Lana Lozito - Just a Girl Who Loves the Beatles: A Memoir - My Fab Four Fun Through the Years

Dedicated to the sweet memory of
Mrs. Louise Harrisona caring, kindred
spirit to Beatles fans everywhere.

Memories are but a journey we take in our minds, but relive in our hearts.

A. Grant

Contents

Postmarked from WOOLTON, LIVERPOOL 1965

Love to Lana

Louise Harrison

INTRODUCTION

Are you someone who happens to see the name Beatles and then pauses for a brief second glance? You might be just breezing through a magazine and see something written about one of the Beatles or all four of them from back in the day. How about a talk show on TV where Paul or Ringo are appearing? Dont touch that remote! Or, as I like to remember, Dont touch that dial!you wouldnt dare switch over to something else. You still want to see the Beatles, still want to hear what they say, and still want to know anything you can. Just that fleeting moment of being reconnected to them makes you sit up and take notice.

I am one of those people; I have always been hooked. I love to recall the times that have passed if it is Beatles-related. I am especially captivated when I hear one of their songs. I can certainly remember when that particular song entered my life and I begin to feel the vibe of that moment all over again. I take delight in the emotions attached to these memories and know that whats deep inside never changes; my Beatles memories remain a part of me to enjoy, explore, and discover in brand-new ways. There is no expiration date on Fab Four fun.

How did I think I could write a story? Me? A writer? High school essays were a major chore for me; term papers, a nerve-ravaged struggle. Creative writing was totally out of my comfort zone. All of a sudden, though, I found myself filled with excitement, and that tingle gave me the motivation and enthusiasm to tackle a project such as this. Debbie, a dearest and oldest friend, calls this feeling being inspired.

My greatest inspiration came from my collection of letters from Mrs. Louise Harrison. Yes! I am in possession of approximately four years of correspondence with George Harrisons mother. These letters are my personal treasures of back and forth with her and something that kept me smiling through most of my teen years. Throughout, her letters proved she had been one of the most ardent of Beatles fans as well as a loving mum; her sweetness was very apparent in all that was the George we idolized. After over fifty years of conserving these precious notes, I knew I wanted to keep the thoughts of her letters alive. I realized it was all part of the fun in my youth, and it was also obvious the Beatles were behind it all. Her letters and notes always left me astonished as they have stayed the course in the entirety of my Beatles journey. As I share bits of her letters as lighthearted intros to each chapter, it feels like I am keeping her a lasting memory of kindness and love.

Along with the letters she often sent items like a picture postcard or a small foldout Pixerama photo book of the group in their early days. This booklet was published in 1963, a year before we in America knew them. She signed it: Love to Lana, Louise Harrison . When I received it, I curiously unfolded each photo slowly and carefully in awe. I treasured her unique little Beatles gift and appreciated her thoughtfulness. It made me feel rather special.

As the letters continued, I began to thoroughly enjoy the casual and friendly bond with her as she put a few words to a piece of paper that would eventually find its way from her Liverpool home to my mailbox in Lynbrook, NY. Those letters were also my connection to something that was unobtainablethe Beatles were unobtainable. Being your average Beatlemaniac in those days, I could only hope for a personal link to them. After many years, though, I realized that having that relationship with Georges mum was my particular connection.

How was it even possible that my life was so Beatles-infused over the past fifty odd years? I decided I would put it all down if only for me to indulge my silliness. I could read my story over and over again and share with Debbie those moments of innocence and pleasure. I would be a teenager all over again and would relive the pure joy of being just a girl who loves the Beatles. The music and the mania are happily my keepsakes forever; there is nothing or no one that could take that away.

In the mid-1960s, Debbie and I lived around the corner from each other and would meet many a morning to take that mile-long walk to school. We would be chatting nonstop all the way, and the topic of our conversations would be only the Beatles. We were totally consumed by the intensity of it all: what the Beatles did, what they said, what they sang, or which magazine had written news about them or posted pictures of them. This was our life, our waking thoughts, our nighttime dreams, our hopes to know more about these amazing four guys, and our fears that we might miss something they did or said. We were friends then and are friends today. Even now during our daily routine telephonic coffee klatch, we often use remember when talking about the Fab Four. This is always fun, but at this point in my life, I want to celebrate those innermost feelings of long ago, knowing well that those sentiments have always been heartfelt.

Their music grabbed my soul and wouldnt let go. Their harmonies were addicting, their words had more than rhyme and reason, and the melodies were hypnotizing. Undeniably, I had grown very fond of these four lads and their sound. I remember spending many afternoons relaxing on the black sectional sofa in my living room, staring at the front of my Meet the Beatles! LP cover, then reading and rereading every word on the back cover while, of course, listening to every track. Their songs filled the room and beyond; Meet the Beatles! music continued to play for hoursover and over and over again. That mono LP was my first recording of theirs and had become my very own mantra; I was forever in a Beatles trance.

Once I was drawn into any Beatles song, the lyrics, all of a sudden, would be instantly memorized without even realizing I had such a talent; it was quiescent magic. I could sing along with them word for word on any given tune. It became enlightening to learn about love and life through their words. Their songs were more than poetry put to music, touching your heart in every way. If only I could memorize poems in English Lit that quick. Why was that? Why on earth had those four lads been such an influence in my life and on countless others? What was their charm? Maybe there was something lacking in my life, creating a void that needed to be filled, or maybe their charisma touched me in a way that I could never imagine, or their funny comments and accents were something so new and unlike anything I had ever experienced up until that time, or, oh yes, I need to mention, maybe they were just too adorableplain and simple.

Today, one just has to get on YouTube to find any video clip ever taken or any word ever spoken in an interview or any song ever sung by John, Paul, George, or Ringo. That internet link will bring you to another and yet another and you will be well educated on every detail about them. There will never be that moment of missing something; it is all there to view and listen. I am always thrilled to learn something new about them; it makes me feel like the first time I read the British fanzine Beatles Monthly and walked through the secret passages into their lives. Even on Facebook and Instagram there are posts by Paul and Ringo along with the families of George and John reminding us of Beatles history, a birthday celebration or special occasion with music videos and rare photos. They embrace social media and keep the Beatles magic fresh and alive. Then there is the glory of the Beatles channel on Sirius XM Radio, which offers you nonstop music, stories, and bits of their many interviews that will make your ride even more pleasurable. This Beatles station dissects the science of the group. The broadcasters clearly reveal the pure methodology of their music and decipher every lyric ever written by them; for that brief period, I am truly in the 60s moment. It is especially moving to listen to the common thread among the fans and other musicians showing their love and admiration for the Fab Four.