Welcome Beatles

 

The White cowboy hats

 

Howdy Dallas!

 

George in Dallas

 

Dallas Press

Show off those famous rings

Just a couple of cowboys

Memories of the Dallas Show

"I was one of ten Dallas Police Reservists assigned to sit in and wait in a side lobby until we received further orders. We could hear the music coming up from the basement. After a while we heard the echo of running steps getting louder from the floor below. Up the stairs come regular police with the Beatles.
“Line up five on each side!” is the command. The doors fly open. Two unmarked police cars roll up, one behind the other with their doors open. I heard someone down the street yell, “There they are…Let’s get ‘um”. Without stopping, the police yelled for the Beatles to jump in, which they did except for, I think Ringo, right in front of me, hesitating to get in. I finally pushed him into the back seat.
Someone jumped on my back trying to grab at Ringo. I was knocked down as the cars pulled away to get to the airport. Instead of a teenager on top of me, it was a middle-aged woman. She apologized afterwards and meekly walked away. Five minutes later, I realized that my wristwatch had broken from the fall."  -  Jerry K.

"I was there, 7 years old, with my mother and my step father’s assistant, who at the time was the #1 DJ in Houston at KILT, Jim Wood.  My mom was at the press conference, she talked her way in with the radio station rep story which was true, from what I understand it was last minute thing and as she didn’t work for KILT, couldn’t get press pass so she worked it.  Hate to hear they stopped doing them after that. Worked for me, she met someone she said was their PR Mgr, who put me on his shoulders directly in front and center of the stage with The Beatles (legs) in my face. She also got one of those photos signed by them to me that was later stolen after we moved to LA when my dad put it in a display for some stupid reason. Saw them again in LA at Dodger Stadium which I just realized was their next to last concert. It was just me and Jim Wood, and never a bad concert seat with him but that day in Dallas, made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world for a long time. God Bless Jim Wood, RIP. Oh and just in case anyone knows about an autographed photo to Becky, there’s a reward for it and no questions ask." --  Becky R. 

"In those days we had only seen the Beatles in black and white.  Our television sets were black and white, A Hard Day’s night was black and white, and so you had this image of them as being black and white.  They came out on stage and popped out!  They were in pastel pinks and were almost florescent." –Tom

"I brought with me a piece of paper and a pencil.  You can tell I was excited because I wrote on the wrong side of the paper.  What I did was I wrote down the songs in the order they sang them."–Claudia

"I don’t remember hearing much, but I think that was because I was screaming so hard." – Alice

The last press conference (well for now)

They made it!   The last press conference of the 1964 North American tour!  

The Beatles with Bert Shipp

I love the reporter trying to hold back the girls in this photo....so funny!

Beatles backstage deep in the heart of Texas

The photos that Curt Gunther took of the Beatles backstage in Dallas are just great, classic photographs.   Maybe because it was the Beatles last concert on the formal tour, they were in the mood to have a little fun and even Eppy joined in. 

Beatle belts

I am not sure how this exactly fits in with the story I just posted of the Dallas Beatles  fan club girls who met the Beatles and gave them black Stetson hats and lighters.  There was another Beatles fan club in Dallas that also had a present for the Fab 4.    The Beatles ltd. club had belts made that had the Beatles' names on them.   I am not sure if this fan club got to present the belts in person or if they were sent to the guys, but I do know that the Beatles received them and wore them. 



This past June, Bonhams auction house had John's belt up on the auction block.   Here is what the auction  listing said about the belt:

 A newspaper article taken from the 'Dallas Morning News' sometime in the week the Beatles were due to arrive for their concert at the Memorial Auditorium has a photograph of Dell Perry and Suzie Chapman, of The Beatles Ltd., one of several fan clubs in Dallas at the time. They are shown holding the four belts, donated by the Justin Boot Co., that they intended to present to the Beatles.

