As I remember...

 One of the things I treasure whenever I find them are the memories of Beatles fans that saw the Beatles in concert.  However --- what I love are the stories that were written shortly after the concert -- within 5 years or less from the big event.    These two stories were written in 1967 and the girls that wrote them still were excited about see the Beatles in concert. 

As I remember

By Jean Lisieki and Patti Phillips

Around the Beatles fan club newsletter

August 1967

Picture yourself not in a boat on a river, but at Olympia Stadium on August 13, 1966.  Everyone you see is full of life and you can sense the impatience for the arrival of the idols.  Yellow Submarines are being hung from the balconies along with an infinite number of posters.  Finally, when everyone thinks that THE moment has come, D.J. Bob Green walks out.  Of course, this fails to satisfy the restless crowd who wants only THEM.  Then, as if by instinct, the congregation rises as their gods appear on stage.  The four English lads smile appearing as they start their first song, “Rock and Roll Music.”; They look undeniably fabulous in pink shirts and gray suits, with narrow pinstripes and bell-bottom trousers.  Even though the hysteria is not as great as two years previously the crowds' love is strong and deeper.  The group attempts to start “Nowhere Man” but the drummer is having difficulty was his microphone.  Mal Evans and one of the very few nice policemen fix it.  It is now about halfway through the concert.  One very lucky girl jumps on stage, but before she can reach THEM, she is stopped.   The crowd boos.  Finally, the dreaded moment comes, the bass guitarist announces the last song.  You try your best to hold them there with your love but fail.  The Beatles your beloved Beatles are leaving.  For you, it is the end of the world, but life flows on within you and without you.

 

As I remember

By Carolyn Hicks

Around the Beatles fan club newsletter

August 1967

 

We now know why John's leg is up and he is sort of bending over...

First time around was August 18, 1965, at Atlanta Stadium.  It was fab, but no tact was made between them and me.  Rats.  Things I remember most – when they ran out from the 3^rd base dugout, you know grinning and waving, John had something wrong with his foot or shoe or something.  Anyhow, he kept reaching for it and trying to run all at the same time.  Needless to say, that poor thing nearly broke his neck.  Paul, you know, announced most of the time, and once, after about four numbers, he said, “Goodness, it’s hot, isn’t it?” and a riot nearly broke out.  Wonder why?  When they were in the middle of one song, George’s guitar string broke and hew as frantic for a minute; then he spotted his other guitar, snatched I up, and grinned about two miles.  Paul and John were dying laughing, but Ringo looked so mournful the whole time.  One more thing.  Paul did a lovely waltz after announcing “Baby’s in Black” which he classified as “a luvly slow waltz.”  And during “She’s a Woman” his mike fell over.  And this last thing – when it was time for Ringo’s song all three bowed to him.  When they umped in the limo they waved pieces of paper out of the window.  Everybody ran to the outside railing and waved bye to them.  The ones that didn’t were either in the first aid room being treated for hysterics or fainting or trying to get out to the stage.  Some just wanted to pick the grass where they had walked. 

cc

Second time around was August 15, 1966, at Washington D.C. at the D.C. Stadium.  Our seats were closer this time and we had a great view with binoculars.  I couldn’t get over their suits.  They were gorgeous.  Sort of a cream-camel color with belled pants.  The Beatles were Fantabulous!  I’ve never seen them with so much energy, you know, moving around and all.  Paul danced constantly.  George and John did their share of monkeyshines too.  They took turns (except Ringo) announcing this time.  Funny thing.  You know, they, especially John and George, would announce the song then tell what album it’s from; but they always got it wrong.  I honestly thought Paul was going to kill himself.  He was “here there and everywhere.”  All over the stage.  He and George waved a lot, George giving out off waves just turning the screams on and off.  They were panting and could barely catch enough breath to talk much less sing.  When Paul sang “Yesterday” there was really a riot.  Several ran to rails but police knocked them about and ushers carried them out.  It was beautiful.  When Ringo was singing this boy came from nowhere and went flying out to the stage (with police in hot pursuit) and got up on the stage and went for John.  IT scared me to death.  John dodged and the boy fell off the stage and was dragged, kicking, out by four men.  John and to go around the mike three times to get untangled.  Then the next thing you know, they were gone.  But the main part – we went to the stadium at 3:00 (concert time 8:00) and we were standing there (after walking around the stadium three times trying to find some small space to get inside the thing) at the gate peering in.  Suddenly, we began to see members of the other groups.  Then we saw two tall figures inside.  They came closer.  Who was it?  It was George.  Who was with him?  T was Paul.  It was Paul and George!  Natch we started screaming and frantically waving.  They were so sweet. They stopped, smiled, waved and Paul said “Hello.”  That was about the most thrilling thing ever!  Then they were gone – just like before. 

Those who were there remember the concert

It wasn’t exactly rattling jewelry, but I paid my $7.50.  The cheaper seats went for one and two dollars less.  While those in my section heard The Beatles performance quite well, many people left Candlestick Park complaining that they couldn’t hear.
I filmed the complete day’s activities, form the building of the stage through the Beatles’ final bows.  And, I did it right out in the open.  Like everyone else, I hadn’t a clue that this was the last concert, or that what my fifteen year old hands were shooting would become the only complete chronicle of the day’s events.
Security-wise, the show was uneventful, including the mere two handfuls of boys who jumped the outfield fence.  They didn’t get far and fell quick prey for some of the 200+ rent-a-cops.  Those of us in the stands were orderly.  That’s what I remember, and that’s what my film shows.  We were warned that to even be on the field would mean certain expulsion and possible arrest!  Only those who avoided the price of admission jumped over the fence.  These were the “bad boys” some of the incorrigible locals from the ghetto neighborhood surrounding Candlestick.
An armored car waited, engine running, beside the stage throughout the show.  This was their ultimate escape hatch, should all hell break loose and the fans rush onto the field.  It’s a wonder anyone could play music in such a paranoid environment.  There comes a point when they can’t.  The Beatles were clearly nearing that point.  They gave no impression of it during the show.  But, the extraordinary security precautions gave them away.
Was this to be the last concert?  Paul McCartney had asked Tony Barrow to tape record the show.  Both Lennon and McCartney were snapping photos during their walk to the stage.  Harrison can be clearly seen doing the same in my color footage.
--Barry Hood

