|
For four long months, Herman (alias Peter Noone) hugged a secret to himself-a secret he didn't even let his Hermits in on! For 120 days-and nights-he kept this secret. Because, if he had disclosed it, and the authorities had overheard, his career with the Hermits would have been brought to an abrupt halt-just like that! The Crowns Bobbies would have stepped in and that would've been the end. |
a Judy Garland flick-and she did. "I was overwhelmed, I really was. I rushed home to tell my parents. I said: 'Mum, Dad-I've got the best ever news! You'll never believe what I've got to tell you!' "And when I told them, they rushed off to London to hear more about it from Wendy Wisbey. "'There's not much talent about these days,' Miss Wisbey told them, 'and when it appears, you recognize it immediately. Peter has it. I mean it.' "But Mum and Dad felt it could wait. They said I was young, still in school, and they wouldn't hear of my going off to Greece for nine months. So that opportunity went by the boards. "But I vowed never to let another opportunity go. And then the Hermits-originally the Heartbeats-asked me to join them. And so as not to let it go by, I didn't even let my folks know I was in with the group. "In fact, they didn't catch on till they happened to come to the club where we were performing. Then they really were surprised! But they felt we were good-so good-that they weren't really mad, and let me go on with it. "Then came success and our change of names, from Heartbeats to Herman's Hermits-and then came the authorities, checking to see that we were all of age. "Well, I don't mind admitting I trembled. "I lay awake nights, thinking of the lost opportunity in that Judy Garland film, thinking of losing out a second time-and, finally, in desperation I fibbed. I mean, four months-a mere four months-separating me from the group. Oh, I couldn't bear it! "Maybe I did a good job. At any rate, the authorities passed me and I was in. "I was in, all right, but I still trembled. Would the authorities double check and catch me and snuff out my chances? Would my parents tumble to what I'd done and yank me out of the Hermits just as they'd yanked me out of the Garland movie? "Oh, I would say that I paid for my crime-more than paid for it. I really sweated those four months out, I did! "But then it was finally over, the whole horrible ordeal-and I was 16. Man, that was the day! "And that's when-and only when-I told the Hermits my secret. Were they knocked over! "Karl said: 'I knew you had a baby face and that milk tooth of yours, but I certainly didn't know this!' "Barry said: 'You have deceived us-and we're sure glad you did, old boy!' "And I said to myself: 'I know that crime doesn't pay.' Anyway, I think I paid for it in anxiety, as I said before. So you mustn't think I got off scot-free. Because that's simply not true. "Then, too, don't we all tell little white lies every day? I mean, when a girl looks awful, don't we boys tell her she's looking wonderful as ever? "When a hack driver turns 'round (and they often do) and asks how old we think he is, don't we mention a low age even though he looks, actually, older than he is? "Of course, we do. And 20 years from now, who'll remember that I stayed with the Hermits because of one of those harmless little white lies? "Well, I'll tell you why me! "And if the son I have by then tries it, you can bet he'll not get away with it! Why, I'll take him over my knee, I will-and you can bank on it!" |
Yip, yippy, hool They went thataway!