May Fung Yee Pang (born October 24,1950) is an American former music executive. She worked for John Lennon and Yoko Ono as a personal assistant and production coordinator. When Lennon and Ono separated in 1973,Pang and Lennon began a relationship that lasted more than 18 months. Lennon later referred to this time as his "Lost Weekend". Pang published two books about her relationship with Lennon;a memoir,Loving John (Warner,1983),and a book of photographs,Instamatic Karma (St. Martin's Press,2008). A documentary about their relationship,The Lost Weekend:A Love Story, was produced in 2022.
Pang was married to producer Tony Visconti from 1989 to 2000 and has two children.
Early years and education
Pang was born in Manhattan. She is the daughter of Chinese immigrants and grew up in the Spanish Harlem section of New York City with an elder sister and an adopted brother,both of whom were born in China.[1] Pang's mother owned and operated a laundry business in the area. The Pang family left Spanish Harlem when the tenements where they lived were scheduled to be razed,moving to an apartment near 97th Street and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan.[1]
After graduating from Saint Michael Academy,Pang attended New York City Community College. She aspired to be a model,but modeling agencies reportedly told her she was too "ethnic".[2] Pang's early jobs included being a song-plugger,which meant encouraging artists to record songs written by songwriters.[1] In 1970,she began work in New York as a receptionist at ABKCO Records,Allen Klein's management office,which at that time represented Apple Records and three former Beatles:Lennon,George Harrison,and Ringo Starr.[3][4]
Pang was asked to help Lennon and Ono with their avant-garde film projects,Up Your Legs Forever and Fly,in December 1970.[2] Pang was then asked to be Lennon and Ono's secretary and factotum and gofer in New York City and Britain,which led to a permanent position as their personal assistant when the Lennons moved from London to Manhattan in 1971.[5] Pang coordinated an art exhibition in Syracuse,New York,on October 9,1971,for Ono's This Is Not Here art show at the Everson Museum.[6] Ono's show coincided with Lennon's 31st birthday,and a party was held at the Hotel Syracuse,which was attended by Ringo Starr,Phil Spector,and Elliot Mintz.[6]
"Lost Weekend"
In mid-1973,Pang was working on the recording of Lennon's Mind Games album. Lennon and Ono were having marital problems,and Ono suggested to Pang that she become Lennon's companion.[4][7] Ono explained that she and Lennon were not getting along,they had been arguing and were growing apart,and that Lennon would start seeing other women. She pointed out that Lennon had said he found Pang sexually attractive. Pang replied that she could never start a relationship with Lennon as he was her employer and married. Ono ignored Pang's protests and said that she would arrange everything.[8] Ono later confirmed this conversation in an interview.[9]
At the time Lennon had his 18-month relationship with Pang,he was in a period of his life that he later referred to as his "Lost Weekend",in reference to the film and novel of the same title.[10]
In October 1973,Lennon and Pang left New York for Los Angeles to promote Mind Games,and decided to stay for a while,living at lawyer Harold Seider's apartment for a couple of days and then Lou Adler's house.[11] While there,Lennon was inspired to embark on two recording projects:to make an album of the old rock 'n' roll songs that inspired him to become a musician,and to produce another artist. In December 1973,Lennon collaborated with Phil Spector to record the oldies album Rock 'n' Roll. Lennon's drinking and Spector's erratic behavior (which included his firing a gun in the studio control room) caused the sessions to break down.[12] Then Spector,who claimed to have been in a car accident,took the session tapes and became unreachable.