 Believe it or not, I attended the Candlestick Park concert in August of ’66 with a girlfriend.  I was more interested in her than the music, which suffered from poor sound amplification.
--Anonymous

 Yeah, I was there too.  Stadium public address systems were not made to handle concert music.  Couldn’t’ hear much over the screaming.  And, the stage on second base looked so far away.
--Jeff

I was 12 years old in August 1966, and my 13 year old sister and I were avid Beatlemaniacs, as were a few of her girlfriends.  We heard the announcement that The Beatles would tour America that summer, and we decided to go to the concert together.    I think that it was my sister who brought the pair of binoculars that we shared at the concert, after borrowing them from our father.  I remember that we had only one pair among us that evening.   The evening began as we all piled into the car and headed up the Peninsula on the Bayshore Freeway.  Just around the bend at South San Francisco, on the causeway up to Candlestick Park, traffic came to an absolute standstill.  Horns were honking from cars all across the road and people were leaning out of their windows to scream, wave and hold up pictures and posters of the Beatles.  We all joyously joined in, and my heart was pounding so hard that it felt as if it was coming out of my chest.  I screamed, cheered and greeted the other concertgoers as we inched our way to Candlestick.  Finally, after what seemed like hours, we made it to the parking lot.   It was freezing, as it always is at Candlestick, because the place is situated on the Bay just beyond San Bruno Mountain – in the worst line of fire of fog – and tremendously windswept.    We went inside the stadium and purchased the program.  It was a beautiful booklet of wonderful black and white photos of The Beatles.  Then we ran to our seats.  We noticed that everyone was moving down to the empty seats in front, and some people were even moving down to stand right up against the fence itself.  My sister and her friends wanted to move, too.  At first, I was afraid that the authorities would throw us out for sitting in the wrong seats, but since everyone else was moving down to the front and no one in charge seemed to care, I quickly forgot about my fears.  We ended up sitting just several rows back from home plate, in what appeared to be the best seats in the house.  Even best seats have their drawbacks, however, and ours was that we were right behind a wire screen, making it even more difficult to see.  In the long run though, it really made no difference where anyone sat, because the stage had been erected way out on second base, and binoculars were necessary to be able to see at all.   The Ronettes must have been the group onstage when we got there.  We had no idea who they were, and I could not figure out why there was a girl group onstage.   I did not realize at the time that other acts would be playing.  I had thought that we were just going to see The Beatles.  After the girl group finished, Bobby Hebb sang “Sunny” and the Cyrkle sang “Turn Down Day” and “Red Rubber Ball.”   They sounded fine, but we wished they would hurry up because we just wanted to see the Beatles.   When the Beatles finally were announced and ran onto the field, everyone was on his or her feet and everyone was screaming at the top of our lungs!  We hugged each other, screamed and tore out our hair.   During the 22 minute show of 11 and a fraction songs, someone climbed over the fence and ran on the field toward the stage.  We cheered louder, but the police caught him not far into the field.  This scenario was repeated two more times during the concert.  I secretly was jealous that I was not running down the field too, but I was too scared to try it.   The Beatles ripped right into “Rock and roll Music” then followed up with “She’s a woman,”  “If I needed someone,” “Day Tripper” “Baby’s in Black,”  “If I needed someone” “Day Tripper” “baby’s in Black” “I feel fine,”  “Yesterday” “I wanna be your man,” and “Nowhere man.”  Next they sang “Paperback Writer,” which I remember as sounding just awful; out of tune, each Beatle singing in a different key, and unsuccessfully attempting to create the echo effect on the record.  IT was flat, and to put it bluntly, terrible.  But it really did not matter to me.  I was so busy screaming and having the time of my life that I did not care.    My only disappointment was that while The Beatles were onstage, my sister and her girlfriends hogged the binoculars and only let me use them once for about 30 seconds.  I never even got a chance to focus, let alone fix them on John, my favorite.   I took black and white pictures with my little Brownie Starmite camera.  I sent the roll of film to a photo company to be developed, but the three pictures that I had taken were considered unprintable.  I sent the negatives back to the company and insisted that at least one concert photo be printed.  The photo company complied, and printed the best of the three that I had taken.  All that could be discerned from the photo were a few dots.  A couple of ears ago, however, I dug up the negatives and had the picture specially blown up into a poster.  You can see the heads of the people in front of me, the field, the outdoor lights, the white armored car by the stage, the stage itself, a round white dot on the stage (Ringo’s drums), figure dots of the Beatles onstage and figures of unidentified people surrounding the stage.  It may not sound like much, but it is perfect because it truly represents how I, the typical fan in the stands, saw the concert.   At the end of the evening, one of the Beatles announced the final song, and the group tore into “Long Tall Sally.”  We were shattered at the end of its last note, thinking that the concert was all over…when suddenly The Beatles started to play the beginning of “In my Life!”   My heart soared, “Oh wow, it isn’t really over yet after all!”  But then, just as quickly as they begun to play the opening bars, The Beatles cut it off, ran form the stage, climbed into the armored car and down off down the field.  We stood there absolutely devastated, shocked, crying, disbelieving that it was over.  It seemed like it had only just started.   I came home and could not sleep all night.  I wracked my brain, trying to think of each song that the Beatles had played and wrote down the name of each one.  I had no idea that the songs I was listing would be from the last Beatles concert ever to take place, and that I had participated in a historic event.  I have kept my list throughout the years in a safe place.   For some inexplicable reason, the only song that I left off my list was “In my Life.”  In fact, I had forgotten all about it until I sat down to write this article, and I re-read all of my newspaper clippings of the concert.  Lynn Ludlow’s review in the San Francisco Examiner reported the incident and suddenly he  moment came back in a flash.   I remember it so vividly because it was a few seconds of false hope that the Beatles were going to play yet one more song and that the concert was not over.  I remember it as clear as day.  It is true.  The opening bars of “In my Life” were the last thing ever played by The Beatles in concert.  Years later, I was cleaning my room and by mistake, threw out my ticket with the orange print.  My sister threw hers out then, too.  But n ow, by some miracle, I have a new ticket, to take the old one’s place.  It is bright and beautiful and is hanging on the wall next to my bed. -- Beth
 