The story of the lucky Dallas fan club presidents

This great story comes to us through a long, time Meet the Beatles....for Real blog reader, Mark Naboshek.   I recall meeting Mark at the Fest for Beatle fans in Chicago and just being amazed that people that I did not know looked at this blog every day!    He has always been helpful in the comments in the past and he has a great collection of Beatles memorabilia.  He also was the editor of the amazing book, Some Fun Tonight by Chuck Gunderson.   I am proud to share this story with all of you and I want to send a bit thank you to Mark for his generosity. 




 Stephanie Pinter was co-president of the Dallas chapter of the National Beatles Fan Club, sharing those duties with her friend and classmate Yolanda Hernandez. When she heard that the Beatles would be playing Dallas on September 18, 1964, she knew she had to meet them. Her mother suggested that she try to contact Brian Epstein and arrange a meeting in Dallas. After weeks of effort, she finally got a response from Brian. He said he’d be delighted to have Yolanda and her meet the boys when they arrived in Dallas. In the weeks prior to the concert, the two girls had the local Stetson factory create four black cowboy hats to present to the group. They’d also told the manager and publicist for the Cabana Motor Hotel of their plans so there wouldn’t be any complications the night of the meeting. On September 17, 1964, the Beatles played Kansas City and then immediately hopped their chartered plane and flew to Dallas. By the time they arrived, it was shortly after midnight. Stephanie and Yolanda met up in the lobby with another group of girls who had gotten a room in the hotel just below the Beatles’ ninth floor suite. They patiently waited there until they heard the band and entourage arrive above them. When it came time to head for The Beatles’ floor, only three girls made it through: Stephanie, Yolanda and a girl named Marie Leggett (who was head of a competing fan club). They’d taken the elevator and the others had taken the stairwell, where they’d been stopped. In fact, Stephanie, Yolanda and Marie were also stopped by a cop as the elevator opened on the Beatles’ floor. They were about to be sent downstairs and escorted out when Stephanie saw the hotel publicist who told the officer they were allowed. They were taken to Derek Taylor’s room where Neil Aspinall told them to stay momentarily. “Are you ready to meet The Beatles? he asked them upon his return.

They followed him to the Beatles’ suite. Rushing them into the room, Stephanie stumbled and fell at the feet of her favorite fab, Paul McCartney. Embarrassed, she stood up and extended her now sweaty hand to him. “I’m Stephanie” she said. He shook hands with her and immediately wiped his hand on his pants. She was mortified. The room was filled with reporters and members of the Beatles’ party. She managed to get their attention with tales of the JFK assassination. The subject had been brought up by John Lennon who was fascinated by it. When she told him that she’d been standing along the motorcade route and had made eye contact with JFK just moments before the murder, John was enthralled. Soon, Stephanie found herself the center of attention of all four Beatles. As the time passed 2am, Brian Epstein told the girls that they would need to leave soon. He asked Stephanie if she’d gotten the boys’ autographs. She admitted she was so deep in conversation with them that she hadn’t thought of it. Brian handed her his own pen and a pad of notepaper from the Cabana and told her to get their signatures. She went around to all four and collected them all on a single piece of paper.

After Stephanie had gotten all four Beatles to sign, she walked over to Brian to thank him for making the meeting possible. He was very gracious and so she asked him to sign the paper as well. Stephanie said that Brian was very reluctant to sign at first because he didn’t want to mar the Beatles’ autographs with his own. Stephanie insisted that he sign, so he found a spot on the lower right-hand side of the sheet and signed along the edge, just to be sure he didn’t obscure any of the Beatles' autographs.

from Mark Naboshek's collection

Once the autographs were secured, Derek suggested they take a photo with the group. He asked Ringo to bring out his Polaroid camera and Derek posed the three girls among the four Beatles. Stephanie was making her way to a position next to Paul (her favorite Beatle) and had to pass George to get there. She never made it. George pulled her closer and asked her how old she was. When she said “fifteen”, George said, “Brian, we have illegals in the room!”  Derek took a photo with Ringo’s camera, forever preserving the moment. In the photo, Stephanie holds in her hand the autographs she’d just gotten. Moments later, after the girls were issued passes for that evening's press conference at Dallas' Memorial Auditorium, their visit ended. 

