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List of The Beatles' live performances

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This is a chronological list of The Beatles' known live performances under the name " The Beatles ".

Any appearances with members that differ from the most well-known line-up ( John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr ) are marked accordingly. Other interesting information is also included.

• 3.1 Winter 1963 Scotland Tour
• 3.2 Winter 1963 UK Tour
• 3.3 Winter 1963 Helen Shapiro Tour Part 1
• 3.4 Winter 1963 Helen Shapiro Tour Part 2
• 3.5 Winter 1963 UK Tour
• 3.6 Spring 1963 Tommy Roe / Chris Montez Tour
• 3.7 Spring 1963 UK Tour
• 3.8 Spring 1963 Roy Orbison / The Beatles Tour
• 3.9 Summer 1963 UK Tour
• 3.10 Autumn 1963 Scotland Mini-Tour
• 3.11 Autumn 1963 UK Tour
• 3.12 Autumn 1963 Sweden Tour
• 3.13 Autumn 1963 UK Tour continued
• 3.14 The Beatles 1963 Christmas Shows

All With Pete Best

• 1961-01-05: Town Hall - Litherland
• 1961-01-06: St John's Hall - Bootle
• 1961-01-07: Aintree Institute - Aintree
• 1961-01-13: Aintree Institute - Aintree
• 1961-01-14: Aintree Institute - Aintree
• 1961-01-15: The Casbah Coffee Club - Liverpool
• 1961-01-18: Aintree Institute - Aintree
• 1961-01-19: Alexandra Hall - Crosby
• 1961-01-20: Lathom Hall - Lathom
• 1961-01-21: Lathom Hall - Lathom
• 1961-01-25: Hambleton Hall - Huyton
• 1961-01-26: Town Hall - Litherland
• 1961-01-27: Aintree Institute - Aintree
• 1961-01-28: Lathom Hall - Lathom
• 1961-01-29: The Casbah Coffee Club - Liverpool
• 1961-01-30: Lathom Hall - Lathom
• 1961-02-01: Hambleton Hall - Huyton
• 1961-02-02: Town Hall - Litherland
• 1961-02-03: St John's Hall - Bootle
• 1961-02-04: Lathom Hall - Lathom
• 1961-02-05: Blair Hall - Walton
• 1961-02-06: Lathom Hall - Lathom
• 1961-02-07: Merseyside Civil Service Club - Liverpool
• 1961-02-08: Aintree Institute - Aintree
• 1961-02-09: The Cavern Club - Liverpool
• 1961-12-13: The Cavern Club - Liverpool
• 1962-02-05: The Cavern Club - Liverpool
• 1962-04-13: The Star-Club - Hamburg
• 1962-05-31: The Star-Club - Hamburg
• 1962-07-14: Regent Dansette Ballroom - Rhyl
• 1962-07-20: Bell Hall - Warrington
• 1962-08-18: Hulme Hall - Port Sunlight - Ringo's first official performance as a Beatle following the sacking of Pete Best
• 1962-08-22: The Cavern Club - Liverpool - First time The Beatles were on film
• 1962-12-09: The Cavern Club - Liverpool
• 1962-12-31: The Star-Club - Hamburg

Winter 1963 Scotland Tour [ ]

• 1963-01-03: Two Red Shoes - Elgin
• 1963-01-04: Town Hall - Dingwall
• 1963-01-05: Museum Hall - Bridge of Allan
• 1963-01-06: Beach Ballroom - Aberdeen

Winter 1963 UK Tour [ ]

• 1963-01-10: Grafton Rooms - Liverpool
• 1963-01-11: Cavern Club - Liverpool
• 1963-01-11: Plaza Ballroom - Old Hill
• 1963-01-12: Invicta Ballroom - Chatham
• 1963-01-14: Civic Hall - Wirral
• 1963-01-17: Cavern Club - Liverpool
• 1963-01-17: Majestic Ballroom - Birkenhead
• 1963-01-18: Floral Hall - Morecambe
• 1963-01-19: Town Hall - Whitchurch
• 1963-01-20: Cavern Club - Liverpool
• 1963-01-23: Cavern Club - Liverpool
• 1963-01-24: Assembly Hall - Flintshire
• 1963-01-25: Co-Operative Hall - Darwen
• 1963-01-26: El Rio Club - Macclesfield
• 1963-01-26: King’s Hall - Stoke-on-Trent
• 1963-01-27: Three Coins Club - Manchester
• 1963-01-28: Majestic Ballroom - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
• 1963-01-30: Cavern Club - Liverpool
• 1963-02-01: Assembly Rooms - Tamworth
• 1963-02-01: Maney Hall - Sutton Coldfield
• 1963-02-25: Casino Ballroom-Leigh

Winter 1963 Helen Shapiro Tour Part 1 [ ]