Fan recall the last concert in LA

Photo copyright held by Sara Schmidt 

My girlfriend’s father was a producer for Angel Records, Capitol’s classical label.  Capitol gave him four tickets, two on the field level.  The field seats were great; ten row up from the field.  When we sat down and saw that the stage was set up on second base, our hearts sank.  It looked miles away.  My girlfriend and I were intellectual Beatle fans, meaning we NEVER screamed; we really wanted to hear the music!
We observed Edward G. Robinson sitting two rows in front of us.  We didn’t realize he was so cool.  A few minutes before The Beatles came on; the crowd was in a frenzy.  Suddenly, Eddy G. stood up and walked out, and never returned!  I noticed he had cotton in his ears.
In the car we saw an ambulance leaving Dodger Stadium.  Later, we heard that’s how The Beatles left the Stadium.
--Linda

My ticket cost $6! I was seated right behind the third base dugout…pretty good seats for a ballpark.  I do remember The Remains, Bobby Hebb and the Ronettes.  Didn’t the Cyrkle also play that night?
I remember being jolted from head to toe when The Beatles were introduced and emerged from the dugout just below me.  The electricity was amazing.  The feeling when they emerged from the dugout was nothing like I’d ever felt just noise and excitement!  I turned to look over at my very cool older cousin, and the hair on the back of his neck was standing up!  He turned to look at me with a look of excitement and absolute wide-eyed amazement!
I was amazing at how well I could hear The Beatles over the din.  Remember that bass lick at the end of “Paperback Writer” where McCartney trills that note?  I could feel the power of his amp vibrating my seat. Fantastic!
The Beatles bolted off stage and ran into a tent that had been constructed just stage left, and then emerged a limo that maneuvered through the third base bullpen.  The kids, however, were waiting, and about 100 kids dropped from the stands onto the top of the limo.  Jeez.
--Gary

I saw The Beatles in Los Angeles in 1966.  My wife saw them in Chicago the same year.
Years later we both worked on McCartney’s recording projects and I met George Martin.  I got to ask Paul about the ’66 Los Angeles concert and he told me that they (The Beatles) were just as thrilled to play as we were to watch!
--Dave

I was at the Chavez Ravine (Dodger Stadium) show in Los Angeles and remember The Remains set pretty clearly, since it was the only decent rock and roll on the bill apart from the headliners.  I also remember a great line in the Los Angeles Times after the concert.  They sent their regular “grownup” columnist, Jack Smith to cover the show from an adult’s perspective, and in his droll way, he said something like, “the next group was called The Remains.  They DID look a little left-over.”
--Richard

I was a teenager and I went with my buddy, Chris Reed, whose real name is Bob Issacson, but we called him Chris Reed at the time.  We had on-lawn passes which we got form Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys and Earl Leaf, who was a photographer at the time.  Neal Aspinall had to sign them.  We were on the lawn by the stage.
When the show was over, we went downstairs in the dugout.  We got to meet and talk with The Beatles.  When they tried to leave Dodger Stadium the first time, they couldn’t get out.  They had to drive the limousine around by the gate and couldn’t get out.  So, they had to come back and wait awhile, and then try again.
Finally, everyone cleared out and The Beatles left and went to a gas station in an armored car.  They switched to a limousine at the gas station in Silver Lake on Sunset.  But, before they did that The Beatles stopped at a liquor store to pick up a few things like coke and chewing gum.  Then, we pulled into that same liquor store to get some Diet Rite and there was this dog in the store that started to growl at us.  We took out Beatle on-lawn passes and flashed them to the dog.  The dog quit growling.
I remember going to a party afterwards up on Curson to a big house, up on the hill above Hollywood Boulevard.  I remember I went with Jim McGuinn of The Byrds.   He gave me a ride up to the house.  He had a red Porsche.  We went in and all of The Beatles were there.
-Rodney Bingenheimer

I was there. Bobby Hebb followed by The Cyrkle, then the Beatles. From the time they walked across the field to the stage until after they were back in the tunnel you could hear nothing but the screams of the crowd.  –Lealea

 I attended the Beatles’ 1966 Dodger Stadium concert just 3 weeks before my 15th birthday. The year before, I had listened to a local AM (no FM rock stations in those days)rock station’s coverage (KRLA) of the group’s 1965 Hollywood Bowl concerts, and vowed not to miss them if they ever returned to L.A. for another show. When KRLA disc jockey Bob Eubanks announced he had again booked the Beatles, this time to play Dodger Stadium, I made sure that I had a ticket. It was unforgettable. I still have the ticket stub for my seat in Dodger Stadium’s Club Box level.
What a night…an unforgettable memory.  – “Bolthead”

