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Wonderful Today: The Autobiography of Pattie Boyd

by Pattie Boyd , Penny Junor

3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 · rating details · 7,616 ratings · 804 reviews

A Q&A with Pattie Boyd, Author of Wonderful Tonight

Why are you writing the book now?

I have been asked for the last 15 years to write a book, and it is only now that I feel the time is right. My confidence in myself was restored after two successful exhibitions of my photography, and it occurred to me that I was finally ready to take a look at the unique experiences o A Q&A with Pattie Boyd, Author of Wonderful Tonight

Why are you writing the book now?

I have been asked for the last 15 years to write a book, and it is only now that I feel the time is right. My confidence in myself was restored after two successful exhibitions of my photography, and it occurred to me that I was finally ready to take a look at the unique experiences of my life and to share them--including all the ups and downs.

Tell us about the first time you met George Harrison.

Working as a model, I occasionally went for castings, mainly for television commercials. I went for an interview with one of the directors I had worked with in the past, and he cast me in his first movie, A Hard Day's Night , to play the part of a schoolgirl. When I first saw George on the set, I thought he was the best-looking man I'd ever seen. I was so surprised when he asked me out on a date at the end of my first day of filming.

Tell us about the first time you heard George Harrison's song, "Something."

George said he had written a song for me, and he played it on the guitar at home without the words. Then when I heard the song after it had been recorded I couldn't believe how utterly beautiful it was. It was released on a single in October 1969, and I felt so thrilled and flattered.

Tell us about the first time you heard Eric Clapton's "Layla."

Eric invited me to his band's flat one day and played a rough recording of "Layla" on a cassette recorder. I was sitting on a sofa and he on the floor as it played, and he kept looking up at me for a reaction. I was stunned; the intensity, passion and tenderness came across so strongly--I knew, as he said, it was written for me.

...more

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Published August 23rd 2007 by Headline Review

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Nov 06, 2007 Becky rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pattie Boyd is a mere footnote in rock n roll history. Her association with George Harrison and Eric Clapton is what made her famous...if you can even call her that. One would think that someone who captured the attention and imagination of great artists such as Harrison and Clapton must be an extraordinary personality, but that just does not come across in this book. I get the feeling that Pattie Boyd was just a pretty face who happened to be in the right place at the right time...on that train ...more

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Oct 24, 2007 Walter rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoirs

OK, I should say that I'm a bit of a nut about the Beatles, and George Harrison in particular. Also a fan of Clapton. So I expected that this book would be interesting, and when I had the chance to snap it up at a deep discount, I did so.

Mostly, this book is the most superficial treatment imaginable of the people and times it descibes. If you like name-dropping, lists of who attended what party, which drugs were consumed, and who slept with whom, this book is for you. If I didn't know that Georg ...more

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Jan 14, 2008 Nick Oliva rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone

She's the only woman to have two superstars write songs to her, and in her prime, her intoxicating beauty was that of a sexual siren driving men's souls to the rocks in pure passion. Her new book "Wonderful Today" is a biography that seems to want to tell all, and indeed sheds light on this wonderful woman who came from an abused childhood to make it as one of the world's top models. Ms. Boyd begins in a chronological fashion with pictures of family and tales of Kenya with snakes, tigers, and s She's the only woman to have two superstars write songs to her, and in her prime, her intoxicating beauty was that of a sexual siren driving men's souls to the rocks in pure passion. Her new book "Wonderful Today" is a biography that seems to want to tell all, and indeed sheds light on this wonderful woman who came from an abused childhood to make it as one of the world's top models. Ms. Boyd begins in a chronological fashion with pictures of family and tales of Kenya with snakes, tigers, and scary natives. Quite the childhood, but then when her parents separate she is forced back to England with an abusive and cruel step-father.
The voice of the book is sweet and innocent, but the sixties flower children go through an innocence of their own and as the drugs they use to free their minds and give them empowerment for hope eventually drive them to pure misery as well. She became the wife of Mr. Harrison at the end of a fairy-tale courtship, but due to the heavy hand of the Beatle's Manager Brian Epstein, was denied a proper wedding, as the public was not to know George was "no longer available" in the heady days of Beatlemania. She and George lived a simple life, in a relatively small house with George off to the studio each day and Pattie embracing the role of wife, lover, cook, and home keeper. It was all she wanted and needed. George on the other hand became intensely involved in meditation, ironically because of Pattie's suggestion, to fill a need for a childhood he never completely experienced, and they all went off to the Yogi Master Maharishi Mahesh in India.
George eventually became emotionally unattached to her as he began binging on drugs and then meditation trying to find his way through a lost childhood. Eric Clapton then appears writing her passionate letters and begging her to leave George for a life with him. At first, she thinks this is all very nice and flattering, but then Eric goes on a heroin binge because of her refusal to give in and be with him much like a spiteful boy. Eventually George's lack of attention and Eric's determined persistence, get the best of Pattie and she leaves George to follow Eric on tour. Years go by and the addiction to drugs, alcohol, and heroin take their toll on "Slowhand" and he shows no attempt to stay faithful to any one woman. As much as Pattie wants to understand and deal with the issues of his dalliances and drunkenness, she indeed compromises her own principles in doing so, the relationship grinds to an inevitable crash as Eric "keeps on keepin' on," in full persona of what a rock star "is all about-After Midnite"-sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Pattie was and is only looking for love with someone who can make her laugh, and treat her as an equal. This book is not a kiss and tell epic, and one would love to hear some of the intense times of emotion and vase throwings I'm sure, but one can sense the immense pain she had in finally putting this to words for all to read without destroying her relationships especially with Clapton. Her only mistake was believing in young men that couldn't tie their shoes on their own, and needed to grow up and take their marriage seriously. But now at last she is on her own, enjoying her life without expectations and has accepted her responsibility in enabling these "boys" and being a part of the problem. She still maintains great beauty within and without and is and will always be the mythical lady immortalized much like Helen of Troy in that Pattie launched a million flickers of light for encores at concerts everywhere in the world.
"Layla, you still got me on my knees..."

