Paul McCartney was my first boyfriend. Really. I know it's true because he first came to the United States in time to celebrate my fifth birthday.
Paul and Me
(Photo of Paul McCartney: By The_Fabs.JPG: United Press International (UPI Telephoto) Cropping and retouching: User:Indopug and User:Misterweiss derivative work: Zakke (The_Fabs.JPG) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)
Of course, I followed their lead.
My mom was busy planning my birthday party, getting ready to make platters of tuna fish sandwiches and Velveeta dip with corn chips for me and my friends to gorge on.
She baked my favorite Duncan Hines white cake with chocolate frosting for dessert, and prepared games like pinata and musical chairs for us to play in our basement. Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey was always my favorite.
But I was sure I knew what my real birthday present was going to be. That angel faced guitar player, the one I'd seen somewhere over the past few weeks, was coming to my party. Where had I seen him? Was it on television? In a magazine? I don't remember, but his face stuck to my heart.
I clearly remember one bad in kindergarten while I was sitting next to my best friend, D. It was time to get ready for snack time. We always made sure to run back to our chairs after stuffing our crayons and smocks into our assigned cubbyholes so we we could sit next to each other.
But this time was different. After we took our seats, I announced I was going to make pretend Paul was sitting next to me. Then it happened. She proclaimed he couldn't possibly sit with me because he would be sitting next to her.
How dare she.
Those were fighting words, and we began to argue back and forth and back and forth, until our kindergarten teacher had to separate us.
I knew I won the fight, because Paul would only want to sit with me.
At my birthday party, D was still invited. We had made up, mostly because I knew I had won. What was the point of staying mad at someone who could still choose between John, George or even Ringo?
She could come to my party, and we could remain best friends.
My 5th birthday party, 1964
My birthday came and went, and my party was a smashing hit.
But, alas, there was no Paul.
Until the next night, when some old sourpuss looking man on a TV show announced it was going to be a very special night. I wasn't paying too much attention, until I heard the deafening sound of a lot of screaming girls.
I looked at the TV, and there he was. My angel-faced boyfriend, standing on a platform with three other guys, singing a song that melted my little girl heart.
Sigh. I knew I was right all along. Paul McCartney did come to America to help me celebrate my birthday. I forgave him for being a day late, but that didn't matter. There, in beautiful black and white, he was singing his way into my heart.
She loves you. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
OMG, I remember so well! I loved Paul, he was so cute. I was 8 when they were on the Ed Sullivan show and I was sooo over the moon about them. (BTW, Love your comment about the velveeta dip and chips, man food back then was scary!) Great story.
Sweet post! I love all the details of your party and the photos are adorable.
It's amazing that you remember this from when you were five! Paul really did steal your heart.
I am loving this chance to wallow in Beatlemania! Fun post. Paul was my favorite too.
ah, young love. I remember vividly being in love with the catwoman from the batman tv show. great post.
Fortunately, my best friend favored John, so I didn't have to argue with her about Paul being MY boyfriend. Fun post!
As much as enjoyed being the oldest child in many ways, not having an older sibling left me out of the loop music wise. I knew nothing about the Beatles coming to the U.S. (and I lived so closed to JFK, where they landed, we could hear the planes over our heads. I never had a crush on any of them (although it would have been Paul) because by the time I really got to know them they all had beards and when you are still not even a teen, that's a bit much.
So sweet and you were only five. But a very sophisticated five. Yeah, yeah, heah.
Too cute! Glad he sang to you for your birthday!
Hey, Paul was MY boyfriend! I was absolutely convinced I was going to marry him!
Awww. What a sweet post. I remember dancing and singing on my bed with a pretend microphone singing he loves me yeah yeah yeah as a kid, but he wasn't my boyfriend. LOL.
Estelle