Jude Southerland Kessler

Now and Then

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I’ve just been listening to “Now and Then,” the haunting John Lennon song which was enhanced by the other Beatles and ultimately scrapped during the Anthology sessions. And as I listen to the lonely, dark lyrics and solemn sound, I keep whispering to John, “Be present, be present.”

 

John was so rarely present. In his Spector-ized Rock’n’Roll LP and in the fan-produced version of “Now and Then,” (LISTEN HERE) he’s so far away, removed, absent from the moment. It was his way. He constantly distanced himself from his true sound, his true self, his true feelings.

 

After the loss of his mother, Julia, the second time — when death took her in July of 1959 — John “hid his love away” and withdrew. For days, he was physically cloistered in his Mendips room, refusing even to eat. And when at last he emerged, John was no longer the incorrigible little boy who had pulled faces at Mimi and Ge’rge and pretended to be “The Famous Eccles.” He was a bitter and cynical teen with “a chip on his shoulder…bigger than his feet.” The new John was a stranger, even to himself.

 

In the years that followed, he rarely let “the former John” shine through. He protected himself in a thick, snarking, leather-jacketed armor that shielded his feelings, protected his wounds, and separated him from anyone or anything that could “get at him.” Cynical, angry, tough, and guarded, John employed every screen that would defend. He adopted a persona that kept people at arm’s distance. John Winston Lennon was not present.

 

Double-tracking his voice to the point of sounding as if he’s in another room, stepping farther and farther away from the microphone and vanishing into a sound box far across the hall, John slipped into a seclusion that eventually led to “house husband,” to towered genius, to recluse. He was present only to the few that he trusted. And even then…he watched his back.

 

That’s the legacy he leaves us in the haunting “Now and Then.” He sings, “But if you have to go, away, if you have to go…Now and then, I miss you.” And instantly we’re there,  standing shoulder-to-shoulder with that wounded, broken teen whose mother was capriciously in and out of his life, whose mother was here and there and gone again, whose mother was finally violently taken — when he needed her most.

 

That hurt never turned into acceptance. That wound never healed.

 

John was quick to tell Astrid after Stu’s death that she had a choice to make. She could die with Stu or go on living. It was her choice, John said. But strangely enough, John had already made the choice to bury himself with Julia and to become a different soul: a soul bound in invisible armor.

 

Are you that soul? Am I? Are we so far removed that our voice comes drifting in from another room? Are we so shielded from the many who’ve wounded us that we no longer let anyone love us, really? Are we so scared that we anticipate being abandoned and stave off the pain before it can even begin? Do we wound others before they can wound us? Do we fear being present?

 

Now and then…I do.

 

Now and then, you might, too.

 

I wonder what John would do if he had the chance to do it all over again. I wonder: Would he love more, embrace more, relish more, enjoy more, open up more, feel more, surrender more? Or would he say that being absent was just the ticket?

 

I lean closer to the computer speakers. I strain. I listen to his haunting, distant sound. And then, I reflect, now and then. I wonder.

 

You can listen to John’s demo of “Now and Then” HERE.

 

 Jude Southerland Kessler is the author of the John Lennon Series: www.johnlennonseries.com

 

Jude is represented by 910 Public Relations — @910PubRel on Twitter and 910 Public Relations on Facebook.

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Instant Karma or Instant Nirvana

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What are you waiting for? When will you use…

 

  • The “good china and crystal”
  • That lonesome dining room
  • That special, expensive outfit you’ve been saving

 

What are you waiting for? When will you…

 

  • Buy the dream house you’ve always talked about…or at least try to
  • Go on that vacation the two of you have always planned
  • Go to THE FEST FOR BEATLES FANS

 

For 31 years, I taught aerobics and for 31 years, people sheepishly said to me, “I want to take your class…and I will, when I lose weight!” WHAT??? Wasn’t taking my class THE way to lose weight? Wasn’t that what my class was all about? What were they waiting for? I never knew.

