Books, Books, WONDERFUL, Books: An Interview With Author Judy Kristen (A Date With A Beatle)

Last week on our Books, Books WONDERFUL Books segment, we did a review for the Beatley fun-filled book A Date With A Beatle. Today, we’re thrilled to have the author, Judy Kristen, join us for a chat. If you’ve read the book, you’re already familiar with Judy’s feisty, fun nature and her wicked sense of humor. (If you haven’t read her book, go out and get it!) Today, we have the pleasure of getting to know her a little better. We’ll be talking about the ‘60s, her book and, of course, The Beatles!

This was a really fun interview and I hope you all enjoy getting to know Judy as much as I have. Grab your favorite bevvie, put on your fav Beatles album and get comfy. You’re in for a real treat.

CHYNNA: Welcome to ‘The Gift’, Judy! We’re so excited to have you here today. Please share some of your background with us.

JUDY: I was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey on April 3rd, 1948, and raised just about sixty miles away – in Philadelphia. I was an illegitimate child, a product of an affair my father had. The mother who raised me wasn’t my biological mother, but she was the only “Mom” I ever knew. And that’s all that really counts for me. I also had wonderful friends and a genuinely fun life as a kid.

CHYNNA: That’s awesome. Can you tell us a bit more about what family life was like for you growing up?

JUDY: I was surrounded by a very odd mix of people. My father was a chemist, a brilliant man, but with an eye for the ladies. His family was a creative bunch: artists, dancers, writers, musicians. My mother’s side consisted of hard-working blue collar souls: printers, ironworkers, housewives, cooks, bakers, factory workers. It was a good look at many sides of life for me with Dad’s “Leap and the net will appear” attitude, and Mom’s “Stick with the tried and true” credo.

Our home was always filled with music and all kinds of books. My Mom was one of the best cooks ever to grace planet earth, and Dad was very good at making things and fixing things, he also was an excellent pianist. I had singing lessons, dancing lessons, piano lessons - courtesy of my Aunt’s business. When I got older… 13… 14… I was off the leash I guess you could say and pretty much on my own. I was a good kid – goofy, but good – and I did very well in school, I was quite responsible, I babysat, mowed lawns, shoveled snow, to earn my own way, and, because of it, my parents gave me lotsa breathing room. (What were they thinking?)

CHYNNA: HAHAHA! Without that ‘breathing room’ I doubt you would have gotten to do all that you did. Think of it: it gave you courage and strength. Now, you have written one of the sweetest and fun books I’ve read in awhile called A Date With A Beatle. Please tell us where this book stemmed from and how it came to be.

JUDY: Well, thank you! It makes me happy to hear that! This true story really started the day I saw a film clip of “Four Mop-Tops from Liverpool, England” at the end of Walter Cronkite’s evening news in December of 1963. I felt as if I was hit with a bolt of lightning the first time I laid eyes on them.

Of course, December of that year was a pretty dark period for all of us in America. We needed some magic, some joy, so I'm sure that time in history ripened me and millions of other Americans for the full effect of the Beatlemania to follow.

At that point in time there was the recent Kennedy assassination that left all of us feeling empty and without hope. Being just fifteen in 1963 also added to the shadowing and anguish. You know, that teenage angst, the comedy and tragedy, and the drama of wanting to be a rebel - with or without a cause - and yet still trying to fit in somewhere. I don’t think I struggled like most other teens because I had some extra freedom. Then along came John, Paul, George, and Ringo and I had that freedom AND magic, fun, and something grand and new to look forward to every single day! Life was very, very good!

CHYNNA: No kidding! And it’s interesting because I’d forgotten that the Kennedy assassination had happened just prior to Beatlemania. Perhaps that’s a sprinkling to do with why the lads became so popular so fast…they gave young people a new sense of hope…through music. Back to your book. Why was now the right time to tell this story?

JUDY: THAT was my question! I had told this story for decades and just figured this would be something I’d tell at parties, or to new Beatles fans I’d meet, you know. And as long as someone wanted to hear it…. I’d tell it.