The Dallas fan club presidents with the Beatles:  Stephanie Pinter (far left, holding the autographs), Yolanda Hernandez (squatting down with Ringo in the center) and Marie Leggett (between Paul and John).    Photo from Mark Naboshek's collection.

 

Before the concert that night, Stephanie and Yolanda were able to meet the Beatles again and present them with engraved lighters as well as the famous black Stetsons they're seen wearing at the Pigman Ranch in Alton, Missouri the day after Dallas. On August 24, 1966, Stephanie, Yolanda and Stephanie's sister Debbie were present at the Capitol Records building in Hollywood when the Beatles gave their press conference (four days prior to their Dodger Stadium show) and were presented their gold records for the "Revolver" LP.  In between those two events, the Dallas girls were called up to the stage and presented personalized branding irons to the Boys. 

I purchased the Dallas autograph set from Stephanie in 1992 and have had it ever since. Having lived in Dallas since 1958, and remembering the Beatles' visit to the city like it was yesterday, this is clearly the most astonishing Dallas-related Beatles piece I could own. To my knowledge, this is the only known, surviving authentic set of Beatles autographs signed in Dallas -- with the bonus that it's also signed by their famous manager and is on the letterhead notepaper from their Dallas hotel. The set is currently on display in the Grammy Museum's 50th anniversary touring exhibit, "Ladies and Gentlemen...The Beatles!", opening at HistoryMiami in Miami, Florida on October 10th.

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).

Kids go Wild over Bugs

10,000 Kids go Wild over Bugs
By Larry Grove
The Dallas Morning News
September 19, 1964


The kids gave their hearts and their voices to the Beatles when the mopheads from Liverpool closed out their successful American tour Friday evening at Dallas Memorial Auditorium.

Noisy as it was -- warm as it was -- the thunderous reception may h ave set a sort of record for police behavior for a Beatle audience.   The 10,000 kids squirmed.  They squealed.  They set up a  shrill din that left the ears ringing.

Yaaaaaaaaah!

From the minute that the idols appeared on stage, camera flashbulbs gave the cavernous auditorium an eerie light and the noise was indescribable.  Once they realized this was really the Beatles, ah joy, the kids did what was natural.

They went wild, wild, wild.  But no one can say they didn't do it with grace.

Police took extraordinary precautions to prevent what could have been, with relative ease, a dangerous crush of youngsters aching to get a better glimpse and -- pearl of pearls, even an autograph.  The autographs from this visit will be rare.

With 200 uniformed officers lining the auditorium and 200 more on the standby and Police Chief Jesse Curry present with his own daughter and two grandchildren -- there was little danger for anyone.  Few of the youngsters got really close to their idols.  Even the stage was three times higher than during normal auditorium performances.

and that left Ringo Starr and his drums perched at least 15 feet above the auditorium floor.  Even so, if the officers hadn't been there, the Beatles fans could have leaped up there where their hearts stayed all during the evening.

After the show, the Beatles left for a rest, reportedly to a ranch in Missouri;.   Their chartered plane lifted from the Dallas Love Field runway at 11;08 pm, well ahead of most of the hundreds of fans who converged to wave goodbye.

Preceding the show, newsmen may--just may---have attended the zaniest press conference in modern times.  There were youngsters 13 years old filling most of the seats, representing radio stations with combinations of letters unknown on this sphere.

Older timers didn't really mind that they asked the questions:  Are you an anarchist, Paul?

"I don't know what the word means."

Will someone get your tonsils, Ringo, as a souvenir? 

"I;ll have no use for them."

Are you scared when crowds scream at you, John?

