Identity VS Image
Identity vs Image - Real stories behind assumptions, legacies, and labels.
Each week, hosts Michelle Gatchell and Ric Moore, sit down with people whose lives have been touched, shaped or skewed—by the weight of a family name, a predecessor’s reputation, the ripple of a rumor, or the spotlight of someone else’s fame. Join us and hear these amazing stories.
Identity VS Image
May Pang on John Lennon: The Intimate Truth Beyond the Headlines
May Pang invites listeners into her extraordinary world, sharing never-before-seen photographs from her time with John Lennon during what history has labeled his "Lost Weekend." Through her candid storytelling, May dispels the myths surrounding this period, revealing a happy, creative John that contradicts the "down and out" narrative perpetuated by others. "It's time for people to see the other side of John, the John that I knew," she explains, her voice warm with affection for these treasured memories.
The photographs, now part of her traveling exhibition "The Lost Weekend: The Photography of May Pang," capture intimate moments—John relaxed with friends' dogs during a weekend getaway near Woodstock, quiet moments in their modest New York apartment, and the genuine joy in his eyes that May helped bring forth. These images weren't staged for magazines; they were personal snapshots of real life, making them all the more valuable as historical artifacts.
May's journey before and after Lennon proves equally fascinating. Born to Chinese immigrants, she overcame her father's disappointment at having a daughter instead of a son. Her mother—a survivor of Japanese occupation during WWII who later ran a Chinese laundry in America—emerges as her hero and inspiration. This foundation of resilience led May to boldly walk into Apple Records in 1969 and ask for a job, setting in motion an extraordinary career that would later include working with producer Tony Visconti (whom she eventually married) and crossing paths with legends like David Bowie, Elizabeth Taylor and Sir Elton John.
Perhaps most touching is May's reflection on Lennon's prophetic warning that future romantic partners would inevitably compare themselves unfavorably to him—a prediction that has proven true throughout her life. These personal revelations, alongside extraordinary stories like hanging out with David Bowie and Liz Taylor, create a multidimensional portrait of a woman who has lived an extraordinary life while maintaining a refreshingly genuine perspective.
Discover the untold story behind one of rock history's most misunderstood chapters through May's eyes. Check out her exhibition and documentary "The Lost Weekend: A Love Story" to experience John Lennon as few ever knew him.