An iconic figure of the 1960s and ’70s, Pattie Boyd breaks a forty-year silence in Wonderful Tonight, and tells the story of how she found herself bound to two of the most addictive, promiscuous musical geniuses of the twentieth century and became the most famous muse in the history of rock and roll. She met the Beatles in 1964 when she was cast as a schoolgirl in A Hard Day’s Night. Ten days … Night. Ten days later a smitten George Harrison proposed. For twenty-year-old Pattie Boyd, it was the beginning of an unimaginably rich and complex life as she was welcomed into the Beatles inner circle—a circle that included Mick Jagger, Ron Wood, Jeff Beck, and a veritable who’s who of rock musicians. She describes the dynamics of the group, the friendships, the tensions, the musicmaking, and the weird and wonderful memories she has of Paul and Linda, Cynthia and John, Ringo and Maureen, and especially the years with her husband, George. It was a sweet, turbulent life, but one that would take an unexpected turn, starting with a simple note that began “dearest l.” I read it quickly and assumed that it was from some weirdo; I did get fan mail from time to time…. I thought no more about it until that evening when the phone rang. It was Eric [Clapton]. “Did you get my letter?”… And then the penny dropped. “Was that from you?” I said….It was the most passionate letter anyone had ever written me.For the first time Pattie Boyd, former wife of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton, a high-profile model whose face epitomized the swinging London scene of the 1960s, a woman who inspired Harrison’s song “Something” and Clapton’s anthem “Layla,” has decided to write a book that is rich and raw, funny and heartbreaking—and totally honest and open and breathtaking. Here is the truth, here is what happened, here is the story you’ve been waiting for.
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Easy to read even though I was barely familiar with Patty’s story. The book doesn’t answer what made her so desirable, but that would probably be best answered by her loves or both knowing her in person. Another glimpse into celebrity life. Most celeb memoirs are not insanely deep; this one was about normal.
Interesting life but the takeaway was I’m so glad I never married a self absorbed, narcissistic rock star.
It was an interesting view of the sixties, though at times glossed over.
If what is written is true, I learned some things about these people that I didn’t know.
GAVE A GOOD INSIGHT TO ALL CHARACTERS
A charming read; seems to be an honest yet positive retrospective balanced with colorful and personal details about the most influential people of that era. I enjoyed it tremendously.
Revealing glimpses into the lives of George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Chronicles the scene of late sixties swinging London. A fun read that gets somewhat tedious as times.
Well written and good glimpse into a world most of us will never be a part of. She was in love with two very complex men, artists who were difficult to love and still maintain her own identity. It was very interesting and she did a good job of describing her homes and her fashion.
Interesting read, especially the 60s content, from someone who lived it. But ultimately sad. No Happily Ever After. What did we expect? 🙁
interesting insight into the lives of the author as well as the Beatles and Eric Clapton and the sort of lives people like these actually lived.
It’s a good read but it bogs down at the end.
Amazingly wonderful book.
Low opinion. Felt the book was a little dry and predictable
I felt this book was a little slow, and jumped around too much.
I learned things from Patty Boyd’s life that I did not know but the drug use was a little too much. Even so I was aware that it was pretty common in the entertainment industry, still it was disturbing for me, since I am not and I have never used drugs and I really don’t understand why people would do it, intentionally ruining their own life.
A really fun read especially if you’re a Harrison or Clapton fan. Patti gives us an inside look at George and Eric that I’m sure most people would not know about. Clapton’s other side was what I expected, but George was completely different from the persona that we knew of him as a Beatle. As for Patti, this girl had it all,absolutely beautiful ,a …
Stories about the beatles and what life was like for them back in the early days that i haven’t heard before.
A fascinating look into my heros of the “British Invasion” though the eyes of a woman who married two of the biggest names and inspired wonderful songs from each of them. Her unique perspective is a great read! Made me wish I’d known her!
A bit disappointed. Was expecting it to be a detailed inside look at the Beatles. Certainly, there was some, but much of the book was about her early years, which was of less interest to me.
A decent look at the inside life of the rock star community, but limited in scope and depth. The writing was mediocre at best. A lot of name dropping.