I am traveling to Cleveland, and went to the RRHF today, spent about 4 hours.  I gotta say I was completely blown away.

Amazing stuff, in no particular order:

1) John Lennon's leather jacket from Hamburg 1960 (yes, THAT one)
2) John's Sgt. Pepper jacket.
3) John's Passports from 1960 and 1962.
4) Actual pages from John's grade school "Daily Howl", with pics! They read a lot like "In His Own Write". They're funny.
5) Report cards from John - 13, 14, and 15 years old. Across the board his teachers say he's smart, but bit by bit you can see him slipping away from society (his teacher's comments).
6) John's guitar from 1964.
7) George's guiter from 1963.
A few 1963 collarless jackets.

Now some non-Beatles stuff
1) I went straight to Eddie Cochrane's and Gene Vincent's items. For EC, I could not believe it - they had his guitar, the one he is seen playing in all the old clips and in the movie "The Girl Can't Help It". Sadly, it was in the vehicle with him when he died. THey also had the guitar of Gene Vincent's lead guitarist there, with photos of the Blue Caps and him playing it. Thought of you here, pc31.
2) Sam Philip's original studio equipment, and the piano that Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins recorded on.
3) A big display about Alan Freed. I really didn't know how important he was to RxR, or that Cleveland Ohio had such a legitimate claim to RxR history.
4) A great display about Les Paul. Amazingly, they had his first two guitars and harmonica ... like the ones he had when he was 10!
5) 3 or 4 movie theaters, including acceptance speeches by Paul and George.

And a zillion other things. If anyone has occasion to spend a few hours in Cleveland, I'd recommend this as the place to be!

this is a no brainer here folks...i mean why has nobody replied to this topic?????
i am glad you had a great time alexis....i went to nashville last year and went to the sun records store...you should visit there too...i love the fact you honed in on gene and eddies stuff first ...i too relish that combo...and i simply adore the fact you made no reference to the king of rock and roll...i push gene at the fifths forum sometimes....did you take any pictures???i dig carl perkins too,its rockabilly....you got good tastes...
tell me more of what you felt when seeing these not beatle things....i bet the thrill will last for awhile...oh and also there is an alan freed topic in the fifths too....

Quoted from pc31

this is a no brainer here folks...i mean why has nobody replied to this topic?????
i am glad you had a great time alexis....i went to nashville last year and went to the sun records store...you should visit there too...i love the fact you honed in on gene and eddies stuff first ...i too relish that combo...and i simply adore the fact you made no reference to the king of rock and roll...i push gene at the fifths forum sometimes....did you take any pictures???i dig carl perkins too,its rockabilly....you got good tastes...
tell me more of what you felt when seeing these not beatle things....i bet the thrill will last for awhile...oh and also there is an alan freed topic in the fifths too....

Hey pc31 - I gotta say, it was you and your websites in your sig that turned me on to Gene and Eddie How did I feel when I saw those things ... when I was standing in front of EC's guitar, and in front of Gene Vincent's lead guitarists guitar (with photo of a Blue Caps performance and him playing that guitar) .. well, I think it took me 2 or 3 times of trying before I could actually walk away. There is nothing like the Beatles, and I was in awe with their display, but just seeing those rockabilly relics did something to me.

I think it was 1) absolutely digging those performances by GxE 1956-1960 ; knowing that it was Eddie Cochran'es 20 flight rock that Paul McCartney played well enough for John that John extended him an invite to the Quarrymen ; knowing that Gene went to the Cavern and the boys hung out with him (Like in your pic!) ; and knowing John's love for Be-Bop-A-Lula ... it was almost overwhelming.

BTW - what is that fifths forum you mention?

ANd yes --- I WILL go to Memphis to Sam Phillip's studio one day!!

Very cool, Alexis! Which guitars did they have on display:

6) John's guitar from 1964.
7) George's guiter from 1963.

I'm very glad they're being shown the proper respect! Cheers.

Quoted from alexis

Hey pc31 - I gotta say, it was you and your websites in your sig that turned me on to Gene and Eddie How did I feel when I saw those things ... when I was standing in front of EC's guitar, and in front of Gene Vincent's lead guitarists guitar (with photo of a Blue Caps performance and him playing that guitar) .. well, I think it took me 2 or 3 times of trying before I could actually walk away. There is nothing like the Beatles, and I was in awe with their display, but just seeing those rockabilly relics did something to me.

I think it was 1) absolutely digging those performances by GxE 1956-1960 ; knowing that it was Eddie Cochran'es 20 flight rock that Paul McCartney played well enough for John that John extended him an invite to the Quarrymen ; knowing that Gene went to the Cavern and the boys hung out with him (Like in your pic!) ; and knowing John's love for Be-Bop-A-Lula ... it was almost overwhelming.

BTW - what is that fifths forum you mention?

ANd yes --- I WILL go to Memphis to Sam Phillip's studio one day!!

you know in the past few months i have been trying to decide wether or not to leave this forum...for obvious reasons..if they aren't then people don't read between the lines well enough...i have been here for too long..it must put people off knowing someone has been hanging around 4ever...they may think i have too much influence or act like i own the place...sometimes the arrogance of others throws me but when i just read your post i was really really touched...my influence..fantastic...i now remember why it is worth while to stay...thank you ever so much...i am humble by your kind words and thrilled to believe i helped...you just made a friend for life kiddo....
i am talking about the fifths forum at this place the fifth beatles forum...http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/b-fifths/
where we discussed gene and eddie...thanks again you may have save a few others here scorched ears...and long live gene and eddie....do you listen to the stray cats at all??they are big gene fans too and know gene jr.
they got tattoos with him...gene has a sister rhonda vincent who does country too...what about the collins kids you ever heard of them????damn a female the digs the old masters!!!who'd think it would happen in our life time..lol and still no mention of you know who...