• 1963-02-02: Gaumont - Bradford
• 1963-02-03: Cavern Club - Liverpool
• 1963-02-04: Cavern Club - Liverpool
• 1963-02-05: Gaumont - Doncaster
• 1963-02-06: Granada - Bedford
• 1963-02-07: Regal - Wakefield
• 1963-02-08: ABC Cinemas - Carlisle
• 1963-02-09: Empire - Sunderland
• 1963-02-12: Azena Ballroom - Sheffield
• 1963-02-12: Astoria Ballroom - Oldham
• 1963-02-13: Majestic Ballroom - Hull
• 1963-02-14: Locarno Ballroom - Liverpool
• 1963-02-15: Ritz - Birmingham
• 1963-02-16: Carfax Assembly - Oxford
• 1963-02-18: Queen’s Hall - Widnes
• 1963-02-19: Cavern Club - Liverpool
• 1963-02-20: Swimming Baths - Doncaster
• 1963-02-21: Majestic Ballroom - Birkenhead
• 1963-02-22: Oasis Club - Manchester

Winter 1963 Helen Shapiro Tour Part 2 [ ]

• 1963-02-23: Granada - Mansfield
• 1963-02-24: Coventry Theatre - Coventry
• 1963-02-26: Gaumont - Taunton
• 1963-02-27: Rialto - York
• 1963-02-28: Granada - Shrewsbury
• 1963-03-01: Odeon - Southport
• 1963-03-02: City Hall - Sheffield
• 1963-03-03: Gaurnont - Hanley
• 1963-03-04: Plaza Ballroom - St. Helens
• 1963-03-07: Elizabethan Ballroom - Nottingham
• 1963-03-08: Royal Hall - Harrogate

Spring 1963 Tommy Roe / Chris Montez Tour [ ]

• 1963-03-09: Granada - East Ham
• 1963-03-10: Hippodrome - Birmingham
• 1963-03-12: Granada - Bedford
• 1963-03-13: Rialto - York
• 1963-03-14: Gaumont - Wolverhampton
• 1963-03-15: Colston Hall - Bristol
• 1963-03-16: City Hall - Sheffield
• 1963-03-17: Embassy - Peterborough
• 1963-03-18: Regal - Gloucester
• 1963-03-19: Regal - Cambridge
• 1963-03-20: ABC Cinemas - Romford
• 1963-03-21: ABC Cinemas - Croydon
• 1963-03-22: Gaumont - Doncaster
• 1963-03-23: City Hall - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
• 1963-03-24: Empire - Liverpool
• 1963-03-26: Granada - Mansfield
• 1963-03-27: ABC Cinemas - Northampton
• 1963-03-28: ABC Cinemas - Exeter
• 1963-03-29: Odeon - Lewisham
• 1963-03-30: Guildhall - Portsmouth
• 1963-03-31: De Montfort Hall - Leicester

Spring 1963 UK Tour [ ]

• 1963-04-02: Azena Ballroom - Sheffield
• 1963-04-04: Roxburgh Hall - Stowe
• 1963-04-05: Swimming Baths - Leyton E10 London
• 1963-04-06: Pavilion Gardens - Buxton
• 1963-04-07: Savoy Ballroom - Portsmouth
• 1963-04-09: Gaumont State Cinema - London
• 1963-04-10: Majestic Ballroom - Birkenhead
• 1963-04-11: Co-Operative Hall - Middleton
• 1963-04-12: Cavern Club - Liverpool
• 1963-04-15: Riverside Dancing Club - Tenbury Wells
• 1963-04-17: Majestic Ballroom - Luton
• 1963-04-18: Royal Albert Hall - London
• 1963-04-19: King’s Hall - Stoke-on-Trent
• 1963-04-20: Mersey View Pleasure Grounds - Warrington
• 1963-04-21: Empire Pool - Wembley
• 1963-04-21: Pigalle Club - London
• 1963-04-23: Floral Hall - Southport
• 1963-04-24: Majestic Ballroom - London
• 1963-04-25: Fairfield Hall - Croydon
• 1963-04-26: Music Hall - Shrewsbury
• 1963-04-27: Memorial Hall - Northwich
• 1963-05-11: Imperial Ballroom - Nelson
• 1963-05-14: Rink Ballroom - Sunderland
• 1963-05-15: Royalty Theatre - Chester
• 1963-05-17: Grosvenor Rooms - Norwich

Spring 1963 Roy Orbison / The Beatles Tour [ ]

