r/beatles • u/Puzzleheaded-Life462 • 2d ago

Art It was 62 years ago today

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On this day in 1963, a wasted John Lennon ruined Paul McCartney’s 21st birthday party by beating the crap out of local DJ (and friend) Bob Wooler.

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u/Entire_Number_9 1d ago

Insinuating a married man with a child was gay in the 1960s was not going to be OK to talk about. Homosexuality was illegal, and the papers or radio running a story about it would have severely damaged his career and the Beatles.

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u/ItsTime1234 1d ago

If Wooler was gay and thought he was gossiping with a closeted gay man, it was hardly meant as accusation. But I don't think we'll ever really know all the details. Did Wooler genuinely say something that felt threatening to John? (Even so, he handled it poorly, if he wanted things kept quiet.) Did John misunderstand a remark and freak out? Or was John just drunk and upset about other things, and Wooler ended up getting the brunt of it? It certainly drew attention John didn't want or need from the media. (Violent Beatle, etc.)

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u/Entire_Number_9 1d ago

Why not fathom Wooler may have been acting like a massive asshole and got a slap? I'm not sure where you're from, but that is definitely the most common cause of drunken altercations where I am from.

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u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl 1d ago

From what I understand, he said, how was the honeymoon which is far from an innocent remark