Wonderful Now
“Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Claption and Me”
Pattie Boyd
By Heidi Lee
(SugarBuzz Michigan)
SugarBuzz Magazine
Many people would consider the life of the wife of a famous rock star to be filled with endless charm and privilege. Pattie Boyd was married to two of rock’s most revered legends, George Harrison and Eric Clapton, but as her recently released autobiography reveals, although she was surely privileged to have been with her husbands at the peak of their careers, the relationships within the marriage turned out to be anything but charmed.
The book begins with Pattie’s upbringing in a broken home and carries on through the early stages of her 1960’s modeling career, meeting and marrying Beatle George Harrison, and the eventual demise of their relationship. One of the factors of the unraveling of their marriage was George’s best friend, Eric Clapton and his obsessive love for Pattie. The story then goes on through Pattie and Eric’s tumultuous courtship and marriage, which resulted in yet another divorce. It concludes with Pattie coming to terms with life on her own.
No longer Mrs. Harrison or Mrs. Clapton, Pattie shares her journey on becoming a self-sufficient woman with a successful career, making use of her passion for photography.
For those who are well-read Beatles or Clapton fans, many of the stores contained in the book will not come as a surprise to you. Being an avid Beatles fan myself, my only complaint is that nearly 80% of all of the antidotes Pattie includes have been repeated and written about copious times in Beatles books, interviews, and articles. I do not begrudge her in having kept truly private memories to herself, but maybe if the ratio of the things most know about Beatles lore, versus new things that we could learn from her privileged perspective was more like fifty/fifty, it might have provided for an even more interesting book.
I found her early, pre-fame life, post divorces recovery, and time with Clapton the most compelling parts to read. However, those who know much about Clapton’s history might feel the same as I do about the Beatles/Harrison years.
More than just a memoir of one of rock’s most enduring muses, (Pattie confirms that The Beatles “Something” as well many of Clapton’s love songs were written with her in mind), “Wonderful Tonight” is the story of a survivor. The mental and sometimes even physical abuse she reveals in her relationships is heartbreaking to read. However, her recovery, good spirits, and ability to move on and forgive will surely be inspiring to many.
Overall, much of “Wonderful Tonight” is no huge revelation, but fans of Ms. Boyd will be happy to discover that after her crazy years as the love and of two very famous men, standing on her own she is truly “Wonderful Now”.