...more

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Apr 20, 2008 Erin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: celeb-memoirs , memoir

Hmm. Ok, here's the problem with this book (and there are quite a few): Patti Boyd isn't a particularly good writer. Her stories are a bit scattered, and they don't have overarching themes to make them memorable. She just sticks in small tidbits that she remembers in random places. Part of this is due to the fact that these stories are 40 years old, so it doesn't have the immediacy of a journal or memoir. Also--Patti isn't that interesting on her own. You'd think the woman who was both a Mrs. Ha Hmm. Ok, here's the problem with this book (and there are quite a few): Patti Boyd isn't a particularly good writer. Her stories are a bit scattered, and they don't have overarching themes to make them memorable. She just sticks in small tidbits that she remembers in random places. Part of this is due to the fact that these stories are 40 years old, so it doesn't have the immediacy of a journal or memoir. Also--Patti isn't that interesting on her own. You'd think the woman who was both a Mrs. Harrison and a Mrs. Clapton, inspired the songs "Something" (which has become one of my favorite Beatles songs), "Wonderful Tonight", and most famously "Layla" would be fascinating. The LIFE she led was fascinating, the men she married were fascinating, but Patti Boyd the woman? Meh. And she overestimates the reader's interest in her own story. Honey, I didn't get this book from the library to read about how you climbed the French Alps in your 60s (or whatever it was, I kind of skimmed through the last chapter), and tried unsuccessfully to get your sister into rehab, I borrowed it to read what kind of person Eric was, how he wrote such interesting music, what John Lennon ever saw in Yoko, and what George saw in your and why he connected spiritually to Ravi Shankar. And she...just doesn't have that many insights into the character of these men. What you come away with is Patti Boyd was co-dependent, needy, insecure, ignored the multiple affairs both her husbands had, married Eric basically on a bet (on his end), left George when she probably should've stuck it out to be with Eric, and likes being a photographer. That's about it. She grew up in a fascinating time, but I didn't finish the book understanding why two incredibly famous songwriter-singer-musicians were so crazy about her. Although she seems very nice. And she cooks well.

What it DID make me do is listen to a bunch of Beatles records (which I haven't really ever done before, and I've figured out that I like more of their stuff than I thought I would, especially Abbey Road and Revolver) and borrow the Eric Clapton autobiography and the recent Beatles biography (900 pages!) and read about these guys straight from the source. So, hey--Patti Boyd did me a favor, I guess! Thanks, Patti! ...more

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Mar 19, 2008 Marcie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gee, I wouldn't have left George Harrison for Eric Clapton, even if he did win the "guitar duel" for me. :) And, wow, Pattie Boyd had great shoes.

Seriously, once I recovered from the realization that this wasn't a kiss-n-tell (damn!) (insert Slowhand jokes here), I have come to see Pattie's story as an interesting extension of a recent conversation with my own girlfriends -- you know who you are, shout out to the female half of the Six O' Cups!

It began with gender roles in traditional male/femal Gee, I wouldn't have left George Harrison for Eric Clapton, even if he did win the "guitar duel" for me. :) And, wow, Pattie Boyd had great shoes.

