It was near the Ides of March when John Lennon joined the distinguished ranks of people like Marlon Brando, heiress Barbara Hutton and Jacqueline Onassis by allegedly popping a photographer in the eye about 12:20 AM Wednesday, March 12. The action put Lennon's long-standing immigration suit in some jeopardy, but on March 26, the Los Angeles district attorney's office announced that it would not press charges against Lennon. Just prior to the purported punch-out, Lennon had been forcibly ejected from a Los Angeles music club, the Troubadour.

Owned by Doug Weston, the Troubadour is known for its excellent sound, the quality of its acts, and for the show business and record industry people it regularly attracts. There is a special raised platform at the Troubadour informally known as the VIP section. Lennon was sitting with a female companion, May Pang, and Harry Nilsson in that section the night of the altercation. The Smothers Brothers, on the comeback trail, were about to start the second set of their first Los Angeles appearance in five years.

During the intermission, according to Weston, Lennon and Nilsson were harmonizing, barbershop-style, on the Ann Peebles song, "I Can't Stand the Rain." A few photographers began snapping shots of the Lennon party. Lennon, according to a Troubadour waitress, barked "Fuck you!" at one of he photographers, who responded, "Did you say 'Fuck you' to me?" Lennon replied, "No, I said it to the waitress."

"Well," said the waitress, "fuck you."

[Those Troubadour waitresses didn't take any sh*t, did they? -- NK]

Soon after this smart exchange, Tommy Smothers took the stage for his monologue. Lennon, according to members of the audience, began heckling Tom, singing along and putting in his own punchlines. When Smothers tried some heckler put-down lines, Lennon reportedly shouted, "Fuck you" and "kiss my ass."

"It was," "Weston said, "as if John thought he and Tommy were the only people present."Judging by his behavior only, Weston concluded that Lennon was "into the cognac." About this time, Peter Lawford, seated at a adjacent table, became furious about the heckling. Lawford left his table, found club manager Chris Walsh and demanded that he quiet Lennon "or else I will myself."

Walsh was speaking to Lennon when Smothers Brothers manager Ken Fritz approached the table. Fritz claimed he heard Lennon tell Walsh, "I on't have to shut up. I'm John Lennon." Fritz asked Harry Nilsson if he could quiet Lennon, Doug Weston described Nilsson's attitude as "Irish pubbish," suggesting that he was not an active peacemaker.

According to Fritz, Lennon then swung and hit him on the jaw. "Kenny popped him one back," said Weston. Bystanders reported that a table was overturned at this point and that Lennon tossed a glass at Fritz which hit a male patron on the lip. The unidentified man was given treatment for a minor cut at a nearby emergency center. No stitches were taken and no complaint was filed.

Patrons heard Weston say, "Okay, get him out of here." As manager Walsh and a couple of brawny aides hustled Lennon out of the club, witnesses reported that many of the people in the packed club were chanting, "Get him out, get John out of here." May Pang and Nilsson left voluntarily at this time.

[Snip of paragraphs concerning the aftermath of Lennon's ejection from the club.]