 

For 25 years, my Office Manager at the Independence YMCA in Kansas City told me that she and her husband were going away on a magical two-week cruise. And each year, they postponed…until the day that she found him collapsed on the kitchen floor. Three days later, all hope of a cruise was gone.

 

For 14 years, my mom said that she wanted to go back to New York City one more time. And then a heart attack took away her option.

 

What are you waiting for?

 

Robert Ingersoll once famously said, “The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here.”

 

And John Lennon warned us:

 

Instant Karma’s gonna get you
Gonna knock you right on the head!
You better get yourself together…
Pretty soon you’re gonna be dead.
What in the world you thinking of
Laughing in the face of love?
What on earth you tryin’ to do?
It’s up to you, yeah you!!!

 

Wise man, John.

 

So here’s the bottom line: In 28 days, Beatles fans from all over the world will be gathering at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago’s lovely suburbs.

 

We’ll gather to listen to the lads’ music being broadcast over that elegant hotel’s sound system, to sit by the open fire in the Red Bar and reminisce about our “Hard Day’s Nights,” and to sit in the lobby – all of us singing the old songs to a spur-of-the-moment band of guitars and tambourines.

 

We’ll shop in the huge Marketplace for t-shirts, bracelets, rare photos, old books, and collectibles. We’ll dance the night away to the sounds of amazing Beatles cover band Liverpool. We’ll sit in on panel with Beatles experts Bruce Spizer, Chuck Gunderson, Kit O’Toole, Al Sussman, Jim Berkenstadt, and Susan Ryan.

 

We’ll hear presentations from revered authors Robert Rodriguez, Anthony Robustelli, Lanea Stagg, and Dave Schwensen. And we’ll get our groove on in the exciting new “FABoratory” where Beatles Yoga, creative art projects, and live music is only the beginning of the fun.

 

You could be there. You could go crazy at the Saturday or Sunday night concert with Mark Rivera, Billy Kingsley of The Merseybeats, Terry Sylvester of The Hollies, and the ultimate rocker, Mark Hudson!

 

You could wear ‘60s clothes and meet the former head of Apple Records, Jack Oliver. You could chat with charming Ivor Davis, who toured with The Beatles in 1964. You could talk face-to-face with the charismatic man who brought The Beatles to America three times, Bob Eubanks. You could grab a Starbucks and watch all the Beatles movies your heart desires or introduce yourself to Ringo Starr’s photographer Rob Shanahan while you enjoy his amazing photos of Ringo, Paul, and so many others.

 

Or… it could be the weekend you clean out the garage and sleep on the sofa to re-runs of “The Big Bang Theory,” all the while promising yourself that next year, you’ll make The Fest happen.

 

The choice is yours.

 

The last thing my mother taught me was this: You may never get another chance. Follow your dreams now. Right now.

 

Instant Karma or Instant Nirvana? Choose.

 

 Jude Southerland Kessler is the author of the John Lennon Series: www.johnlennonseries.com

 

Jude is represented by 910 Public Relations — @910PubRel on Twitter and 910 Public Relations on Facebook.

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Say The Word…Love!

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For a great majority of Beatles Fans (the Boomer variety), these quotes from John and Paul are oh-so true. The golden thread of memories we share with loved ones is, in many cases, longer than the days that unspool before us. We’ve been blessed with a joyful past – rich and full. And you know that can’t be bad! But there’s a flip side to that bounty of yesterdays.

 

In the last couple of months, my Fest Blog has included a final, loving tribute to Cynthia Lennon and one for John’s sound engineer, Dennis Ferrante. And in the year ahead, we’re sure to say goodbye to more of that original group who made up The Beatles Family. It’s that “time of the season,” and we all know it.

 

I was mulling over this situation last week – thinking how very sad it is that, in most cases, we only express how much people have meant to us when we’ve lost them. Then we scramble to write eulogies and memoires. We publish favorite photos on Facebook and place stuffed animals beside lighted candles. We pause to pay homage. But unfortunately, these tender tributes never reach the ears of the departed.

 

Too little, too late.