Seriously, once I recovered from the realization that this wasn't a kiss-n-tell (damn!) (insert Slowhand jokes here), I have come to see Pattie's story as an interesting extension of a recent conversation with my own girlfriends -- you know who you are, shout out to the female half of the Six O' Cups!

It began with gender roles in traditional male/female relationships, with the female fulfilling the Keeper of the Fun role, and when we know the men are wrong, clueless, and/or depressingly real (as opposed to Fantasy Prince), we punish them by witholding the fun in the relationship. Then the point was made that women can become immersed in work, children, etc. and the male coax her to come up for air to see a movie or go out to dinner, that gender is irrelevant. I conclude we all have roles we fill in all our relationships.

So, I'll never know if George or Eric was the better kisser, but Pattie does share a lot about the roles in her relationships -- her most obvious being Famous Rock Star Muse. In Eric's eyes, she was Layla, the un-gettable, never-to-be dream. When he got her, he wrote in a poem that she was the butterfly and that he'd destroyed her wings. She became his Victim. To George, she was simply Something. They married very young, and she was his playmate, sister, innocent love, witness to the insanity his life became. They were all Naughty Children, not having children themselves to force them to grow up (she later discovered she's infertile), every aspect of life handled by the Father-Manager, paying all the bills, giving allowance, arranging all travel. Problems come in when one of the partners allows someone else to fill that "role" or stops playing that role by their own hand.

The book was fascinating in one regard, to glimpse into the life of a wife of a rock star, with all their creative, unstructured mania. She left one who chants all the time for an ex-heroin addict who drinks all the time. They were both unfaithful sexually to her, and she realizes she rationalized all that. But what really would hurt her is when they would take away her role she played in their life -- even if it was playmate or journey companion.

Her creative outlet was cooking and she poured through cookbooks and never bought anything ready-made, so she shopped for ingredients every day, and threw her heart into it. And then George would say something like "No, Kumar (one of the countless hangers-on that came and went) is going to cook something Indian for me." That would devastate her. It took this lady a long time to find herself. Both Eric and George refused to let her continue working as a model. She was to fill the role they needed her to. Eric needed a 24/7 Nursemaid and Rescuer. How tedious.

I have this whole new perspective on the Beatles as people. George told her, when she left him for Eric, that if she ever needed him for anything, he would be there, that he would always be there to take care of her, no matter where she went or who she was with. What selfless, generous love. How heartbreaking that he would shut her out for months while he was meditating or whatever.

They had a bungalow they lived in for years and they kept spray paint cans outside and would have everyone who visited add to the exterior walls their creative touch. So the place looked like a sweet crazy grafitti mural dive from the outside. Then they found a castle pile of stone to restore that became a "project" -- George had become obsessed with privacy and security, some incident with a fan had frightened him (how prophetic), he couldn't do anything normal like go to the pub or go bowling or see a movie without mobs. So, he proudly shows his restored treasure, his find, the thing he lovingly researched to accurately restore to former glory, to John and Yoko, and John being the cynical, jealous prick says "It's so dark I don't see how anyone can live in it." Then George suggested John take off his sunglasses. Ar-ar.

Also interesting is who John was with first wife (Jerk, Selfish, Sexist Pig) and who he was with Yoko (Student, Worshipper, Servant). Everyone hated her! But what an amazing teacher she was for him -- this fiercely intelligent, artistic, Japanese Royalty chick wasn't about to take his crap and forced him to grow up and evolve.

So, how does it end for Pattie? Have you ever been in a relationship with someone who is so brilliant, exciting, forceful that there is no "room" for you, in the shadows? She is now playing the starring role in her own life.

I've only seen Gene Simmons' show Family Jewels once, but loved how his wife and kids consistently knocked the wind out of his sails, cut him down to size, to ensure "room" for themselves, the ones he loves and needs. It's actually healthy and happy. People fascinate me. ...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Andy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Dolly Birds

Recommended to Andy by: Dolly Birds

Shelves: rock-sleaze

That’s Pattie with an “e”, weird considering for years her name was spelled Patti, but okay. “Wonderful Tonight” is a cool book written by the only living OG Beatle Wife, so it’s major. In this book I learned the following gossipy tidbits:

1. Brian Epstein was a surrogate father to The Beatles, so much so that George even asked Brian for permission to marry Pattie.
2. George had several Hare Krishna couples living on the grounds of his home to do general maid and household work.
3. George had a st ...more

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Oct 09, 2007 Amy Formanski Duffy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Beatles Fans

I just borrowed this book from my mom. She passed down to me a love of both British bands and celebrity gossip. This book is a perfect mix of those things. Pattie Boyd was married to George Harrison during the Beatles' heyday, and later left him for Eric Clapton. Strangely, they all remained friends. She was the muse for some of their greatest songs. She was a sassy British model and some of the pictures of her in Swinging 60's fashions are really fab. Candid shots of all the rock stars are pret ...more

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Sep 16, 2008 Jamie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's difficult to rate a biography like this, simply because Pattie Boyd isn't a writer, and though she had help, it's more about her stories--and not simply the whole, but the components of the whole. She's had an interesting life...and, after spending my more formative years longing and wishing to have been married to a Beatle, I was relieved, after reading this book, that I wasn't.

