Of course he'd be quiet and not make eye contact unless he wished to act less sincere than a man of his talent, fame, life history needs to. You're looking at a great baroque style composer filtered in to the pop aesthetic of the 1960s. The connection you'd feel to him may be of one of learned sympathy and schoolboyish (no matter what your age) awe. This would be a lot for a man to feign surprise in for a man who'd be just as worthy if, heaven forbid, he'd joined the 27 Club.

I didn't meet him, but he did sign my copy of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" at a bookstore event. It was tightly controlled by his handlers. They wouldn't let him sign anything but his autobiography. He was very quiet and didn't seem to make eye contact.