Inside the private world of John Lennon and Yoko Ono: A publicist's tale

Elliot Mintz, once a prominent Los Angeles radio and TV announcer and music publicist, developed an extraordinary relationship with John Lennon and Yoko Ono after meeting them in the early 1970s, and said of his career: "I took it all very seriously."

Their bond, sparked initially through Mintz’s interview with Ono about her album Fly, grew into a near-decade-long friendship until Lennon’s tragic death on December 8, 1980. Mintz, now 79 and a media consultant, has recently shared his experiences with the iconic duo in his memoir, We All Shine On: John Yoko & Me. In this book, Mintz sheds new light on Lennon and Ono’s personal lives, revealing their lesser-known quirks and preoccupations.

For example, he claims "They rarely bothered to say goodbye" before hanging up the phone, which some would consider rude.

Also, despite their rebellious image, both Lennon and Ono were remarkably fixated on maintaining a slender physique, an obsession that influenced many aspects of their lives. "John kept a journal where each day he would write what his weight was," Mintz recounts, noting the couple’s daily attention to their weight and constant curiosity about Hollywood’s secrets to staying slim. Mintz recalls a surreal moment when Lennon called him at 4 a.m. to ask him to locate "diet pills" under the assumption that these were commonly used in Los Angeles.

Why were John and Yoko image-obsessed (according to Mintz)?

"They thought that everybody in Hollywood was slim and trim and that there were magic diet pills," Mintz recalls, adding that he ultimately did not fulfill this unusual request. Behind their svelte public appearances, Lennon and Ono’s lifestyle also involved a staggering wardrobe.
Mintz describes the couple’s closet setup as resembling a boutique, complete with rotating racks and a wraparound ladder.

Organized by waist size, their extensive collection included an array of hats, glasses, and various clothing items, from jeans to pantsuits. According to Mintz, in their natural superficial tendency, "They kept their various jeans and pantsuits, whatever it might be, in different categories of waist size, 28 reaching to 32 or so, depending on how they perceived their weight and how tight the pants fit."

The image of John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Lennon, best known as a founding member of the Beatles, was a creative force whose solo career took off after the band's breakup in 1970, reflecting his evolving artistry and activism alongside Ono. Post-Beatlemania, Lennon and Ono, whose artistic partnership often challenged social norms, produced works like Double Fantasy, which won a Grammy for Album of the Year posthumously for Lennon in 1981.

Their advocacy for peace, symbolized in famous events such as the dove-like "Bed-Ins for Peace," either helped affirm their legacy as icons of counterculture, or made them seem like rich people latching onto "causes" to retain press attention and stay relevant (though it could be a bit of both).

Mintz remained close to Ono after Lennon’s death, offering support throughout her continued work in music and visual arts, while also forming a lasting bond with their son, musician Sean Lennon. Now in his late 40s, Sean has continued his parents’ artistic legacy, experimenting across various music genres and collaborating with artists ranging from Les Claypool to Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes.

Mintz’s reflections in We All Shine On provide fresh insight into the private lives of Lennon and Ono, showcasing a different side of the pair who so often captivated the world with their public stances and avant-garde projects. For Mintz, this memoir is both a tribute to his enduring friendship with them and a glimpse into the unfiltered, complex reality behind one of rock’s most famous couples.