Then a friend took me aside and reminded me that there are more 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation Beatles fans out there than original fans. And, truthfully, all you really see of those fans of the 60s is this: we’re screaming at the airport, screaming outside their hotel or we’re screaming at the concert. We were so much more than that! These guys were a way of life for us! I mean, there were many reasons for Beatlemania to transcend time like it does - other than the music.

I’ll bet the farm that 50 years from now there won’t be a Justin Bieber or a New Kids on the Block convention that draws in millions of people a year. So, why were The Beatles different? What makes the magic continue? Well, you have to go back to the time and to the love affair we had with the boys from the other side of the footlights. That can only be told by someone who was really there. So, I agreed, it was time to put it into print.

CHYNNA: I love that answer. In the beginning of the book, you described what the music scene was like at the time the Beatles first came on the scene. It was something the teens at that time seemed to really need. Did you want to go into that in more detail for us? Describe to us why you think those four guys were such an instantaneous and HUGE mega hit with you and your friends (aside from the obvious. LOL!). What void were they filling for you guys?

JUDY: In late 1963 Rock and Roll was flopping around like a fish out of water. Buddy Holly was long gone, Elvis wasn’t quite the same after his military gig. Chuck Berry got arrested and was out of the scene. Jerry Lee Lewis was history after he married his 13-year old cousin…you get the drift. A lot of stuff was coming up short back then.

And, truly, for the most part, Hollywood and the image of “stars” music or otherwise, was kept pretty clean and neat. Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Rydell, and Chubby Checker all grew up in Philadelphia like I did, yet even we Philly girls knew very little about their lives. American Bandstand, also based in Philadelphia at the time, was the hottest show on Television. We got connected to a LOT of very cool music, but we never felt connected to a particular group – other than someone looked cute and you liked the song. You didn’t know that much about them other than where they were born, birth dates, just the basics.

Judy making amends with the cops. (LOL!)

For some reason, when The Beatles came out, call it smart on Brian’s part, The Lads themselves, Neil, Derek, whomever… but we knew everything about them! John’s life with Mimi and loss of his Mom; that Paul lost his mother to cancer; Ringo was a sickly child; George lived in a tiny house without indoor plumbing; we knew about the crazy Hamburg days, etc. Nothing seemed off limits and it was totally refreshing. There was an honesty to those Liverpudlian tales and we not only enjoyed reading them, most of us could relate to them. They weren't just musicians, they were regular people like us who became musicians! And they seemed like old friends, we just never ‘knew’ them up close and personal. Know what I mean? That sounds silly to say, but they really felt like friends to us. AND they were all nice looking guys. That didn’t hurt things either!

CHYNNA: ABSOLUTELY!!! I’ve said it before but you and I would have gotten into even more trouble than you’d gotten into alone because I would have had no fear in meeting Ringo. HA! Where did that drive to meet George come from? What was it about him that kept pushing you forward with your plan of action?

JUDY: I took one look at George waaaaaaaay back in 1963 and there was an immediate “thing”, a “chemistry”, I felt. You know, just like any boy you’d see at school. You think someone is cute, you like how he looks, how he walks, talks. Well, Mr. Harrison had the “IT” factor for me.

And about the drive that pushed me forward? Well, I was raised to have dreams and ambition. I doubt my parents figured on me focusing all of that on The Beatles, but, I was a teenager in love and I just wanted to meet my Liverpudlian dream guy, my knight in shining armor, my favorite Beatle. I truly believed that it would happen. Failure was not an option. George was charming, funny, talented, and handsome. And I was tenacious, and passionate, and a girl with a plan. There are a lot of positive things than can be said for that tenacity/heart combination.

CHYNNA: I totally agree. And I love your description of your George focus. LOL! Judy, you are one of the few people I’ve met personally who has been to a live Beatles’ concert. Take us back to the show: the sounds, the screaming, your emotions? Bring us back...help us ‘feel’ the experience (or as close as possible.)

JUDY: I was blessed to see nine Beatles concerts from 1964 to 1966 to include their very first American concert in Washington, D.C., and the Shea Stadium Concert in 1965.

