LOCAL band The Fabulous Fortunes, supported The Beatles at their Abergavenny TownHall gig on June 22, 1963, and the band got a chance to mingle with Paul, George and Ringo before the event.
Guitarist Barrie Herbert told Andy Howells: “I’d heard on BBC Radio The Beatles doing a Little Richard number so I asked Paul McCartney ‘Which one of you is singing Long Tall Sally?’ and he said: ‘that’s me!’ I said, ‘It’s absolutely brilliant’.”
“To add to the incidentals all the autograph books were coming into the room, one of which was my sister Pam’s. She was about three or four years younger than me and she’d been along to all the gigs supporting The Fabulous Fortunes.
McCartney signed it, then another came through belonging to one of her friends and McCartney signed that, then he said “Who the hell is this Barrie Herbert?” as it was on every book with us been a local band. I said “I’m afraid that’s me!” He went: “Oh sorry about that!”
Barrie has nothing but praise for The Beatles and considers the gig the best The Fabulous Fortunes ever played: “Without a shadow of a doubt, they were absolutely fantastic. It was a magical time for anybody I think.”
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