Last fall, I discovered the true meaning of Serendipity. Out of the clear blue, I received an e-mail from a reader of Shoulda Been There, asking me if I had enough photos for my upcoming book on John's life, Shivering Inside. The reader's name was VINCENT VIGIL.

Vincent explained to me that not only was he a dyed-in-the-wool Beatles fan, but he was also a collector of rare Beatle photos. Furthermore, he suggested that we'd make a great team in creating an interesting, intriguing, vintage cover for Shivering Inside...a cover that would capture John as he truly was from Dec. 1961 through mid-April 1963.

Over the next few months, as Vincent and I e-mailed back and forth, I found him to be knowledgeable and passionate about The Beatles. And as he mentions in his "Meet the Beatles Fans" story, Vincent indeed "has an eye" for choosing just the right photo to represent the story line.

The photo that Vincent chose was one by the lauded and applauded photographer, Jane Bown of The London Observer. It depicts John wearing the new suit/tie regalia that Brian Epstein insisted the lads don. But John's tie is loose and askew, and his expression says all you need to know about his state of mind. Fatigued, disenchanted, and worried that he has "sold out" his rock'n'roll roots for fame, John slumps in a chair; he is weary and alone. Far from the smiling and happy little Beatle that the world "thought they knew," the unguarded, unmasked John is, indeed, Shivering Inside.

Vincent's photo selection and Ms. Bown's extremely artistic work bears that out.

It took weeks for Vincent and my artist husband, Rande, to complete the cover layout; they were a great team. And it was a true joy for Rande and me both to work with such a gifted California artist!

Did I forget to say that Vincent is an incredible photographer in his own right (write??? Hmmm...good title!) You're going to love what you're about to see!!!

As always, sincerest thanks to another extremely gifted photographer and my talented webmaster Tim Coulter. Tim designed this features...as he has all of our "Meet the Beatles Fans" features since the inception of the segment. To see Tim's work, please go to www.coultergraphics.com. He is amazing!

Finally, see you all at THE CHICAGO FEST FOR BEATLES FANS in mid-August. I'll be pre-selling Shivering Inside, selling Shoulda Been There, and reading a chapter from the new book each day!

Meet Vincent Vigil

I got into The Beatles a little later then most.
 
It was 1967, when I first heard them. The album, "Magical Mystery Tour," when all of a sudden I was drawn to the stereo speakers! The pulsating notes of "I Am the Walrus" caught my ear - and my imagination. The song was, and still is, an Alice In Wonderland joyride, full of mind images and gibberish,  that blew the mind of that eight-year-old boy...I was a fan from then on!
 
Being new to the game, I had to "work my way back" and to buy all of the previous albums. I had to find out what came before. I had to cultivate A Beatles Mind.  By 1968, I was a seasoned, (or so I thought) fan!  To my parents' credit, I asked for, and received, The Beatles "White Album" for Christmas, that year. Pretty hip for a nine year old, eh?
 
Having been to my first concert (Jimi Hendrix) that same year, the stage was really set for me to delve into music. I loved The Beatles, but quickly found out that there was "more" out there. (Blasphemy, I know. Bear with me!!!) I loved the Motown scene and all the various American and British groups of the era as well.
 
But diversity aside, I continued to follow The Beatles through the years, even becoming a member of their fan clubs - both as a group and as solo artists. Even after "the breakup" in 1969, I continued to purchase each Beatle's solo records religiously, finding something of interest in every track.
 
 As I continued to grow-up, I started to become interested in rock'n'roll photography. I honestly can't pinpoint the date or time, but suddenly, I knew the names of the great rock'n'roll photographers.  Ethan Russell, Bob Gruen, Henry Diltz, Jim Marshall, Annie Leibovitz, and Linda McCartney were all my heroes in that new and thrilling world.
 
I really loved the work of Linda McCartney. I felt that she captured the inner personality of the people she shot. Her images of Janis Joplin, for instance, afford us a heartbreaking glimpse into the blues singer's soul. In photography, that is the ultimate talent.
 
 In 1988, I learned that there was going to be an exhibition of Linda's work at a gallery in La Jolla, California. So, I drove there and marveled at Linda's work, close-up.  If you have not been to a photography exhibition, there is a thrill about looking at the actual prints, rather than merely viewing at them in a book. Furthermore, at a show, you can buy prints.  I ended buying two of Linda's pieces, and these two prints were the beginning of my Beatles photography collection.
 
Ten years later, I decided to start studying photography at California's Palomar College.
 
Through my studies and via work with my mentor, Professor Paul Stachelek, I realized that I, too, had "an eye for things." As I started photographing, my heroes became the masters of that world: Heni Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, Andre Kertez and many others who - like Linda McCartney - somehow captured the inner spirit of their subject.
 
Through the different exhibitions, CD covers, and awards that I have been involved with, my passion for collecting photos has never waned. In fact, my collection has amassed (including the work of Albert Marrion, Angus McBean, Mike McCartney, Michael Ward, Robert Whitaker, and more...) into something of which I am very proud. 
 
Covering the length of The Beatles' career, my collection begins with a print of John and Paul at the Casbah, and ends with the iconic (28x28 print) image of John Lennon and Yoko Ono by Annie Leibovitz, taken on December 8, 1980.
 
 I now have a website for this extensive collection (www.vpvphotographs.com), and am working on my second exhibition of these rare photographs.  Since I live in the San Diego area, I would be more than happy to host an exhibition in California for any Beatles group, convention, art gallery, or art gathering. Please contact me via the website, and let's talk!
 
In 2010, I contacted Jude Kessler about the rare Beatles photos that I have in my collection, and we decided to work together on the cover of her new book, Shivering Inside. At my suggestion, she chose an extremely artistic shot of John Lennon taken by Jane Bown of The London Observer, and with help from her Beatles friends online, we tracked down Ms. Bown's representatives and secured permission to use the photo. I did the art layout for the cover and worked to create a "1962 aura" for the book's first glance. We're very happy with the finished product and hope you will be as well.
 
I'm also thrilled to have contributed one of my oldest pieces for the book: a vintage contact sheet of images taken of Brian Epstein in 1962/1963. I purchased this sheet of stills years ago from my friends at Tracks Ltd., and was glad to be able to share the work with Beatles fans worldwide via Shivering Inside.
 
I sincerely enjoy talking with other collectors and with other Beatles fans as well. Please write to me if you have questions about what I do, have a book cover you'd like for me to design, or if you'd just like to share Beatle stories.
 
But for now, welcome to my gallery!!!!