Fans remember Shea '66

Two days after my sixteenth birthday I saw The Beatles perform at Shea Stadium.  I was a veteran of the 1965 Beatles concert at Shea, but that experience, exciting as it was, paled in comparison to their 1966 performance.  I had field-level seats and could actually wee them without the aid of binoculars.  There were about 5,000 fewer people in attendance than in 1965.  Also, there were more male fans at Shea in 1966.  These factors resulted in less noise.  Although the conditions were still less than ideal, I could hear The Beatles sing and play.
That is my fondest memory of the 1966 concert, being able to see and hear them, unlike a year earlier as I sat in the upper deck, trying to figure out what song they were singing, or if they were playing anything at all.  Three decades have passed since August 23, 1966, but I can still recall watching and listening in amazement as the Beatles did “Nowhere Man,” “If I needed someone”, and “Day Tripper,” introducing the latter as their “Number One hit form 1965.”
At times, I did use my handy pair of opera glasses and observed each Beatle individually.  At one point, I thought John Lennon was waving at me, only to realize he was acknowledging a poster behind me that congratulated the Lennons (John and Cynthia) on their fourth wedding anniversary.  Although we now know The Beatles were sick and tired of performing live, the smiles on their faces indicated they were having fun that evening.  I know I did!
--Marc 

I’m a veteran of both Shea concerts:  Aug 15, 1965 and August 23, 1966.  The second concert happened to be on John and Cynthia’s anniversary, so I decided to make a banner for them and hang it at the concert.  Imagine my dad’s reaction when the paint leaked through the sheet, and the message, “Happy 4^th Anniversary, John and Cynthia” was now on the driveway!
Both concerts were a thrill for me, as I was a major fan (still am).  The second time (’66) I could actually hear some of the music.  I was so pleased that I got the braces off my teeth the day before the ’66 concert in case Paul looked my way.  I was miles from the man, but when he did glance my way, I happily flashed him my new found teeth.
--Anonymous

I saw them in 1966 in Shea Stadium with a fellow Nebraska friend.  We were in seventh heaven!  Here we were, seventeen year old Beatlemaniacs, getting to experience our heroes.  It was sheer pandemonium.  Everyone was in ecstasy.  I remember a young man two rows in front of us screaming, “George, I love you, George.”  We thought that was pretty funny.  The police formed several rows around the stage and people still got through.  It was something Ill never forget.
--John R.

 I was stationed at MacGuire AFB and the service club got us tickets to the concert....We sat in left field....The Ronettes and the Cyrkle also performed....It was difficult hearing them because of all the noise....What a wonderful time especially the trick they performed at the end of the concert where they sent an armored truck out as a decoy and after everyone chased it out the came by us in a station wagon and waved to us....we picked up MANY 8X10 glossy's in the parking lot that had been dropped during the mass exit. – Wayne

 My sister and I were at this show. My dad drove us all the way to NY from WVa to see it. I saved my ticket stub for the longest time, then my mother threw it out when I went to college. My sister and I were debating whether we would scream when they came out, but you really just couldn't help it! Still one of the highlights of my life. -  Amy

St. Louis concert memories

Photo by Tom Morton 

Photo from the St. Louis Globe Democrat Archives

Photo from the Post Dispatch 

Photo from the Post Dispatch

I remember they brought the Beatles out in the middle of the show instead of at the end because of the threat of rain.  After the Beatles played, my friends and I went outside the stadium on the first level.  We could see a huge crowd of people on the street level and we could see the limos parked by the lower entrance.   We were about 250-300 feet away, leaning on the railing, when all of a sudden Ringo, George and John came out of the doors directly below us and got into this beat up Chevy.  The whole thing was a decoy to keep the people away.  But it was only seconds before the crowd caught on and surrounded their car as they made their way down the street. – Bill

I attended the aug.21,1966 concert and remembered seeing five limos drive into the stadium as the Beatles were finishing their show, I then walked around the stadium to the other side where I witnessed the Beatles run out a door by the ticket stand a jump into a waiting Lincoln continental. I jumped out in front of them trying to get a picture. The car almost hit me, swerved around me, and as it did, I plainly saw Paul McCartney riding in the front passenger seat and he waived at me. – Kevin

My dad took me and my siblings, along with a friend, to this show. We were among the unlucky few sitting in the upper deck. There were so few people at the show up there, that we were able to move to center section seats. Although I was 11 at the time, we knew all of their material and I was taken by how many older hits they played, give what they were doing in the studio then. I don’t remember it raining all that hard. The sound was horrible, though. -  Jerry

I saw the Beatles at Busch Stadium. I was sixteen when my mom, a cousin and three friends made the trip from Madisonville, Kentucky.  We had a sign in the back of the car that read: “BEATLES OR BUST” as we drove, and people in passing cars would honk and wave.
It was on that trip that we first heard Ringo sing ‘YELLOW SUBMARINE’. from a St. Louis radio station.
Ringo was my favorite.  There was a misting rain and we couldn’t hear them very well, but we were glad to be there to see a live  concert…we knew they were making music history! Now 50 years later I still listen to Beatle music… - Lynda

 I was there with my best friend Joan. I was 15. I can remember all the screaming and feeling so incredibly happy just to be in their presence and part of the screaming crowd. After the concert, my friend and I actually got down onto the field and I grabbed a handful of grass, which I later kept in a piece of plastic in my Beatles scrapbook. My friend and I were certain this handful of grass had been walked on by our Beatles!! Still to this very day I am a huge Beatles fan. – Suzi

 I was there. They may have taken the stage 'earlier than expected' but we did have to wait a long time, and sit through a long line of opening acts before hearing them. All things considered, I don't think anyone was disappointed.  –Ovid