In March 1974,Lennon began producing Harry Nilsson's Pussy Cats album,[13] thus named to counter the "bad boy" image the pair had earned in the media with two drinking incidents at the Troubadour. The first was when Lennon placed a Kotex on his forehead and scuffled with a waitress at a concert given by Ann Peebles,who had released "I Can't Stand the Rain",one of Lennon's current favorite records;and the second,two weeks later when Lennon and Nilsson were ejected from the same club after heckling the Smothers Brothers. Lennon thought it would be a good idea for the musicians to live under one roof to ensure they would get to the studio on time,so Pang rented a beach house in Santa Monica for her,Lennon,Nilsson,Ringo Starr and Keith Moon to live. At this time,Pang encouraged Lennon to reach out to family and friends. He and Paul McCartney mended fences and played together for the first and only time after the breakup of the Beatles (see A Toot and a Snore in '74). Pang also arranged for Julian Lennon to visit his father for the first time in almost four years.[14]
Julian began to see his father more regularly. Lennon bought Julian a Gibson Les Paul copy guitar and a drum machine for Christmas in 1973,and encouraged Julian's interest in music by showing him some chords.[15][16] "Dad and I got on a great deal better then," recalls Julian. "We had a lot of fun,laughed a lot and had a great time in general when he was with May Pang. My memories of that time with Dad and May are very clear—they were the happiest time I can remember with them."[17] The cover of Julian's seventh album,Jude, features a childhood photo of him taken by Pang.[18]
In June 1974,Lennon and Pang returned to live in Manhattan. Lennon stopped drinking and concentrated on recording.[19] Lennon previously had cats while he lived at his Aunt Mimi's house in Liverpool;he and Pang adopted two cats that they named Major and Minor.[20][21] In the early summer,Lennon was working on his Walls and Bridges album when the couple moved into a penthouse apartment at 434 East 52nd Street. On August 23,Lennon and Pang claimed to have seen a UFO from their terrace,which had a panoramic view of Queens. To gain access to the deck,Lennon and Pang had to climb out of their kitchen window.[22] On the night in question,a naked Lennon excitedly called Pang to join him on the deck outside and they both watched a circular object silently floating less than 100 feet away.[20] Lennon called Bob Gruen—Lennon's "official" photographer—and told him what had happened. Gruen suggested Lennon should call the police,but Lennon laughed it off,saying,"I’m not going to call up the newspaper and say 'This is John Lennon and I saw a flying saucer last night.'" Gruen called the local police precinct which confirmed that three other people had reported a sighting,and the Daily News wrote that five people had reported a sighting in the same area of New York where Lennon and Pang lived.[20] Lennon references the incident in the song "Nobody Told Me".
Walls and Bridges rose to the top spot on the album charts. Lennon achieved his only number-one solo US single in his lifetime with "Whatever Gets You thru the Night". Pang's is the voice whispering Lennon's name on "#9 Dream". "Surprise,Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox)" was written about her.[10] Julian played drums on the album's last track,"Ya Ya".[23] While recording Walls and Bridges,Al Coury,vice president of promotion for Capitol Records,got possession of the chaotic Spector session tapes and brought them to New York. Lennon completed his oldies album,which was titled Rock 'n' Roll,with the same musicians he used on Walls and Bridges. Pang received an RIAA gold record award for her work on Walls and Bridges and continued her work as production coordinator of Lennon's Rock 'n' Roll album,where she was credited as "Mother Superior". Pang also worked on albums by Nilsson,Starr,Elton John and David Bowie.[2]
While visiting Mick Jagger at Andy Warhol's compound in Montauk,New York,Lennon and Pang saw a Scottish-style cottage for sale close to the Montauk Point Lighthouse. Lennon asked a real estate broker to put in an offer for it in February 1975.[24][25] In the same month,Lennon and Pang were also planning on visiting Paul and Linda McCartney in New Orleans,where Wings were recording the Venus and Mars album,but Lennon reconciled with Ono the day before the planned visit,after Ono said she had a new cure for Lennon's smoking habit.[26][27] After the meeting,he failed to return home or call Pang. When Pang telephoned the next day,Ono told her that Lennon was unavailable because he was exhausted after a hypnotherapy session. Two days later,Lennon reappeared at a joint dental appointment;he was stupefied and confused to such an extent that Pang believed he had been brainwashed. Lennon told Pang he had reconciled with Ono and their relationship was over.[28] Over the coming years,Pang quietly met Lennon a few times but their relationship was never rekindled.[29]
Lennon lamented this period publicly but not in private. Journalist Larry Kane,who befriended Lennon in 1964,wrote a comprehensive biography of Lennon which detailed the "Lost Weekend" period. In the interview with Kane,Lennon explained his feelings about his time with Pang;"You know Larry,I may have been the happiest I've ever been... I loved this woman (Pang),I made some beautiful music and I got so fucked up with booze and shit and whatever."[30][31]
