Rockin’ memories of The Beatles

We asked readers to share their memories of seeing The Beatles make their U.S. debut 60 years ago on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” and we’re sharing a gently edited sampling of the many responses we received. Thank you to everyone who wrote in with reminiscences about this obviously memorable experience from Feb. 9, 1964.

Adriaan Geurtsen, of Kendrick, remembered watching while in the Air Force, stationed in Biloxi, Miss.: Saw them on TV in a room of friends who had a TV in the barracks. I was hooked, had one of those (nehru) jackets, a hat, and all their records, from then to before they broke up. It started with Bill Hailey and “Rock around the Clock,” but the Beatles were a force larger than life. Got to see Paul McCartney live, but never The Beatles all together.

Teresa Hall, of Lewiston: I had heard from my older sister that a group was going to be on “Ed Sullivan.” As a family we always watched every Sunday. As with most folks, we gathered around the TV, me in front on the floor. When they started singing “All My Lovin’ ” I was MESMERIZED to say the least! I was bitten so hard by The Beatles phenomenon I have been a lifelong No. 1 Beatles fan. I was just 8 years old. Longed to see them in person, but never got that chance. But I did see “My Man” Sir Paul four times!

John Anderson, of Pullman: I didn’t see The Beatles the first Sunday night they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show because my father thought they were immoral and wouldn’t let us kids watch. The next day at the high school I was attending, the British band was all the talk. The following Sunday, the Presbyterian church where we worshipped announced the presence of a television set that evening so that those of us in youth group meetings could watch The Beatles. So my brother and I overcame our father’s efforts to protect our morals by going to the church youth group meeting. I don’t think I was much of a fan in 1964, and I’m still not a big Beatles person.

Kenny Harris, Lewiston: I had just turned 9 years old the December prior to February 1964 and of course knew as much as possible about The Beatles. My favorite was Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey). I had purchased a large button of The Beatles that referred to Ringo as Ringo “Rings” Starr. I was thrilled. Back to Feb. 9, 1964 (my younger brother’s birthday). We lived in Nezperce, and did not have the best TV reception. So, my mother took me and my brother across town to my sister’s place. She had the TV set up on the fireplace hearth. There were a bunch of people there; our band teacher, John Jordan, was there. My mom stayed in the kitchen. We watched in amazement, and I wanted to watch it again and let my hair grow out. That wasn’t going to happen. I’ve been a Beatles fan for 60 years and still going.

Steve Leto, Lewiston: Dateline: Sunday, Feb. 9,1964, outside Boston Mass.
I was 9 years old and in the fourth grade. Only three broadcast stations in those days: ABC, CBS and NBC.
Ed Sullivan came on and announced that “we have a really good shoe (sic) for you folks, tonight.”
The Beatles came on. My mother, whose parents came over on the boat from Ireland, announced: “They’re so HOMELY!”
My father looked at her and shrugged. “Flash in the pan.”
Our dog, an Irish setter, yawned. Even the dog didn’t think they’d amount to much.

Irene Everett, Lewiston: I remember that February night in 1964 very clearly. My dad was in the Air Force, and my family was living in Biloxi, Miss. My 6½-year-old sensibilities had been injured in some fashion, and I remember I was pouting by myself in my bedroom. My mom hollered at me from the living room, “Irene, if you don’t come out, you’re going to miss The Beatles.”
We watched a lot of nature shows in our household, so I thought this was just another episode of “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” and another show about bugs. I was so surprised by what I saw when I rounded the hall corner and sat down with the rest of my family in front of “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
They were making magic. I don’t remember what they were singing about, but at 6 years old I was mesmerized by those four strange-looking, mop-topped young men. I remember very vividly, the caption that read “SORRY GIRLS, HE’S MARRIED” put up in front of John Lennon. And that was the night that I fell in love with, and still have a soft spot for, my favorite Beatle, Ringo Starr.

Tom Morris, Moscow: I was 9 years old, and our family gathered around the black-and-white TV at our home in Columbus, Ind. It was a breakthrough moment for me. I can vividly remember where I was sitting (to the left of the screen next to my cousins Linda and Patty). Then Sullivan introduced this unknown “vocal group” as my dad called them … then “All My Loving” blasted through the screen, and I was hooked. I’m still a huge fan and listen to their music — 1963 to 1970 — any song, anywhere. My uncle then stated, “Hmm, I’m sticking with Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton.”

Cyndi Richardson, Memphis, Tenn: I was one of the 73 million people watching The Beatles’ first performance in America, and the adrenaline was running high in the USA. You could feel it in the air.
We usually went to church on Sunday night, so I’m surprised my father let us stay home and watch this highly anticipated event. … In 1964, I was 10 years old and a Top-40 AM radio listener. In late 1963, my mom told me about a group in England that “everyone was going crazy over,” and I was intrigued. When I heard “I Want to Hold Your Hand” for the first time on the radio, I was all in. … Seeing The Beatles on live TV was thrilling because they looked so different, it was like they were from another planet. I remember all the talk at school the next day about them on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
In 1966, my mom took my sister and me to see The Beatles in concert in Memphis. A few days later, they quit touring. Now I have a 10-year-old granddaughter who’s a budding Beatles fan. In the last decade, I have seen Paul McCartney three times in concert and Ringo Starr three times, and every audience is multigenerational.