Quoted from harihead

Very cool, Alexis! Which guitars did they have on display:

6) John's guitar from 1964.
7) George's guiter from 1963.

I'm very glad they're being shown the proper respect! Cheers.

6) For John, two of them:
     a) http://www.thecanteen.com/lennon4.html . It apparently is the one that he used in Love Me Do, and it looks now exactly like the bottom picture, the one he used in the "Bed Peace" thing in Amsterdam.
     b) http://www.thecanteen.com/lennon5.html  A black Rickenbacker. I'm really embarrassed, because I didn't notice that the one on the wall was a 12-string, but I guess it must have been. VERY COOL!!

7) For George: http://www.thecanteen.com/harrison5.html 1962 Rickenbacker 425 - the last one on the page. Apparently, George bought this one in Missouri in September 1963 when he went to visit Louise with his brother Pete - just a short hop, skip, and a jump away from where it is displayed in Cleveland Ohio now, as the website says! (BTW, I never could figure out how George could just up and leave the group in the middle of FLORID Beatlemania, but I guess that's another question!).


So, it's been about 24 hours since I got back from my visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and I am still SO excited. I wish I could go back, but no time left this visit.

I'll bet they have a website, it might be fun to visit.

Take care!

Quoted from pc31

this is a no brainer here folks...i mean why has nobody replied to this topic?????

Two reasons probably. The first, it can be pretty quiet around here on a Sunday. Secondly, maybe no-one is that interested. I'm pleased for Alexis that he was able to go there, and that he had a great time, but I think you overestimate the importance of places like this to the average non-American. These are your cultural icons and hero's, not ours. And that's not to degrade them in any way. I would imagine the average European's interest in The Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame is pretty close to zero, given that most of us will never go there. And we really don't care who gets inducted into them. We don't really have places like that, apart from The Beatles Story in Liverpool. And if you're into the Stones there's a mass of memorabilia at Bill Wyman's Sticky Fingers Restaurants.

I was born in 1958, and No.1 artists in that year - just to illustrate a point - Perry Como, Connie Francis, Vic Damone, Tommy Edwards, and Conway Twitty. We didn't grow up with people like Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent in our blood the way you did. So it's of a much lesser importance. We got Cliff Richard and the Shadows!!

well that facts sting paul...tommy edwards its all in the game of love cool tune...sad to say not even america is enthused with them...the last tour was in england where gene was more popular than here...his career here was stagnant so he went over seas...remeber this too even the beatles preferred america....i can't help i get excited when a new fan claims a seat on the legacy bus...conway is great also...it's only make believe,long black train,reelin and rockin...

You're gonna hate me PC but I struggle with most music made before 64. I even find the Please Please Me album an almost impossible listen. The only exception is Spector and the girl bands.
Like Paul, not to denegrate the rock and rollers importance or legacy. I just can't relate to it.

Another reason for not growing up with that kind of thing was that we (in Britain) didn't have a national pop radio station until the end of 1967. You had to rely on Pirate stations, which were notoriously difficult to pick up in some areas. How the kids ever managed to hear some of those artists in the first place is beyond me.

Quoted from BlueMeanie

Another reason for not growing up with that kind of thing was that we (in Britain) didn't have a national pop radio station until the end of 1967. You had to rely on Pirate stations, which were notoriously difficult to pick up in some areas. How the kids ever managed to hear some of those artists in the first place is beyond me.

Wasn't it generous Yank sailors handing out 45's to knock-kneed scouse urchins under the shadow of a grey Liver building? That's what my Octopus Book of The Beatles reckoned.

It had to be something like that. A lot of wartime music only got over here with the G.I.'s also. Basically, if you lived in a village and you didn't have a TV, you probably had no idea who Elvis was, or that Beatlemania had nothing to do with insects.

Ooops. I thought that was another disproved Beatle myth. I read somewhere (Q I think) that r'n'r records were available in shops if you lived in a big city and knew where to look.

In big cities yes, and especially the big ports in the North West, and North East. And London. But I reckon if you lived in Penzance you had no idea.

Quoted from alexis

6) For John, two of them:
     a) http://www.thecanteen.com/lennon4.html . It apparently is the one that he used in Love Me Do, and it looks now exactly like the bottom picture, the one he used in the "Bed Peace" thing in Amsterdam.
     b) http://www.thecanteen.com/lennon5.html  A black Rickenbacker. I'm really embarrassed, because I didn't notice that the one on the wall was a 12-string, but I guess it must have been. VERY COOL!!

7) For George: http://www.thecanteen.com/harrison5.html 1962 Rickenbacker 425 - the last one on the page. Apparently, George bought this one in Missouri in September 1963 when he went to visit Louise with his brother Pete - just a short hop, skip, and a jump away from where it is displayed in Cleveland Ohio now, as the website says! (BTW, I never could figure out how George could just up and leave the group in the middle of FLORID Beatlemania, but I guess that's another question!).

Alexis, you're so kind-- you even gave me links! I love that "history of the Beatles guitars" site. It would be way cool to see the actual guitars "in person".

How appropriate that George's guitar hailed from the same part of the country. I don't know how he wangled a vacation at that time either, but I think everyone was interested in hearing his report in how the Beatles were doing in America, since that was such a target for them. He did do quite a job as advance scout (as did Louise). Too bad America just wasn't interested in the Beatles (as they then found). People here might have enjoyed them.