Notes from the Boneyard: The forgotten Beatle: Jimmy Nicol

Have you ever heard of Jimmy Nicol? In 1964, at the height of Beatlemania, the Beatles were booked to go on a tour of Australia.

But disaster struck as Ringo became terribly ill and was hospitalised.

The mop tops were suddenly faced with a dilemma: Do they cancel the tour and let down thousands of screaming fans? Or do they do the shows with a replacement drummer?

An executive decision was made and they were forced to choose the latter. But who would the replacement be? I often wonder if they had a discussion behind closed doors to reinstate Pete Best, who they harshly sacked two years prior to make room for Ringo. Alas for Best (often referred to as the man who was taking a dump when fame came knocking), he was not an option.

Enter Jimmy Nicol, the talented session drummer from London. I’m not quite sure how he got the gig at such late notice, or who picked him, but within 24 hours he was sitting in Ringo’s drum seat in front of thousands of screaming fans, literally wetting themselves with sheer excitement. For nearly two weeks this was Jimmy’s life; experiencing first hand the mania of what it’s like to be a Beatle. The thrill of it all. Jimmy hit the jackpot!

That was until word came of Ringo’s recovery from hospital, and just like that, Jimmy was sent packing to the airport, alone.

He was given a watch and £500 dabs cash for his time as a Beatle. His stint was clearly up.

So what became of Jimmy after that? Did he ride the coattails of fame and hit the big time? Was being one of the Fab Four for a brief length of time a blessing? Or was it a curse?

Within a year, old Jimmy was bankrupt, divorced and living abroad. He quickly vanished from the public eye and became a forgotten recluse.

He was quoted as saying that being in The Beatles was both the best and the worst thing that ever happened to him.

It was impossible to even come close to the highs of those two weeks in Oz. How could anything ever compare?

He did play in various bands for some time, and even released a solo record in Mexico, but he eventually disappeared into total obscurity, completely cut loose from purpose.

Rumours of his death circulated in the ‘80s, but they were found to be false when he was photographed in London a few years ago.

He chooses not to speak about his time as a Beatle now, and prefers to stay hidden and anonymous. An enigma, he walks the streets, unnoticed.

He’s still out there… If you can find him.