Product Description

Here is the full story of John Lennon's remarkable uncle, the late singer-composer Charlie Lennon, told in Charlie's own words and in tributes by some of those who knew him best. The book provides a unique, fascinating look into the Lennon family and John's early life in his hometown of Liverpool, England. Charlie talks candidly about his childhood days in Liverpool, his wartime service in the Royal Army, his memories of John and of John's son Julian, and his life as a hometown celebrity after coming home to Liverpool in 1982. His close friend Scott Wheeler takes up the story in the 1980s, chronicling his many "travels with Charlie" around Liverpool and Boston in the course of eight years of band tours. The book includes tributes from 13 of Charlie's friends, and is illustrated with nearly 600 photos, including many rare Lennon family pictures that have never before been published.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #946138 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 436 pages

About the Author
Scott Wheeler and Charlie Lennon were friends and performing partners for 13 years. Scott, from Boston, USA, has performed rock and roll on stage, radio and TV for hundreds of thousands of fans in America and in England. He is featured every year in Liverpool's international Beatle Week festival.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
I saw John only once during the war. I came home to Liverpool when he was four years old. We decided we'd go and have a walk-'round. John's mother and father went into the fish shop in Penny Lane, and I stood with John outside a toy shop. John's pointing at this big tin bus in the window. I said, "You want that?" And he got all excited. So, of course, I go in and buy it for him, don't I? And while I'm paying for this bus, John's walking out the door with a Donald Duck with wheels, on a piece of string. Mind you, he'd broken it before he got home! I didn't see John again until he invited me up to his home in Weybridge in November 1967. His dad said to me, "What are you going to say to John when you see him?" I said, "I'll ask for me bus back." And John had still got the bus! It was up in the music room when I saw it.

Customer Reviews

At last, the true story!
The author writes with passion because he spent several years visiting Liverpool from America and interviewing John Lennon's favorite uncle, Charlie, during which time the two became close friends.
The book contains literally hundreds of photographs, 600 to be precise, almost all previously unpublished and contains unique images of John's much neglected paternal side of the family.
No one reading this account could ever go back to believing the innacurate myths about John's much maligned father Alfred.
Charlie was a feisty character and his revelations bring to life the early story of his family and their struggles to survive in Liverpool in days which were incredibly tough.
Author Scott Wheeler duetted with Charlie on 'The Ships of the Mersey', a song Charlie had written. The author's own recollections of his many visits to Liverpool and contemporary life in the city are also fascinating.

Bill Harry

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Look. This book is not worth buying unless you can get it cheap. Really cheap. Unfortunately Charlie didn't really know John that well. He saw John as a baby and later once when John was famous. This book just discusses too many things that are only vaguely (and using the term 'vaguely' is perhaps an overstatement) related to John. This is just a disorganized collection of ramblings by the author. The book about George's two-week stay in Illinois is actually a far better book if you are looking to purchase a Beatle-related book in the Why-Did-They-Need-To-Write-A-Book-About-This category.
God bless Uncle Charlie, but find out more about this book before buying it.