I had some trouble with Pattie. She's not a terribly reliable narrator, but no autobiography should ever be taken It's difficult to rate a biography like this, simply because Pattie Boyd isn't a writer, and though she had help, it's more about her stories--and not simply the whole, but the components of the whole. She's had an interesting life...and, after spending my more formative years longing and wishing to have been married to a Beatle, I was relieved, after reading this book, that I wasn't.

I had some trouble with Pattie. She's not a terribly reliable narrator, but no autobiography should ever be taken at face value. She certainly has a lot invested in her niche as "ex wife." And that being said, I had to give her a little credit and slack. She seems sweet, and, in her own way, honest. I believe that was her life as she saw it, but I also found her to be pretty un-complicated, which would have been frustrating for a lot of the artistic types she rubbed elbows with. I would have liked to have had some basis for comparison by a few of those she referenced, other than them simply wanting to sleep with her. I wish Mick Jagger would have said if he found her fun to talk to and with worthwhile hobbies or interests. It went largely unsaid. She doesn't even validate it herself.

Pattie likes to cook, she seems to like animals, company, family. Those are all worthwhile and likable traits. The whole "keep it simple, stupid," seemed her motto, but I'm not sure she's stood her personal ground long enough to know if she has a motto, which was a bummer.

She resented George Harrison's spirituality and loner status (all attributes I've admired in George), she wanted to be more involved with him--that was clear. Yet, at the same time, George valued her enough to write the song Something about her, and more importantly, to marry her. I really wanted to find the "meat" of Pattie, and I think it's there, but even in her sixties, I'm not sure she can pin point it, which was why I read the book--to try to find it, and when I couldn't, it was sad on many levels. Sad that she married twice to try to find her worth in someone elses' love for her, sad she was on the side lines and frankly, even sad her art show, in the end, was photographs of the famous people she knew. I want her to OWN something.

I like her. And, it's a relief, at some level, to see someone just accept their role. But I think there was more potential for her. She could have been stronger, I think, if she'd brought up differently (as she says many times) but also if she were in a different era...

But again, that's the whole point of the book--because The Beatles were a different era. I know that, it's all quite dated now. She was a stay at home wife to a famous person...twice. It's very nearly still a fifties mentality, she just wore crazy clothes and did some drugs, too. But she gets half into everything: culture, cooking, yoga, meditation, her marriages, even the book. You never really get the specifics of her life with these men, only portions of it, like the snap shots she's now famous for. ...more

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Sep 23, 2008 Sonia Reppe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: showbiz-celebrity , memoir-about-a-girl

Being a George Harrison fan, I really liked the parts about Pattie's relationship with him, and seeing him through her eyes. I didn't blame her for leaving him; when you read this you'll see why. I was never an Eric Clapton fan, and after reading this memoir, I really have a distaste for him. I don't know how Pattie put up with his obnoxious behavior and raging alcoholism, even if she did think he was a musical genius. Pattie Boyd, a talented model and photographer, has written a revealing and s ...more

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Nov 08, 2007 Ginny Messina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir-biography-journal

Pattie Boyd's life story is amazing—not only was she a model in fab swinging 60s London and then married to George Harrison and Eric Clapton, but she grew up in Africa for goodness sakes.

Unfortunately, she's not much of a story teller. I don't know where Pattie's editor was, but the book is filled with non sequiturs and with stories that seem to have no particular point. She describes her two famous husbands almost as superficially as she does all the minor characters in the book. And, in fact, ...more

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Jul 15, 2008 Diane rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Beatlemaniacs, Claptonaics

Recommended to Diane by: New York Times Best Seller List -ugh!

An emotionless recounting of parties, people met, trips taken, and life events.

I'll save you the trouble of slogging through the book:
1) Patti didn't have a happy childhood.
2) She became a model.
3) She met and married George Harrison.
4) He became addicted to meditation.
5) She was wooed by Eric Clapton and left George.
6) Eric was addicted to drugs and alcohol.
7) Patti was unhappy about both husbands being unfaithful.
8) Now she's single and OK.

