Saturday 12 June 1971 | Social Event | 3110 Palisades Avenue, Riverdale, The Bronx, New York City
On Saturday 12 June 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono attended a birthday party for Betty Klein, the wife of Allen Klein, Apple Corps' business manager. The garden party took place at the Kleins' home at 3110 Palisades Avenue in the Riverdale area of the Bronx, New York City, and was attended by more than 250 guests.
The guest list was a remarkable cross-section of the cultural and political world of early 1970s New York. Among those present were the artist Andy Warhol, musician Miles Davis, actor Jack Nicholson, and political activists Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman ā the latter two prominent figures in the American counterculture and the anti-Vietnam War movement, with whom Lennon had become closely associated since his arrival in New York.
The Event
The party was documented extensively. Andy Warhol took many Polaroid photographs of the event, and the gathering was also filmed by Jonas Mekas and Shirley Clarke ā two of the leading figures of the American avant-garde film scene. The footage captures the relaxed, celebratory atmosphere of the afternoon, including a memorable sequence of John Lennon and Miles Davis playing basketball near the garages at the property.
Those garages housed one of the more extraordinary objects in rock history: the psychedelic Rolls-Royce Phantom V that Lennon had famously had painted in a floral design in 1967 and subsequently gifted to the Kleins. The car ā originally delivered to Lennon in 1965 in standard black ā had been repainted by coachbuilder J.P. Fallon in a swirling yellow pattern inspired by Romany caravan art. It is now in the collection of the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, Canada.
John Lennon in New York, 1971
By June 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono had been spending increasing amounts of time in New York City, drawn by its creative energy and by Yoko's connections to the avant-garde art world. They would relocate permanently to New York in September 1971, taking up residence at the St Regis Hotel before eventually settling at the Dakota on Central Park West.
Lennon's friendship with Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman ā co-founders of the Youth International Party (Yippies) ā was deepening during this period, and would eventually attract the attention of the Nixon administration, which initiated deportation proceedings against Lennon in 1972 on the basis of a 1968 UK drug conviction. The political associations evident at the Klein birthday party were precisely the kind of activity that made Lennon a target for FBI surveillance.
June 1971 was also a creatively significant month for Lennon: the recording sessions for Imagine had taken place at Tittenhurst Park in May and at the Record Plant in New York in June and July, and the album would be released in September 1971.
Allen Klein and Apple Corps
Allen Klein had become Apple Corps' business manager in 1969, appointed at the insistence of John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr following the death of Brian Epstein in 1967. Paul McCartney had opposed Klein's appointment, preferring his father-in-law Lee Eastman, and the dispute over management had been one of the central fault lines in The Beatles' break-up. Klein's management of Apple was terminated in 1973, and he was subsequently sued by the three Beatles who had appointed him.
The Psychedelic Rolls-Royce
The Rolls-Royce Phantom V that Lennon had gifted to the Kleins is one of the most recognisable objects associated with the Beatles era. Originally delivered to Lennon in 1965, it was repainted in 1967 in a vivid floral design by coachbuilder J.P. Fallon ā a swirling pattern of yellows, oranges, and blacks inspired by Romany caravan art and psychedelic poster design. Lennon used the car extensively during the Summer of Love period before eventually giving it to Allen Klein. It was later acquired by the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, Canada, where it remains on display.
Key Facts: 12 June 1971
- Date: Saturday 12 June 1971
- Event: Betty Klein's birthday party
- Location: 3110 Palisades Avenue, Riverdale, The Bronx, New York City
- Host: Allen Klein (Apple Corps business manager)
- Guests: 250+, including Andy Warhol, Miles Davis, Jack Nicholson, Jerry Rubin, Abbie Hoffman
- Documented by: Andy Warhol (Polaroids); Jonas Mekas and Shirley Clarke (film)
- Notable footage: John Lennon and Miles Davis playing basketball
- Also present: Lennon's psychedelic Rolls-Royce Phantom V (now at Royal British Columbia Museum)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who attended Betty Klein's birthday party in 1971?
John Lennon and Yoko Ono were among more than 250 guests at Betty Klein's birthday party on 12 June 1971 in the Riverdale area of the Bronx. Other guests included Andy Warhol, Miles Davis, Jack Nicholson, and political activists Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman.
Who was Allen Klein?
Allen Klein was Apple Corps' business manager from 1969, appointed by John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Paul McCartney opposed his appointment. Klein's management was terminated in 1973 and he was subsequently sued by the three Beatles who had appointed him.
What was John Lennon doing in New York in June 1971?
By June 1971, Lennon and Yoko Ono were spending increasing amounts of time in New York. They relocated permanently in September 1971. Lennon was also completing work on the Imagine album, which was released in September 1971. His associations with counterculture activists Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman were attracting FBI attention.
What happened to John Lennon's psychedelic Rolls-Royce?
Lennon's Rolls-Royce Phantom V ā repainted in a floral psychedelic design in 1967 ā was gifted to Allen Klein and was housed at the Kleins' Bronx home at the time of the 1971 party. It is now in the collection of the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, Canada.
Who filmed Betty Klein's birthday party?
The party was filmed by avant-garde filmmakers Jonas Mekas and Shirley Clarke. Andy Warhol also took many Polaroid photographs of the event. The footage includes John Lennon and Miles Davis playing basketball near the garages.
Who were Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman?
Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman were American political activists and co-founders of the Youth International Party (Yippies), prominent figures in the anti-Vietnam War movement and the American counterculture. Lennon's close association with them during 1971ā72 contributed to the Nixon administration's attempts to deport him from the United States.
ā 12 June in Beatles History
ā John Lennon | Paul McCartney | George Harrison | Ringo Starr
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