“She married Ringo, but she could’ve had Paul, that’s why the lady is a champ!” Episode two of the Beatle Girl Miniseries is about sweet, strong, and rebellious Maureen Starkey. She never wrote a biography and gave very few interviews. She’s the silent fashion icon of the decade. But she was the heartbeat of the backbeat and an emotional refuge for our big-hearted Beatle. And she was no wallflower - it takes guts to sneak to another country with your pop star boyfriend! (Plus, Emma and Abby chat about DIY wins, gardening fails, and the joys of pickling.) “Maureen Starkey: A Life Between The Beats” is available now, wherever you stream your podcasts. Thanks, Mo! 💇‍♀️

(Episode starts at 6:47)

Sources:

Alan Clayson, “Ringo Starr: Straight Man or Joker?“ (1992)

Nicola Bardola, “Ringo Starr: Die Biographie“ (2020)

Ringo Starr, “Postcards from the Boys“ (2004)

Chris O’Dell with Katherine Ketcham, “Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and the Women They Loved“ (2009)

Pattie Boyd with Penny Junor, “Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me“ (2007)

Cynthia Lennon, “John” (2005)

The Beatles, “Anthology“ (2000)

Graeme Thomson, “George Harrison: Behind the Locked Door“ (2013)

Peter Brown and Steven Gaines, “The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of The Beatles“ (1983)

Songs used in this episode:

Rory Storm and the Hurricanes - “Rip It Up” (Live at The Jive) [1960]

The Beatles - “Some Other Guy” (1962)

George Martin, “Ringo’s Theme” (1964)

The Beatles - “With A Little Help From My Friends” (1967)

The Beatles - “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill” (1968)

Frank Sinatra - “The Lady Is A Champ” (1968)

Paul McCartney - “Little Willow” (1997)

Follow @thedollspod on Instagram for clips and photos from this episode!

“For far too long now, Mum has put up with being relegated to a puff of smoke in Dad’s life and that is simply not the truth. Now it’s time to set the record straight.” - Julian Lennon, about his mom, Cynthia

At face value, it’s the classic tale of “boy meets girl, boy is in a band, boy’s band becomes the biggest band in the world.” But wait, what about the girl? Though much of her story was dictated by her first husband’s career, Cynthia Lennon was a whole lot more than just the Mrs. The first episode of the Dolls Pod’s Beatle Girl Miniseries is up now, wherever you stream your podcasts 🤍

(Episode starts at 5:35)

Sources used for this episode:

Cynthia Lennon, “John” (2005)

Bill King, “Interview with Cynthia Lennon” Beatlefan Vol. 4 No. 2-3 https://beatlefansomethingnew.wordpress.com/2015/04/14/the-beatlefan-interview-with-cynthia-lennon/

Gerry in Liverpool, “White Feather: The Spirit of Lennon” That’s How The Light Gets In, 8/3/2009 https://gerryco23.wordpress.com/2009/08/03/white-feather-the-spirit-of-lennon/

“White Feather: The Spirit of Lennon” via jamiebeatles on YouTube, 6/29/2009 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFwP2oFv6lE (originally in “White Feather” exhibition at The Beatles Story museum, summer 2009)

Songs used in this episode:

The Beatles - “Til There Was You” (Live on the Ed Sullivan Show, 2/9/1964)

Gene Vincent - “Ain’t She Sweet” (1956)

Chuck Berry - “Maybellene” (1955)

The Quarrymen - “That’ll Be The Day” (1958)

Tony Sheridan and The Beatles - “My Bonnie” (1961)

The Beatles - “She Loves You” (1963)

The Beatles - “I Want To Hold Your Hand” (Live on the Ed Sullivan Show, 2/9/1964)

The Beatles - “Help!” (1965)

The Beatles - “Hey Jude” (1968)

Follow @thedollspod on Instagram to see clips and photos from this episode, including Cynthia’s art!

She’s a rock star, she’s a mom, she’s the ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb! Plucked from the LA club scene for her fierce style, Cherie Currie went from never having sang before to fronting the biggest all-girl rock band of all time. The Runaways lit up the stage, sold out arenas, and recorded best-selling albums, all before Cherie was out of high school. Then she put down her microphone for a CHAINSAW and entered the world of competitive wood carving! Cherie’s life is just as wild as her music is.

Plus, Emma and Abby mull over an alternate universe in which they were band geeks instead of podcasters and confess some of their own teenage antics 👀 Hear about it all on the new episode of the Dolls Pod, available wherever you stream your podcasts 🍒💣

(Episode starts at 7:38)

Sources:

Cherie Currie, “Neon Angel: A Memoir of A Runaway” (2010)

Tony Shaffer, “The left’s war on women and children with Cherie Currie” The Hard Truth with Tony Shaffer, 4/1/2024

“Ex-Runaways’ Cherie Currie Interview - Band’s Turbulent Times, Incident w/ Rush, Kidnapped & Kim Fowley” by The Metal Voice, YouTube, 7/14/2024

Songs used in this episode:

David Bowie - “Time” (Live at the Universal Amphitheater, 9/5/1974)

The Runaways - “Cherry Bomb” (1976)

The Runaways - “You Drive Me Wild” (1976)

The Runaways - “Queens of Noise” (Live in Tokyo, Japan, 1977)

Cherie Currie - “Beauty’s Only Skin Deep” (1978)

Cherie Currie - “Reverie” (2015)

Follow @thedollspod on Instagram for clips and photos from this episode!