It is obvious that there are millions of people around the world who like the Beatles. But today I am going to talk about my love and passion for them, as they have not just been my inspiration to reach goals in my life because I have read about them and how they were determined to reach the highest mountain and finally be the most famous band in the whole world.
My love for the Beatles is my precious treasure from childhood, as I used to watch the cartoons on TV when I was 3 or 4. I remember mum and dad playing George Harrison, Paul McCartney and John Lennon's records in the latest 70'. My favourite song when I was 4 was Give me love, give me peace on earth.
According I grew up, and after my parents divorced in 1982, my memories of home and Beatles music kept me dreaming. I used to go frantic all over the place trying to sing and dance their music, as you can understand for a spanish -speaking child is not easy job to do. Dad had few books with Beatles photos and lyrics, and some cartoon pictures. I used to draw them ove and over. When I was 5, my favourite song was Lady Madonna. When I was 8, We can work it out became my favourite forever. Then when I was 10, it was Hello Goodbye. A year later, I used to listen to Sgt pepper's, Revolver and the White album, sort of heavy stuff for a child 11 years old, when everybody at school used to sing those stupid tracks from the mid 80's, which I hated with passion. My favourite song when I was 11 was Lovely Rita, and I used to listen to Sgt pepper's soundtrack with The Bee Gees and Peter Frampton, as my parents used to watch that film in 1979 over and over.
I read my first Beatles biography in 1986. 1987 was a hard year as I was 12 and teenage was about to make its mess in my life. I like latin music, but I have to admit that I separate the type of music I listen to, as they had occasions to be listened to. If I was at a party with people from school, I had to dance and listen to merengue from Dominican Republic bands, which I liked but not as much as I love Rock. If I was at my great grandma, it was more traditional venezuelan music. At my dad's parents it was great music, jazz and old fashion music from 1940' and 50'. Grandad didn't ike Elvis as he used to say Elvis was gay. I disagreed with him but never argued about it.
Teenage came and when i was 13 I used to listen to a radio programme named Good Rocking tonight. 1989 was a great year. Lost fo remakes of songs, lots of films with old songs, etc. I was madly in love with rock and roll, twist, and in one of my highest points of Beatlemania. I learned all the lyrics of Beatles songs from 1962 to 1966. All the songs, record by record, new the order of tracks in the Lp's, and had my own scrapbook with photos and information. My dad cousin Maribel gave me as a present her collection of Beatles records: a treasure for a Beatle fan who didn't live in the 60'. Then, in 1990, a radio programme named Beatlemania started and I could follow and tape it every saturday at 5 pm. Kristinna Wetter was the presenter, and the Beatles tribute band named Los Buitres, had recorded their second album. I didn't like them as i though they were a stupid copy of the Beatles, but when they changed the name and one of the members and became Los Beat 3 i experienced a Beatlemania like I never did before. But that will be told when I get to 1998. We are still in 1990. In 1991 Beatlemania started playing rare songs from BBC tapes, before the Album Live at the BBC was released in 1994. By those days I used to copy all sort of info for my scrap book and collect all I could, as there was no chance to get memorabilia as it was only possible to get it in the Uk or the USA. No chance for a 15 years old, with no internet in those days and no money to go and buy it.
When I was 15, I started dreaming about coming to England and visit all the Beatles related places in Liverpool, London and Hamburg. When I was 16 I knew a lot about the beatles, like nobody in my country probably could. I was told I was the Greatest Beatle fan in the country by my friend Alfredo Churion, as he had his radio programme Good Rocking Tonight. I knew songs he didn't even know. In 1993 I was the singer of a band playng covers by The Beatles and other UK bands. Then I learned to play the guitar at the age of 17. I forgot to tell I play the xylophone and that I used to play Beatles music with dad when I was 11. Some versions we played were: Here, there and eveywhere, Eleanor Rigby, I feel fine, In my life, Yesterdar and Michelle. W also played Soundtracks and Rag time.
In 1998 I met Los Beat 3 in a restaurant named Strawberry Fields. They used to play every Friday and Saturday nights. They came to England in 1999 to play at the Cavern for the first time but i could not come with them. My dream was broken. Everybody went back to Venezuela showing off they had met a lot of people during Beatles Week. They also played in 2000 and 2001. I was in love with a guitarist who played with Los Beat 3, we met when we were teenagers but unfortunatelly i won't talk about it as it is the most awful chapter of my love life.
In 2002, my friend William went to mexico to see Macca for the 2nd time and he asked me to draw a poster so he could show it to Macca as he had VIP tickets. He could not show the poster but he could get Macca's autograph on his Back in the USSR record ( the Russian one), and all the plectrums from the guitarists. He went back with presents for me as he said my energies made it possible. he said: you will also meet him one day and get the autograph because you deserve it. But I though it was very difficult. That year I also worked for British Embassy, so I started making contacts for the time I finally could come to England. I was making plans to study in the UK, so my dream of coming to Liverpool was closer. In 2003, I painted a Beatles mural with the cartoons on my Bedroom's wall, and it is still there, as my uncle didn't want to cover it when he moved into our flat in Caracas. You can see the pic above.
2005: the year when the Beatlemaniac dreams started to come true! You ahve seen my travel blog, so you can read a little about the early days in England. My 30th birthday present was my first visit to Liverpool, and I went to the Beatles Story!
In 2006 I moved to Liverpool to study the masters, and in november, I tried to make my dream come true and travelled to London to catch Macca in Picaddilli, to sign Ecce Cor meum. I was dissapointed after 5 hours of rain and no chance to see Macca at all. We were no more than 300 in the queu and the press said he signed 500 autographs! I was pissed off, better o say angry. I wrote my frustration on Macca's Myspace site. But, dreams do come true...
Last year, on May 16th, I finally could see Macca and get his autograph. He was really nice and friendly. I have seen him 3 time sin my life since, as in May this year I went to the Anglican Cathedral to see Ecce Cor Meum live, and he was there, and at the beggining of this month, Macca played at the Liverpool Sound in Anfield. I was there with all my friends from the Cavern Club. I am happy I have made my dreams come true, and although some people can find this silly, the Beatles have been with me in my moments of happiness, sadness, when I have been blue or have had a love pain. I have jumped and sung tehir songs and met fabulous people who also love them. I could even meet one of them and treasure the moment in my heart forever.
For those wo don't believe: Dreams do come true if you really want them to happen, so keep on trying!