 "I remember we had to go past the protesters who were picketing the stadium, and the weather was warm and drizzly. “I did (hear the music), if I plugged my ears with my fingers to drown out the screaming. I’m sure if anyone took my photo they would have gotten the wrong impression. The Beatles were one of the first stadium concerts, and Busch Stadium wasn’t really set up to have lots of loudspeakers, but I could hear the music."  - Karen

Fans remember the hot Beatles show

I was actually at this show. It rained like hell the night before and the concert took place at 12:00 noon on Sunday. Price of the ticket - $3.00. Oh my goodness. I was in 8th grade. We were from Texas, visiting relatives in Chicago and Detroit, but my dad finally relented and took me to see them at Crosley Field. Awesome! – Margaret

 I saw them 8/21/66 at Crosley Field, Cincinnati. We were rained out the previous night and the Fabs, even with McM having been reportedly sick that night, agreed to do a show the next sweltering afternoon.

The speakers run out from the second base stage were horns; the "flat' three hole kind. Being in the first row in an open air setting enabled me to hear the band.

They were rather ragged as I recall. I do remember them nailing "Paperback Writer" and "If I Needed Someone". Paul mangled "Yesterday" and I wondered if the key was too high for him that day. –“fabgear”

 My first concert was the Beatles in Cincinnati at Crosley Field. I was 13 years old. I remember my dad drove me there and picked me up after the concert. I went all by myself. Couldn't do that nowadays.  –anonymous

 The Beatles in Crosley Field didn’t even register because you couldn’t hear them and it was kind of like I was just in the same baseball field with them.  -  Tom

 I was there, couldn't see much. They got rained out Sat night, came back at noon on Sunday, thank goodness. Sunday was terribly hot, close to 100 and very humid. I felt sorry for them in those suits.  – Debbie

Once again--if you want to read more fan stories and get more information about the Beatles concert in Cincinnati in 1966, there is an entire chapter about it in my book, "Happiness is Seeing the Beatles:  Beatlemania in St. Louis."    I go into detail about a lot of the things touched on here and the fan stories are really good.   www.stlbeatles.com

Fans recall Beatles concert and the cherry bomb

We went to the afternoon show.  They didn’t fill the Mid-South Coliseum.  We enjoyed Bobby Hebb, one of the openers who had a popular song, ”Sunny.”
When it was time for The Beatles to come on, they suddenly appeared from behind their amplifiers.  Remember, this was the advent of the giant Vox amps.  The audience was both surprised and amused by this.  During the evening concert, someone threw a cherry bomb which sounded like a gun going off.  A friend of mine happened to be watching Paul McCartney through binoculars.   McCartney’s face froze and his eyes darted about, but the band played on.
The lighting at the Coliseum was low, but somewhat illuminated, as opposed to dark with a spotlight on the band.  In hindsight, I wonder if keeping the lights up was a way to help with crowd control.   -Shomer

I was at the night show on August 19 at the Mid-South Coliseum. Contrary to what many people say, the cherry bomb was not thrown on the stage. I had center seats near the stage, and when the cherry bomb exploded I looked to my left and the cops were hauling away some guy about 75 feet or so from the stage. All I remember is that the Beatles seemed to duck in time and did not miss a beat on If I Needed Someone. Great show. -  Joe

 I was there.  Two concerts in August 66.  Just got my driver’s License.  I remember the KKK was outside the coliseum for the afternoon performance that I attended.  It was right after the more popular than Jesus comment by John.  The southern parents upset but that never stopped us.  Great show over the screams.  – Daniel

 For the afternoon show, I sat directly behind the stage. I was leaning over the rail, begging Ringo for a drumstick, but a security guard ordered me to stay seated. After a song, Paul turned. My hand shot up in a wave, and he waved back. I had made contact with a god. – Donati

 I was at both concerts. The screaming took care of any sounds of fireworks, but scary looks from all four! Southern Baptists had called for an 'album burning' that day, and now I wonder how many wish they still had those albums they trashed! No cameras were allowed inside and since I was only 16 I was afraid to test security. Would not trade living in the 60s for anything. Lived, breathed Beatles!  -- LuvlyRita

 The stage was backed up to the wall in the old coliseum at the fairgrounds in Memphis. Security was tight and there was a Jesus rally going on at the city auditorium in protest of The Beatles being in town.
There was a chain link fence around the stage with space for policemen to walk between the fence and the stage.
My girlfriend, whom I married two years later, and I were on row 16 on the floor. She sat and held her ears the entire evening. She was into church and classical music, and only there to humor me.
The Beatles were escorted directly from the airport and directly back when the concert ended. They marched onto the stage and took their bows and immediately began songs back to back. I think they performed every hit of theirs that was on the market at that time, plus a few selected American rock and roll hits of their choosing. Everyone rose to their feet, and on the floor, we had to stand in our chairs – except my girlfriend, Sandra.
They played and sang without a break for about one hour. They did not miss a beat even after someone set off a cherry bomb in the balcony seats behind me and to my left. They ducked, but did not stop the performance. Of course, there was fear that it was a gunshot.
Police surrounded the culprit and took him and his friends out. There was no further disturbance that I know about.
With a press pass, I was able to go to the stage and shoot two rolls of film. There were only a few of us photographers. The Beatles were gracious and clowned sometimes for the cameras.
I have been a photographer for more than these 40 years and this is one of the most profound memories personally and professionally, including Woodstock a few years later and many concerts since.  – Nathan

