October 18th, 1957

On this date, Paul McCartney and John Lennon played their first gig together. It was John's group The Quarry Men and the venue was the Conservative Club in Liverpool. Paul was playing lead guitar (he didn't change to bass until years later when Stuart Sutcliffe left the band) and he apparently flubbed the solo. First night jitters.

On a personal note, the strange thing about this debut is that I was born on that very same day. I like to imagine that as I was being born in San Diego at 4:30AM, Paul and John (some seven or eight hours ahead of me) were having tea and some jam butties and thinking about their gig.

As a person completely fascinated and in love with the Beatles music and their personal story, I obviously find this to be a crazy bit of kizmat. I didn't even find out about it until sometime in the 1990's. I've also always been interested in the magic of numbers and birthdays.

So I guess it's true: Their are no coincidences.

Chapman Denied Parole Again

I was glad to see that creep Chapman was turned down for parole again. I'm not for capital punishment, but I do feel that he should stay locked up for the rest of his life. And not just because it was my favorite Beatle that he killed, but on behalf of all celebrities who are stalked by people of his ilk.

I bet Paul is breathing a sigh of relief.

I always thought it was ironic that John Hinckley who shot at Reagan (he also shot three other people, all lived I think) got off on the "insanity" bit, while Chapman, who killed Lennon only a few months earlier, got life. C'mon, they were both insane. Both obsessed with A Catcher in the Rye and celebrities (Hinckley's fixation was on Jodie Foster).

So how come Hinckley gets the "funny farm" while Chapman gets "Attica"? Maybe cuz Chapman actually killed someone. But I'd like to think that the jury was really pissed-off about a the senseless death of a Beatle.