Published July 2010

Summary

When Chris O’Dell was 20 years old in 1968, her boyfriend introduced her to Derek Taylor, friend of and PR person for the Beatles’ Apple Corps. Derek and Chris hit it off right away and she ended up working as his assistant in California in the weeks before he returned to London. When he left, he told her she should join him in London, but he didn’t give her a specific job offer. She took a leap of faith, flew to London, and soon created a position for herself as “lunch girl” at Apple studios. 

That was the start of an exciting and often tumultuous life for Chris O’Dell, leading her to employment as a private assistant for George and Patti Harrison, jobs touring with bands from the Rolling Stones to Santana, and ultimately to becoming a tour manager for Linda Ronstadt, Phil Collins and others. However, through it all, she struggled with addiction issues and the problems that come along with those issues. 

In this book the reader hears about Chris’s life, but also gets a peak inside of Apple Corps in its exciting first and painful later days. We also hear about her interactions with the Beatles and their wives, exciting musical moments such as the Beatles’ final concert on the rooftop, as well as stories about countless other musicians.

My Thoughts

Honestly, I didn’t think I would enjoy this book as much as I did. Her story is told in such a relaxed, conversational way. It almost feels like she’s telling a story to a friend about her other friends. 

I really appreciated that it was set up in a clear chronological order. Each chapter is given a time period. So often I have found that biographies involving musicians and artists can have rather vague timelines. 

There are some brilliant moments – such as her singing back up on some tracks – and some terrible moments – such as when she is chased by a knife-wielding boyfriend. It felt to me like she was exceptionally honest and I admired the vulnerability shown. She didn’t shy away from talking about naive or embarrassing moments like when she first met Patti Harrison at an event and blurted out that she’d love Patti to help her with her make-up. That just added a realness to it. Who among us hasn’t blurted out silly things and then wished  we could sink into the floor?  I sure have and always find it reassuring that I’m not the only one. 

At the end of the book, she offers a memorial to those she knew who have since died and lists when and how the deaths came about and it brought tears to my eyes. 

For the most, part the pacing of the story was excellent. It did appear to slow down a bit during 1973 and 74 in Los Angeles, but that might have been because the content, involving drug addiction, was so heavy.

What Else I Liked

• I feel like I got a much better and well-balanced  picture of George Harrison in O’dell’s biography than I did in the recent biography of George Harrison written by Philip Norman. Unlike Norman, O’dell lived with George and Patti at Friar Park and toured with George and was trusted by George. The picture she paints feels much more nuanced than that of Norman. It’s not that she isn’t critical of him, but rather that she approached her criticisms from a position of compassionate reflection, which makes a difference.

• I had read Patti Boyd’s autobiography, but came away from it without really feeling like I knew who she was. Coming away from this biography, I felt l had seen a much more human and real Patti. I also feel like Chris O’Dell gave a more unbiased look inside Patti’s relationships with George and Eric Clapton. 

• Though she struggled at times with self-worth, there were a couple of moments when she stood up for herself in ways that were impressive for the era. I also cheered out loud when she finally cursed out Clapton (I think anyone who reads the book will agree that that was a satisfying moment). 

What I Didn’t Like

• Some of the content was disturbing, but as she was reporting what she saw and experienced, it didn’t feel gratuitous. 

My Rating 4/5

I really enjoyed it, but would be unlikely to read it again. However, I am keeping a copy on my shelves.

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Content/Trigger Warnings

drug and alcohol use

addiction issues

sexual exploitation/sexual coercion 

domestic violence/emotional abuse

misogyny

About the Authors

Chris O’Dell worked in the music industry from 1968-1984. She now works as a licensed therapist and addiction counselor in Arizona. George Harrison’s song Miss O’Dell was written about her and she has also appeared in the biographies of George Harrison, Patti Boyd, Sam Shepherd and Eric Clapton.

Katherine Ketchum has co-authored 16 books including a New York Times Best-Seller. More than 1.4 million of her books are in print and they have been translated into 13 languages. To learn more about her be sure to check out her website.