 Having loved and lived all my live in south Memphis growing up there as a peddlers son and just returning from my first tour in Vietnam as a paratrooper in the band of brothers 101st Airborne on leave to see my sick father and having a chance to break the sickness of war for only a night in the coliseum on that August night was a thing never to forget.
Then the uniform was khaki pants and shirt and highly polished jump boots with my new combat infantry badge and jump wings and a few ribbons of honor to show I've been somewhere. Most of the security I knew since I peddled the streets around Peabody and Harbert with my father for many years, so getting backstage wasn't a problem. And my cousin was just a young cop too, at that time, making some extra dough.
I just tried to stay out of the way backstage as I was told to do when they arrived, but for some reason, I stood out like a war trophy in those spit-shined boots. John Lennon was the only Beatle who wanted to chat the most. It seems now in my memories of that night, we spoke of the war in Vietnam.
He seemed interested in all the people dying, which at that time were mostly civilians in small villages in the central highlands who had little, even clothes, and just a few Viet Cong killed in small battles that we had been in in the mountains. He was touched by my presence, I think, and ask me to be right beside the stage when they performed. I felt 10 feet high that night and he gave me a wink when playing. He wanted my autograph and I had, at one time, all of theirs with some special notes from each, but lost them in the jungles a long way from Memphis many nights later to the weather.
Oh yes, I didn't even have to pay for a ticket that night, just a rookie trooper. Went back for two more years in combat and won a few more ribbons, but not ever forgetting that night in my home town with The Fab Four back stage.
Oh, what a night.  – Thomas

 I was 14 years old and could not believe it when I heard they were coming to Memphis. We had tickets for the 4 p.m. concert so I headed to Memphis in my grooviest purple and white polka-dotted dress.
My friends and I screamed all the way through the first concert and could not believe how great they sounded – just like on their records. I could not get enough of them and, since I have the best mother ever, I talked her into getting us tickets for the 8:30 p.m. concert, also.
Although we sat behind them, the sound and the frenzy was the same, and they even turned around to look at us a couple of times.
My friend and I sat through both concerts in total awe of how good they sounded and what an amazing show they delivered.
The moment that will never be forgotten came at the end of the first concert as they ended the show. I ran down to the stairs that were directly above the side of the stage where they were walking to go backstage.
I screamed to Paul at the top of my lungs and he looked up directly at me and smiled, then waved – AT ME!
Of course, all my friends never believed it but Paul and I knew it. For a young teenage girl in the '60s, it just didn't get any better than that.  – Shelia

 It was the summer of 1966 and I was 14 years old. I had been literally “worshipping” The Beatles for over two years and just had to go to their concert in Memphis.
I lived in Holly Springs. The first concert, scheduled for 8:30 p.m., was quickly selling out. However, my best friend, Judy Newsom, and I were able to get two tickets for the second show, which was scheduled once the promoters saw the need for it. The tickets cost $5.50, $5 for the actual ticket and a handling charge of 50 cents. We were ecstatic. We were true Beatles fanatics and had been for a long time.
We made posters for our favorite Beatle, Paul. They said “I love you Paul.”After dressing in our finest, we headed for the concert. Of course, we could not drive and had my parents, along with my 4-year-old little brother, take us to the Coliseum in plenty of time for the afternoon concert.
Of course, my parents were nervous about just dropping us off and we received many pieces of advice about being careful, etc. We took our posters with us (you could not do that today) and took our places in our seats – on the eighth row! We simply could not believe we were actually there.
The opening act sang a song about “a red rubber ball.” No groups have opening acts today. Then the most wonderful rock and roll band ever came on stage. There they were Paul, George, Ringo and John. The security guards were taking cameras away from the audience because there was a “law” there were to be no pictures taken. I decided to put mine back in my purse. It was a Brownie camera by Kodak.
It was unbelievable, we were actually there and I was staring right at Paul and screaming his name the whole time they were on stage. I was waving my poster and I believe he looked right at me.
John was on stage wearing those “granny” glasses of his and not really acknowledging anyone yelling at him. We got the sense that he was really ready to leave the group. Ringo and George, like Paul, seemed pleased to be adored by so many people. It was awesome and one of my best memories ever.
They played for a short 25 minutes, but it seemed like a lifetime, not like the two-hour concerts you get for $75 or so today. Here was a really famous group that we were actually a few feet from and they were real! They were not just pictures in the many newspapers and magazines we collected and faces seen on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” They were really singing to us in the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tenn., and a part of me believed that Paul was singing just to me! I will never forget it, for it seems like it was “Yesterday.”  -  Carey

Once John (my favorite), Paul, George and Ringo took the stage, all of the females in the seats surrounding ours jumped up and began to scream. It practically scared me to death! Then I realized that this must be how you should behave at concerts. So my friend and I jumped up and began to scream, too. I don't believe we sat down the entire concert. However, I got tired of screaming and just tried to listen to the music. I especially liked listening to them speak with their British accent.
Even though the Beatles were not my favorite music group during my high school years, I'll never forget the excitement of my first concert and the memories it provided for a young, 13-year-old Mississippi girl.
-          Jo Ann

-          My memories of the concert are much the same as others who attended. There was a delay at the beginning because of death threats against The Beatles and the coliseum was searched for bombs. We had to stand on our chairs the entire time to even get a glimpse of the group as they performed and the screaming of the fans drowned out much of their music. None of that mattered to Betty or myself – we were actually in the same building and just a few yards away from the famous Beatles! Even the cherry bomb that exploded during the third song failed to dampen our spirits.

-          When Ronnie and Paula picked us up we were too excited to go home. We had devised a scheme to find the group and meet them personally. An announcement at the end of the concert said the group would be flying out immediately for a concert in Cincinnati, Ohio, on the following night. We were sure if we went straight to the Memphis airport we would be able to see The Fab Four and even get an autograph.

