a nightclub with Pamela Stephenson, December of 1981.

 In 1981, she was romantically linked to Julian Lennon. They met through mutual friends at Tramps (she sure liked going there and meeting romantic flings).

"I met Julian through a mutual friend of ours. We sat talking in Tramps, the London club, for about three hours and I had no idea who this kid was."

Stephanie La Motta, 1982 

It was pretty much around the exact anniversary of John's death and Julian was still very much grieving. Stephanie at first didn't realize Julian was John's son and questioned why Julian looked so sad, full of sorrow. Julian told her who he was.

"I said I was really sorry, that I didn't know - and I started to cry."

Stephanie La Motta, 1982 

Julian ended up comforting Stephanie. 

"He said he felt we were going to be friends for a very long time."

Stephanie La Motta, 1982 

At the time, Stephanie was going through a music phase - she was in the recording studio for her one and only single I'm Here At Last (with B side So Forget The Past). Julian often accompany her to the recording studio. He was originally going to sing on the B side but it didn't happen. Since childhood, Stephanie played music as a child piano at 5, guitar in teens. had a group The Feathers until multiple sclerosis diagnosis. 

"I'd do anything for him. He was in the studio every single day, rooting for me. He kept running in the door, kissing me on the cheek and telling me I could do it, then running back again behind the glass!"

Stephanie La Motta, 1982

However, their brief romance pretty much ended when it started as Julian already was in between two serious relationships with Sally Hodson and Debbie Boyland.

"Julian — well he's just a good friend. He's someone else with a lot of problems, though. I guess I understand people like that. Julian gets followed around by loads of hangers-on. London is like that. It's such a false place. If you have money or a name then everyone wants to know you. Julian's wise, though, he knows that. I saw him only a few weeks ago. He was going on holiday. The thing was I couldn't stand the way he looked like a clone of his father. I told him to cut his hair off and throw away those glasses, because the only way you're going to make it in life is to be yourself. And do you know what - he cut off his hair and threw away his glasses. I told him: Go on vacation and get away from it all, take off your father. And he did it!"

Stephanie La Motta, 1982

Cynthia, Zak, and Maureen 

Peter Stringfellow and Maureen celebrating Julian’s 19th birthday 

On April 8, 1982, Julian celebrated his 19th birthday at Stringfellows in London. with a singing telegram girl, champagne flowing, custard pies were thrown, and a white horse came with Stephanie riding it. Cynthia, Maureen, Zak, Lulu, John Entwistle, and Sian Adey Jones were among the guests.

"At his 19th birthday party he was presented with a white horse at my club. I'll always remember because it did its business on the edge of the bar. Julian was like a son to me and I named a drink after him – the Blue Julian." 

Peter Stringfellow, 1995

In 1984, Stephanie founded Death Row Dogs Rescue, saving animals from dire situations. She married Jacques Dreyfus in 1991. Lives in New York City. 

Bring the Wives

Hard Rockers

Julian attended the opening of A Hard Rock Cafe in New York City on March 12, 1984 with Isaac Tigrett, Maureen Starkey and her children, Jason and Lee.

Island Hopping

January 12 - 23, 1966

Maureen and Ringo leading the way with John and Cynthia behind through Heathrow Airport to board the plan to Trinidad & Tobago on January 12, 1966.

The Lennon and the Starkeys were neighbors and hung out just about everyday. Naturally they decided to take a vacation abroad. There's been talk that this trip was a distraction for George and Pattie's wedding to be private. It didn't really work... But, anyway, I don't think anybody complained about the idea to take a vacation! Someone told John about Trinidad and Tobago near South America as John was thinking of going somewhere warm, sunny, and quiet place to relax. On January 12, 1966, they departed from London Airport to Piarco International Airport, which took 12 hours arriving on January 13th.John, Cynthia, Ringo, and Maureen stayed at the Arnos Vale Hotel in Scarborough, Tobago. The following day, they went shopping where they bought steelpans, textiles, and knick-knacks. They also listened to local music.

An orange and yellow Italian glass vase bought while John and Cynthia were in Trinidad & Tobago, January 1966.

"This ornament was bought by John and myself (along with another in the shape of a fish which has since been broken). We bought it on the holiday island of St. Vincent with Maureen & Ringo. It took pride of place in our bedroom at Kenwood."

Cynthia, 1996

John, Cynthia, Maureen, and Ringo on the beach near their hotel in Arnos Vale Bay, Tobago, January of 1966

For almost two weeks, John, Cynthia, Ringo, and Maureen hiked the trails, visited other islands like St. Vincent and the Grenadines, went fishing, swimming, sight see - John even stepped on an urchin and had to get medical help to remove the spikes! At one point, while on the beach, they obliged the press with photos, hoping they'd be left alone during the remainder of their vacation. John, who apologized to the press for being late, and Ringo engaged with local fishermen, even pulling their boats to shore. After the press were satisfied with their photos, they took their leave; one journalist turned around for the final time to witness Ringo lifting his sunglasses to kiss Maureen while John was ducking Cynthia in the water by grabbing her ankles. While lounging at their hotel, they played Monopoly.

"We went fishing. John, Cynthia, Maureen, and I were on holiday in Tobago. We went fishing. That’s just what we did when we went on holiday."

Ringo Starr, 2013

John and Ringo with products from Monopoly while in Trinidad and Tobago, January of 1966.

"We were on holiday here. And we were having a good time. The four of us always went on holiday together. One time we went to the Spanish Islands. George and I went to Canada once. We were playing Monopoly here, and it looks like I won! I often won."

Ringo Starr, 2013

“On holiday, we always went with another Beatle.” 

Ringo Starr, 2013

"On one holiday- Maureen, John, Cyn, and I went to Tobago and John had just got contact lenses and he dropped one; it came out in the swimming pool. We spent about three house in the pool looking for this damn contact! We didn't find it obviously."

Ringo Starr, 2004

"We'd been already with Paul and Jane to Greece [in 1963], we buddied up for a while [the Virgin Islands in 1964]. And Maureen and I went with John and Cynthia to Trinidad and Tobago in 1966. I never really went on holiday with George."

Ringo Starr

Cynthia, Maureen, Ringo, and John sightseeing in Young Island, St. Vincent and the Grenadines on January 22, 1966 

Photographed by Geoffrey B. Nanton

Near the end of their stay at Trinidad and Tobago, John, Cynthia, Ringo, and Maureen met up with Prime Minister Dr. Eric Williams and his daughter Erica at the Crowne Point Hotel. They had lunch and went on a hike, including visiting Bloody Bay and the North Coast. When hearing that George Harrison and Pattie Boyd got married on January 21st, they sent a congratulatory telegram. On January 23, 1966, they left the islands to return home in England.

Patio

 

Sightsee

 

Sunbathe

 

Warm, Sunny, and Quiet Place