John Lennon was removed from Frankie Valli concert due to loud lewd comments

Tony King looked after John Lennon during his 'lost weekend' credit:Bang Showbiz
Tony King looked after John Lennon during his 'lost weekend' credit:Bang Showbiz

John Lennon had to be ushered out of a Franki Valli concert after making lewd remarks.

The late Beatles legend had record executive Tony King by his side during his infamous "lost weekend" - a period where he had temporarily separated from wife Yoko Ono - in the mid 1970s, and the former Apple records A+R boss has recalled the chaos he had to deal with during that time in Los Angeles, including escorting the 'Imagine' singer out of the Four Seasons frontman's show when he started yelling "Show us your d**k".

Tony also recalled having to retrieve John from a toilet cubicle, where he had been taking cocaine with David Bowie.

Before heading to Los Angeles to work with John, Tony admitted he was "intimidated" by the singer but found him largely a pleasure to work with.

He told The Guardian newspaper: “I knew him in the 1960s and he could be very cutting. I was intimidated by him. I went to LA expecting this sharp-tongued Liverpudlian, and instead I got this really soft, vulnerable man. I couldn’t believe it.”

On the walls of the industry expert's flat hangs a signed Andy Warhol print of Marilyn Monroe, and on the back it is signed: “To Tony with love, from one of your problems, love John.”

Tony explained he was given the gift after coming across John, who was drunk and angry after an altercation with Phil Spector in the recording studio and had gone back to the house he was staying and smashed it up.

The executive, who was acting as John's manager, found windows broken, records shattered and pinned down the 'Whatever Gets You thru the Night' singer as he tried to uproot a palm tree.

Meanwhile, Tony also told how Yoko encouraged him to take magic mushrooms before a business meeting.

He laughed: “Oh my God, I took off halfway through lunch,” he laughs. “I was flying. And Yoko leans across the table and [whispered], 'Good, aren’t they?’ ”