 

So…for the next two weeks, I’m encouraging you to “Say the Word…Love!” to someone you cherish. You might speak to:

 

1) A teacher or mentor from long ago who challenged you to become your best, who molded you (intentionally or unintentionally by a quote, deed, or direction) into the person you are today
2) A faithful friend who’s always there for you…the person who’s your “thick and thin, Stu Sutcliffe” kind of soul mate
3) A parent, grandparent, aunt, or cousin…some family member who (expecting nothing in return) has blessed you with unconditional love
4) An inspirer…a favorite performer, writer (for me, it was Maeve Binchy…why didn’t I tell her???), artist, achiever, or public figure who has stirred you to be greater and better
5) A faith guide who has lifted you to a higher plane
6) Or a…well, you get the picture!

 

There is someone out there who deserves your thanks, someone to whom the words have never been said. Say them. Email, text, scribble by hand, telephone, Instagram, or “say the word,” face-to-face! But no matter what you do…say it! Don’t wait until it’s too late to speak the emotions that are in your grateful heart.

 

In 1965, John Lennon gave us this advice. It was good then. It’s great now. Listen:

 

Everywhere I go I hear it said
In the good and the bad books that I have read:
Say the word, and you’ll be free!
Say the word and be like me…
Say the word I’m thinking of
Have you heard the word is “love”?
It’s so fine…it’s sunshine!
It’s the word: LOVE!

 

Love: you have 14 days to express it. Don’t delay!
Ready? Steady? Say, say, say!

 

For a bit of inspiration, CLICK HERE to listen to The Beatles singing “The Word”

 

Jude Southerland Kessler is the author of the John Lennon Series: www.johnlennonseries.com

 

Jude is represented by 910 Public Relations — @910PubRel on Twitter and 910 Public Relations on Facebook.

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The Real Amazing Race

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I hear you:  “Reality shows are bad. The people who watch them are idiots.” Thus sayeth the Facebook commentators.

 

But wait a minute…Really?  Are you including “The Amazing Race?” Because there is nothing tacky or foolish about demonstrating, season after televised season, that determination and tenacity are the twin sisters to success, and that “NEVER GIVE UP” are the three most important words in the English language…well, second only to “Love One Another.”

 

For 12 exciting weeks on “The Amazing Race,” couples of many varieties (fathers and daughters, partners, husbands and wives, brothers, friends, etc.) compete against one another as they trek the far reaches of the globe to perform incredible feats of bravery, skill, and endurance. And each week, one couple is eliminated. But it is never whom you think.

 

The couple who is lagging behind…hopelessly floundering in last place…that couple quite frequently rallies to push to the front and handily edge out a cocky, “woop-woop” team who was oh-so-certain that they “had it in the bag.”  And every time this happens, I stand up and cheer!

 

I love people who don’t give up. I love the man or woman, boy or girl who lives by my dad’s favorite quote, “Quitters never win, and winners never quit.”

 

The Beatles’ entire career hung on that philosophy. It was their core value.

 

Think of the times they could have thrown up their hands and surrendered:

 

When they failed the Carroll Levis “Search for the Stars” audition and were bested by Nicky Cuff’s Sunnyside Skiffle Group.

 

When they glimpsed their pathetic lodgings in Hamburg’s Bambi Kino and realized they were playing The Indra (not The Kaiserkeller), situated at the wrong end of the Grosse Freiheit.

 

When John lost Stu.

 

When they blew the New Year’s Day Decca Audition.

 

When the EMI “audition” ended with George Martin’s comment that he would opt for a studio drummer in recording scenarios.

 

When The Cavern fans punched George Harrison in the eye and shouted, “Ringo NEVER! Pete Forever!”

 

When John’s comment to Maureen Cleave about The Beatles’ immense popularity eclipsing the popularity of Christianity led to death threats and Beatle burns.

 

When Brain Epstein passed.

 

I could go on and on…and so could you. There were hundreds of times when The Beatles had “every reason on earth to be mad,” when they were entirely justified in saying, “That’s it! We’ve had enough! To hell with this shite!”