Pang published her memoir Loving John in 1983. It was updated and renamed John Lennon:The Lost Weekend. The original 500-page Loving John book focused mainly on Pang's role on Lennon's albums and sessions.[32] It was edited down to 300 pages,concentrating mostly on the sensational aspects of their relationship. It also included postcards that Lennon had written to Pang during his travels throughout the world in the late 1970s. Pang claims that she and Lennon remained lovers until 1977,and stayed in contact until his death.[33]
Pang's book of photographs Instamatic Karma was published in 2008.[34][35] Besides the candid personal portraits,the book contains some historically important photographs,such as Lennon signing the official dissolution of the Beatles' partnership,[36] and one of the last known photographs of Lennon and Paul McCartney together.[37] Cynthia Lennon also provided a back cover endorsement,acknowledging Pang's role in reuniting Lennon with his estranged first son,Julian.[35]
The Lost Weekend documentary
The Tribeca Film Festival announced the 2022 premiere of The Lost Weekend:A Love Story,a 97-minute documentary about Pang's life and relationship with Lennon,on June 10 via virtual home viewing. The film was produced and directed by Eve Brandstein,Richard Kaufman and Stuart Samuels.[38]The Lost Weekend appeared in theaters internationally for a limited run April 13th and 14th 2023[39][40] and became available via streaming and on BluRay in October 2023.[41][42]
Photography
Coinciding with the release of the 2022 documentary,Pang published a collection of her photographs of Lennon which were made available for sale in an touring exhibition called The Lost Weekend:The Photography of May Pang.[43][44][45][46][47]
Jewelry
Pang started her own jewelry business. She designs stainless-steel feng shui jewelry.[48][49]
Subsequent personal life
Pang married record producer Tony Visconti in 1989;the couple divorced in 2000.[1] They had two children. Pang remains in touch with some of the people from her time with Lennon,and Paul McCartney invited her to Linda McCartney's memorial service.[50] She was an invited guest at The Concert for George in 2002 and remained close to Cynthia Lennon and Lennon's first son,Julian.[51][52]
Although having had no contact for 30 years,on October 9,2006,Pang accidentally met Ono in Iceland,on what would have been Lennon's 66th birthday. Ono was in Iceland to unveil a sculpture in Reykjavík and was staying in the same hotel.[10]
Pang still resides in New York City.[citation needed] She volunteers with an animal shelter called Animal Haven in New York and owned a dog that was rescued after Hurricane Katrina.[53] She also co-hosts an Internet talk radio show,Dinner Specials with Cynthia and May Pang,at blogtalkradio.com,with on-air partner Cynthia Neilson.[54]
↑ "May Pang". Listennotes.com. October 24, 2016. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
Related Research Articles
John Winston Ono Lennon was an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame as the founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. His work included music, writing, drawings and film. His songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful in history.
Julian Charles John Lennon is an English musician, photographer, author, and philanthropist. He is the son of Beatles member John Lennon and his first wife, Cynthia, and he is named after his paternal grandmother, Julia Lennon. Julian inspired three Beatles songs: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (1967), "Hey Jude" (1968), and "Good Night" (1968). His parents divorced in 1968 after his father had an affair with Yoko Ono. Around the world he has had eight hit singles.
Yoko Ono is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band is the debut solo studio album by English musician John Lennon. Backed by the Plastic Ono Band, it was released by Apple Records on 11 December 1970 in tandem with the similarly titled album by his wife, Yoko Ono. At the time of its issue, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band received mixed reviews overall, but later came to be widely regarded as Lennon's best solo album.
Apple Records is a British record label founded by the Beatles in 1968 as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger and Billy Preston. In practice, the roster had become dominated by the mid-1970s with releases of the former Beatles as solo artists. Allen Klein managed the label from 1969 to 1973, then it was managed by Neil Aspinall on behalf of the Beatles and their heirs. Aspinall retired in 2007 and was replaced by Jeff Jones.
Imagine is the second solo studio album by British musician John Lennon, released on 9 September 1971 by Apple Records. Co-produced by Lennon, his wife Yoko Ono and Phil Spector, the album's elaborate sound contrasts the basic, small-group arrangements of his first album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970), while the opening title track is widely considered to be his signature song.
Mind Games is the fourth solo studio album by English musician John Lennon. It was recorded at Record Plant Studios in New York in summer 1973. The album was released in the US on 29 October 1973 and in the UK on 16 November 1973. It was Lennon's first self-produced recording without help from Phil Spector. Like his previous album, the politically topical and somewhat abrasive Some Time in New York City, Mind Games received mixed reviews upon release. It reached number 13 in the UK and number 9 in the US, where it was certified gold.
