I was 15 years old when I saw this rendering of the Beatles as old men for the first time.* For me the concept of aging was unfathomable. In my world, everyone was young and everyone would always be young. But most of all, The Beatles, our idols and mentors, prophets of our time, would never age, could never age. They were immortal. That’s why the rendering was so shocking. I remember laughing nervously sitting there with my friends and band mates gazing at the picture. We simply couldn’t comprehend what we were looking at. Old was something reserved for our parents and grandparents. Not us and certainly NOT the Beatles.
A Heavy Dose of Reality
Sadly, old age was not meant for John Lennon. He was tragically murdered on December 8, 1980 at age 40. And depending on how you define “old”, it can be argued that George Harrison, who died of cancer on November 29, 2001 at age 58, never got to grow old either. But Paul and Ringo, mortals after all, are growing old along with the rest of us. What a comfort to this old Beatles fan. Indeed it was the occasion of Paul’s 70th birthday last June 18 that started me thinking about writing this post. (Ringo turned 72 two weeks ago, July 7).
What Does Old Look Like?
Paul McCartney turns 70. If you’re a Beatles fan, you must buy the special edition Time Magazine book by James Kaplan.
A few years back, while searching the magazines in the waiting room at my doctor’s office, I recoiled slightly when I saw Paul McCartney’s face gracing the cover of AARP Magazine. Shock number two. Certainly not as violent a shock as the 1965 version but a shock nonetheless. It’s official now, I thought. McCartney’s old and I’m old. But he didn’t “look” old. At age 70, he’s certainly not the puffy faced, double chinned cherub imagined by the artist back in 1965. Even more impressive – he doesn’t act 70 either, or maybe he’s actually redefining how a 70 year old is supposed to act. I like to think that. In the last few years he has played more concerts and toured more extensively than at any other time in his career, including the Beatle years. I’ve been to one of his recent concerts. Admittedly I was skeptical. I thought I was going to hear a tired rehash of old songs played by a guy who should have quit years ago. Instead, I was blown away by Sir Paul’s energy, enthusiasm and sheer joy. As he told “TIME” in 2005, when asked if he would still indulge audiences with oldies like “Hey Jude”: “They’ll get that too, but you have to move forward as well as go back. As they say, the show must go on!” You gotta love this guy.
And it’s not just Paul who seems to be defying the aging process (or is it redefining the aging process?) Take a look at the 72 year old Ringo on the left. Now take another look at the rendering at the top of the page. See what I mean?
Final Thoughts
A friend once poignantly characterized aging as a cruelty. Indeed in many ways it is. But watching Paul McCartney age shows us that it doesn’t have to be that way. Since 1964, when I first saw his boyish smile and his big round eyes light up my black and white television set, he has been a sort of role model. Well, Paul my old friend, if this is how you plan to get old, I’m still happy to follow your lead.
And Now Back to You
I’d love to hear from other Beatle fans out there. What do you think about Paul turning 70? About Ringo turning 72? Does it make you feel old? Does it make you feel something else? Talk to me.
*Disclaimer: I am more than happy to credit the artist whose rendering appears at the top of this page. However, I can’t find any information on who may have drawn it. If anybody knows the answer, please let me know and I will give the proper credit.
Old. What does old mean!!?? I'm going to be 66 in a month and while it is true that I get senior discounts and have 9 grandchildren and have just applied for social security benefits (and I work full time) I am not old!! And Paul and Ringo are NOT old. They are 70 and 72 respectively, but age is just a number! It is not a state of mind! We assume "old" means a number of years, but "old" (to me) is a particular sensibility. I love that Paul and Ringo are the faces of the "new" old!! At 50, we are sent AARP magazine. 50 is cute!!!
50…old…really? I think not!! My mother is 96. She's old!! Paul and Ringo…..never!!
Wasn't this pic first seen in Life magazine?
I have been searching for this for years. I was looking for it to see how accurate the rendering was some 50 years later compared to the truth. It seems that the artist depicted John to become a jolly old man; Paul to be like a conservative business type; Ringo as just old Ringo; and for George to remain cool as always. I cant even guess what John would have been like at 70, so maybe the artist got it right; I would have thought Paul 'would' be a conservative business type also, but he just jammed with Nirvana and as you said tours constantly; Ringo is much younger and cooler looking than the depiction; and George seemed to be getting more conservative looking as he got older compared to the depiction.
Funny, my feelings were exactly like yours on this topic in '65. I was also 15.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this bruce. I'm glad I was able to locate the picture and glad you found this post. Just saw Paul jamming with Nirvana too. If you're going to get old, what a way to do it eh?
