After 17 years at The Malibu Times, I am not in the habit of putting myself in the paper (and certainly not two weeks in a row). I usually write news and feature stories about local residents, their talents and good deeds, but this was special.
Fifty years ago this week, Beatlemania swept the nation. The legendary group made its debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and went on to take the country by storm. I ended up in a chic box seat as a goofy six-year-old with my parents at the Fab Four’s historic Hollywood Bowl concert.
Forty years later, I learned that my future husband was also at that same concert, working his first summer job as usher.
We met by accident at Abuelita’s Restaurant in Topanga at a New York Yankees/Boston Red Sox playoff party.
I was working for the Travel Channel as well as The Malibu Times, and always went over the canyon from Malibu to the valley.
On the way home, I stopped to check the score. In 2003, the Red Sox still had the curse. It was the last game of the playoffs and they were getting killed.
My future husband was very chatty and couldn’t believe he bumped into a girl who was so interested in baseball. (Like the Chicago Cubbies, I wanted to see them break the curse.) Think Cinderella.
In the seventh inning, with no hope in sight, I said something like, “You seem like a very nice guy, but I have to go home. I can’t take it.”
I did mention where I worked and the next day I received a dozen red roses. (Oh, what a nice touch; flowers get me every time!)
We got married by Judge Larry Mira at the Malibu Courthouse three months later. Before you could say “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,” I had a “Ticket to Ride” and we were sailing “Across the Universe” (to Venice, Rome and Positano). After admiring my husband’s driving skills in Napoli, I said “Baby You Can Drive My Car” and we have been driving together ever since.
Last Sunday, we watched “The Night That Changed America” on CBS. It was a tribute to The Beatles and their first U.S. television appearance 50 years ago. LL Cool J called it “a loving salute.”
Famous music makers like Stevie Wonder, Joe Walsh, John Mayer and Adam Levine gave it their all with classics like “We Can Work it Out” and “Here Comes the Sun.”
After paying homage to everyone in the band including George Harrison and John Lennon, Paul and Ringo took the stage and brought down the house.
Needless to say, those four lads from Liverpool launched a “Revolution.” It seems like “Yesterday,” but music to marriage, The Beatles created precious memories and “In My Life,” I love them all.