When 1966 came around and left, all of us were naturally making plans for their 1967 tour. But that never happened. Candlestick Park was their last live concert in front of a regular crazy audience. We were heartsick.

I used to whine that, “I ONLY saw then 9 times in person!!! I shoulda gone to more concerts!!! I shoulda done this or that…”

Now I meet Beatle fans who weren’t even born in time to see the first Ed Sullivan Show who say to me, “YOU LUCKY DOG!!!!” So now, no more whining. Not a chance! Nine “LIVE” Beatles concerts! Man, I really was a lucky dog!

I think their first D.C. concert was stunning! They were thrilled to see us and we were over the moon to see them! There was an energy, something almost not of this earth that took over the place. Imagine the happiest and most joyful you’ve ever felt in your life, then multiply that by 100,000. That would just about bring you to the point of what it was like to see them in person!

CHYNNA: Brilliant description, Judy. I’ve only ever seen the old clips they have now on YouTube and other places or in documentaries I’ve been lucky enough to have been given. But it truly will never be the same as seeing it up close and personal. Have you met any of the lads (aside from George) or those in the inner circle? What do they think of the book?

JUDY: I had close encounters with all of The Beatles “back in the day” albeit brief, but since the book came out, it’s a WOW for me!

I have talked to Louise Harrison many times on the phone. She is a love and a brilliant writer! Her daughter Leslie, George’s darling niece, even wrote a review for the book. Angie McCartney is an email and Facebook friend and we talk a lot. (I’m drinking a cup of her “Mrs. McCartney’s tea as we speak!) Freda Kelly (Good Ol’ Freda), who George and the boys shouted out to on their 1963 Christmas record, is a friend. I even got to do some work on her upcoming documentary perfectly titled. “Good Ol’ Freda”! Tony Bramwell and I met in Liverpool. I love the guy! He’s so funny. Sam Leach (their first promoter) is a darling of a man. And, I even got a kiss from Pete Best!!!!

The list is long and “Beatle-y” and amazes me to even talk about it! And they all loved the story! They also agreed that when I met George, he was quite true to form. Mr. Harrison was loved by all and for far more than just being a Beatle. I’ll vouch for that!

Here’s another one for you. When I decided I would write “A Date with a Beatle”, I sent it to Bill Harry first. I figured, here’s the genius behind “Mersey Beat” and a brilliant writer. He’s a ‘call it like he sees it’ Liverpool lad himself and a dear friend to all of The Beatles. He even shared a flat with John and Stu back in their art college days. I knew that Bill would give an honest assessment of my book and if Bill liked it, then I’d take the ball and run it all the way to the goal post. It was the longest two-week wait in my life!

When the mail came in, I was excited, nervous… you name it, but I opened up the letter and there it was, a stunning review from Bill Harry himself!

He loved it! He found it fascinating! I should have that tattooed on me.

CHYNNA: LOL!! That would have been in true Beatley Judy form. And thank you for sharing your other touches of Beatleness with us. As you mentioned earlier, we are going on 4th generation Beatles fans here, Judy! Can you believe it? My mom, who was 1st generation, raised me as a Beatles fan. I’ve, in turn, introduced them to my own kids and I can’t even begin to tell you the impact their music has had on their lives (especially my oldest, Jaimie and my son, Xander). I’ve told Ringo but still hoping to tell Paul. I know you’ve touched on this earlier for us but, as a first generation fan, a girl who was there through it all while it was happening, why do you think they have endured for so long?

JUDY: The Beatles came into our lives with this "straight from the hip, this is who we are – take us or leave us" attitude. The press loved them almost as much as we did! Everything they said and did came off as clever, bright, reachable, relatable and lovable - because they were! Just watch the YouTube video of their first press conference in America. What was not to love?

They had a presence. There was notable loyalty for each other, better than anything called “brotherhood.” They fit like a glove together. It was their intelligence, humor, their looks, their style, their honesty, their music, their creativity, passion, fortitude, and the ability for each of them to shine as individuals as well as to dazzle as a group. Think about this: You never heard a concert promoter announce, “Ladies and Gentlemen.. Mick, Keith, Bill, Brian, and Charlie”. You never heard any other act mentioned by their first names, most of us didn’t even know them. Can you name all of The Four Tops? The Kinks? The Animals? Probably not. But when you heard, John, Paul, George, and Ringo… there they were: THE BEATLES! That’s what I mean about them being more than just a group. They sparkled all on their own.