 

But they didn’t. They pushed on. They worked harder. They ignored vile people who said unfair things. They held their heads up and focused on the end of the race, not the temporary pain. They endured hard times and bad conditions. They took the punishment of “now” to get to the reward of “later.”

 

Theirs was an Amazing Race. Across the globe. A feat of endurance. A pledge to keep trying, no matter what.

 

Theirs was the true reality show, and despite incredible odds, they emerged from a hungry pack of over 600 Merseyside skiffle groups to win the grand prize.

 

Like The Beatles, we can only be defeated if we surrender. Today, no matter what, let’s take another step. Let’s try again. Let’s look ahead…let’s remind ourselves that when we think we’ve nothing left, there is still a shred of something inside to push us across the finish line.

 

Never give up. That’s an amazing mantra. In the reality show of life, it transforms everything.

 

Jude Southerland Kessler is the author of the John Lennon Series: www.johnlennonseries.com

 

Jude is represented by 910 Public Relations — @910PubRel on Twitter and 910 Public Relations on Facebook.

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To Serve is to Rule

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Mal Evans used to repeat frequently with a soft, knowing smile, “To serve is to rule.” He realized the power that came from being efficient, hard-working, dependable, and trustworthy. He knew the invaluable strength of being a person people can trust.

 

Mal didn’t do “earth-shaking” things. He set up Ringo’s kit and the boys’ amplifiers. He carried equipment in; he carried equipment out. He fetched tea from the EMI canteen. He shouldered the boys through crowds when necessary – and he shouldered their worries when he could. He listened. He kept Beatles secrets. But most of all, he invested himself in someone else’s future. And for The Beatles, that was more than enough. Mal’s role was crucial.

 

George Harrison said, “He loved his job; he was brilliant, and I often regret he got killed. Right to this day, I keep thinking, ‘Mal, where are you?’…he was such good fun, but he was also very helpful. He could do everything…and he always had everything. He was one of those people who loved what he was doing and didn’t have any problem about service. Everybody serves somebody in one way or another but some people don’t like the idea. [Mal] was very humble, but not without dignity.” For George and for all of The Beatles, Mal Evans was “the gentle giant.”

 

The Fest for Beatles Fans succeeds because we are blessed to have many gentle giants who help Mark, Carol, Michelle, and Jessica bring it to life two (and sometimes three) times a year. The Fest Family is blessed with a long-trusted staff of experts and artists who year after year “do their thing” to make the three jam-packed days smooth, seamless, and 100% fun! These behind-the-scenes folks put sparkle in the concerts, structure in the Marketplace, security in the entrances and exits, artwork in the lobbies and gathering rooms, questions in our interviews, and both sight and sound in the video/lecture/discussion rooms. Without our fest staff and volunteers, the fest could not exist. They are the people we trust to bring the Lapidos family’s ideas and concepts to fruition.

 

Many of you know the people I’m talking about…and you appreciate all they do, year after year. So, I’m going to ask you to write in and say “thank you” in the comments below. And I’m going to ask you to nominate one individual for a prize package of: 1) a signed/dated First Edition of Shoulda Been There (Vol. 1 in The John Lennon Series), 2) a signed/dated First Edition of She Loves You (Vol. 3 in The John Lennon Series), a signed/dated “Doors Of Liverpool” art poster, and a John Lennon portrait T-shirt by Rande Kessler. The staff member or volunteer who gets the most “thank you notes” and nominations from you in the next 14 days will win the honor of being our first Fest for Beatles Fans Mal Evans Service Award Winner!

 

However, we know that all of our staff members and volunteers are already prize winners. Over the years, they’ve won our respect, appreciation, and devotion. Year after year, I look forward to seeing these seemingly tireless men and women who are awake before I am and still going strong when I go to sleep…who’ve arrived days before I arrive at the Fest…and who stay to take it all down and pack it all up when I’m in the car, headed home for Louisiana. These men and women who comprise our Fest Family are our heroes. Let’s take a moment or so to tell them. I know George is glad he had the opportunity to tell Mal. You just never know.

