RIP Neil Aspinall

Neil Aspinall died. I don't know very much about Neil Aspinall as a person. All I really know about him is that he was buddy-buddy with the Beatles since they were practically babies, hung around in their inner circle for years, ran Apple Records, and has a strong fondness for berets. I know this last detail because he is one of the commentators on The Beatles Anthology and is wearing a beret in almost every single scene except for one, where he is wearing a fedora. This is depressing news for Beatles fans across the world because it reminds us that the Beatles are not immortal, as they should be, and that one day even Sir Paul will die! Which seems hard to believe, but logic dictates that it must be true.

One of my favorite things I've ever read is this telegram that the Beatles' press officer, Derek Taylor, wrote to Neil Aspinall at some point during the late sixties:

I found some lost marijuana and mixed it with Nepalese hashish, I then rolled a joint and smoked it and went into the garden and put up 50 yards of fencing and acquired a headache which took over the entire front half of my head. I took two codeine and rolled another joint and smoked it. At that point Joan reminded me that you called to find out what was happening. After giving the matter some thought I decided I didn't know what was happening, so i didn't call you. I know will you
understand.

And I'm sure he did.