Rock stars come and go, but the Beatles appearance on Ed Sullivan television show in February 1964 changed the world forever. Before Ed Sullivan, few people in this country had ever seen or heard the Beatles. This was before the internet. Television at the time offered maybe three to four channels. Ed Sullivan was a variety show. Every Sunday night, families gathered around the television set to watch Ed Sullivan introduce his comedians, juggling acts, tap dancers, stuff like that. But, on this night, more than 73 million people were tuned into the show, the largest audience of all time. They wanted to know what was so special about the Fab Four!
I read about singer songwriter Roseanne Cash’s memory of the night in her memoir. She was only eight-years-old at the time but she said, “I loved the Beatles so much, it was physically painful.” Of course she was not alone in this sense. Witnesses in the Ed Sullivan CBS theater say the crowd screamed so loud, you couldn’t even hear the words of the songs. No one had ever experienced the sound, look, and/or vibe of a group like the Beatles before. They were good looking. They had long hair. And, Man, they could play! Lives were inspired on this night. Like Roseanne, young people (and old) all around the world picked guitars and/or began writing songs as soon as they could. I know that because I hear it all the time on radio station interviews with rock stars. If they were around in 1964, they claim to have watched the show. They loved the music. They loved the style. They were just blown away.
The Beatles gave them something to dream about. John, Paul, George and Ringo were poor boys from Liverpool. They started with nothing, and they made it big. Boys and girls, men and women, that’s all they wanted from the time they saw them on the Ed Sullivan show, to be Beatles. Almost 60 years later, and the Beatles are still HUGE. John and George are dead, but not forgotten. Paul and Ringo are still selling out concerts, and they are in their eighties. Today, many of my students listen to the Beatles and write essays about them. Whatever they meant to their fans back THEN, there are plenty of fans that feel the same NOW. As I write this, few of my readers will recognize the name of Ed Sullivan, but some of them will. They will know that Ed Sullivan introduced the Beatles to this country, and it hasn’t been the same since.
Below: The Beatles singing "Twist and Shout."
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