 

And from me to everyone in our Fest Family, thank you. You may serve, but very truly…YOU RULE!!!

 

Jude Southerland Kessler is the author of the John Lennon Series: www.johnlennonseries.com

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The Beatles are never getting back together…sigh…

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In a recent interview about The Beatles’ Help! album, a radio show host asked me, “John was singing about his depression and struggles; Paul was singing about his problems with Jane Asher, and George was singing about squabbles with Pattie Boyd…but we never heard them saying those things, did we? How could we have missed this, Jude?”

 

I thought for a moment and said, “I guess we were too focused on ourselves. I mean, we happily sang along to serious songs like ‘Help!’ and ‘Tell Me What You See’ and ‘You Like Me Too Much’ without listening to the words, really. We danced. We snapped our fingers and smiled and laughed, but we didn’t really hear what The Beatles were saying. We were thinking of our own lives.”

 

It was the same when The Beatles broke up. I remember breaking down, throwing myself on the bedspread, and wailing, “How could they do this? How could they leave us? I never even got to see them in concert, and now I never will!!!! How could they just abandon us like this?”

 

It never occurred to me back then that John, Paul, George, and Ringo were the ones who were really hurting – that their friendships had crumbled; their spirits had been wounded. Over the years, as I researched and wrote about this era in their lives, the truth hit home. But about a month ago, as I was out running one day, I finally got it! My trusty iPod selected a Taylor Swift hit. And as the song played out, I finally heard not Taylor, but The Beatles speaking! In almost rock opera fashion, I heard them singing about the pain they’d endured when “The Fab Four” became just “the four.”

 

Who would’ve guessed that it would take Taylor Swift to make me aware of the anguish that John, Paul, George, and Ringo had experienced in the months and years that followed their “divorce”? Who would’ve imagined?

 

But now, when I hear “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” it’s a different song indeed! It’s a song about the loss of trust and companionship and brotherhood and love. And through Swift’s words, I hear the lads speak to me at last. It’s not about “me” anymore. It’s all about them.

 

Boys, I’m so very sorry.

 

Here they are “singing” Taylor Swift’s “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”

 

John:

 

I remember when we broke up…the first time
Sayin’, “This is it! I’ve had enough!”

 

Paul:

 

‘Cause like we hadn’t seen each other in a month
When you said “you needed space!” WHAT???

 

John:

 

Then you come around again ’n say,
“Ba-beeee, I miss you, and I swear I’m gonna change! Trust me…”
Remember how that lasted for a day?
I say, “I hate you!”
We break up…you call me…I love you.

 

Paul:

 

Ooooohh… we called off again last night.
But oooooh, this time, I’m tellin’ you, I’m tellin’ you…

 

John, Paul, Ringo, and George:

 

We are never ever ever getting back together.
We are never ever ever getting back together!

 

Ringo:

 

You go talk to your friends,
Talk to my friends,
Talk to me!

 

All:

 

But we are never ever, ever getting back together!

 

George: (disgusted)

 

I’m really gonna miss you pickin’ fights,
And me? Fallin’ for it, screaming that I’m right!

 

Paul:

 

And you? You hide away ’n find your peace of mind
With some Indie record that’s much cooler than mine!

 

John:

 

Ooooh, you called me up again tonight,
But oooooh, this time I’m tellin’ you, I’m tellin’ you…

 

John, Paul, George and Ringo:

 

We are never ever ever gettin’ back together.
We are never ever ever gettin’ back together!
You go talk to your friends,
Talk to my friends,
Talk to me…
But we are never ever ever gettin’ back together!

 

George:

 

I used to think that we were forever, ever…

 

Paul:

 

And I used to say, “Never say never…”

 

John: (speaking bitterly)

 

Huh! He calls me up, and he’s like, “I still love you…”
And I’m like, I’m just…I mean, this is exhaustin’, y’know…
We are NEVER gettin’ back together…like ever!!!!!

