Tea & A Butty Podcast 14 - 'Women of John Lennon'

We're baaaack! After what seems like a whole year hiatus, we are back with a new Podcast. We even grew mustaches and cut our hair and made a promotional film where people wonder whether or not it's really us! We hope you enjoy and look out for our next in the 'Women of...' series, Paul McCartney!

Women of The Beatles: Olivia Harrison

Olivia Harrison in the 1980's

Olivia Arias was a cute little Mexican girl working as a receptionist in the Los Angeles office of Dark Horse Records in the early 1970's when George Harrison, the company's founder, walked in. He'd spoken to her on the phone several times and began to form an attraction to her. George then asked a mutual friend to go to L.A. and take a photo of Olivia and send it to him as he wanted to know if she was as beautiful as she sounded. That never happened so George went over to see her for himself and they began a relationship with him bringing Olivia on his 1974 North American tour and marrying her in 1978. They had a son the same year, Dhani and they lived together at Friar Park. Olivia admitted that during their marriage George did have affairs with other women but she knew what she was getting into when she married a Beatle. In 1999 she successfully saved George's life when a psychopath who was convinced George was the devil stormed into their Friar Park mansion and stabbed George multiple times, grabbing a nearby lamp she hit the assailant over the head knocking him out. Tom Petty later sent him a fax saying "Aren't you glad you married a Mexican girl?". George was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1997 which was successfully treated. However, in early 2001 it came back on his lungs and had spread to his brain. He died on the 29th November 2001 with his family by his side. In the years since his death Olivia has maintained George's legacy, lending her support to the 2002 'Concert For George' which was organized by his old mate Eric Clapton and featured his friends from all over the music world including his most famous; Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr. Olivia continues to lend her support to Charities and still lives in Friar Park.

Women Of The Beatles: Heather Mills

Heather Mills in the 2000's

When Heather Mills walked into Paul McCartney's life at the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain award ceremony at the Dorchester hotel in London in April 1999 little did he know how much of a mistake he was making. He was instantly attracted to her blonde, blue eyed, leggy (well, ok, not so leggy) and 27 years his junior, Paul couldn't help himself. He had very recently lost his soul-mate Linda to cancer and Paul seemed to be very much looking for love in all the wrong places. They married in 2002 and a year later they had a daughter together; Beatrice. The marriage was stable at first but then Heather started to complain to her blabbermouth friends that Paul was a "boring old fart and he doesn't have any friends". When these reports began to surface, Heather started taking a lot of flak from Paul's fanbase and the British media also got in on the act. After a brief seperation Paul filed for divorce from Heather in 2006 citing irreconcilable differences and the media moved in, digging up every last thing they could about her. Heather slowly began to commit professional suicide with her swollen headed stories and claims that Paul physically abused her. She finally walked away with around $50 million of Paul's $800 million fortune. A sum he's probably earned back three times over by now.

Some of the fantastic claims Heather has made are:

Being asked by all three main British political parties to stand for Parliament.

Being offered a life peerage by Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2001

Cancelling a meeting with Bill Clinton in case her endorsement affected the US Election.

Leaving an ex-boyfriend because he was gay and a member of MI6 on a mission to destroy her landmine campaign.

Having a career in Investigative Journalism.

Paul stabbed her in the arm with a broken wine glass.

Never having heard of the Beatles.

She was once married to Paul McCartney.

Okay. Okay. That last statement she never actually made up but I bet Paul wished she had.

Women of The Beatles: Nancy Shevell

Nancy Shevell on her wedding to Paul McCartney in London on October 9th, 2011.

After the Heather Mills palava, Nancy Shevell became more prominent in Paul's life. I say more prominent as she had been a friend of Paul for nearly 20 years due to them having neighbouring homes in Long Island's Hamptons district. They began a courtship in 2007, which according to insiders cost her a fortune in plane tickets to Britain as Paul never bought her one. Shevell didn't mind that though as she's quite wealthy in her own right. Nancy is on the board of New York City's Metropolitan Transport Authority and was Vice President of her father's New Jersey trucking company. Paul and Nancy married in London on October 9th 2011 at Marylebone Registry Office. The same venue that Paul married Linda in 1969 and the date would also have been John Lennon's 71st birthday. Paul has finally found a love that lasts forever and a love that has no past. (It's in E) DON'T LET ME....oops. Sorry. Got carried away there.

“It’s just not that intriguing, not like his last marriage, which was really intriguing. I’m over 50. I work. That’s it. I haven’t been social and I have a small group of girlfriends. There really isn’t much to talk about.” - Nancy Shevell

Women of The Beatles: Cynthia Lennon

Cynthia Lennon in 1965.

Cynthia was a year older than John when they met at Liverpool Art College in 1958. Their relationship began very stormy with Lennon susceptible to fits of jealousy and violence towards her but she was besotted with John, having sex with him wherever and whenever she could and after a 3 month split caused by a bout of jealous rage, she accepted him back into her life after he apologised profusely for his errors. In 1962 when the Beatles were finally on the right track Cynthia dropped a bombshell on John "I'm pregnant" she said to him when they were alone. This stunned John into silence and one can only imagine the turmoil screaming through his head; would he have to give up the Beatles? his big chance at fame? they were finally onto something now with Brian Epstein as their manager. In those days, having a child and not being married was frowned upon and so on the 23rd of August 1962, Cynthia & John tied the knot at Mount Pleasant Registry office in Liverpool with George Harrison and Paul McCartney in attendance and Brian Epstein as best man. No photographs were taken or parents were in attendance and the ceremony was farcical with a pneumatic drill drowning out everything the registrar said but in the end, Cynthia came out of there as Mrs. Lennon, more or less. Julian was born in April 1963 although John, on tour with the Beatles, wasn't present and didn't see him until 3 days later and it was then he announced he was buggering off on holiday with Brian to Barcelona. Cynthia probably knew even then that it was useless to complain when it came to John Lennon of the Beatles. A year later they were as famous as you could get and Cynthia had the house, the cars and the money to prove it but she also had the rumours of John's infidelity to put up with. In 1967 Cynthia started to notice a small Asian woman following them wherever they went, this woman was always posting cards through the door and ringing. John at first dismissed her calls as "some nutter looking for money for her Avant-Garde bullshit" but the woman was persistent and when Cynthia came back from a holiday to Greece she discovered John and the woman sitting in dressing gowns in the kitchen. With it pretty obvious what had been going on, John later informed her of his intention to be with this woman for the rest of his life. Cynthia married 3 times after John and is currently still married to the third and living on the Island of Majorca in Spain. She has published two memoirs of her life with Lennon; 'A Twist of Lennon' in 1978 and 'John' in 2005.