Inspiration for Beatle's "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" Ill

According to The Associated Press, Lucy Vodden, Julian Lennon's friend and the inspiration for the Beatle's 1967 hit "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", is gravely ill.

Vodden, who has been diagnosed with a type of lupus that prevents her from leaving her home, has surfaced sporadically in public, leaving only to go to the hospital.

Diagnosed five years ago with the disease, Vodden's symptoms are typical of many lupus suffers: extreme joint pain, fatigue, depression.

It is the latest life or death battle the 46 year-old has faced. But unlike some, who have nearly no support network--a virtual death sentence for almost anyone suffering from the disease--she has friends and family caring for her. That's a good thing, said Angie Davidson, campaign director for the St. Thomas's Lupus Trust, which funds lupus research.

According to Davidson, the disease afflict sufferers differently, though the end outcome is largely the same: internal organ failure, psychiatric symptoms, and death.

With such a severe prognosis, Vodden has every reason not to confront the world outside her doorstep. But she is--thanks to an old friend.

"Julian got in touch with me out of the blue, when he heard how ill I was, and said he wanted to do something for me," Vodden said.

The 'Julian' in question is Julian Lennon, a childhood friend of Vodden and son of Beatles frontman John Lennon.

"I wasn't sure at first how to approach her," Lennon, who lives in France, said. "I wanted at least to get a note to her. Then I heard she had a great love of gardening, then I decided I'd help with something she's passionate about, and I love gardening too. I wanted to do something to put a smile on her face."

Since the two green thumbs caught up with each other, they communicate regularly via text message, reminiscing about more carefree days.

It's hard to imagine the two of them--one an average citizen, the other rock and roll royalty--in the same sentence, but for a brief time in 1967 they made music and cultural history, inadvertently changing the landscape of 60's pop culture.

One day the 4 year-old Lennon brought home a picture from school. With the sort of wide-eyed enthusiasm schoolkids have for most things, he showed it off to his father, who seemed impressed with the find.

"That's Lucy in the sky with diamonds," he said.

As if by serendipity, John was inspired to write a song about it. Several takes later and a few thinly veiled references to a certain drug popular with young people at the time, and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was born. <

Almost immediately, fans, critics and the BBC seized on the song's initials, figuring it to be a reference to LSD. The song was banned by BBC executives--the only time a Beatles song was banned in Britain--and became a hit among those in the counter-culture.

As for Vodden, the 'girl with kaleidoscope eyes' admits she gets a certain satisfaction in knowing she's the Lucy in the song--even if it's not her cup of tea.

"I don't relate to that song, that time of song," she said. "As a teenager, I made the mistake of telling a couple of friends at school that I was the Lucy in the song and they said 'No, it's not you, my parents said it was about drugs.' And I didn't know what LSD was at the time, so I kept quiet, to myself.

According to music critic and researcher Steve Turner, it wasn't uncommon for Lennon to snatch lyrics out of the oddest places. Including paintings by 4 year-old girls.

As for Vodden, she's taking it easy now, trying to enjoy the simple pleasures of live. During a visit to the local bookstore, she and her husband heard the song playing over the speakers. When she went into another shop, the song was playing there as well.

"It made me giggle," she said.