I almost forgot the "most important" disclosure:
9) Yok ...more

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Sep 12, 2015 Akaii Thapa Magar rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites , non-fiction-read

I don't usually read non fiction books but being huge fan of Beatles, I want to read every single thing related to them. Pattie was the muse of two such extraordinarily talented and creative musicians and having beautiful, powerful love songs written to her, she is one of the most iconic figure of 60's . I was always fascinated by the era of the late 60's/early 70's, the 'hippie culture' and Pattie was a great story teller for giving insight of that time.
It was a bit scattered, and littered wit ...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Linds rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1960s , england , memoir , non-fiction , read-in-2012

The only thing that really sticks out is how young George Harrison was at the beginning of Beatlemania. He actually asked Brian their manager permission to get married. That detail struck me as very endearing. The rest is mostly self serving name dropping and all the stuff she bought. She comes off as pretty annoying for someone who inspired my favorite love song. (Something)

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Dec 13, 2013 Deirdre Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fans of George Harrison will find this book to be both revealing and disappointing. The good bit first. George Harrison was the most considerate Beatle, the best dresser, the one to remain calm whenever disaster struck. But as his ex wife Pattie Boyd writes he was also a womanizer, a druggie who used cocaine "excessively," and a moody bastard when he wanted to be, shutting himself away in obsessive meditation that far from allowing him to make peace with himself and his world instead appeared to Fans of George Harrison will find this book to be both revealing and disappointing. The good bit first. George Harrison was the most considerate Beatle, the best dresser, the one to remain calm whenever disaster struck. But as his ex wife Pattie Boyd writes he was also a womanizer, a druggie who used cocaine "excessively," and a moody bastard when he wanted to be, shutting himself away in obsessive meditation that far from allowing him to make peace with himself and his world instead appeared to drive a wedge through his self-confidence and cause him to alienate the one who truly did love him. It has been written of before, notably in Chris O'Dell's eye-opening, Miss O'Dell, but reading Pattie Boyd describe how her husband betrayed her by initiating an affair with Ringo Starr's then wife, Maureen, under the noses of both spouses, is shocking in its portrayal of someone so narcissistic he could not see how his actions were hurting others. If this didn't contribute to the break up of the Beatles, I, for one, would be mightily surprised. Pattie Boyd retaliated by allowing Eric Clapton to seduce her. He was, in case you are not familiar with the intricacies of British rock music, George Harrison's best friend. He wrote Pattie incredible poetry, and also threatened to become a heroin addict if she didn't run away with him. To sum up what happened next -- Eric nil, heroin the champion of that game. George continued to act beastly (this is among the worst parts, given George's saintly persona) and so Pattie eventually becomes Mrs. Clapton, which is when her story truly becomes sadder than sad. Eric Clapton, someone once scrawled on the wall of the London tube, is God. But not so in this book. While Pattie Boyd appears not to want to cause waves -- her introduction is basically an advance apology for what she is about to reveal -- by just giving us glimpses of Eric Clapton's egregiously drunken, foul-mouthed behaviour, she shows the man to be a supreme cad and a lout. A total douche-bag, if you will allow the phrase. Each time she goes back to him, you can't help but cringe and wonder, really, was she/is she that stupid? It is not easy passing judgment. For the most part, Pattie Boyd comes across as an immensely likeable, even plucky female who, in spite of a hellish childhood in the most dysfunctional of British families (and that is saying a lot) she managed to find early success as an in-demand fashion model who then went on to do the impossible -- marry a Beatle. She falters when the rock and roll fantasy life she is living starts to unravel as a result of all parties developing an increased dependence on drugs and alcohol. This is my interpretation, not her's, but it does make sense as you read the book. She admits to having low self - esteem ( the book is sprinkled with such phrases learned from her years in therapy), and it leads her to say a few times that she deeply regrets not having fought for her marriage with George Harrison even while he was flagrantly cheating on her and making her feel superfluous to his life. She was too weak, she thinks. Too bad. Before this tailspin, however, there is much in the narrative that is delightful, including her description of the Beatles at the height of Beatlemania. She was not just an appendage to the legend. It is Pattie Boyd who convinced the Beatles to follow Eastern meditation. She is the one who introduced them to the Maharishi, and so she is responsible for them going to India, and by extension most of what eventually came out on the so-called White album. More, Pattie Boyd directly inspired two of rock's great love songs -- Something by George Harrison, and Layla by Eric Clapton. The latter also wrote Wonderful Tonight for her, hence the title of her memoirs. The wish is that it had stayed Wonderful for her, and not just for a brief while. Pattie Boyd truly deserved more and was grossly short changed by two talented rock musicians, one of them a Fab. Sometimes her observations just skim the surface. But this is mostly to say once a fashion model always a fashion model. She might not preach a philosophy. But she does tell you what went on. Her fashion trained eyes are attuned to the surface detail of a thing. In the end, all that colourful description does add up to a compelling portrait of a once heady time. ...more