-          Against his better judgment, Ronnie humored us and drove to the airport. He chose to wait for us at the center of the main terminal while we raced up and down the corridors in search of Paul, John, George and Ringo. Unlike today, there was virtually no security to be seen at the airport and very few passengers or workers at midnight. We could see some planes on the runway and we were sure The Beatles were on one of those planes. Checking exit doors, we found one that was unlocked and we went down the stairs and out onto the tarmac. It was very dark and deserted, but we ran from plane to plane hoping to get a glimpse of the group before they left Memphis. We finally gave up the search when we realized they were probably already gone from the airport. We returned to the central terminal where Ronnie sat shaking his head in disbelief at our behavior. He was just glad that we had not been arrested for trespassing.

-          Betty, Paula and I naively thought such a world famous group would use a commercial airline. We found out the next day they had left in a private jet from the Army Depot airport on the other side of Winchester. Our memories of the actual concert have grown a little fuzzy during the years, but we all three vividly remember our search through the Memphis airport for The Beatles.-Sandra

Toronto fans remember

I went to see The Beatles in Maple Leaf Gardens in 1966. I enjoyed the show and went to the King Edward Hotel afterwards because I knew The Beatles were staying there.  I milled about in the lobby for awhile until a tall man with blonde hair and glasses approached me and asked me if I wanted to meet The Beatles.  I said I did, so he took me upstairs, right past the guards and into the Beatles’ suite, which was on the 7^th or 8^th floor.  I was nervous and almost fainted when I entered the living room of the suite and there were Ringo, John and George watching television with some friends.  Everyone was so friendly and normal; it was like sitting around with a group of friends at home.  Ringo was funny—he kept making funny remarks about the movie on the telly.
I had a drink and talked with the man who brought me upstairs.  His name was Mal and he was very kind to me.  He took me over to one of the windows and we looked outside at all the people down in the street below.  What a sight!
George had some relatives visiting him…an aunt and uncle, I believe.  His uncle was a jolly man who liked to tip a few drinks of whatever George wasn’t drinking.  John seemed to enjoy himself but was kind of quiet.  I guess he was a little weary from touring so much and having ot explain about that Jesus quote everyone kept nagging him about!  Poor John…When I think back now, it must have taken a lot of courage for him to face the whole of America, knowing the rage of the religious fanatics were in!
John went to bed, and after awhile I went into another room with Mal and we talked until 2 a.m.  IT was time for bed, so I left The Beatles’ suite and took a taxi home.  My parents were not happy with me getting home so late.  I was still a teenager then.  They couldn’t believe that I had been sitting around with The Beatles all evening –and my friends my friends at school couldn’t, either.  I had a special photo of them that Mal gave me to prove that I had been there!  I’ll never forget it…and the memory of what good people the Beatles really seemed to be!
--Sharon M.

August 17, 1966 was absolutely the last time The Beatles appeared as a band in Canada.  We stayed on the 7^th floor.  The Beatles were on the 8^th floor.  If you were staying in the hotel you were allowed to walk on their floor anytime.  We did not quite have the nerve to knock on the doors.  We did see an open door and a suit like they wore that night was lying on the bed when we walked past.  “Summer in the City” was playing in the room.
A bellhop told us he got all four of their autographs and sold them for $10.  He thought he had made an immense profit.
The Beatles arrived at the King Edward at 3:00a.m.  There was an enormous crowd to greet them.  It was so busy in the area that it looked more like a weekday than the middle of the night.
A small boy whose name was John Lennon was taken up to see The Beatle, John Lennon.
Ringo’s drumming during “Paperback Writer” drew a special ovation from the audience.
Bo Diddley was playing at a small bar in Toronto  while The Beatles were there.
--Lance 

I to went to see the Beatles in concert in Toronto Canada (which my older sister and I won at a store promotion in buffalo n.y.) We’re we are from. I remember spending that day getting ready wearing a granny mini dress and my first pair of fishnet stockings I even got to shave my legs with my older sisters electric shaver, just trying to look older then a mere 13 now when I think of it my sister was all behind this so I would look older so she could say to her friends she wasn’t taking her little sister. During the concert I remember the screams and after every song the beatles preformed the would bow down cool. After the concert on every corner there were crying girls and ambulances all around never seen anything like it. – Mary
 

Cleveland concert memories

I saw the Beatles in concert on a rainy Sunday evening. I was 13 and my parents insisted on making it a "family outing" so there I was with my best friend, Tina, and Mom, Dad and my younger brother and sister all in tow. It was pretty embarrassing!
The rain had stopped just before the warm up acts. There were three, as I recall - Bobby Hebb ("Sunny"), The Cyrkle ("Red Rubber Ball") and the Ronettes. Nobody in the audience seemed to care. We wanted the Beatles.
There were about 25,000 people in the audience, all seated in the stands. The stage was set up on second base, so when The Beatles finally did come on, we had to use binoculars. We couldn't hear very well although we could tell what song they were singing above all the screaming (we did our share too).
I remember that The Beatles wore dark green suits and yellow shirts and we were kind of surprised that they weren't wearing ties.
The concert was very short by today's standards. They sang about 10 songs and half way through several hundred fans rushed the stage, forcing security to get The Beatles off the stage and stop the concert until everyone sat down again. We waited for what seemed an eternity for The Beatles to come back, but they finally did, and a half-hour later it was all over. We couldn't believe it -- we had really seen them!-Rozy 

