I LOVE Paul McCartney for many reasons. First, he’s a Beatle–what’s not to love? John Lennon was more my speed actually, but he’s gone and McCartney was my next favorite. Second, he’s vegetarian, and serves only vegetarian food on his tours. Third, he’s a positive influence on our world, sweet, gentle. Well, I could go on and on. Suffice to say, I never thought I’d actually meet him, much less get a kiss from him!
So, we, the gogo dancers from the Go-Go’s tour (Pleasant, Kina, and myself) were asked to dance with the B-52’s at a PETA benefit in Los Angeles.
“We’d love to!” we said, and even thought of a name for ourselves: Girls Marked Danger. We called ourselves after an English translation of a Sophia Loren movie.
So, the benefit took place at Paramount Studios on the lot. We were hanging in the green room waiting to go on. Richard Pryor asked to take a photo with us. He was wearing a baseball cap that said “Brat” on it, sitting in his wheelchair. Woody Harrelson and many other animal-loving artists milled around us. The benefit was in honor of Linda McCartney, so we watched from side stage while Paul sang. Then Chrissie Hynde from the Pretenders got up and sang “I’ll Stand by You” and dedicated it to the animals. We were standing with Pamela Anderson Lee, her husband, Tommy Lee, and Rosanna Arquette. Then, the B-52’s came on and we ran onto our gogo boxes to dance. Pleasant dragged Pamela Anderson onto her box with her, Kina and I shared a box, and we danced. It was surreal to dance on a box to Rock Lobster surrounded by the B-52’s and even more surreal, a giant human-sized lobster danced on the box with us!
Afterwards, I saw Paul McCartney speaking with people and I said, “Kina, we have to go meet him.” She agreed, so we stood and watched him greet his fans, in awe of being in such close proximity to a Beatle. A range of stars were asking to take their photos with Sir Paul. We waited patiently and then I said something stupid like, “You are so amazing! It was fantastic to see you perform!” I’m sure he’s used to tongue-tied loonies. He said “You were really great too. I loved seeing you perform too!”
Then he kissed me on the cheek.
Fast forward a few minutes to Kina and I screaming in the ladies room and jumping up and down and really almost passing out after being kissed by a Beatle. Instant Beatlemania. Kina blacked out in our dressing room a few minutes later. She said it was from the excitement of meeting Paul, but I have a sneaking suspicion it may have been from whatever drug she was taking. I floated on air all the way home.(No drugs for me! My body could never handle any kind of mind-altering substance!)
Kissed by a Beatle!!
A few years later, I was at Harvard and my adorable contortionist girlfriend, Bonnie, was on national tour with Paul. Her father called me to see if I wanted to go. YES! I did, but I didn’t have 100$ to spend on a ticket. (Criminies!! Not this again!) A few hours later, Bonnie called to see if I wanted to make some $$ and dance in the show. Did I? Do butterflies fly? I actually had to dress as a black and white Pierrot clown and run around the auditorium with an enormous balloon, (when I say enormous I mean like 20-30 feet high), and then change into an indian princess costume and dance around the stage.
Once again, I found myself performing with my Beatle.
Once again, I found myself standing on the side of the stage, listening to a man and his guitar play to thousands of people songs I’ve known since I was a child, so casual, so relaxed, like he was playing in his own living room.
“You were great!” He said to me as he ran by with his entourage.
Oh Paul! You’re great too!