"More so here (in Dallas) than other places, perhaps."

There were sighs of relief, there.  And an older timer wondered aloud if Rudy Vailee was ever asked if he carried a transistorized amplifier in his megaphone. 

John, where do you write your songs?

"In hotel rooms."

The tour managers said this would be the Beatles last press conference in America.  Golly. It sort of gets you.

Earlier, Cheryl Howards, the 10 year old victim of a hit and run driver some weeks ago, received a telephone call from Paul McCartney as she fought another day of her recovery at Methodist Hospital.  Paul told her:

"A pity you can't be with us tonight at the program...."

And it was that all right.

Elsewhere in the city, Beatle fans did their best to work off their frustrations as best they could.  Five girls tired to break through a police cordon to meet the Beatles at the Cabana Hotel.  When they found all entrances blocked off, they took the only other route available:  They dived into the Cabana fountain crying, "We love you Beatles, oh yes we do."

It was wild.

Just a bunch of cow-folk

This appears to be an "end of the tour" photo taken in Dallas in 1964.   Look at Mal up in the corner!

another DJ to pose with

This time the fellows are with Dallas D.J., Bert Shipp during the 1964 Texas concert.

Dallas press conference - datebook magazine story

This is one of those "Girls who met the Beatles" stories that was published in Datebook magazine in the 1960's.   15 year old Donna Canada of Dallas, Texas was the youngest person to attend the Beatles press conference in Dallas in 1964 and she sure took her job seriously.   Her transcription of the press conference is really good when you compare the text to the youtube video of the press conference.   Especially when you take into consideration that she was a 15 year old Beatlemanaic, was and would have been distracted by the fact that she was in the same room as the Fab 4, she did not have a tape recorder and wrote down everything and she had never been to a press event of any kind before.  Sure she didn't get everything word for word, but she did well.    But what I do not understand is why she turned down Paul McCartney!    Really???   

By Donna Canada (age 15) Thomas C. March Junior high school, Dallas, Texas

The tension was mounting by the minute.  You could understand their being five to ten minutes late, but not thirty.  Where were they?  Had anything happened to them?  Then the call came from Brian Epstein:  the Beatles were caught in a mob at the once beautiful Cabana Motor Hotel.  Fifteen minutes later, their spokesman announced that they were here, and that they would arrive in four minutes.  Since I didn’t have a watch on, I anxiously counted to sixty four times.  I was very nervous, since I had never been to anything this exciting in my whole life.  The policeman who let me in was a  little hesitant, as all the kids outside the door chanted, “That’s not fair, she’s a teenager.”  Two of my friends tried in vain to get in with me.

Through the mist of my day dreams, I saw the familiar mop of George Harrison.  In two minutes, I was right next to him.  I said, “Hi George, how are you?”  He replied smiling, “I’m feeling fine, and you?”  I made no reply, for I saw the next idol step forward.  It was Paul McCartney.  I spoke up quickly, “Hi Paul.”  There was confusion in his large dark eyes.  “Hi,” he replied, very puzzled.  Then a reporter pulled me back, I was so mad. If it hadn’t been for that reporter, I would have been able to meet John and Ringo too.

I couldn’t act like I wanted to act.  I had to act like this type of thing happened to me every day.  I was burning with excitement inside, though.  They announced that the camera men were to go first, the journalists were to go second, and the television and radio men were to go last. 

George was dressed more formally than the others.  He was suited in a blue shirt, black tie, grey jacket and grey slacks.  John wore a green corduroy blazer, white and beige dickie, and black slacks, and Ringo’s taste blared through when he showed up in a blue and white striped shirt, with white collar, black tie, blue jacket and black slacks.

All of them wore high heeled, black leather boots, and the tightly fitting continental slacks that they have made so famous.  Their attire could be described by any American girl, who was familiar at all with the Beatles as nippy, gear or the fabmost.  It truly was.

