Musical Muses-Linda Lawrence

"I will bring you gold apples and grapes made of rubies

That have shone in the eyes of a prince of the breeze

Bright cascading crystals, they dance in the sand dunes

On the beach of no footprints to harpsichord tunes

A throne of white ivory, a gown of white lace

Lies still in the magic of a timeless place"

The inspiration behind many classic Donovan songs, including the haunting, 'Legend of a Girl Child Linda', was his wife and muse Linda Lawrence.

Linda was born in 1947 and as a teenager developed a love for jazz music. When she was fifteen she met and fell in love with Rolling Stone, Brian Jones. They were soon living together and two years later Linda gave birth to their son, Julian. Their relationship proved tumultuous and eventually Jones left her for Anita Pallenberg. During this time Linda met Scottish singer Donovan and they began an off again on again relationship before marrying in 1970. They went on to have two daughters, Astrella and Oriole, and are happily married to this day. Donovan once said, "Linda's in all the songs, Sunshine Superman, Hampstead Incident, Young Girl Blues...Linda's the muse", she was also the inspiration behind one of his best loved songs, 'Catch the Wind'.

Here's a link to an interesting article written by Linda about her time with Brian Jones (also of note, Jones had had two children before he met Linda),
 http://www.angelfire.com/rock3/sixtiesfish/mybrian/My_Brian.htm

"A princess lay sleeping so gentle and kind

Whilst her prince took to battle with his confused mind"

Astrid Kirchherr

"Here I was, a photographer, with my own little car, living that sort of carefree artist's life with my friends"

A talented photographer Astrid Kirchherr befriended the most famous band in the world, The Beatles, during their Hamburg days. She fell in love with bassist Stuart Sutcliffe and is credited with giving The Beatles their 'look', but her life was marred by tragedy.

Astrid was born in Hamburg, Germany, 1938. After surviving the bombing of Hamburg during World War Two Astrid decided to become a fashion designer. Whilst at university she was encouraged by the photography teacher, Richard Wolf, to pursue black and white photography. She worked as Wolf's assistant for five years and dated artist Klaus Voormann. She became interested in French existentialism and she and her friends dressed primarily in black. In 1960 Klaus came across The Beatles playing in a seedy part of town known as the Reeperbahn. Amazed by this new music, he and Astrid soon became regulars at the English bands gigs. Astrid was fascinated by The Beatles and was determined to become as close to them as she could. She began photographing them and took thousands of images, including a famous series taken in a fairground, they became some of the first 'professional' pictures taken of the band. Astrid also fell in love with bassist Stuart Sutcliffe. A fellow artist Stuart left the band and moved in with Astrid where he rediscovered his love for painting. Stuart asked Astrid to marry him and they became engaged in November 1960. The following year they travelled to Liverpool where Astrid was introduced to Stuart's family. Around this time Stuart started suffering from intense headaches and frequently collapsed. In April 1962 he was rushed to hospital in an ambulance but he tragically died of a brain haemorrhage in Astrid's arms before they arrived, he was only twenty-one. Astrid was devastated, and was supported through her grief by the other Beatles, particularly John Lennon who had been Stuart's best friend. She continued to visit with them and their girlfriends throughout the sixties and worked as a free lance photographer, but she found that people were only interested in her old work so she eventually stopped photographing in 1967.
In 1968 she married English drummer, Gibson Kemp, but they divorced seven years later. She worked in a variety of jobs including a barmaid, fashion designer, and as a music publisher, and married again, though that relationship also ended in divorce. Astrid has since published several books of her photographs of The Beatles and has been featured in galleries throughout the world. She remains a presence at fan conventions and in her photography shop K&K where she sells vintage prints and books.

