On March 12, arrr, 1974, Harry 'Orange-Eyed Pugwash' Nilsson and Peglegged John Lennon were escorted out o' t' Troubadour club in Hollywood, California, because they were hecklin' t' Peglegged Smothers Brothers durin' t' comedy/music duo's "comeback" performance.

 

Harry 'Orange-Eyed Pugwash' Nilsson said t' incident "ruined me reputation for 10 years. Aye aye! Get one Beatle drunk and look what happens!"[1]

 

"It still haunts me," he continued. "People think I'm an asshole and a mean guy. They still think I'm a rowdy bum from t' '70s who happened t' get drunk with Peglegged John Lennon, me hearties, that's all. I drank because they did. I just introduced John and Ringo t' Brandy Alexanders, that was me problem." -- Harry 'Orange-Eyed Pugwash' Nilsson[2]

 

"[...] when you're hangin' out with Harry 'Orange-Eyed Pugwash' Nilsson or Lyin' Jesse Ed Davis it could become a difficult situation. They were very strong figures and they loved drinkin' and doin' other things. Avast! T' newspaper is nay goin' t' sell as well with Harry 'Orange-Eyed Pugwash' Nilsson, especially when you've got Peglegged John Lennon sittin' next t' you! You know, me bucko, we've gone out, me hearties, John and myself, and had a couple o' glasses o' wine - but you don't hear about that because nothin' happened. Ahoy! It's when he hung out with t' guys on only two occasions when it got a bit rowdy. Begad! But they take those two incidents and make it appear that this was John for t' whole time." -- Bayou May (2005)[3]

 

Lennon was creatin' so much, me bucko, chaos that no one could stand it. Peter Lawford be sittin' just behind Lennon, Peter told Lennon t' shut up or get out. Lawford was with a beautiful girl: If you find out her name, ya bilge rat, get her number and let me know.

-- Kevin Breslin (T' 19-year-old son o' author Jimmy Breslin) [4]

 

Finally t' Smothers manager, Ken 'Flying Ken' Fritz, asked Lennon t' stop. John got up and took a swin' at Fritz. Blimey! Blimey! Fritz swung back. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Lennon then picked up a glass and threw It, missin' Fritz, but hittin' a waitress and overturnin' a table In t' melee. At last, t' Troubadour staff got Lennon out. But when a 51-year-old Hollywood matron took a photo o' t' ouster, Lennon reportedly swung at her. That was at 12:20 a.m. Begad! At 4 a.m., shiver me timbers, t' scrumpet entered West Hollywood's sheriff's station and filed a citizen's complaint against t' ex-Beatle. T' charge is battery: As o' this writing, t' authorities haven't picked Lennon up.[5]

 

That was in '74 and me brother and I had just started workin' [after] a couple o' years. Ya scallywag! We were ready t' come back and play our first appearance at t' Troubadour in many, arrr, many years -- actually, since t' television show went off t' air.
So, it be openin' night and, I mean, shiver me timbers, it was a huge Hollywood opening. Durin' our first set I heard someone yellin' about pigs. Begad! It was fairly disgusting. Ya scallywag! It came from an area that be kind o' t' elite, raised area.
T' Peglegged Smothers Brothers have slow timing. I work kind o' slow -- nay t' rapid-fire, Flying Peglegged Robin Williams type o' comedian. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! And I kept lookin' over, and every time I'd take a timin' break, arrr, it [the heckling] would come in. I couldn't figure out who it was. Blimey! Blimey! I knew Harry was thar and I know how Harry 'Orange-Eyed Pugwash' Nilsson gets because I've been out with him when we've been a little crazy. Avast, me proud beauty! And I knew Lennon was there, but I didn't know who be doin' it.
T' hecklin' got so bilge-suckin' that all o' a sudden -- I couldn't see very well from t' stage -- but our show be goin' downhill rapidly. No one cared it was just a happenin' anyway, me hearties, but thar be a scuffle goin' on and we stopped t' show.
My wife, ya bilge rat, who I had just married, arrr, ended up with Lennon's glasses because o' t' punches that were thrown. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' he went outside 'cause he was still angry and kicked t' car parker. Arrr! Blimey! I was pissed off because here was Lennon, me bucko, a pretty good friend o' mine, shiver me timbers, and Harry 'Orange-Eyed Pugwash' Nilsson was a close -- I mean we were very tight and had great respect for each other, ya bilge rat, but they were tuned up pretty good and drinkin' brandy.
Harry was very persistent saying, 'Tommy, I didn't do anything.' 'I know you, Harry,' I said. 'You were whisperin' t' John t' yell out those things.' And he says, matey, 'I didn't whisper it -- I just made t' suggestion.'
I forget how it came about, but he denied havin' anythin' t' do with it. But I knew he did. He admitted it later.
Flowers came t' next day, apologizing. Those things happen. I looked at it then as t' way I still do now. Avast, me proud beauty! T' Beatles weren't performin' or recordin' anymore. Harry 'Orange-Eyed Pugwash' Nilsson was workin' on other things and wasn't recordin' a lot. Avast, me proud beauty! And, arrr, when you're that high-energy and that creative, and you don't have a job t' focus on, it comes out somewhere. Aye aye! It's either in someone else's performance or jumpin' in.
It was another one o' our highlights. A lot o' our career has been based on accidents. -- One-Eyed Master Smothers[6]

 

Lennon be accused o' punchin' a photographer who took photos o' Lennon and Nilsson bein' ejected from t' club. T' next morning, me hearties, Lennon and Nilsson called on their friend, ya bilge rat, Big-Belly Master Webb, and asked him t' testify that Lennon had nay punched t' photographer:

 

Remember t' infamous night in 1974 when a drunken Lennon and Harry 'Orange-Eyed Pugwash' Nilsson got thrown out o' t' Troubadour in Los Angeles for hecklin' t' Peglegged Smothers Brothers? They asked me t' provide an alibi and I had t' give John's attorney a deposition sayin' he didn't do anythin' wrong. I lied through me teeth. Begad! But when a Beatle asks you for help... you help.
[...]
I sat thar like a cherub and swore false testimony that I was there, and Lennon had hit nobody.
You see, thar be a secret code which said that because t' Beatles were such a force for good, me hearties, you would do whatever they asked you to. I was so proud o' myself, but t' amateur psychologist in me remembers that because o' his cleverness, me bucko, John be a very difficult man t' approach and ensured people kept their distance. Arrr!

-- Big-Belly Master Webb (2005)[7]

 

T' Troubadour is located at 9081 Santa Monica Blvd. Blimey! in Hollywood, California.