Nearly 55 years afterthe Beatleslanded at New York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport on Feb. 7, 1964, PEOPLE is taking a look back at the love affair between a band and a country in an updatedCelebrating Beatlemania! The Beatlesspecial issue.
The 96-page special edition is filled with scenes from the band’s early years, from their debut appearance onThe Ed Sullivan Show(that 75 million Americans tuned in to watch!) to the mass hysteria that ensued during their1965 show at Shea Stadium. Read aboutJohn Lennon,Paul McCartney,George Harrison, andRingo Starr‘s early lives and how they each began their musical careers.
Harry Benson
“Ever since I can remember, he’s been tapping on things,” Starr’s mother, Elsie Starkey, told reporters in 1964. “He made his own set of drums from old tin cans — until we took the hint and bought him his first drums one Christmas.”
Plus, five fans share their memories of the band’s1964 touchdown with PEOPLE.
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“I was 12, so I begged my mom to take me,” said Linda Reig of the vigil held outside New York’s Plaza Hotel, where the group was staying. “We stood out there for hours, and I wore a big ‘I Love Paul’ button. It was freezing, but they did come to the window and wave at us.”
Relive the Beatles’ first trip to America in 1964 with PEOPLE’s Celebrating Beatlemania! The Beatles special edition, available on Amazon and on newsstands now.
source: people.com