Astrid was a woman in a man's world during the 1960s, she struggled to make her voice heard in the photography world but her striking imagery remains inspirational to this day. Her images of The Beatles are a perfect capsule into their pre-fame world and her stark black and white images were the inspiration for the cover of their second album, With the Beatles. Her bohemian lifestyle also provided the young Liverpool lads with inspiration, she and Voormann influenced their hairstyles and clothing choices. She also believed in the group, especially Stuart, and encouraged him in his art. Astrid was also a 'motherly' figure for the group, especially George Harrison, who as the youngest was often homesick.

Pete Best once described Astrid and Stuart's relationship as being like a 'fairy tale' and to this day she refers to him as the love of her life. Their story is one of great tragedy but also of great love. Astrid remains dedicated to his memory and her portraits of him give us a fascinating look into the life of the forgotten fifth Beatle.

As a talented photographer in the 1960s Astrid paved the way for many women who came after her. In the face of immense sadness she has remained a kind and thoughtful person. She is equally as fascinating and enigmatic as her subjects, and her beautiful photographs provide not just a glimpse into the lives of her friends, but also provide a glimpse into her own soul and the things she was passionate about.

"My whole life changed in a couple of minutes. All I wanted was to be with them and to know them"

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Elizabeth Taylor

“The ups and downs, the problems and stress, along with all the happiness, have given me optimism and hope because I am living proof of survival”

A star since her childhood the 1960s provided Elizabeth Taylor with some of her most iconic and critically acclaimed roles. It was also the era in which her personal life became tabloid fodder as she embarked on a public affair with fellow actor, Richard Burton.

Elizabeth Taylor was born in London in 1932. When the family moved to America many insisted that the beautiful Elizabeth, with her dark hair and unusual violet eyes, should be in films. Her first role came in 1942 but it was the 1944 film, National Velvet that cemented her star status. She transitioned easily to adult roles in the 1950s starring in films including, A Place in the Sun, Giant, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Suddenly Last Summer. The beginning of the new decade proved controversial for Elizabeth, in 1959 she married her lover, singer Eddie Fisher. Fisher had left his wife Debbie Reynolds for Elizabeth and many turned against Liz, calling her a 'home wrecker'. Still she won an Academy Award for her role in the film BUtterfield 8. That same year, 1960, she began filming the historical epic, Cleopatra. During filming she began an affair with co-star Richard Burton and their actions garnered much press attention, they were even condemned by the Vatican. In 1961 Liz suffered near fatal pneumonia and underwent an emergency tracheotomy. Her illness won her back some support from the general public who were becoming increasingly fascinated with her romance with Burton. Released in 1963 Cleopatra was a box office success. She and Burton were married and the starred together in The V.I.Ps, The Sandpiper and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? which was to become the most acclaimed performance of her career. However towards the end of the 60s Elizabeth's career was in decline. In the 1970s she and Burton divorced and then remarried, only to divorce again. She continued to star in films but battled addiction, ill health and marital difficulties. In her later life she devoted her time to her philanthropic work where she worked tirelessly to raise money for AIDS/HIV causes. She passed away in 2011.

Elizabeth was a controversial star from an early age. Married eight times to seven men she had four children, but it was her relationship with Richard Burton that gained the most media attention. For her actions she was labelled a 'bad mother' and faced increasing hostility from the general public, but she cared little for others opinions and carried out her life on her terms. Her 'Cleopatra' hairstyle and makeup even started a fashion trend, with all things Egyptian becoming very popular during the 60s.

Her roles during this period were also challenging. For her role as the alcoholic housewife, Martha, in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? she gained weight and wore a wig, some not able to recognise the usually glamorous star. She took on roles reflective of her own tumultuous life with Burton and starred in a variety of genres. Though the 1960s are generally not regard as her best period, film wise, it is for the iconic role of Cleopatra that she is best known today.

Elizabeth Taylor was a passionate, vivacious woman. She was dedicated to her profession, beliefs and friends. Sadly today she is most remembered for her 8 marriages but she was a wonderful actress and should be remembered for her onscreen roles and philanthropy.

“Nothing will raise you self-esteem as much as helping others. It will make you like yourself more and make you more likable”

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