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Oct 22, 2007 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Beatles and Clapton Fans

My mom gave me this book for my birthday because she knows how much I love the Beatles and everything related to them. Pattie Boyd met George Harrison during the filming of A Hard Day's Night, they quickly married and she remained Mrs. George Harrison throughout the 1960's and the heights of Beatlemania. She grew up with the Beatles and was around for the creation of every single song and every single album... Later, she left George for his friend Eric Clapton who was madly in love with her and ...more

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Jun 18, 2015 Patti rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pretty boring. Took me 2 weeks to read it!

This sentence did me in. "I took Will's advice and went to see Karen, who was a dream analyst and astrologer as well as a psychotherapist." Really???

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May 06, 2009 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoirs

Had to stop all regularly scheduled reading when I finally found this for a great price! I've been wanting to read it since it came out.
I give it four stars, not because it's a great piece of literature, but because it's a really good at being what it is, the story of Pattie Boyd's life, which happened to include George Harrison, the Beatles, and Eric Clapton--among others. She did a great job being very candid, yet not crossing the "line"--I think she attained that balance. I love reading about ...more

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Jan 06, 2008 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography

Pattie Boyd's book is an interesting read if you are in the mood to be a fly on the wall... I learned that the Beatles were a bunch of babies, Eric Clapton was a drunken egomaniacal over-sexed fool, and it was really no fun being married to a rock star (or several rock stars!). I did enjoy the love letters that "e" wrote to "layla"...very passionate (even if they did not contain capital letters). And it was even more romantic how he would write them on torn pages from books (Of Mice and Men)..." ...more

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Feb 27, 2008 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: any george harrison, eric clapton, or beatle fans.

Recommended to Heather by: My dad

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I liked this book-- Pattie Boyd is NOT a skilled writer but she had such a really interesting story to tell. She covers her unusual childhood growing up in a really dysfunctional family living in the middle of Africa and then her move to England which opens the door to her career in modeling. Of course what really takes centerstage is how she depicts so honestly the complicated relationships she had with George Harrison and Eric Clapton.

This is the woman who was the muse for Something, Layla, a ...more

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Feb 11, 2010 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It seems to me that between ''Clapton,'' by Eric Clapton, and ''Wonderful Tonight,'' by Pattie Boyd with Penny Junor, there's something for everyone of a certain age. The boys who always did, and still do, dream of playing astonishingly, mind-blowingly, life-transformingly perfect rock guitar will jump into ''Clapton'' as if it were the key light on the old Fillmore stage. The solid yet mesmerizable girls who fantasized, and still do, of being the muse to inspire songs of devotion, love's redemp ...more

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Jan 11, 2008 Jennifer rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir

Pattie Boyd certainly led an interesting life, at least in her early days--part of the swinging social scene in 1960's London as a model, muse to first George Harrison and then Eric Clapton--but she herself did not come across as a particularly interesting person and the book was so poorly written, shallow, and disorganized that it was, at times, painful to read. (A sample of the fine writing is: "And, to use the old cliche, make love not war. As long as you were young, beautiful, and creative, ...more

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Jun 27, 2015 Briana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had known who Pattie Boyd was by name only because of her relationships with George Harrison and Eric Clapton, but now I feel like I have more of the story and an idea of who she is.

Boyd had an interesting, yet exotic, childhood and a fast-paced, often dangerous, life. She told about her life with detail, not shying away from anything that may put her in a bad light, but was still careful not to badmouth those people who were (and are) in her life. She told her story with honesty and dignity a ...more

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Jul 13, 2014 Ann Moody rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm surprised how harsh people feel they need to be regarding this memoir. In all I found the writing to be easy to follow and interesting. We asked her to tell her story, and this is it, and while it left me wanting more, it was tasteful and told with affection and minimal criticism of many difficult people in Ms. Boyd's life.

As some other reviewers have noted, the timelines are choppy in many cases. There is a tendency to start on the tale of an event involving some person, then move off in th I'm surprised how harsh people feel they need to be regarding this memoir. In all I found the writing to be easy to follow and interesting. We asked her to tell her story, and this is it, and while it left me wanting more, it was tasteful and told with affection and minimal criticism of many difficult people in Ms. Boyd's life.