Rock 'n' Roll is the sixth and final solo studio album by English musician John Lennon. Released in February 1975, it is an album of late 1950s and early 1960s songs as covered by Lennon. Recording the album was problematic and spanned an entire year: Phil Spector produced sessions in October 1973 at A&M Studios, and Lennon produced sessions in October 1974 at the Record Plant (East). Lennon was being sued by Morris Levy over copyright infringement of one line in his Beatles song "Come Together". As part of an agreement, Lennon had to include three Levy-owned songs on Rock 'n' Roll. Spector disappeared with the session recordings and was subsequently involved in a motor accident, leaving the album's tracks unrecoverable until the beginning of the Walls and Bridges sessions. With Walls and Bridges coming out first, featuring one Levy-owned song, Levy sued Lennon expecting to see Lennon's Rock 'n' Roll album.
Walls and Bridges is the fifth solo studio album by English musician John Lennon. It was issued by Apple Records on 26 September 1974 in the United States and on 4 October in the United Kingdom. Written, recorded and released during his 18-month separation from Yoko Ono, the album captured Lennon in the midst of his "Lost Weekend". Walls and Bridges was an American number-one album on both the Billboard and Record World charts and included two hit singles, "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" and "#9 Dream". The first of these was Lennon's first number-one hit in the United States as a solo artist, and his only solo chart-topping single in either the US or Britain during his lifetime.
Cynthia Lennon was the first wife of John Lennon and the mother of Julian Lennon.
The Plastic Ono Band was a rock band formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969 for their collaborative and solo projects based on their 1968 Fluxus conceptual art project of the same name.
A Toot and a Snore in '74 is a bootleg album consisting of the only known recording session in which John Lennon and Paul McCartney played together after the break-up of the Beatles in 1970. First mentioned by Lennon in a 1975 interview, more details were brought to light in May Pang's 1983 book, Loving John, and it gained wider prominence when McCartney made reference to the session in a 1997 interview. Talking with Australian writer Sean Sennett in his Soho office, McCartney said the "session was hazy... for a number of reasons".
"Instant Karma!" is a song by English rock musician John Lennon, released as a single on Apple Records in February 1970. The lyrics focus on a concept in which the consequences of one's actions are immediate rather than borne out over a lifetime. The single was credited to "Lennon/Ono with the Plastic Ono Band", apart from in the US, where the credit was "John Ono Lennon". The song reached the top five in the British and American charts, competing with the Beatles' "Let It Be" in the US, where it became the first solo single by a member of the band to sell a million copies.
The Lives of John Lennon is a 1988 biography of musician John Lennon by American author Albert Goldman. The book is a product of several years of research and hundreds of interviews with Lennon's friends, acquaintances, servants and musicians. Notwithstanding, it is best known for its criticism and generally negative representation of the personal lives of Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono.
Tittenhurst Park is a Grade II listed early Georgian country house set in 72 acres off London Road at Beggar's Bush near Ascot and over the parish border into Sunningdale, both in the English county of Berkshire. It was famously the home of musicians John Lennon and Yoko Ono from the late summer of 1969 until August 1971, and then the home of Ringo Starr and family from 1973 until 1988. Starr sold the property to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, in 1989.
Kenwood is a house on the St George's Hill estate, Weybridge, Surrey, England. Originally called the Brown House, it was designed by architect T. A. Allen, and built in 1913 by Love & Sons, a local building firm. The estate was constructed around the Weybridge Golf Club, which was designed in 1912 by Harry Colt.
The Beatles were an English rock band, active from 1960 until 1970. From 1962 onwards, the band's members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Their break-up is attributed to numerous factors, including: the strain of the Beatlemania phenomenon, the 1967 death of manager Brian Epstein, bandmates' resentment of McCartney's perceived domineering, Lennon's heroin use and his relationship with Yoko Ono, Harrison's increasingly prolific songwriting, the floundering of Apple Corps, the Get Back project, and managerial disputes.
Imagine: John Lennon is a 1988 documentary film about English musician John Lennon. It was released on 7 October 1988, two days before Lennon's 48th birthday.
Roots: John Lennon Sings the Great Rock & Roll Hits is a rare mail-order album issued by Adam VIII consisting of rough mixes of John Lennon's Rock 'n' Roll album. It was available through television sale for three days in January 1975 before Lennon and Apple/EMI pulled it off the market. Lennon then rush-released his "official" version in February 1975.
Lennon Naked is a 2010 television biographical film focusing on the life of John Lennon between 1967 and 1971. It stars Christopher Eccleston as John Lennon and was directed by Edmund Coulthard.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
