Lizzie Bravo was a Beatles fan who was invited by the band to sing backing vocals as they recorded “Across the Universe” in 1968.
- Died: October 4, 2021 (Who else died on October 4?)
- Details of death: Died of heart complications in Brazil at the age of 70.
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Across the Universe
Bravo was just a teen when she and her close friend traveled from their native Brazil to London with hopes of meeting the Beatles. They realized they’d never have the chance to see the band in concert, since they had stopped touring in 1966, so they talked their parents into sending them overseas to visit their idols. In London, they spent much of their time outside Abbey Road studios, waiting for the Beatles to enter and exit so they could see them. They and other fans became familiar faces to the band, who signed autographs and posed for photos.
As the Beatles were recording “Across the Universe,” Paul McCartney wanted to try adding a high backing vocal to the chorus, but there were no professional female singers available. McCartney came out to ask the fans if any of them could hold a high note. Bravo and another fan, Gayleen Pease, volunteered, and they were invited into the studio, where they sang and shared tea with the Beatles. The version of “Across the Universe” they recorded was not the one included on “Let it Be” in 1970, but it was released in 1969 on the compilation “No One’s Gonna Change Our World” benefiting the World Wildlife Fund. Bravo later published “Do Rio a Abbey Road,” a book of the many photos she took of the Beatles during her time in London.
Bravo on the recording session
“John said both of us had to sing into this [microphone], and… I got close, and he said – twice – ‘Closer.’ Yes, John. And then he said again, ‘Closer.’ And John was here [gestures next to her face]! And I was paralyzed – I couldn’t move. My heart was beating so hard, I thought, it’s gonna come out in the mic.” —from a 2010 interview
Tributes to Lizzie Bravo
Full obituary: The Daily Beatle
