emembering John

On the 25th anniversary of former Beatle
John Lennon's life, a Jewish reporter looks back
at th. e man he called his friend.

LARRY KANE

.urriott OF 77(; ETTORJDE

-lends and. fantiO
Extinsitn- new interviews-with Yako Ono and won , than 100

Michael Elkin
Philadelphia Jewish Exponent

arry Kane's got a ticket to write.
It's been stamped, punched, •
approved and validated in the best
way possible: The broadcaster's first two •
books have been best-sellers — one
about his love affair with Philly; the other
about accompanying the Beatles - on their
first American tours in the 1960s.
Now, with his new book, Lennon
Revealed (Running Press; $29.95), he's hit
the road with Abbey Road again, traveling
the country promoting his latest effort
about how the beat goes on for
Beatlemania — notably. for John Lennon.
For boomers whose boom boxes still
echo refrains of "Eleanor Rigby" and
"Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club
Band;' Kane has homed in on the heart of
the Beatles, on the man often regarded as
the Fab Four's most fabulous poet.
Coming on the heels and hell of the
25th anniversary of Lennon's death —
the day the music died for many who
recall the dark chapter in the life of the
Dakota in New York City that Dec. 8, 1980
' — the legendary broadcaster's eyewitness
news accounts of the best boy band ever
is no Band-Aid on their often tumultuous
times and scabrous affairs. And his
accounts of the composer whose marriage
to Yoko Ono broke the yoke that kept the
band together are strung through with
surprises.
How was Kane, who, as a young Jewish

L

kid played the accordion, accorded such
entree into the daily and delirious lives of
the lads from Liverpool? Against his will,
as he tells it now.
"I was a serious news reporter and
wanted to do serious news stories:' Kane
recalls of that day 41 years ago in Miami
when he was asked to accompany John,
Paul, George and Ringo as they rang up
register tills in arenas and stadiums
across the country.
"Frankly," he writes, "as a hard-news
radio reporter, I would rather have cov-
ered a bank robbery. than travel with a
band — any band."
Nevertheless, the straight-laced
reporter did his job and in the process
forged a friendship with Lennon, even if
such a friendship occasionally meant
friendly fire.
"I was always .targeted as John's special
victim;' Kane writes, "probably because
my straight-laced style, as perceived by
John, made me appear vulnerable to him.
Or perhaps he liked me so much that he
thought I would enjoy mashed potatoes
and peas being massaged into my hair

A Mentsh

But, quickly, such frat-boy frenzy would
fade to reveal the mentsh — and mixed-
up genius — behind the music. "He was
writing, painting, composing — such a .
creative genius:' says Kane. •
"[Paul] McCartney was a world-class
commercial entertainer, really good, his

work very upbeat:' says
Kane of the "cute" if
solipsistic singer. But
it's obvious that it was
Lennon — "who lived
off his insecurities and
negative vibes" — who
impressed Kane the
most, including in his
engaging interview with
the four featured on a
DVD included with the
book.
"John wasn't the kind
of guy who needed to
be on stage unlike
McCartney. But once he Larry Kane interviews John Lennon, 1964.
was there, he.lit up. And
ed to apologize on behalf [ofthe group],
yet, recounts Kane, if he learned anything
saying nothing was meant by it."
about the rocker with -hardscrabble ori-
"Look," says Kane, far from condoning
gins, it was "that John loved teaching oth-
the contretemps, just explaining it,"they
ers:'
all grew up in a rough area, and were sud-
The young.Jewish reporter from Miami
denly thrust into such a huge success.
learned a thing or two, too, hanging out
They really hadn't matured. as adults. As
with the hotshots. There was the time,
[one-time press officer for the band] Tony
recalls Kane, when he was seated in the
Barrow said, 'People are products of their
front of the plane during the tour and
environments."
overheard one of the four in the back say-
Not that bashing Jews was a big-time
ing something anti-Semitic. Surprised
thrill for the Beatles."After all:' points out,
even at his own guts, the proudly Jewish
Kane, "their manager, Brian Epstein, was
Kane went back and — shaking and
Jewish."
nervous — upbraided the four for such
What Kane and Lennon really went to
insensitivity and prejudice.
war over was Vietnam. "We talked about
Was Lennon the biased Beatle?
the draft and politics;' recalls Kane. "He
No, replies Kane, refusing to acknowl-
thought [President Lyndon B.] Johnson
edge who actually made the remark. "But
Remembering John on page 50
John came up to me afterward and want-

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JAN

December 8 • 2005

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