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A profoundly interesting conundrum, time and aging. I especially appreciate you tying the inquiry to the picture of the Beatles as you and I discovered that picture together and mused at it in our youth over 4 decades ago. I have developed my own very personal concepts about time and not being Stephen Hawkins there is little real science in it. I see time as an abstract, you can hear it ticking, feel it in your biological clock, see it in your children, so it is in some fashion measurable, But I think time unfolds differently for each of us. Enter the site of your 1967 high school reunion and you will see proof of what I mean. Each of the attendees have endured the same years, everyone attending is in some sense alive, but look at the variation. Our favorite cheer leader looks like our oldest living aunt, the head of the basketball team hides his hairless shiny head under a synthetic hair piece, making him look worse then just old, and on the dance floor a few folks we recognize are shaking it up like time hasn't passed at all. Gravity has taken little toll on their souls and just chipped away the right amount at their bodies. TIme I deduced moves differently for each of us. Some are taken kicking and screaming from their cubicles when it comes time for retirement fearful of what to do with what time remains and some see the beginning of something brand new and can feel their souls swelling with possibility. Ringo at 72 looks pretty spry and part of that is the fact that he belonged to an organization that created its own sense of time. The Beatles for the short time they were around, told us how old and how wise and how abstract we were supposed to be. A guy like Neil Young reflects a different story, owns every wrinkle he's ever earned achieved in part by some bad choices, a decision to own a hard drug habit and who knows what else. Time is thus in my eyes the great illusion. In fact over these last years I could swear my birth day arrives quicker then it ever has in the past. In the end we need to strike the right deal with gravity, we need resilience, buoyancy, adventure, and resist the temptation to accept the notion that with age unsavory things happen. Thanks Marv, for posting this. Hopefully we meet soon and like the great minds we are toss it around further over are favorite pleasures.
A profoundly interesting conundrum, time and aging. I especially appreciate you tying the inquiry to the picture of the Beatles as you and I discovered that picture together and mused at it in our youth over 4 decades ago. I have developed my own very personal concepts about time and not being Stephen Hawkins there is little real science in it. I see time as an abstract, you can hear it ticking, feel it in your biological clock, see it in your children, so it is in some fashion measurable, But I think time unfolds differently for each of us. Enter the site of your 1967 high school reunion and you will see proof of what I mean. Each of the attendees have endured the same years, everyone attending is in some sense alive, but look at the variation. Our favorite cheer leader looks like our oldest living aunt, the head of the basketball team hides his hairless shiny head under a synthetic hair piece, making him look worse then just old, and on the dance floor a few folks we recognize are shaking it up like time hasn't passed at all. Gravity has taken little toll on their souls and just chipped away the right amount at their bodies. TIme I deduced moves differently for each of us. Some are taken kicking and screaming from their cubicles when it comes time for retirement fearful of what to do with what time remains and some see the beginning of something brand new and can feel their souls swelling with possibility. Ringo at 72 looks pretty spry and part of that is the fact that he belonged to an organization that created its own sense of time. The Beatles for the short time they were around, told us how old and how wise and how abstract we were supposed to be. A guy like Neil Young reflects a different story, owns every wrinkle he's ever earned achieved in part by some bad choices, a decision to own a hard drug habit and who knows what else. Time is thus in my eyes the great illusion. In fact over these last years I could swear my birth day arrives quicker then it ever has in the past. In the end we need to strike the right deal with gravity, we need resilience, buoyancy, adventure, and resist the temptation to accept the notion that with age unsavory things happen. Thanks Marv, for posting this. Hopefully we meet soon and like the great minds we are toss it around further over are favorite pleasures.
Hi Marv
Just saw that pic you posted and i really do remember it when i too was 15. I also remember what you looked like, what Jay looked like and obviously what I looked like. As far as the Beatles go they got older, look older,but Ringo is still VERY cool looking no matter what his age. What does this all mean??? How does it fit into the scheme of life and whats important?
I am 63 as you know and you and i have fortunately been in touch and have seen each other lately. You look like Marv, sound like Marv, and act like Marv. You ARE Marv, although OLDER. Thats it. It means you have gone through life so far.
You know what Marv? I don't care how old i am, how old i look because after i had a DEEP seated brain tumor removed and walked out of the hospital the next day smiling i couldn't care about age. I feel like i am lets see….operation was 12/21/12 which by the way did NOT turn out to be the last day of the world according to the Mayan calendar, today is 1/27/13,so I went from 63 years old to 36 days old! You get the point my friend. 36 days old and i look like 63!! Say hello to Jay for me.He is OLD too!!! Howie
Funny how you and I both posted blogs on Marvs website minutes apart, and we havent seen each other in years. That must mean ummm…that we both are OLDER and we both are still friends with Kaminsky. So what? Enjoy LIFE man. Hope you are well. Howie
Although I don’t recall the artist who created the “Old Beatles” image, I believe it was first published in Rolling Stone magazine. You might email them and inquire. I hope this helps.
Cheers,
CLare
Thanks for tip Clare. You may be right about the image first appearing in Rolling Stone. I’ll look into it and let you know.
The picture was in a book about the Beatles, I had the book but cant remember the name.