Beatlemania Has Finally Struck Us Too! (1964)

Beatlemania Has Finally Struck Us Too!

By Bob Lamb

The Macon Telegraph

September 13, 1964 

     Somehow, this sunny seaport town in northern Florida will never be the same again after both Hurricane Dora and the Beatles visited here this past week, and it's difficult to tell who did the most damage. Naturally, Dora accounted for the most damage in dollars and cents, but the Beatles inflicted their own sort of damage in a performance Friday night before a howling, screaming crowd of nearly 40,000 persons in Jacksonville's Gator Bowl.

     On a 15 foot high stage behind a six foot high fence, and with 40 uniformed policemen standing in front of the fence, the Beatles strummed and pounded out 11 of their multi selling hit records, while the wild teenagers in the crowd clapped hands, stamped feet, screamed at the top of their lungs and finally cried openly.

     From the beginning, when the Beatles opened with "Twist and Shout" until they ended the program with "Long Tall Sally", it was almost impossible to hear, except for a few moments when the crowd's thunderous roar lowered to a loud shrill. The high points of the Beatles' show came with Ringo Starr singing "Boys", and it set the crowd into its highest peak of noise for the entire evening. It was easy to see that Ringo, along with the smooth-talking Paul McCartney, were the crowd favorites. The crowd shouted madly anytime Paul tried to announce a song or sing a special part to a number. In fact, the crowd just plain shouted at anything any of the Beatles tried to do. 

    The group's magnetism over an audience is almost unbelievable. Offstage, however, the Beatles presented a quiet, reserved, and well-mannered impression, typical of what one would expect from British people. Once they appeared on stage, this changed greatly, and their uninhibited antics drove audiences into piercing shrieks.

     Except for a larger number of policemen leading the Beatles everywhere they went, Friday's interview with the group was just like  most any other press interview, with just simple questions and answers. The boys sat in the ballroom of a Jacksonville hotel and politely answered questions from myself and 18 other reporters.

     Earlier at a Jacksonville radio station, The Beatles held another interview with a smaller number of reporters attending. The boys said that their brand of music has been greatly influenced by American rock and roll stars such as Macon's own Little Richard, Elvis Presley, GeneVincent, and Bill Haley. This reporter had mentioned to the group that Little Richard originated from Macon, and then they talked about the big success that Little Richard had created for himself in England. They wanted to know about Macon and about other big-name performers from this town. They also said they admired the performances of the fabulous James Brown.

    The Beatles' dress for the occasion was a large mixture of assorted clothing. Paul, wearing a tan Beatle suit with a blue-gray, white striped shirt, was propped against the end of the conference table, answering most of the questions. Next to Paul sat George Harrison, who was wearing a gray suit with a red and white striped shirt, and at the other end of the table was Ringo, dressed in a blue-gray checkered suit with a checkered shirt and wearing that pair of blue eyes that look as if he's lost his best friend.

     During the interview, the Beatles talked about their plans for the future should their entertainment bubble burst. To this question, Paul and John said they would probably keep on writing songs, while Ringo and George said they didn't have any idea. But after selling 30 million records, who needs an idea? 

    The boys talked about their start back in Liverpool, England, in 1956 under the direction of Brian Epstein, who is sometimes called the fifth Beatle. It was in 1956 that the boys began their long trip on the entertainment road. But it wasn't until the latter part of 1963 when they were brought to this country, did they make such a sensation. But once arriving in this country, they have been nothing short of sensational. The records sell at such a furious pace that they have been easily installed as the number one recording group in the entire world. Beatles tours are booked solid, and their performances are always packed. When you count their countless fans, this town was no different. 

    The show Friday night opened with several big-name recording artists, such as the Bill Black Combo, the Exciters, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, and Jackie de Shannon. This part of the program was a complete surprise since it was not announced to the press.