The Beatles also gave us hope and promise in our own lives. They showed us that being different wasn't a bad thing. In fact, it should be encouraged. We understood that life's problems shouldn't be what leads us around by the nose. Instead we should follow our dreams with all of our hearts, and "live" not merely exist. It was a lesson to me that it’s not where you start, it’s how you finish. How could we not love these guys? (Still!)

CHYNNA: Awww…that’s fantastic, Judy. Perfect. I don’t think anything else needs to be said about that. Okay, tell us where we can find you and your book. Any appearances or special upcoming events we should know about?

JUDY: There are some really huge events in the not so far off future.

In March - The NY Metro Beatles Fest.
In August - The Chicago Beatles Fest.
Also in August, in Liverpool - The Beatles International Festival!

I’ll be a guest speaker at all of them. And also while in Liverpool, a huge signing and gala at The Penny Lane Development Trust for a “new” Beatle book I’ve written that is being illustrated by Beatles Artist, Eric Cash! Part of the proceeds will benefit this wonderful organization right there on Penny Lane.

In September - a book signing in Hamburg at The Beatles Museum.

A Date with a Beatle is available at all bookstores. If it isn’t “in” your particular store, please ask for it nicely and they’ll get it in for you. It’s also available at The Beatles Store on Baker Street in London, and at The Cavern in Liverpool, and on all the online stores: Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Booksamillion, as well as on my website http://www.adatewithabeatle.com/, for personalized/autographed copies. And there’s also two dozen copies in the trunk of my car.

CHYNNA: ROFL! That is hysterical! Seriously! (And, I have to say, so cool that your book is available at The Cavern!) Give us the top five things you think all true Beatles fans should know and keep close to their hearts.

JUDY: One, that genuine love, kindness, tenacity, and heart are never wasted. Two, that Peace Signs are not just fashion statements, but a way of life. Three, to follow your dreams and to remember not to quit at the first sign of adversity. If The Beatles had felt that way we would have never been gifted with their music. Four, it’s not where you start, it’s how you finish. Five, and in the end, all you need is love. All good things flow from the true act of love. If we all operated from that kind of goodness, need I say, that our own lives and the state of the world would be happier, safer, and more joy-filled.

CHYNNA: Amen. I have had such an amazing time chatting with you today, Judy. It’s like I’m having a sit down with a long-lost friend. Thank you for giving our readers such an amazing treat. Before I let you go, the one question I like to ask all of our guests is about their pearls of wisdom. I would love to hear yours right now.

JUDY: I’m not so sure about the wisdom thing. I think my husband is better qualified for that, but what I can say and what I do feel, and what I live by is this – and it comes from my heart:

Life isn’t so much about what happens to you, it’s how you handle what comes your way. Even in the darkest of circumstances if you believe in the light at the end of the tunnel – and you wait long enough, try hard enough, believe with all of your being – you’ll see it!

We also need to be softer with each other, kinder, more loving, we need to forgive others and ourselves… move forward in a positive direction. Fall down seven times, stand up eight, that’s all it takes.

And always believe in your dreams. Live a full and joy-filled life, smile a lot, love deeply, feel passion, give passion, be genuine, be grateful, and most of all have fun! Life sparkles when there’s fun in it! … so just get out there… and sparkle!!! It’s a lot easier than you think.

CHYNNA: I don’t know about our readers but I think those are some pretty brilliant pearls. Thanks for sharing them with us and I hope our readers take them to heart because they are absolutely true. And check out the Fan Page for A Date With A Beatle on Facebook! You can also visit Judy's awesome Website to learn more about her and her other passion: animal rights.

A very big thank you to Judy for joining us here today. I admire your passion, energy and spirit tremendously and so appreciate you opening our eyes to the era many of us only know today through stories like yours. Please come back to ‘The Gift’ anytime. You’re always welcome.

Judy walking across Abbey Road.