Miss O'Dell

By: Chris O'Dell, Katherine Ketcham

Narrated by: Reneé Raudman

My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles,The Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved

Chris O'Dell wasn't famous. She wasn't even almost famous. But she was there.

She was in the studio when the Beatles recorded The White Album, Abbey Road, and Let It Be, and when Paul recorded "Hey Jude," she sang in the chorus.

She was at Ringo's kitchen table when George Harrison said, "You know, Ringo, I'm in love with your wife," and Ringo replied, "Better you than someone we don't know."

She typed the lyrics to George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass". She lived with George and Pattie Boyd at Friar Park, developed a crush on Eric Clapton, and unwittingly got involved in the famous love story between Eric and Pattie.

She's the subject of Leon Russell's "Pisces Apple Lady", a song he wrote to woo her. Other rock legends with whom she was intimate include Ringo, Mick Jagger, and Bob Dylan.

She worked with the Rolling Stones as their personal assistant on their infamous 1972 tour and did a drug run for Keith Richards.

She's "the woman down the hall" in Joni Mitchell's song "Coyote" about a love triangle on Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour. She's the "mystery woman" pictured on the back of the Rolling Stones album Exile on Main Street. She's the "Miss O'Dell" of George Harrison's song about her.

Jam-packed with intimate anecdotes, Miss O'Dell is a backstage pass to some of the most momentous events in rock history.

©2009 Chris O'Dell (P)2009 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A riveting, honest, and brave account of life with the most famous names in rock and roll history...hard work, tough love, huge loss, pain and gain. I couldn't put the book down. I just loved it." (Pattie Boyd, author of Wonderful Tonight)
"[D]evastating detail yet without envy or malice...a rockin' good read." (Philip Norman, author of Shout! and John Lennon: The Life)
"I enjoyed reading it very much. It is an astonishing look into the backstage of rock and roll." (Leon Russell)

absolutely fascinating

this book filled in so many empty spaces in possibly the greatest period of musical creativity in the western world. so refreshing to see these "gods" as flawed and very human. highly recommended !!

How Could She Be Anybody's "close friend"?

Occasionally insightful about how others may have viewed her, but wow, get a clue!
She ends her relationship with Leon Russell for kissing someone else but has no qualms about sleeping with married men, some of whom are married to her "close friends". She sponged off of people then got offended when she got called out for it. Every man she ever met seemed to be a potential boyfriend. She married the one mom musician she met who had serious cash to go along with his serious addictions, then gets offended when Eric Clapton calls her on it. She doesn't want to exploit her "friendships" but she sells books about it and still hangs their pictures on her office wall. I get that at the time, she was a drunk and a drug abuser (as were many of her associates) but she doesn't seem to have gained much perspective. Glad she's alive and sober, though, and that her son survived his formative years. Chris O'Dell's friends would be wise to keep their hands on their wallet and not let her stay in their spare room lol!

she lived a hell of a life!

greatly enjoyed the tid bits of famous people, it serves to humanize them somewhat. she seems like someone I would have loved to hangout with. and listening to this led me to many Google searches to get background info on the cast of characters

Wow

I totally enjoyed this book. It was so interesting! I would recommend that you read this. I would also recommend you listen to the music from the artist

Great Book

I can't imagine starting out your career working for the Beatles. Everything after that would be a step down because they were The Band....and still are in a lot of ways. I learned a lot about George, Pattie, Clapton, and Dylan...how they were as people not as stars.
Very good book for music fans of that era.