Greenville exhibit to feature unique photos of John Lennon
May Pang remembers the time she was traveling from Tallahassee to Jacksonville, Florida with business partner Scott Segelbaum.
They had been stuck behind a large semi-truck for 20 miles and could not get past it. Segelbaum, who was driving, grew frustrated. When they finally began to pass the truck, Pang looked back at it and burst out in laughter.
“I said to Scott, ‘I know you don’t believe in anything, but when you get a moment, as we’re passing, I want you to look at the back of this truck.’” Pang said. “He asked, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘I’m not going to tell you. I need you to look for yourself.’”
When Segelbaum looked at what Pang was referring to, he said “Oh my God.” Painted on the truck’s panel was the word “Lennon.”
“The minute we acknowledged seeing it, the truck exited,” Pang said.
Pang emphasizes the truck could have exited the highway at any time. She believes it was the presence of John Lennon in the afterlife, letting her know he was still with her. Pang has a photo of the truck’s panel and has shared its story with a couple of her friends.
“I know when he’s around. I just don’t say it,” she said.
Pang to showcase Lennon photo exhibit in Greenville
Pang, who was Lennon’s companion for 18 months during an era he called his “Lost Weekend,” will be coming to Greenville to share 32 candid, neverbefore-seen photographs of the late Beatles star. The free exhibit, entitled “The Lost Weekend: The Photography of May Pang,” will run for three days at Bennetts’ Frame & Art Gallery. Guests will be able to meet Pang and purchase photos from the collection. Before the show, guests can also watch Pang’s documentary, “The Lost Weekend: A Love Story,” which tells her romance with Lennon. The documentary is also available on Amazon Prime.
The schedule for the event is as follows:
• Friday, March 22, 3-7 p.m.
• Saturday, March 23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Sunday, March 24, noon-4 p.m.
Noteworthy exhibit photos, memories of Lennon and son Julian
At the exhibit, guests will get to view one of the last photos taken of Lennon with Paul McCartney, whom Pang had urged Lennon to reunite with, leading to a jam session between the two. Another snapshot is of Lennon’s son Julian, who would go on to use the photo for his latest album, “Jude.”
The significance of Julian asking to use one of her photos for his album is not lost on Pang.
“All I remember is Julian saying, ‘Do you have any photos of me when I was a kid?’ And I said, ‘Hmm, I have a couple. Let me see if you like any of the ones I have,’” Pang said. “When he saw it (the photo) he immediately said, ‘I’ve never seen this one. Can I use it?’ And I said, ‘Of course you can.’”
When Pang was no longer with Lennon, he had also asked her if she had any photos of himself that he could use for 1975’s UK release of “Imagine.” He ended up using a photo Pang took of him in his favorite sweater.
“Like father like son,” Pang said. Nina Tran covers trending topics. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com