Jennifer A. Menegas, Lewiston: As the middle child of five sisters, I paid attention to what my two older and more sophisticated sisters were into: “American Bandstand” every Saturday, Casey Kasem’s “American Top 40,” Wolfman Jack’s “Midnight Special.” One day, my oldest sister said there was a new group from England debuting on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” but we weren’t allowed to watch TV on Sunday. Determined to get a first peek at this new group, I devised a way to be at my best friend’s house where they were allowed to do all kinds of demented things (like play gin rummy and skateboard in their swimsuits). I’ll never forget how their unique sound made me feel as a 10-year-old girl. It made us want to dance wildly, scream, cry and generally act like the crazed teenagers in the audience.
Next morning, sitting between my sister and mom driving us to school, “She Loves You” came on the radio. I couldn’t help myself. I sang it at the top of my lungs. Blew my cover right then and there. Was it worth it to sneak out and watch Ed Sullivan introduce The Beatles? Yep. Every second of extra chores was well worth it. Kind of drove Mom crazy that I washed those dishes to the rhythm of “I Want To Hold Your Hand.”

Shirley Collier, Clarkston: My sister was 12, and I was 13. We sat on the living room floor in front of the TV. We weren’t allowed to make any noise. (Parents claimed we were boy crazy anyway.) We expressed our excitement later when we were alone in our room and at school with our friends. We took pictures of the performance with our Brownie instamatic cameras (black and white). How I wish I still had those pictures.
My son loves The Beatles too, and my granddaughter even likes some of their songs. She used her phone to play some of their songs once through my car radio on a road trip. And I still knew all the words!

Andy Bjorklund, Lewiston: Beatlemania reached my family’s home when I was a ninth grader in central Seattle. Our previous interests included Dad’s country music radio, Mom’s attraction to country and pop music stars on TV, my younger brother’s budding interest in The Four Seasons and The Beach Boys and, thanks to my junior high (75% Black kids), a thorough saturation in soul music. Could the British invasion fit the mix?
But the most bewildering part of our “Ed Sullivan” Beatles debut was Dad’s fashion accessories for the event: a short-brimmed straw hat with a flower aside the crown, a Hawaiian lei, assorted nonmusic booster buttons and horizontally striped socks. It was his retort for the screaming female hysteria.
Such resistance did not deter the sons. The Beatles’ forthcoming eclectic creativity made its mark. We sons bought more than a few of their vinyl 45-rpm singles and LP albums during the later school years. My wife and I now have six Beatles albums in our diverse music collection. Their enduring “Abbey Road” is still my favorite.

Carla Weza North, Lewiston: When I was 14 we lived in Kennewick, and I attended Park Junior High School. Our choir teacher’s name was Ted Baer, aka “Teddy Bear,” and he was such a great teacher. When The Beatles were going to appear on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” all of the girls in the choir were over the moon. We were always talking about who our favorite Beatle was. Plus, we were all looking forward to watching “Ed Sullivan” on Sunday night at 8 p.m.
Finally they were on, and it was so cool to see the Fab Four and listen to them sing some of our favorite songs. The girls in the audience were screaming so loud you couldn’t always hear them. It was neat they sang “Till There Was You” from “The Music Man,” because we had just performed it in our concert.
Monday morning in girls’ choir, we all talked about how special it had been to see them and how much we had enjoyed seeing our favorite Beatle. Mr. Baer got a laugh out of all of us talking about them and let us have the first 15 minutes of class to talk.

Kathylu Szabo, Moscow: My parents were in a bridge group. Sunday, Feb. 9, 1964, was their turn to host. I asked the folks if we could watch “The Ed Sullivan Show” and see The Beatles, and they said “absolutely not.” So I was resigned to not seeing them because their word was law.
As the bridge players started arriving, the first question the ladies asked was, “Can we watch The Beatles when they come on ‘Ed Sullivan’ tonight?” Well, my parents had to be good hosts and said, “Yes.”
So I was able to see the Beatles with 12 bridge-playing adults.

Additional mentions from Facebook included:

Karen Powers Fowler: I was 10 years old. I was so excited! I remember my mom and dad were watching also. They thought the music was terrible and their hair was way too long.

Ron Hranac: We were at my grandparents’ place for dinner, and I remember my grandmother saying, “I wouldn’t want to hold their hand.”

Kathie Llewellyn Smith: I was 13, and watched with my mom. After they were done, Mom shook her head and said, “I don’t get it.”