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P.S. We Love You
By Jude Southerland Kessler A note to Mark and Carol Lapidos on the advent of the 41st annual Fest for Beatles Fans My brilliant mother (the oh-so-quotable Maxine Southerland) used to warn me, “Jude,...
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Not What I Appear To Be
John Lennon couldn’t get a word right. From childhood, he inadvertently mastered the art of being misunderstood. As early as Mosspits Kindergarten, John was expelled for belligerence, and by the time...
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Two…Well okay, 30…of Us
A few days ago, I received a shocking e-mail from writer and “Rock’n’Roll Detective,” Jim Berkenstadt (author of The Beatle Who Vanished). Jim had been told by our dear friend, Bill Harry (founder of...
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Time for Christmas!
1964 was horrendous. The Beatles made a major motion picture, starred on numerous television specials, gave countless interviews, recorded two phenomenal LP’s, toured Sweden, Hong Kong, Australia, and...
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He Was Always “Sir Ringo” to Us!
By Jude Southerland Kessler and members of our Fest family Sir Ringo Starr. Sir Richard Starkey. Either way, it has a lovely (Dare I say it?) ring to it! And there’s an appendage that seems to be...
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May “A Paul” Fall Over The Land
By Jude Southerland Kessler IT happened just after the Superbowl. After four hours of knuckle-gnawing, hair-raising, supreme gridiron action…interrupted only by a halftime that piled choreography...
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The Fest For Beatles Fans: I Dare You!!!
By Jude Southerland Kessler It was the hot “self-help” book of the Sixties. Although William H. Danforth had penned it in 1931, I Dare You came into its own during the late Fifties and early 1960s. I...
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From Us To You… Cheers, Bruce!
By Jude Southerland Kessler In case you missed the really big celebration in Beatlefan magazine (“Beatles, Roaches Launch a 20-Year Journey”), on Sirius radio, and on podcasts such as the “She Said...
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Carry That Weight a Long Time
When our lush, wax-leaf Ligustrum limbed out over the wall into our neighbor’s pool, I smiled and offered to take care of the intrusion for her. My husband, Rande – I chirped – would climb up and cut...
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Happiness is a Warm Cell Phone: Drake vs. The Beatles
Hi everyone! We hope to see you all at Monmouth University this week for the White Album conference featuring Mark Lapidos, Mark Lewisohn, Walter Everett, Ken Womack, Bruce Spizer, Al Sussman, Tom...
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A Splendid Time Was Guaranteed (and Delivered) for All!
“And so, this is Christmas, And what have you done? Another year over, A new one just begun…” Usually, at the close of yet another year, when I hear John singing those words, I feel guilty. Maybe...
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‘Tis the Esher Season!
Part 1 Prior to their 1968 summer and early autumn recording sessions at EMI, Paul McCartney stated that The Beatles’ original plan was to have several rehearsals prior to the recording of their new...
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An Open Letter to Sir Paul McCartney: Come to the Fest!
Dear Sir Paul, (although many of us still fondly think of you as Paul, the lad from Allerton) It was your idea, remember? In 1969, you tried to convince John that The Beatles ought to surprise random...
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Shine On! These second generation Beatles fans are among our torch-bearers
At the dramatic close of the 1960’s Broadway hit, “Camelot,” a beleaguered King Arthur — preparing to face the final battle against his arch-enemy, Mordred — calls a young boy to his side. He instructs...
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45 Years Ago Today — Fri., 4/26/1974 — The Start of the Most Important...
BY FEST FOUNDER MARK LAPIDOS This is my story (short version) Little did I know on Friday morning, April 26, 1974 that I would hear an announcement that would forever alter my life’s direction. It...
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In My Life — What are your earliest memories of The Beatles?
What are your earliest memories of The Beatles? How did your journey with the Fab Four begin? Jude Kessler, author of The John Lennon Series, shares her sentimental journey and encourages you to share...
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It was January something or other
By Guest Blogger Michael Byrne It was January something or other, 1964. I had just turned 9-years-old the previous September and was in the fourth grade. My family lived in a small town near...
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Don’t you do it… Don’t you dare
By Jude Southerland Kessler, special to the Fest Blog “Don’t you do it…don’t you dare!” is the very phrase that inspired… My nine-year-old decision to jump from the top of Mom’s Mimosa tree…a fall...
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Monday, January 6, 1964 at 7:45 p.m.: A moment in time that changed my life,...
From Fest Founder Mark Lapidos 56 years ago tonight, I heard I Want To Hold Your Hand for the first time. I know I have told this story before but some stories are worth retelling. Since...
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What The Beatles Found in January
::: By Jude Southerland Kessler ::: Ever kept a five-year diary or calendar? No? Well, if you’d like to (as we used to say in The Sixties) “find yourself,” you might try it. The practice is highly...
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