The inspiration for The Beatles classic ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’ has passed away aged 46.
The Beatles immense fame soon gave way to a burning desire within the group to test themselves artistically. Banning themselves from the road the Fab Four instead holed up in Abbey Road.
Together with producer George Martin, The Beatles would craft ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ in 1967. One of the high water marks of British psychedelia it has remained the source of rumour and myth ever since.
One of the most hotly debated tracks on the album is ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’. Fans of the group swooned to their lush harmonies but many in the emerging underground claimed that the track was in fact a reference to drugs.
Containing the initials LSD the track’s bizarre imagery was presumed to have chemical origins. However songwriter John Lennon always maintained that it was inspired by a drawing his song Julian did of a classmate in school.
The young girl in the initial drawing was Lucy Vodden, who recently passed away. Her death was announced by The St Thomas Lupus Trust, who had been caring for her.
Julian Lennon remained close to Vodden, contacting her after learning she was unwell. Later, he later sent her garden centre vouchers after learning that she found solace from spending time in her garden.
The St Thomas Lupus Trust campaign director Angie Davidson paid tribute to Vodden.
“Everyone at the Louise Coote Lupus Unit was dreadfully shocked by the death of Lucy,” Davidson said. “She was a great supporter of ours and a real fighter. It’s so sad that she has finally lost the battle she fought so bravely for so long.”
