Hoping for a hotel sighting

 

Junior Press Conference

 

I think that if the Beatles had toured in 1967, they would have had more "Junior" press conferences with their fan club members present.   I think they truly enjoyed this one in 1966. 

Talking to W-A-Beatles-C

 

Warwick press conference

 August 22, 1966 - New York City 

At the Warwick

 

August 22, 1966

There they go!

 

Any Questions?

Junior Press conference Wanted!

I am wanting to talk to anyone that attended the Beatles press conference at the Warwick Hotel on August 22, 1966.    I am looking for memories of those in attendance and any correspondence that allowed you into the press conference and any photographs from this event that can be published in a book.

Please please help me!

If you're happy and you know it pat your head.

photo scanned from Sara Schmidt's collection 

Their day off

August 22, 1966 was labeled as a "day off" for the Beatles, but it really wasn't a day off at all.   They had two press conferences scheduled on this day.   The first was a regular press conference for the press and the second one was a new idea that the Beatles came up with along with one of the New York radio stations.    They decided to have what was called a "Junior" press conference after the regular one.    150 fans (50 from a contest with the radio station and 100 picked from the New York fan club) were invited to come and ask the Beatles questions.     Things were a little wild and there was some screaming, but overall the Beatles enjoyed the atmosphere of the Junior press conference and a chance to talk to their fans.    A few fans asked questions like "do you know so and so??"  But most asked pretty good questions that the press folks wouldn't have thought of.


And do you know what Brian Epstein did on this day 50 years ago?  Yes, he was at the press conference, but he also was on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson!    I found this out when I was doing research for my book.    Brian was interviewed all by himself and as far as we know, no audio, video or even photographs exist.     We wouldn't have even know that this happened if it wasn't for a major Brian Epstein fan that wrote about it in her diary!  


Since the Beatles wore the same thing during both press conferences, it is impossible to tell from which part of the press conference the photos are from.

Fans crowd around the Warwick

Among the fans that were around the Warwick hoping to see the Beatles 50 years ago today includes Bonnie with her wonderful "Sprout of a new generation" painting of Paul McCartney.    

The Warwick

The Beatles stayed at the Warwick Hotel in New York City while they were there.    As usual, fans were outside of the hotel, trying to see the Beatles.   It does look  like some of the fans were having a fun time dancing.