Confessions of a Rock 'n' Roll Name-Dropper:
My Life Leading Up to John Lennon's Last Interview
May 2026
I was absolutely looking forward to Yoko Ono’s first solo museum show - Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind - it opened May 23rd. at The Broad Museum in downtown Los Angeles! I’ve already been to the Broad for the very first day of this awesome new exhibit! Yoko cooly brought her message of peace to L.A. as part of her exhibition, as it's been nearly 57 years since she and her peace-loving late/great husband John Lennon put together a billboard near the West Hollywood historic hotel Chateau Marmont emblazoned with the words, “WAR IS OVER! If You Want It” ! Now Yoko Ono - the 93-year-old artist - is placing a series of seven digital billboards across the city, with five along Sunset Strip in West Hollywood - wow!
I sure wish that Yoko - the fabulous, friendly, talented artist, writer, filmmaker was actually at the Broad too - darn! But Yoko ofcourse has many photos, videos and written pieces on display that feature her, so guests can definitely imagine she's sitting or standing right next to them! It's especially fine and fun for me to remember being a major conductor of the awesome, memorable RKO Radio interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono at the Dakota, which I took part in way back on December 8th. 1980! It wrapped up mere hours before John got tragically assassinated - ugh! So many people at the Broad museum were totally fascinated by my nearly 46 year old connection to Yoko Ono, and they tell me they're super eager to read my book - Confessions Of a Rock 'n' Roll Name-Dropper: My Life Leading Up to John Lennon's Last Interview - so happy to hear! And a bitchen Broad exhibition employee came up and asked me to please let her take a photo of me with the museum's major display poster that ofcourse features Yoko - we actually look like we're absolutely hanging out together for the whole day - YAY!
Plus you'll see plenty of super cool pics on display of Yoko with John and lots of others, and museum guests can get a tiny bright blue memento being offered to all of us - here's a shot of one of them!
April 2026
The awesome 31st annual L.A. Times Festival of Books, the biggest Book Fest in the entire country, took place Saturday and Sunday April 18th & 19th on the USC campus - 3551 Trousdale Parkway - and I was excited to be invited to participate as a popular author at Reader's Magnet Booth for my 2nd. super successful year in a row!
I met so many super excited readers fascinated to check out my book - Confessions Of a Rock 'n' Roll Name-Dropper: My Life Leading Up to John Lennon's Last Interview - again at this year's popular L.A. Times Book Fest, and plenty of them encouraged me to sell and personally autograph paperback copies of my memoir for them - so I of course happily did! And one especially excited rock music fan who was super happy to share info with me about incredible concerts we'd both been to not only years years ago but recently as well, reminded me of the awesome AC/DC concert he totally dug just last April at the Rose Bowl, and I was thrilled to let him know I'd been there too and totally enjoyed it as well - everything from their terrific hits "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" to "Highway to Hell" and "You Shook Me All Night Long" - YAY! Plus just before the L.A. Times Festival of Books I had plenty of fun for 2 days at the ReadersMagnet Book Confab at Hilton Hotel in Universal City - I not only loved discussing and describing my book and hearing about ones written by the rest of the authors, but also signing and selling copies of mine too plus getting to dance a lot like crazy with everyone! As one of my fellow authors let all the others know - "I met one of the most amazing authors yesterday - Laurie Kaye! I cannot wait to dig into her book The Confessions of a Rock N Roll Name Dropper…she interviewed John Lennon mere hours before his assassination and I can’t wait for us to be at the same booth at the Fest this weekend!" Happy to say it didn't rain like crazy like it did at last year's awesome L.A. Times Book Fest - I was able to set up this year at a warm, dry, major table with plenty of copies of my book again to discuss, sign and sell starting early both days, and so many super interested readers both years - 2025 and 2026 - ended up totally digging it. So much fun!
