John Lennon Mocked a Guitarist so Brutally That He Permanently Quit Music, Claimed His Bandmate
In the 1960s, the American band The Turtles were thrilled to meet The Beatles, but their meeting went sour when guitarist Jim Tucker got on John Lennon’s bad side. Lennon didn’t seem to have a reason to pick a fight with Tucker, but he quickly turned on him. Tucker looked to Lennon as a hero, so his condescension stung. He left the music industry shortly after the meeting, and his bandmate Howard Kaylan believed Lennon’s behavior was the reason.
The Turtles were excited to meet The Beatles
While spending time with Graham Nash, The Turtles listened to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band for the first time. After hearing the album in its entirety, an awestruck Tucker expressed his desire to meet the band.
“Man, those guys are gods!” he said, per the book Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles Flo and Eddie and Frank Zappa, Etc. by Kaylan. “If I could meet them, I swear, I could die a happy man.”
Nash surprised them by saying he could introduce The Turtles to The Beatles. When they headed out, the musician Donovan warned the group, “Beware of Lennon!”
John Lennon was cruel to the band’s guitarist
The band met Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr at a London bar, and The Beatles complimented their music. Kaylan told the group that they were trying to become the American version of them.
“Well, that’s not bloody likely, is it?” Lennon said.
He then zeroed in on Tucker, the band’s rhythm guitarist.
“Bad suit, son. And an even worse haircut,” he said. “Did you tell your barber to give you a Beatle cut? It’s awful, man. You give rhythm players a bad name.”
The rest of the group tried to change the subject, but Lennon was focused on Tucker.
“Tucko, is it? I could have a lot of fun with that name,” he said. “Let’s see … Tucko Tucko, bo bucko, banana fanna fo f***o….”
According to Kaylan, Lennon could tell Tucker didn’t like this, so he continued, calling him a “stupid fellow.” Finally, Tucker snapped at him.
“What is your problem, man?” he said. “You’re supposed to be the Beatles! I f***in’ loved you guys and you turn out to be a**holes.”
Lennon was unphased, so Tucker walked away. His band followed, and McCartney shouted an apology. Lennon, however, was unapologetic.
“And there they go, ladies and gentlemen, the Truffles from Salad California!” he said.
Tucker ended his music career shortly after this.
“And with that, Jim Tucker walked away from the table, up the stairs, and into a cab,” Kaylan wrote. “And, following the few British shows we had lined up, Jim flew home and never played music again. The Turtles would continue on as a five-piece band from that time forward.”
John Lennon’s treatment of the guitarist was at odds with the image he created for himself
Even Kaylan, who had not been the target of Lennon’s ire, said he walked away feeling devastated.
“I was devastated,” he said. “This had been the most important night of my life and it had gone to hell. I refused to cab it back to the hotel. I just watched, heartbroken, from the Speakeasy’s front door and felt like I wanted to cry.”
Lennon’s behavior shattered the band’s image of what The Beatles would be like. It was true to his character, though. While Lennon spoke publicly about peace and love, he sometimes had difficulty extending this to the people in his life. His personal life was at odds with his public image, and Tucker had the misfortune of meeting Lennon’s bad side. He was a far more complex figure than he is often portrayed as.
