Lifelong Beatlefans?

Am I the only lifelong Beatlefan with a lifelong story? Sometimes I feel alone.
I write this letter as that same excited 8 year old boy watching Ed Sullivan in 1964, as a father of two little girls getting to know Paul McCartney & a person who has sung Paul's songs for 40 yrs (in spite of being off key) I have been attempting to find others who have the same lifelong passion & lifelong stories about Paul McCartney similar to mine. . The significance of this passion instilled in my then 8 yr old heart in 1964- it is very unlikely another band will likewise take the world by storm.
My history as a fan for 41 years follows. I am Rick Linville, a 49 year old fan from Columbus Ohio. I have been a Paul McCartney/Beatles fan since 1963 , when I first started hearing about the Beatles in the news. My first contact with them was on the Ed Sullivan Show. I sat one Sunday night in 1964 with my mom,dad, sisters Kay & Jane & deep down knew my life had just totally changed. I gave up toys at that point & all desires became Beatle albums. I would organize Beatle shows with 3 friends at 8 & 9 years old. I always impersonated Paul McCartney because he was my favorite. We made wooden guitars, used overturned wastebaskets for drums & pie tins for cymbals. We would setup on top of my parents big chest freezer in the basement. Neighborhood girls would pay us 10 cents each to watch our show. We would play a Beatles record on a small 16 inch by 16 inch "phonograph (AKA record) player & lip sync. At the end of the show we would run out of the house with the girls screaming behind us in play. I have always loved singing Beatle songs(even though family, friends ,even total strangers would ask me to stop singing) When I was in the third grade 1964 I wore my moms black crushed velvet boots to school because they looked like the boots on Meet the Beatles. My parents, sisters & girlfriends , for the next 40 years or so, knew what I would want for birthdays or Christmas. Initially, the Beatles were so cool looking & had a cool different sound. Their songs were meaninful & romantic. I have always loved singing Beatle songs(even though family, friends ,even total strangers would ask me to stop singing)
As with many Beatlefans, the third most outstanding date in our lives, behind the discovery & the breakup of the Beatles, was the violent death of John Lennon. I had loved & respected his music. My older sister called me from California that evening at 11PM to break the news to me. I cried that night, as well as weeped with hundreds of fans at the Ohio Statehouse lawn in downtown Columbus, Ohio.
I have seen Paul McCartney 7 times in concert, Ringo 3 times, George almost once (1971 canceled) & John never. I saw Paul once around 1976 with his group Wings. Then I saw him 3 times in 1989. Before the 1989 tour I found out if you joined his official fan club you can get preferred seating. So I joined & sent a money order to England. After 3 weeks I got concerned so I sent another money order. A lady from England called me at work & said the fan club had received my first money order. She said the only question-do you want the 2nd money order returned or an extra pair of tickets for a different show? I thought I must be dreaming. I said send the extra tickets. I had 2 Cincinnati tickets 18th row. The two extra tickets were for Detroit 8th row dead center. I was thrilled. A buddy & I went to Detroit to see him. He was alone on stage singing "Put It There". The song about his father putting out his hand to shake hands when Paul was an upset little boy. Everyone was seated while Paul was on stage singing. When he went into the main chorus, I stood up & put out my hand. He winked, smiled & nodded at me. I fell back in my seat dumbfounded. It was the one personal moment I always wanted with Paul. After that show I also saw him in Cleveland & Cincinnati on that tour. He came back on tour about 1993 & I saw him in Cincinnati with my soon-to-be wife. In about 2001 he came back on his Driving Rain tour. Another friend & I saw him in Cleveland & in 2002, on the 2nd leg "Back in the US" tour, saw him in Columbus Ohio. The interesting thing about the Back In The US tour-my dying mother knew the greatest gift she could give her then 45 year old son was a main floor seat for the show. Another bonus-my twin sister Kay, who was ho-hum about the Beatles since we were kids, wanted to go see him.
So Kay, myself & two other friends went to the Columbus show. Before the concert, we went to the venue early to see some Beatles impersonators band. While we were waiting for the doors to open, we decided to go over by the limousine entrance. I thought what a waste of time, but I agreed. While we stood there for 15 minutes with 20 other people, an English guy said Mr McCartney will be arriving in 5 minutes. Please do not rush the limo or he will not slow down for a wave & photos. Pauls entourage (4 limos & police escort motorcycles) arrived & I handed the camera to my sister, thinking I might be the one to get too excited to get the picture. Paul pulls up, pops his head out the window & begins waving. My 45 year old sister begins screaming & jumpimg up & down. She messed up the most important photo & got a photo of the front door of the limo. That broke my heart. So we went on in to the concert.
Well. I finally stepped up to a microphone & sang Live & Let Die (without musical backing) on 3/18/05. It was "The Step Up To The Mike Columbus" American idol type contest for local singers. I saw it advertised on a news show at PM. So I drove down to see how many people were lined up downtown at the Promowest Pavilion. Pretty long line but I decided why not. My sisters Kay & Jane probably got the biggest kick out of me, of all people, being in a singing contest. But it was fun. I told everyone as we waited that people often ask me to stop singing. I also joked my wife makes me lip sync in church.
I have invited Paul to tea, both before he appeared for his 2002 Columbus show & his upcoming Oct 2005 show. His representative e-mailed me back, politely thanking me for the offer & indicating "for various reasons Paul could not accept".
We suggested a show about Beatlefans should be done with Beatlefan stories similar to mine. I received many responses to this idea, most of which I saved. We pitched the idea to Oprah Winfrey since late March 2005. Please send your story to her, as well as me. I would love to read it.
My nine year old Emily & six year old Ashley love the Beatles, especially Hey Jude & Yellow Submarine.
In conclusion, my lifelong dream, of course, is to personally thank Paul McCartney . Again, I write this letter as the 8 year old boy watching Ed Sullivan with an adrenalin rush & now a 49 year old man with that same
adrenalin, hoping to see Paul McCartney again this month. I am
RICK LINVILLE-Columbus, Ohio/USA
RedRoseSpdwy@aol.com

You are not alone.

I hear you.Each time get rejected like recently LOL for a few days..Sing
"Yesterday Love was such an easy game to play oh I believe in yesterday"
Hey saw the reruns liked that Ed Sullivan.Over a year ago The museum of broadcast Tv in Manhattan
in the fiftys was showing those Beatle reruns was on a date oh well got rejected.
"
"Yesterday Love was such an easy game to play...oh I believe in yesterday Oh I believe in yesterday"

metta John

yea the beatles rock i love them. they are so good them selves they have inspired, so many different artist. i was listening to this musician named Tom Fuller, and he was just saying how the beatles were the band that basically got him into music the way he he is today. if an artist like tom fuller was inspired by them i cant imagine how many other artist were inspired by them as well. you guys should check him out he is one of my favorite artists.

myspace url-www.myspace.com/tomfullerband