As some other reviewers have noted, the timelines are choppy in many cases. There is a tendency to start on the tale of an event involving some person, then move off in the middle of that story to an earlier or later aside regarding the same individual, then come back and finish the first point. That does get confusing. But it's really the only flaw I found.

To those who want to berate Pattie for being famous for nothing or for her association to famous men, I have to take issue. George and Eric both came from humble beginnings, and in spite of their talent, could easily have gone down different paths. The fact that they both fell desperately in love with this person, while having their choice of thousands of partners, suggests far more than a shallow, lucky, boring person behind the pretty face.

Pattie was a successful model in the '60's who appeared on several Vogue covers and worked alongside Twiggy when she was the most famous model in the world. She largely gave up that career for George.

Even if you insist on claiming she was an ordinary person, well, what's wrong with that? So am I, and if I had found myself being wooed by the rich and famous as a young adult, with the possibility of leading an extraordinary life, it would certainly have been worthy of consideration. If anything it makes the story more relatable. But for looks and good timing, it could have been any of us. ...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Lindsay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-own-picks

I'm fascinated by the era of the late 60's/early 70's and this autobiography from the former wife of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton was right up my alley. Pattie Boyd grabbed my attention from the get-go with her story of growing up in Kenya with distant parents and several siblings. From there, she describes life in boarding schools, being discovered for modeling, acting in a Beatles film, marrying George, their exotic life together and subsequent divorce, marrying Eric Clapton and being ...more

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Nov 11, 2010 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First, I have always physically resembled Patti Boyd. People used to stop me and tell me all the time how much I looked like her. Therefore I always had a bit of a fascination with her and felt quite fond of her in a protective way, even though she is older than me. When I discovered she had written an autobiography I just had to read it. It did not disappoint me, because she proved to be the lady that I always knew she was. Even though this sweet, quiet, reticent woman was married to two of the First, I have always physically resembled Patti Boyd. People used to stop me and tell me all the time how much I looked like her. Therefore I always had a bit of a fascination with her and felt quite fond of her in a protective way, even though she is older than me. When I discovered she had written an autobiography I just had to read it. It did not disappoint me, because she proved to be the lady that I always knew she was. Even though this sweet, quiet, reticent woman was married to two of the hugest rock stars in the history of rock and both marriages ended badly, she did not stoop to trash the memory of either one. (Not that Eric Clapton is dead, but their marriage certainly is.)

Patti also managed to do one other thing for me...she made me love George even more than I did as a fan, in spite of his pecadillos. But none of us is perfect, and even Patti kept on loving him, even after they had split and he remarried.

I found the story of Patti's early life extremely fascinating. She grew up back in the days when English people sent their kids away to boarding schools and hardly ever saw them. Patti's mother was beautiful, but when she and her first husband, Patti's father, split up, she had no money and ended up going off with another man, leaving her oldest children at these schools. I can't even imagine what that must have been like. Patti loved her mother deeply and missed her terribly. At a young age she became a successful model and became a little bit famous when she did a potato crisp commercial for British television. It was because of this exposure that she landed the role in The Beatles' 'A Hard Day's Night'. And the rest is history.

This autobiography might be too tame for some readers but because of my fascination with Patti and the fact she was married to both George Harrison and Eric Clapton, I found it compelling and quite lovely reading. ...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Wendy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was an interesting perspective of a time that I have no insight into and it was fun to recognize some names (there were many, and most I didn't have a clue of) and events. Rock 'n roll culture is not really my forte so there was a lot I could learn.

--spoiler--

However, I got the feeling as I read this book that it was actually Penny Junior's story instead of Pattie Boyd's - there was a lot of bouncing around, sometimes incoherent chain of events, quite a bit of quoting other material such as ...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Diann Blakely added it · review of another edition

While Pattie Boyd [Harrison Clapton]’s memoir appeared only a few months before Clapton's own, don’t assume that her book is dismissible as an aging groupie’s remembrances. Boyd, while married to George Harrison, became Eric Clapton’s obsession; then after divorce, she became his wife, then his ex-wife. Boyd inspired the classic “Layla” when she initially sent away the besotted Clapton with the reminder that George was his best friend. Clapton’s petulant and self-destructive rejoinder was that s While Pattie Boyd [Harrison Clapton]’s memoir appeared only a few months before Clapton's own, don’t assume that her book is dismissible as an aging groupie’s remembrances. Boyd, while married to George Harrison, became Eric Clapton’s obsession; then after divorce, she became his wife, then his ex-wife. Boyd inspired the classic “Layla” when she initially sent away the besotted Clapton with the reminder that George was his best friend. Clapton’s petulant and self-destructive rejoinder was that she’d left him no choice but to become a heroin adddict. Boyd stuck it out at home until her husband’s own intoxicant use and compulsive womanizing made her seek out Clapton again—“I tried to give you consolation / When your old man let you down.” Boyd was let down for most of her life: an awful childhood jolted her from her beloved early home in Kenya to cold dreary England, where she had too many uncaring paternal figures and too little motherly attention, in addition to doing time as a quasi-orphan. If Clapton was deliberately led to believe that his mother was his sister, he at least had the advantage of a stable upbringing by his doting grandparents.

