Patti Boyd is a British model who has been a muse to her ex-husbands George Harrison and Eric Clapton. The first of them, a member of the Beatles, wrote the song Something for her, and the second, a famous rock musician, wrote Layla and Wonderful Tonight. Boyd is also an accomplished photographer and has published a memoir, authoring a best-selling autobiography.
Early Biography
Patricia Ann Boyd was born in Taunton (Somerset, England) on St. Patrick, March 17, 1944. This inspired her parents to name her after this saint. Patty was the eldest of 4 children born to Colin Ian Langdon Boyd and Diana Frances Boyd. The family moved frequently, as a result of which the girl studied at several schools.
From 1947 to 1954, the Boyds moved to Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, as their father, a former British military pilot, was assigned to run a breeding horse farm.
Patty's parents divorced in 1952, and the mother moved the children back to the UK. Diana Boyd married in 1953, divorced again and marriedFleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood.
In 1962, after she received her diploma, Patty moved to London and joined the Elizabeth Arden hair salon as an assistant stylist. Luckily, this didn't last long as one of the fashion magazine clients convinced her to start modeling.
Working as a fashion model
Patti Boyd began her modeling career in 1962. She was photographed by photographers such as David Bailey and later Terence Donovan. She ended up on several covers of British and Italian Vogue in 1969 and walked in fashion shows for designer Ossie Clarke in London, New York and Paris. She became interested in photography, bought a camera and consulted with the photographers she worked with. In addition, Patty wrote a column for New York's 16 magazine and appeared in commercials.
Meet the Beatles
At the same time, model Patty Boyd began her career as an actress. She managed to get several small roles until she was offered to participate in the filming that changed her whole subsequent life. At 19, she was selected after a secret audition. On the set of the 1964 film A Hard Day's Evening, Patty was cast as a Beatleman schoolgirl sitting in a baggage car watching the Beatles perform. This is how she met the band's singer, songwriter and guitarist George Harrison.
Patti Boyd: personal life
When George Harrison asked a model out on a date inthe first time, she refused because she was dating photographer Eric Swain. However, the Beatles member's second attempt was successful. By that time, the British model was already free and agreed to dine at the club with Brian Epstein. Later they went to Ireland and Tati. George Harrison and Patti Boyd were married in January 1966.
To the surprise of many, she was not a fan of the group and her favorite song was My Boy Lollipop. Boyd was the inspiration for Harrison's classic Something from Abbey Road (1969) and I Need You and For You Blue from Help! (1965) and Let It Be (1970) respectively. A follower of transcendental meditation, it was she who introduced the Beatles to the spiritual leader Maharishi Mahesh Yogi when he visited London on August 24, 1967. The next day, the whole group went to the Maharishi seminar in Bangor. Boyd accompanied Harrison to visit the ashram in Rishikesh in February 1968. This religious movement had a profound effect on Harrison personally and professionally.
According to Boyd's autobiography, her new home, which she moved into with her husband in March 1970, was crazy - the couple's life was supported by alcohol and cocaine.
Eric Clapton's Courtship
In the late 1960s, Clapton and Harrison became close friends and began writing and recording songs together. George has been known to have connections outside of marriage, and his friend and rock musician collaborator Eric Clapton developed feelings for Boyd. He dedicated the song Layla to her,based on the Persian poet Nizam Ganjavi's poem "Leyli and Majnun" about unrequited love. In 1970, he sang it to Patti three times at his home, and at a party the same day he confessed his love for her in the presence of her husband. Boyd was confused and left with her angry husband. But this did not stop the enamored Clapton. He called her and wrote her notes. Boyd eventually relented and had a brief affair with Clapton. He tried to persuade her to leave Harrison, but she rejected the rock musician's claims. As a result, he became addicted to heroin and went into voluntary exile for 3 years.
Although Boyd returned to her husband, their marriage eventually ended. Patti left Harrison in 1974, and they divorced on June 9, 1977. This was the result of her husband's constant infidelity. Harrison's affair with her friend and Ringo Starr's wife Maureen filled her patience.
Patty married Clapton in March 1979. George and Eric were still friends. Another song inspired by his muse has appeared - Wonderful Tonight.
However, Eric Clapton and Patty Boyd's relationship was turbulent as he abused drugs, alcohol and had numerous affairs. The rock musician maintained a relationship with his sister Boyd, met with the Italian model Lori Del Santo, who gave birth to his son Conor from him, the manager of an independent label, Yvonne Kelly, who gave birth to his daughter Ruth, etc.
Boyd herself is addicted to alcohol and drugs. They didn't have children. The couple separated in 1989.
Photographer and author
Patti Boyd later stated that in retrospect she would have preferred to work through her issues with Harrison, although she acknowledged that the connection with Clapton allowed her to experience more passion. She also stated that she would not reconcile with either of her husbands. After her second marriage, Boyd entered therapy and focused on photography, taking numerous photographs of rock icons over the years of her travels.
In 2007, Patti co-authored the memoir Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Me with journalist Penny Junor. The book was a 1 New York Times bestseller.
Boyd photography exhibitions, including "Through the Eyes of the Muse" and "Patty Boyd: Newly Discovered", have been held around the world.
Third marriage
In 2015, at the age of 71, Patty Boyd married her longtime partner, 9 years her junior, real estate developer Rod Weston. She met him back in 1986 while vacationing with friends in Sri Lanka, and began dating in 1994. The couple broke up in 2005 to reunite in front of the cameras, celebrating their official union.