Questions started racing through the air.  I scribbled on my tiny pad as fast as I could.  I am proud to say I got every question and answer that came up.  This was hard to do for a beginner like me, at my first press conference.

Q:  How are you John?

A:  Fine thanks.  (His reply was with sarcasm)

Q:  When are you leaving Dallas?

A (Ringo) In forty minutes

Q:  What do you like about Dallas the most?

A: (John) the organization.  (At this point John blew smoke in George’s eyes from his Winston.  George was very upset.  Tears were streaming down his face as he rubbed his burning eyes.  Then George added, giving John a dirty look, “It was very hectic.”)

Q:  Ringo, how do you feel about this Ringo for President business?

A:  You better watch yourself down here (laughed) It’s very nice though, but I’m sure I wouldn’t win.

Q:  Mr. Lennon?  (A loud reply came from John, Yeah!) Mr. Lennon, in your book you hinted that you might be an anarchist.  Can you verify this statement?

A:  I don’t even know what that means. (laughed)

Q:  Hey, did you like your hats?

A:  (Ringo) Hey, we sure did.  (in heavy Texas accent)

Q:  Ringo, in California, it was reported that a girl ate the grass that you walked on.  How do you feel about this?

A:  I hope she didn’t get indigestion. (laughed)

Q:  What do you think of the mods and rockers?

A:  (Ringo)  I think they should be locked up.

Q:  Do you ever get scared when you step off a plane or something and you see a mob?

A: (John) No, but we’re more scared here perhaps (in Dallas) (laughed)

Q:  What kind of feeling do you get when you think of all the money you’re making?

A (George) It’s a good feeling to make money (laughed)

Q:  What do you think of the American girls?

A:  (Ringo) A lot.  (laughed)

Q:  Ringo, do you think the girl who wants your tonsils has a chance?

A:  I sure won’t need them, but I don’t think so.

Q:  Who’s the most anxious to get home?

A: (John) Jolly good, me I guess.  I’m very anxious to see the ole wife you know.  (laughed)

Q:  Is there any jealousy among you on or off stage?

A: (Paul) Jealousy?  Of course not.  No jealousy at all.  (At this point Paul took both elbows and dug one into john’s side, the other into George’s.  They were slapping each other all over the chairs.)

Q:  Ringo what sentimental value did that medal that was taken from you have?

A:  None whatsoever, I got it when I was twenty-one.  I just wanted it back.

Q:  George, are you trying to start a fad, like Ringo and his rings by always wearing black turtleneck sweaters?

A:  I guess I am since I’m wearing one now.  (George expressed this with sarcasm, since he wasn’t wearing one.  Paul along with everyone else laughed very loud).

Q:  Have you written any new songs since you’ve come to the United States?

A: (John) Yes, we have, two.

Q:  George , is there a guitar with your name on it yet?

A:  Right now, no, not right now, but later perhaps.  Yes later indeed.

Q:  How long will y’all’s show be tonight?

A:  After thirty minutes, cousin.  (Not sure who said this, but whoever did spoke in a heavy Texas accent and laughed)

Q:  How does the weather affect your long hair?

A:  (Ringo) We sweat. (laughed)

Q:  There are rumors that you cut your show down as low as nine minutes because of the screaming.  Is this true?

A: (Paul) No, our shows and singing length are the same length.  If the audience is a little more courteous than average, we clown longer with them though.

Q:  Are you disappointed that you never get out of your suite with being mobbed so you can’t ever see anything of a city?

A:  Disappointed, of course.  This is what’s to be expected on tour.  After all, it’s our work.  (Paul explained this giggling).

Q:  What will happen with the bubble bursts?

A:  (John) Paul and I will probably carry on.

Q:  John, how come you don’t like to wear your glasses?

A:  Because I don’t want to see you. (laughed)

Q:  Paul, when did you write your first song?

A:  When I was thirteen – I lost my little girl.  (laughed)  It was awful (laughed).