 

All:

 

We are never ever ever gettin’ back together!
We are never ever ever gettin’ back together!

 

Ringo:

 

You go talk to your friends,
Talk to my friends,
Talk to me

 

George:

 

But we are never ever ever getting’ back together.

 

All:

 

We….oooh, oooh…not back together!!!
We…oh…gettin’ back together…

 

You go talk to your friends,
Talk to my friends,
Talk to me…

 

Paul: (quietly)

 

But we…are never ever ever gettin’ back together.

 

If you’re not familiar with Swift’s song, HEAD HERE to listen…

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Here Comes The Sun

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Today in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C. and even Louisiana, COLD has gripped the nation. The sky is “a hazy shade of winter” (with nods to Simona and Garfunkel). We are locked in The Grey Zone…those interminably dark days just before Spring.
 
And for some people, it’s pretty darn depressing.
 
The Beatles reminded us that when things look and feel the worst (when politicians battle instead of perform, when ISIS rages, when religion becomes a reason for persecution once again), there is still hope. They reminded us that even then, there is hope ahead:
 
“Little darling, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter,
Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here!
 
Here comes the sun; here comes the sun,
And I say, “It’s all right!”
 
Sure, we know the words. We all know the lyrics, but applying them to life is another story.
 
Last week, I visited New Orleans for Mardi Gras – something we Louisiana girls do as a natural part of our heritage. But this time, instead of doing the “same ole, same ole” thing, I sought out new sights, new inspirations to dispel winter’s gloom. And I found the towering, breathtakingly lovely Church of the Immaculate Conception on Baronne Street, close to the French Quarter. After walking miles and miles, I finally located it, opened the immense, wooden door, and stepped quietly inside. This is what I saw.
 

 
Outside it was freezing: windy and raw. But inside, I discovered a haven of loveliness. For many minutes, I sat in silence and looked all around, taking beauty in. I sat alone and listened. I noticed.
 
To my left was a window shaded sheltered in an alcove, set apart. I looked at it for a long time.
 

 
Then my eyes wandered to a second window farther down the wall, burning with light.
 

 
What a lesson was there! The windows were identical: constructed of the same stained glass and oak, designed by the same brilliant artist, created in the very same year. The single difference in these two works of art was that one shone in the sun and the other one sat in darkness.
 
That afternoon, I began to think of the window to my own soul…and how dark I’ve been lately as I’ve cared for my aging father, traveling miles upon weary miles each week, to be with him. I thought of how sorry I’ve felt for myself as I’ve had to sacrifice my writing and progress on The John Lennon Series to do the very uncreative but necessary tasks that care-giving demands. I thought of how gloomy I’ve become as my life has taken an unexpected change.
 
Over the past year, without realizing it, I’ve become that isolated window drenched in shadow. Darkened.
 
But here’s the thing…unless you’re an inert window – placed forever in an alcove – admitting the sun is a choice. Paul McCartney knew that when he wrote another set of Beatles’ lyrics:
 
“Tomorrow may rain, so I’ll follow the sun.”
 
A lovely bit of poetry? Yes. But it’s more than that. In that closing words of that song, Paul was making a decision; he was consciously choosing to follow the sun. And whether we sing about it or not, we are also called to decide. Each day, we’re given the option to turn our faces to joy, hope, and happiness….or to turn away.
 
I don’t want to be an unlit window. I don’t want to chill others with my “hazy shade of winter.” I want to shine again. And Shine On. Do you?
 
Here comes the sun. It’s all right!
 
***Speaking of sun, Lanea Stagg’s e-book, Little Dog in the Sun is #1 on Amazon e-books today. Lanea has been part of the Fest family for several years, and her book is all about choosing to live in the sun…and to live life in joy after the death of a loved one. It’s a gorgeous children’s book that really represents what the Fest is all about. HEAD HERE to purchase a copy of Lanea’s book.
 
Jude Southerland Kessler
http://www.johnlennonseries.com

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