2025
November 7-9, 2025
Excited to invite you to come check out the upcoming super cool 29 Palms Book Festival, which takes place in 2 weeks in the SoCal Mojave Desert just outside Joshua Tree starting Friday Nov. 7th through Sunday the 9th ! My appearances are on Saturday the 8th at 8pm at The Out There Bar (73839 29 Palms Hwy. in Twentynine Palms) - this special evening event features author performances and live book readings including mine described as "Laurie Kaye, author of Confessions of a Rock ’n’ Roll Name Dropper: My Life Leading Up to John Lennon’s Last Interview, recounting her rise in the music industry and her unforgettable final interview with John Lennon!" And then on Sunday the 9th at 1pm I'll be taking part in the memoir author event at Twentynine Palms Community Center by Freedom Plaza (6547 Freedom Wy, in Twentynine Palms), called "Writers at Lunch: Finding Truth, Recasting Stories for a lively lunchtime session that blends conversation and creativity" ! It will feature me discussing my book and my rock radio related life and career! Hope you can make it - I'd sure like to see you and I'll be so happy to sign my book for you, too ! All the details, locations, schedules, etc. are available on the website - please check it out and make plans to come to the 29PalmsBookFest ! https://www.29pbf.com
April 26-27, 2025
Happy to say that thanks to ReadersMagnet my first day taking part in the L.A. Times Book Festival - Saturday April 26th. - was a major success, since even though there was lots of rain there were plenty of potential readers! And the good news is the next day, Sunday the 27th. also started at 10am and plenty of copies of my book were sold again, and there was no wet weather - YAY! I also got requests for more podcasts interviews related to John Lennon's last interview - they're coming up soon!
April 26-27, 2025
I'll be taking part in the 30th. annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books from 10am to 6pm both days of the weekend! It's the largest, most popular book fair in the entire country, and takes place on the USC campus at 3501 Trousdale Pkwy. I'll be displaying, discussing, signing and selling copies of my book at the ReadersMagnet outdoor author's booth #225 by the entrance - hope to meet up with plenty of people interested in reading my book!
April 23, 2025
I enjoyed my appearance and BookTalk session at The ReadersMagnet Book Confab at the Hilton Hotel's Hiro space next to Universal Studios in L.A.'s Universal City! I let everyone know how I at last managed to start writing my life story wrapped around John Lennon's final interview a full 40 years after my RKO Radio team and I spent hours talking with him and Yoko Ono at the Dakota way back on December 8th. 1980! I was also happy to display, autograph and sell my books to excited readers!
March 28-30, 2025
I'm taking part in the next Fest for Beatles Fans at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City in New Jersey! I'll be one of the awesome Beatles Authors signing and selling my book, and I'll discuss what tragically turned out to be John Lennon's final interview, which I co-conducted for RKO Radio at the Dakota on December 8, 1980 mere hours before he was shot and killed! So much great Beatles-related music and many events will be part of all 3 Fest days, and besides being the Fest's 51st anniversary, they'll be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the release of Rubber Soul! Hope you can make it!
2024
November 9, 2024
Great Saturday at the Twentynine Palms Book Festival sharing signing and discussion events with several other great music book authors including my friend Cary Baker! Here's photos of me about to set up our signing table with Cary, then all of us sitting down and waiting for our book buyers to come to us with the copies they just bought! And finally, our Books and Beats discussion panel shot featuring me introducing and discussing my well-received book!
November 8-9 2024
I'm guesting at the upcoming 29 Palms Book Festival - here's the link with all the agendas, details, locations, etc: https:///www.29pbf.com My memoir and I will be taking part on Saturday 11/9 in everything from book sales and signings to Books and Beats, the discussion group for music book authors! My book signing is from 12:30-1:30pm, and then our music-themed book event kicks off at 4pm the same day! Happy to let you know admission is free!
September 8, 2024
Barnes & Noble Santa Monica Promenade store is re-opening after being closed for years - so happy to be invited to have a Book Signing Event there, plus book discussion and Q&A! Address - 1318 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA 90401
August 9-11, 2024
Pleased to be invited and scheduled as a special guest author for this year's annual Chicago Fest for Beatles Fans, but although I'm unfortunately unable to go, my book will still be displayed and signed copies available!
December 6, 2023
The new British docuseries I'm a guest on - JOHN LENNON: MURDER WITHOUT A TRIAL- will be released on Apple TV.
The production company is 72 Films. Director/Producer Nick Holt interviewed me for the series which has been nominated for three Critics Choice Documentary Awards.
As Nick informed me, "It's been a lot of work, but we couldn't have done it without you, Laurie. Thank you so much for being so generous with your time for the series and for your fascinating interview, which features in Episode 1.”
OUR LIPS UNSEALED - Author event at Tom Bergin's Bar.
Live Reading of the bulk of my book's introductory 1st chapter - Imagine-My Lead-up to Lennon