 "The date was August 14th 1966. This date is indelibly etched in my mind. On this date I saw the Beatles at Cleveland's old Municipal Stadium. The trip to Cleveland was memorable in itself. The bus we were riding in broke down on  the way to the show, on the Ohio Turnpike. I had won the tickets from KQV Radio 1410, and we just barely made it in time to see the Fab Four. We had already missed seeing the Cyrkle, but no one seemed to mind. I was on a bus full of screaming girls, I think there may have been 1 other boy on the bus, and all we wanted see was the legendary Beatles! We got there and about 10 minutes later the concert started. the Beatles were brought into the stadium in an armored car through the center field fence. The stage was set on 2nd base and 6' fences lined the field down the foul ball lines. Murray the K introduced them and then all chaos broke loose!! I have never, to this day, heard that kind of noise. The decibel level was so high that you could barely hear a word they were singing. There were people fainting and being taken out on stretchers the entire show. About 20 minutes into the show the band started to play the first notes to their famous song "Day Tripper" . A girl ran up to the 6' fence and started to climb up and almost over the fence until she was pulled back down. By that time more and more people had run up to and knocked down the fences and when it was all over 10,000 people had stormed the stage. The Beatles were taken off the stage on the same armored truck that had brought them in.  Murray the K said that if people did not go back to their seats the show would be over. About  45 minutes later the crowd got back to their seats and the concert was resumed. It's easy to see why the Beatles gave up live shows. First was the sound quality and secondly the security problem. I salute KQV for the chance to see the Beatles and as you can see, I will forever cherish the moment in time."  - George
 

Detroit concert memories from the fans

One thing that people don't realize now is that back then it wasn't so easy to get tickets.  There were no toll-free numbers, no credit cards, and very few interstate highways to zip along to other cities to see more concerts.  Most people had to get tickets through the mail.  I won two tickets from the Cunningham Drug Store Company, twenty-five words or less, why you like their drug store.  We also bought a pair of tickets for $7 each.  We gave the extra two tickets to the children of the parking lot attendant.
 We saw lots of fans with Beatles decorations on their cars; one even had a huge model of a yellow submarine tied to the roof of their car.  Our seats were about halfway back to the right of the stage in the stands.  We were only a couple of seats away from one of the entry ramps.  While the Beatles were on, we happened to look over, and there was Brian Epstein standing in the entry watching the concert!
 It was too bad that the crowd's screaming was so loud that the songs were almost impossible to hear.  The year before we had been on an exchange to England with our university and had seen the lads in concert in New Castle-on Tyne.  The concert was in a small city hall auditorium with about 2,000 people who actually listened to the songs and only screamed in between!
 We decided to wait at the back entry to the arena after the concert to see if we could see The Beatles.  There was a big crowd at first but after half an hour there were only about fifty or sixty people, and we were all standing around talking about The Beatles and how great they were and which ones were the favorites (mine is John).  The garage door finally opened and a huge bus came out.  My friend and I ran back to our car across the street, got in, and followed the bus.  Olympia is not in the best part of Detroit, so we were a bit apprehensive about where the bus was going and if we could find out way back since we lived in Ann Arbor.  Surprisingly we seemed to be the only ones doing this, and after about a mile, the bus pulled over and parked at the curb.  We stopped behind it and wondered what to do now that we had our chance.  One of the windows opened (can you imagine our excitement?!) and a member of The Cyrkle stuck his head out.  We asked him if The Beatles were on the bus, He said they weren’t, but would we like some popsicles?
So we got back in our car, turned around and headed home.
--Sue D.
 

I saw The Beatles in concert at Olympia Stadium, Detroit, 1966.  It was right after the controversy over John stating that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus.  While my friends and I were outside the stadium waiting for the second show to begin, a group of teens showed up with anti-Beatle signs.  We chased them, seized the signs and destroyed them!
And yes, once inside, I was one of the many crying, hysterical girls, loving every minute of it!  As difficult as it was to do, we decided to leave the building when we felt the show was nearing an end.  We gathered out back where the Greyhound buses were parked and, sure enough, we got a glimpse of Paul waving to us as the bus drove away!  What a trill!!!
--K.R.W.

I was at that show also.  My friend and I watched from behind the stage and nearly went nuts when John turned around and waved.  After that they alternated throwing a wave and smile to the dedicated fans sitting behind the stage.  I really treasure those memories.
-Ted 

I too saw the Fab Four in Detroit.  I was up in the balcony and they looked like ants. I couldn’t hear a thing because everyone was screaming so loud, especially me.  I was fourteen at the time.  I just loved Paul.  I even wore a black straight skirt and white blouse because I read in Tiger Beat that that was what he loved.
--Lee Ann

They played in Detroit, and then took the Ohio Turnpike to play in Cleveland.  Their bus stopped at the Vermilion (Ohio) Turnpike at 2 A.M., where I met them.  Paul sang a shortened version of “Michelle” to me – a thirteen year old Michele.  Imagine!
--Michele

Fans at the Hollywood Bowl

I am not sure if it is because this was the 2nd time the Beatles' played the Hollywood Bowl, but there isn't a lot of fan memories out there of this show.

I was at The 1965 Hollywood Bowl Beatle Concert, I was 12 years old, my family and I were visiting my English Grandparents, and vacationing in LA from Chicago like we did every summer.  My Grandfather found out that The Beatles were going to be in town when we were there, so he got tickets. I was beside myself! I was so excited we were in the back, near the speakers so we could hear the music, much to my Dads dismay, not to mention the screaming! I was screaming too! My eyes were glued to John most of the night. I have seen hundreds of shows since and The Beatles will always stand out above them all, they had no fancy lights or effects, it was just them with their vox amps, guitars, drums and John’s Hamond organ, but that’s all they needed-  Anna

I was laying there in the sun and I saw them, about 75 yards away....but I didn’t realize it was really them until they ran up these stairs and I saw them get into this big black limo...and when I went up to the road to take a good look....they drove right by me, on the coast highway near sunset blvd. and it was John’s head I could see through the window...with sunglasses on...in the back and I went...”holy shit! That's the BEATLES!!!!!!!!!!” – Chuck