THE former wife of The Beatles star George Harrison and guitar legend Eric
Clapton is set to share her intimate portraits of the musicians for the
first time ever in the UK.
Pattie Boyd, an English model, photographer and author, was the first wife of
both musicians and the candid images will be displayed for a limited time at
The Beatles Story in Liverpool.
She said: “I am thrilled to have the exhibition of my photographs at The
Beatles Story.
“The Beatles legacy seems to get bigger and bigger and after 50 years, shows
no sign of fading!
“I hope that the many thousands of fans that visit Liverpool each year will
have a chance to visit my exhibition and enjoy seeing the photographs and
learn a little about when and where they were taken.
“Each image has its own story, but together they form a chronicle of my life
which I am proud and happy to share with visitors to the Gallery. And not
just Beatles fans!”
Pattie met George during a filming of the hit song A Hard Day’s Night in 1964
when she played a school girl.
After the brief encounter George invited the former model on a date but she
initially turned him down.
But a few days later the pair went clubbing and one of the first things that
love-struck George allegedly said to Pattie was “Will you marry me?”.
The young couple were married during the height of the Beatles fame from 1966
to 1977.
George and Eric were close friends and during Pattie’s marriage to the
guitarist, Eric fell in love with her.
An assortment of Eric’s iconic songs such as Layla were allegedly written to
proclaim his feelings for Pattie but when she rejected his advances, the
blues guitarist descended into heroin addiction and self-imposed exile for
three years.
But Eric did eventually manage to get his girl, and Pattie married him in 1979.
Martin King, from The Beatles Story, added: “For Pattie to choose The Beatles
Story as the first place in the UK to exhibit the collection is a great
tribute to the Fab Four and other stars of the time, some of whom also
feature in our British Invasion special exhibit.
“The story of George, Eric and Me is a gripping one and is perfectly told
through Pattie’s photography and we are delighted that through this unique
exhibit, we can give our visitors a true perspective of the lives they
shared.”