Q:  Mr. Epstein, do you get any time at home?

A: (Brian) None

Q”  Have you bought any luxuries here in the United States?

A” (John) Yes, we have

Q:  What?

A:  (Paul) Fast cars

Q (from KLIF loveable bunny) Ringo have you met any Texas girls yet, do you hope to?

A:  I always hope to! (laughed)

Q:  Paul, is it true you were grabbed and hugged by a girl last night entering the Cabana Motor hotel?

A:  Yes, very nice.

Q:  What do you think when you hear one of your songs sung by someone else?

A:  (Paul) We’re honored; we think it’s marvelous.

Q:  One girl asked a really long question.  I couldn’t get it all down.  After she went through the whole thing and was out of breath, John said

A:  What was that?  (She didn’t bother to repeat it).

Q:  What makes a publisher want to print your song?

A (Paul said this very serious) You write a good one.

Q:  What is your favorite song?

A: (Paul) WE don’t want to promote or anything, but it’s by Cilla Black – the Race of Love, on sale at your local record shops now.  (laughs) (John):  It’s number 18.

Q:  What do you plan to do next?

A: (George)  Take a quiet day off.

Q:  Are you coming back to the United States?

A:  (John)  It’s up to our manager.

Q:  What was your wildest escape from your fans?

A: (Paul) I guess when we were in Seattle, and we escaped in an ambulance.

Q:  What country did you enjoy touring the most?

A:  (John) Britain.   (laughed)  (Paul):  outside England, the United States.

Q: What is a scouser?

A: (John)  A Liverpudlian dish, very tasty.

Q:  The other night in Cleveland, did you find it necessary to be taken off the stage?

A: (George) We found no cause to leave.  It had been much worse than that before.  I think that the captain there was just a little nervous.

Q:  Was this the first time this ever happened?

A: (John) Yes.

Q:  In comparison with all the greetings you’ve had at the airports, how was it last night?

A (Paul):  Very good for the time of night, hectic, but very good indeed.

Q:  George, there is a record out that tells about a girl, who meets and hugs you behind the Cow Palace in San Francisco.  You supposedly said, “Hi Bird.”  Is this true?

A:  We are known to use the word “Bird” to girls.  I NEVER met any girl behind the Cow Palace (Paul nudged him and laughed) and I never use the expression, “hi bird.”  I’ve never heard the record either.

Q:  John how do you feel about royalty?

A”  Oh, I suppose they’re doing all right.  Pretty good job I guess.  I’m not really interested.

Paul smiled constantly.  John played opposites and stayed straight-faced through the whole conference.  His sharp features looked like they were almost frowning.  He was much smaller than his pictures show.  Besides this, he looked exactly the same.  John, I feel was the wittiest.  He spoke up the most, too.

George was very calm and quiet.  But as you can see by his comments, he has wit, too.  George stared at me.  It wasn’t jus ton and off, and it wasn’t a blank stare either.  It was a look.  After about five minutes he winked.  I looked around and there was no one behind me so I winked back.  He surprised me greatly by winking again.  I felt like running up to him and hugging him, but I couldn’t risk being thrown out, so I stuck to my first impulse and winked again.  I’ll never forget it. 

Ringo was my favorite when I arrived, but as I left the conference, was last in line.  Once I tapped him on the shoulder and he didn’t even turn around.  He seemed so bored with the whole thing.  Once in a while, you could detect the flicker of a smile.  He really looked quite different than I expected.  He face showed signs of strain, and it was much thinner than his pictures show.

I’ll never forget my first press conference.  I met most of the KLIF D.J.’s, had a write-up in the paper for being the youngest person there, was asked to speak on the radio, and I met a lot of the reporters and their wives.  I was also invited by Paul to meet him in his dressing room for an autograph.  I declined his offer because I didn’t want to be the only one in there.  I am crazy now that I think of it.  But most of all, I really got to meet and speak with the Beatles.  It was a dream come true.