At the end of March 1981, an interview with Ringo was transmitted on US television. Barbara Walters specifically asks him when he last met John, and Ringo states November 15th:
Assuming Keith Badman’s research – which seems rather exhaustive elsewhere in his book – is correct, then I suppose it’s easy to conclude that Ringo is slightly muddled on the exact date, so I’m sticking with November 26th.
There were several meetings between John and Ringo around the end of the 70s and on into 1980. I always felt the two had a special bond; they were closest in age and seemed to be on a very similar wavelength with their sense of humour. I’m not aware of any bad blood between them, ever… whereas we all know that John/Paul, Paul/George, John/George, Ringo/Paul all had bust ups at various times.
A meeting – received wisdom states it unequivocally to have been their last – took place on Sunday April 25th, 1976, when Paul dropped by at The Dakota with his guitar, keen to continue the fun vibe he and John had enjoyed together the previous evening. I’m sure we all know this was the infamous occasion when John wasn’t in the mood for playtime again, and Paul felt a bit rebuffed. Although the two men supposedly never met up ever again they did enjoy friendly contact via telephone calls over subsequent years.
And yet…
rumours abound here and there of at least one further meeting between Lennon & McCartney anywhere between 1977 and 1980. I suppose I should at least mention, for example, that Geoffrey Giuliano (yes I know, I know) claimed that John, Paul, Yoko & Linda all went out to see the film “Pretty Baby” together. That movie was released in Spring 1978.
Tantalisingly, Paul’s son James (born September 12th, 1977) is on record as saying: “I know John held me as a baby. Then I have memories of the Dakota building, very white, lots of sunlight pouring in.” But the memory can play tricks and at the time John died James was only three and may be relying on a confused timeline relayed to him by his dad – not always the most reliable source for dates. I think Paul & Linda visited Yoko at The Dakota in 1981 and I suspect this is the memory James has.
