Thursday, September 18, 2014

Crazy times in Dallas

The Beatles were a bit frightened about going to Dallas.   It had been less than a year since President John F. Kennedy had been shot and killed in broad daylight while in Dallas.   The Beatles loved the Wild West and cowboys, but the whole thing about traveling to Dallas sort of scared them some.   It is understandable, really.    While the President could have gotten shot at any city in the country, and it was in now way the city's fault that it happened there, it is still freaky to go back to the "scene of the crime."   

But the Beatles landed at Love Field (which if Ringo landed there today he might try to rename it 'Peace and Love Field'  haha! )   and there were fans waiting for them behind a chain length fence.  The fans were screaming and waving and acting like---well Beatlemaniacs!   The Beatles received ill-fitting white Stetson hats from some opera association (I have no idea why) and even though they disliked these hats, they wore them anyway for photos.





From there the guys traveled in a car to the Cabana Hotel, where fans were waiting to greet them.   However, the police did not seem to have control over the situation and things got out of hand for what must have been a few scary moments for the Beatles as they tried to get inside.



The boys did make it inside of the hotel unharmed, but one fan wasn't so lucky.   While trying to see the Beatles in the hotel, the fans began to push against the plate glass window at the hotel.   Eventually the glass broke sending the fans through the broken shards.   One fan was injured so badly that she need to go to the hospital.   It is said that the Beatles felt bad about the whole situation and promised to send the injured fan flowers  (not sure if that happened or not).


2 comments:

  1. Wow, I've always heard about this, but never seen photographic evidence!!!! Thanks, Sara!! (and have fun in Arkansas!!!)

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  2. My grandfather was at the airport when they arrived and he shook George's hand as they drove past. He and all the fans followed them to their hotel. My grandfather was on the other side of the glass when felt the glass pressing against his stomach. The fans fell through and the glass cut his letterman jacket. He and the girl were on the front of a newspaper and his football coach found out that they weren't at home resting so they were disciplined in practice. I would love to find the picture with him in it. He would be wearing a high school letter jacket and black rimmed glasses. Awesome story.

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