“It Was Like a Smack”: The Time Carole King Confronted John Lennon for His Rude Behavior

When Carole King made the rounds introducing herself to all four of The Beatles at a party at the Warwick Hotel in New York City, the songwriter came face to face with each musician’s unique personalities (and reputations): Paul McCartney was affable and chatty, George Harrison was quiet but polite, Ringo Starr “was Ringo,” and John Lennon was snarky to the point of being downright rude.

At the time, King didn’t press Lennon to see if his behavior was actually directed toward her or if she was an unfortunate but unintentional victim of one of his sulkier moods. She was hardly a nobody at the party, after all. Even McCartney stopped to tell her what a great influence she and her songwriting partner, Gerry Goffin, were to him. But at 23 years old, getting blown off by one of the biggest rockstars in the world was going to sting, no matter how many hits she had under her belt.

During a 2012 interview at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, King described the memorable moment. Lennon was the last Beatle she had to introduce herself to. “He’s standing with two women, neither of whom was Cynthia [Lennon, his first wife]. He looks high; he looks like he’s totally stoned, whacked out of his mind. I go over to him, ‘Hi, John. I’m Carole King. I’m really glad to meet you.’ Honestly, I cannot remember what he said, but he was so rude. It was like a smack. I’m like, ‘I’m getting out of here.’ I left.”

The moment stuck with her for years until finally, around a decade later, she was able to ask Lennon why he had treated her so coldly at the Warwick.

Source: Melanie Davis/americansongwriter.com

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