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It was on a foggy, foggy day in New York town. At John F. Kennedy Airport, to be precise. The TL Editors were there, the fans were there. . . and soon, HERMAN was there! Soon after Herman And His Hermits came off the plane, we scooped 'em up and ushered them into the waiting limousines. You see, we were planning to spend the whole day with the boys, and we didn't want to lose a minute! As we rode from the airport back towards the city Herman quickly began to wake up. At first, he kept complaining, "Oh man! I'm so tired!" He'd yawn, then stretch his arms, then stare quietly out the window. But as we said, he perked up in no time. And that's when we really began to TALK! Herman let his gorgeous sandy-blond hair down and told us all the secrets of his life. And now, here they are for you, straight from Herman. . . "Until the time I turned 13, I liked school. I was a goody-goody. Always did my homework, always did the proper thing. But at 13, I turned Teddy. I began getting Teddy Boy clothes - you know, the shirts with the high collars and the suits all striped and pegged. Well, of course mum and dad didn't approve. So I had to hide my Teddy clothes in the garage. Every morning I'd go off to school wearing my proper clothes. I'd wave good-bye and start down the road. Then I'd circle back and climb over this big stone wall to get to the garage. I must have been a real twit but as soon as I changed into my Teddy clothes, I felt respectable, like a big man." Then Herman remembered the time he set fire to a field of hay. "Just as I was running away, a cop began chasing me and finally caught up with me. He took my name and address and I was so scared I was shaking and could hardly talk. When I got home I ran right up to my father. I said, 'Dad, I set fire to a field of hay and the police are coming and they're going to arrest me!' He looked at me but all he said was, 'You bloody idiot!' "It was a lucky day for me because my father happened to know the policeman, and as a favor he let me go. But I'll bloody well never forget it . . . nor that look my father gave me. "I guess I've always been an independent lad. No strings, that's me," Herman continued. "My parents always let me be on my own. When I was 11, they let me go on a trip around Europe. Now that I'm 17, I'll soon be getting my driver's license. I'm not that excited about it, actually. I just like it because it will let me be even more independent. "I love fast things. I love roller coasters. I love clothes. The Beatles' clothes knock me out. They're a gas. It seems I'm always out of money, though. I spend next week's money this week. On clothes, mostly. "I hated guided tours. When I travel, I like to go where I want and when I want. I hate obligations." Herman, in case you didn't know, is 5'9" and weighs 139 pounds. He has a way of talking that makes you want to throw your arms around him and hug him. He's that adorable! When he talks, he gestures a lot with his hands. Like when he was telling us about the time he wanted to become a priest. "Oh, I was I-don't-know-how-old, but quite young. I thought this would be a nice way to spend my life. I told my parents but they weren't as happy about it as I was." Now here's where Herman starts to use his hands. Perhaps it's because he has a little difficulty explaining his feelings sometimes or maybe it's just that he's so enthusiastic. "It's not that they thought it was a bad idea," Herman continued, his right arm stretched out straight, his left one rubbing his head. "I think it was that they thought I wasn't cut out for that kind of life. And as it turned out, I wasn't. As a matter of fact, I don't go to church very often anymore. And it's not that I'm not religious. I'm always traveling. Also, I feel you can have a conscience and do the good thing, the right thing without going through the rituals of religion." In all things, Herman is an individualist, and an independent one at that. But he's changed in a lot of ways, and he's one of the first to admit it. "For instance, I just don't look at people the same anymore. When I was younger, I used to admire a person if he had a lot of money or was famous or because other people admired him. But now, I've found I'm not in awe of big names or great wealth. I don't immediately think of them as being wonderful because they're famous. Now they've also got to prove they're wonderful human beings, too." As you can see, once Herman gets started talking, he can come out with some pretty fascinating ideas. Want more? Okay, here's more from Herman. . . "I get terrible stage fright. I laugh my bloody head off when I'm scared! The first time we came to the States, I wondered and worried about the American audience - you know, if they would just sit and stare silently or if they'd scream. The boys and I never talk about stage fright, though. I guess it's because we know each other so well; we know we're all scared before we go out on stage. "I never met a girl yet who has completely knocked me out. I'd like to meet the perfect girl - but I have no clue as to what that perfect girl is like." I never get in too deep with girls. We just have a lot of laughs. I'm embarrassed to talk to my parents about girls. They mickey me! We can talk about everything else, though. "I get a kick out of my parents. I suppose they get a kick out of me. They buy just about every paper in England and they have this enormous scrapbook. Whenever they see anything written about me they cut it out and paste it right in the scrapbook. Neighbors are always popping in to give my mum some article they clipped. "I've got a sister 19, and a sister 18 months old. The older one was just like a typical teen. She was always wobbling around in high heels. I hit her with my racquet once. "I like food that doesn't take much fussing. I hate lobster because it takes too bloody long before you can get the meat out and eat it." Suddenly, we all noticed the time. Herman had stopped talking. He was all talked out. He'd told us all his secrets and it was time to go. Fun, wasn't it though?
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