The leader of this group is perhaps the most bubbly and carefree of the singers on today's stages. It was not always this way! The last time I talked with him he told me he never knew what to do with his hands on stage. But just as the group has matured musically, he has matured in his stage presentation. Pete confessed, "It's kind of like being hynotized when I'm on the stage. I'm a completely different person out there. It's all natural, you understand. I can't plan anything because if I do, when I go on stage, it comes out wrong. So I just have to be myself as much as possible.
    Though he appears to be a rather calm chap, Peter has had his moments of "madness." and he laughed out loud relating one of them. "Well, when I was younger, Barry and I put together an old car of my father's. We drove it out one Sunday and wrecked it. I got arrested. It didn't bother me that I was wrecking a car it had taken us months to make, but when I got arrested, I was a bit worried."
    Before he could say more, Pete jumped up to look at a big card that had been slipped under the door. There was a pile of notes on a nearby coffee table. The fans outside kept up a constant stream of yelling and door banging, the majority of which only irritated the boys who were still hoping to get a little peace.
    Barry was dressed in a handsome blue coat with a dress shirt and expensive cuff links. He was very tan from their two-day Hawaiian holiday, which, to be honest, made it difficult to concentrate on an interview. Somehow, we got on the topic of Barry when he was a youngster and his eyes grew big and he used his hands to emphasize his remarks. "I was very fat. When I was 10 years old I lost it all. In some of the photographs when I was little I look like a barrel with two little legs and arms sticking out."
    Like the other boys, Barry lives with his family in Manchester. With all the things he has bought around the world and all the gifts he has received, I imagined his room was beautifully decorated. He set me straight about that! "No, it's not! It's in a state. The furniture is very old and all scruffed up from when I was a kid. Also, there's a pile of junk in one corner and a pile of old magazines and newspapers in the other corner!"
    Pete had been bouncing around the room and came over our way. "What's the latest 'in' sayings on the L.A. scene?" he joked. "Is it MARV?" No one seemed to be able to help the inquisitive young man and a disappointed look fell over his face. "Well, that's show biz," Keith deadpanned.
    Keith had been relatively quiet except for his part in the "Japanese Trio" formed earlier that morning. He sat comfortably now, nibbling on a breakfast roll. Pete had mentioned to me that Keith used to be much quieter than he is now. I asked Keith about this and he nodded, "I was probably more quiet before I joined this lot. We meet so many people all the time, probably subconciously it's made a difference. I do like meeting people. I also like traveling."
    Though he said his childhood was a quiet, normal one, he boasted, "I broke me jaw once! I didnt know I even broke it and then one day I saw this scar and I said 'hey, what's this scar' and me mum said 'you broke your jaw.' The mystery was ended."
    It is inevitable that at some time something will go wrong on stage while the boys are performing. It's happened to Keith and he had fun recalling it. "I fell flat on my face once!" He began laughing so hard, he continued in spurts. "It was in a ballroom in England . . . we were a bit high spirited . . . all leaping about in the middle of this solo . . . and it was a very slippery stage . . . I just put me foot down in the wrong place and I squashed all over the stage . . . The number just sort of died because everyone was laughing so hard . . . Then we started another number."
    Apart from sleeping, Keith (who has the most beautiful facial features!!) relaxes by reading all sorts of books. The night I called on the boys in Benedict Canyon Keith spent the majority of the evening engrossed in "The Three Musketeers." Like the others, he is impressed by things the fans have taken a lot of trouble to make. He remarked, "Some paintings have been really great. We get a lot of sketches. I've taken some home and put them on me wall."
    Earlier while I was waiting for the Hermits to arrive, I stood near the adults who had just left their plane. They were giggling at the young girls who were so eager to catch a glimpse of Herman and the Hermits. One woman spoke up bragging, "I sat right across from Herman." An older gentlement leaned over to me, "They sang for 10 minutes and we all listened!"
    That's the way with this group! Even the "old folks" were impressed with the five young men. Why? Because no matter where they are or what they are doing, they are always just themselves. In doing this they not only have the love and adulation of their fans, but a good many mums and dads, too!
    It had been a glorious morning! Worth the blaring alarm, love drive, pushing and talking it took to get there!