Debbie Block, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Block of 120 68th Ol is walking on air this week, and for a very good reason. She is one of the very few American teenagers who has been lucky enough to speak to the Beatles.
On Friday, Sept. 4 Debbie and her girlfriend Debbie Larson, like hundreds of other teens, travelled to Milwaukee, to see their beloved idols. Unlike the others though, Debbie Block had in her possession a press pass. The brunette junior high student said “You had to have a press pass or a room key to even get on the same side of the street as the hotel where they stayed. There were security guards everywhere!”.
She acquired the precious pass from here grandfather who owns a Milwaukee magazine, Debbie’s first contact with the British singing stars came when she tore a sticker from George Harrison’s suitcase. As she did this a policeman rushed toward her, and pulled her away. Standing nearby was a young man who also reprimanded her away. Debbie did not know at the time that was Derek Taylor, the press manager for the Beatles. When she presented her press pass, Taylor apologized and gave here two autographed pictures of the group.
After this escapade, she allowed into the hotel where she went to the seventh floor, totally occupied by the Beatles and this she said “I even saw their food being wheeled in!”
Derek Taylor then asked Debbie if she would like to attend the press conference on the second floor. Naturally, she sponded with an enthusiastic, “Yes!”.
Press Conference
At the conference, she was seated in the second row, approximately seven feet from mop-haired crew. Debbie said “George, Ringo and Paul came in through the back door, and they were about then minutes late. John wasn’t there because he had a sore throat. There was so much confusion! There was all kinds of wires, and people were running all over the place chattering and talking to each other”
She said also that everytime she tried to ask one of the many questions which were on her mind, someone behind her would push her back down into the chair. She later saw that this was the television camera operator. Finally Derek Taylor acknowledged her, and Debbie asked them what they thought of crew cuts. This caused quite a stir of laughter Debbie said. and the Beatles themselves were amused by querry.
Crew Cuts
It was Paul who first answered. He said “Well, I supposed they’re all right if you like that kind of hair, but we don’t”
Now it was George’s turn “No, we don’t” Ringo just nodded
“The whole thing was just to neat. They’re so neat’ I just love’em oh I adore them! There I was just about having hysterics there in the second row George looked right at me an smiled at me once. I almost couldn’t stand it!” said Debbie
After the conference, Debbie met her girl friend and they went to the arena to see the performance. The Beatles asked Derek Taylor about her, and said that they wanted to hive her an autographed picture. When he replied that he had already done so, they still wanted to do something for her, so George sent her a matchbox with he had been playing with the press conference.
The next morning Debbie called the hotel and asked for room 721, which was the Beatle’s suite. The operator told here that they weren’t taking any calls, but Debbie persisted.