The Boyd-Clapton union broke up, perhaps inevitably, perhaps because of Clapton’s infidelity—which included fathering Conor, the child who later died tragically in a fall—and his lingering sense of guilt over betraying his best friend, and perhaps because he stopped using heroin only to take up drinking voluminous amounts of brandy, vodka and beer. Yet while Clapton’s music served as the outlet for some of his demons, Boyd could only create a role as his muse, always wanting to look—and be—“wonderful tonight.” The role usually snuffs out a woman’s individuality, not to mention any creative urge she might have. Boyd, defying the odds and the tradition, has produced a distinguished body of work as a photographer, and two exhibitions gave her the courage to write this candid, ultimately sweet-hearted memoir.

((originally published in the NASHVILLE SCENE) ...more

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Dec 25, 2008 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir-bio-rock

Those of you who have received my "Best of 2008" list have already read this, but for those of you who didn't get the list, here is my review of this book:

In the “being famous for doing nothing but being married to famous men is a bitch” genre… Pattie Boyd was married to George Harrison but was wooed away by Eric Clapton, who then wrote the song “Wonderful Tonight” about her (it’s not as romantic as it sounds since it was supposed to be a sarcastic comment on how long it took her to get ready fo ...more

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Jan 25, 2009 Tamie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pattie Boyd's biography brings some insight into the 60's and the egos of big rock/blues stars.

But more importantly, it's another reminder about the long term effects of not feeling loved as a child. Pattie seems to be a really nice, nurturing person who tried to take care of George Harrison and then Eric Clapton. Unfortunately, her own self esteem was not high due to feeling rejected by her parents as a child when she attended boarding schools, being shuffled around while her mother sorted out Pattie Boyd's biography brings some insight into the 60's and the egos of big rock/blues stars.

But more importantly, it's another reminder about the long term effects of not feeling loved as a child. Pattie seems to be a really nice, nurturing person who tried to take care of George Harrison and then Eric Clapton. Unfortunately, her own self esteem was not high due to feeling rejected by her parents as a child when she attended boarding schools, being shuffled around while her mother sorted out her married life and finally living with an abusive stepfather.

She seemed to be the type of person that men were crazy about. She seemed to know that she had this power but her self esteem kept her from helping the people around her to be at their best. No matter how much she tried to find answers for herself and took care of others, she ended up enabling her lover's bad behavior and ended up having to leave them for them to finally find themselves.

It's very interesting to hear about her life. The parties and the personalities that she was surrounded by were amazing. She knew so many people and had so many adventures.

If you ever wanted to live the life of a rock star, this is a great book to see what it's like on the inside. They are not that much different from you and me but the day to day pressure of having people thinking that you're better and admiring you in a way that is unrealistic puts so much pressure on these people. They have no privacy. It really makes them crazy. And the addictions (drugs, alcohol, religion, etc.) are fueled by self serving managers who think they are doing their best but are ultimately taking advantage of their clients by not keeping their feet in the real world.

In the end, I felt sorry for everyone. From the outside, it's hard to watch people with so much feel so bad. Happily, Pattie got some therapy, insight and wisdom and has made a great life for herself. It's a shame she couldn't work it out with either of the two men who loved her so much. Love without self esteem doesn't work. ...more

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May 12, 2008 george rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-autobiography-memoir , read-in-2008 , grown-up-books

I was very interested to read Boyd's autobiography, as I am very interested in the "behind-the-scenes" of celebrities, particularly rockstars. Not necessarily because I think they are extraordinary people, but because of their unlimited access.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The writing was flat-out bad. There's no other way to describe it. It amazes me that there was a co-writer because all of her stories were jumbled together and she zipped forward and backward in time nonstop. Her lif ...more

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“On first impressions, John seemed more cynical and brash than the others, Ringo the most endearing, Paul was cute, and George, with velvet brown eyes and dark chestnut hair, was the best-looking man I'd ever seen. At the break for lunch I found myself sitting next to him, whether by accident or design I have never been sure. We were both shy and spoke hardly a word to each other, but being close to him was electrifying.” — 7 likes

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