This post was written in 2013.
Suddenly the information is out. It’s everywhere! Details about John Lennon officially dissolving the Beatles at the Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World, 39 years ago today!
After years of only finding tidbits here and there, suddenly you can find all the information you want. You care if you love Disney. You care if you love The Beatles. And you’re welcome. Glad I could help out.
First off, I’m not really upset that May Pang didn’t answer my email. Well, maybe a little bit. I did write her. All she had to do was hit ‘reply’. “May, was that TOO DAMNED MUCH TO ASK?” Ahem..
Some of you may not even know who May Pang is. May Pang was an assistant to John Lennon during the early 70’s. I guess you could also say she was his girlfriend for a while during a separation from Yoko Ono. I’ve seen May Pang interviewed. She seems like a nice lady. (Although she doesn’t return emails!)
I think it is fair to say that more people know her because of her ties to John than for any other reason. I’m VERY cool with that. If I had dated Olivia Newton John in the 70’s, I’d probably still be milking it too. (That probably needs rephrasing. I’ll do it later)
Maybe you know my Disney obsession.
Maybe you know my Beatles obsession.
The story has floated around for years how John Lennon signed the papers that dissolved the Beatles while staying at the Polynesian Hotel. We didn’t know the details until recently. 39 years ago. Today! At that time, John had been separated from wife Yoko Ono for about 18 months, and on the trip with him was son Julian (follow him on Facebook, he’s a really cool guy), and ‘assistant/girl friend/future Eddie Owen ignorer’ May Pang.
As I had heard the story time and time again, John was staying at the hotel and his lawyers called saying the Beatles dissolution paperwork was ready. They brought the papers to Orlando, where John signed them and the legal entity known as ‘The Beatles‘, was no more. (December 29th should be a national day of mourning)
So if you are a Beatles fan… and you are a Disney fan… this is one of the greatest synergy stories ever.
John Lennon & May Pang. Mickey on the shirt, but no idea where the picture was taken. (I might of found out if May returned my email) Photo courtesy: Daily Mail
Over the last couple of years, I’ve tried to find more information about this. Maybe even get a picture of John Lennon at Walt Disney World. I contacted several people in the media in Orlando that I knew and told them the story, but no one could help. On a recent trip to Orlando, someone even asked me as a trivia question, “what ROOM was John in?”. (I had no idea. They didn’t either, but I would assume a really NICE one)
Finally, about two months ago, it hit me one night to contact May Pang herself at her website and ask.
Through the contact form, I explained how Beatles fans in the Disney fan community considered this a big friggin’ deal, and it would be great if she’d tell the story and get it on record, and maybe even supply an official picture of John at Disney World. I write for Examiner, (read my stuff please….) and I’m launching a new Disney site and I told her I would take the story and make the world a better place because she had told it. I made sure it said exactly what I wanted it to say, made a few changes, and hit ‘Enter’.
And I waited. Figured a busy person might take a few days to give me a casual reply. Maybe a week. Hey, a month’s gone by? Not a problem. I’m sure May’s got “stuff” to do.
Finally, the realization dawned on me. I’m not being responded to.
OK, it’s not like I was going to lose any sleep on this. It really isn’t more than a curiosity that I’ve had, and something of interest in both fan communities. I just chalked it off to being considered a “nuisance email” on her site, and I went on about my business.
Then it happened!!!
My research for my Disney site Mickeyopolis, requires me to do a LOT of searching on the internet, based on keywords. One of my keywords pulled up an article that caught my attention. The title? “What Role Did Walt Disney World Play in the Breakup of the Beatles?”
Well, I was all excited because I KNEW what the role was. So I flipped over to it, and there was the story, all about John Lennon, May Pang, the Polynesian, signing papers, dissolution of the Beatles, Julian Lennon, and even a picture of John Lennon at what appears to be a park. (I suppose the Magic Kingdom, although they don’t say so.)
John Lennon at an unknown location. (Maybe Disney World?) Photo courtesy: PJ Media
And then I read further. The quote that prompted me to write this post, “May Pang picks up the story…”
May Pang is speaking?!? About John Lennon and Walt Disney World, the Beatles dissolution and ignoring Eddie Owen? (OK, 3 of 4…)
Here is my problem.
This was 39 years ago. Today. Nary a peep out of anyone in all that time about it, other than legend and rumor. And less than two months after I send an email requesting information somebody ELSE gets the story? And it’s now all over the place?
OK, it could be coincidence. May Pang may have never even seen my email. Maybe the writer of the story is an old friend or something. I don’t know.
But it’s the internet, and by golly I’m entitled to my persecution complex. So I’m going to claim this story. Here’s what REALLY happened! May Pang obviously saw my email, realized this massive story she’d been sitting on for nearly four decades, and figured it was time to tell it!
And having heard that Paul McCartney has always been my favorite Beatle, she gave the story to someone else. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
If you want to read the article, here it is.
In the meantime, “May… call me”… I still have questions.
PS…Julian Lennon, if you ever read this I would have contacted you, but I couldn’t find a button on your website to do so. And you should really add this to your timeline thingie on JulianLennon.com. (But you’re still way cool, and I have a lot of admiration for you.)