• 1963-05-18: Adelphi - Slough
• 1963-05-19: Gaumont - Hanley
• 1963-05-20: Gaumont - Southampton
• 1963-05-22: Gaumont - Ipswich
• 1963-05-23: Odeon - Nottingham
• 1963-05-24: Granada - Walthamstow
• 1963-05-25: City Hall - Sheffield
• 1963-05-26: Empire - Liverpool
• 1963-05-27: Capitol - Cardiff
• 1963-05-28: Gaumont - Worcester
• 1963-05-29: Rialto - York
• 1963-05-30: Odeon - Manchester
• 1963-05-31: Odeon - Southend-on-Sea
• 1963-06-01: Granada - Tooting
• 1963-06-02: Hippodrome - Brighton
• 1963-06-03: Granada - Woolwich
• 1963-06-04: Town Hall - Birmingham
• 1963-06-05: Odeon - Leeds
• 1963-06-07: Odeon - Glasgow
• 1963-06-08: City Hall - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
• 1963-06-09: King George's Hall - Blackburn

Summer 1963 UK Tour [ ]

• 1963-06-10: Pavilion - Bath
• 1963-06-12: Grafton Rooms - Liverpool
• 1963-06-13: Palace Theatre Club - Cheshire
• 1963-06-13: Southern Sporting Club - Manchester
• 1963-06-14: Tower Ballroom - New Brighton
• 1963-06-15: City Hall - Salisbury
• 1963-06-16: Odeon Cinemas - Romford
• 1963-06-21: Odeon Cinemas - Guildford
• 1963-06-22: Town Hall - Abergavenny
• 1963-06-25: Astoria Ballroom - Middlesbrough
• 1963-06-26: Majestic Ballroom - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
• 1963-06-28: Queen’s Hall - Leeds
• 1963-06-30: ABC Cinemas - Great Yarmouth
• 1963-07-05: Plaza Ballroom - Old Hill
• 1963-07-06: Memorial Hall - Northwich
• 1963-07-07: ABC Theatre - Blackpool
• 1963-07-08–1963-07-13: Winter Gardens - Margate
• 1963-07-14: ABC Theatre - Blackpool
• 1963-07-19/20: Itz Ballroom - Rhyl
• 1963-07-21: Queen’s Theatre - Blackpool
• 1963-07-22–1963-07-27: Odeon Theatre - Weston-super-Mare
• 1963-07-28: ABC Cinemas - Great Yarmouth
• 1963-07-31: Imperial Ballroom - Nelson
• 1963-08-02: Grafton Rooms - Liverpool
• 1963-08-03: Cavern Club - Liverpool
• 1963-08-04: Queen’s Theatre - Blackpool
• 1963-08-05: Abbotsfield Park - Urmston
• 1963-08-06/07: The Springfield Ballroom - Jersey
• 1963-08-08: Candie Gardens - Guernsey
• 1963-08-09/10: The Springfield Ballroom - Jersey
• 1963-08-11: ABC Theatre - Blackpool
• 1963-08-12–1963-08-17: Odeon Cinemas - Caernarvonshire
• 1963-08-18: Princess Theatre - Torquay
• 1963-08-19–1963-08-24: Gaumont - Bournemouth
• 1963-08-25: ABC Theatre - Blackpool
• 1963-08-26–1963-08-31: Odeon Cinemas - Southport
• 1963-09-04: Gaumont - Worcester
• 1963-09-05: Gaumont - Taunton
• 1963-09-06: Odeon Cinema - Luton
• 1963-09-07: Fairfield Hall - Croydon
• 1963-09-08: ABC Theatre - Blackpool
• 1963-09-13: Public Hall - Preston
• 1963-09-14: Memorial Hall - Northwich
• 1963-09-15: Royal Albert Hall - London

Autumn 1963 Scotland Mini-Tour [ ]

• 1963-10-05: Concert Hall - Glasgow
• 1963-10-06: Carlton - Kirkcaldy
• 1963-10-07: Caird Hall - Dundee

Autumn 1963 UK Tour [ ]

• 1963-10-11: Trentham Gardens - Trentham
• 1963-10-13: London Palladium - London
• 1963-10-15: Floral Hall - Southport
• 1963-10-19: Pavilion Gardens Ballroom - Buxton

Autumn 1963 Sweden Tour [ ]

• 1963-10-25: Sundsta-aulan - Karlstad
• 1963-10-26: Kungliga Tennishallen - Stockholm
• 1963-10-27: Cirkus - Gothenburg
• 1963-10-28: Boråshallen - Borås
• 1963-10-29: Sporthallen - Eskilstuna

Autumn 1963 UK Tour continued [ ]

• 1963-11-01: Odeon - Cheltenham
• 1963-11-02: City Hall - Sheffield
• 1963-11-03: Odeon - Leeds
• 1963-11-04: Prince of Wales Theatre - London
• 1963-11-05: Adelphi - Slough
• 1963-11-06: ABC Cinemas - Northampton
• 1963-11-07: Adelphi - Dublin
• 1963-11-08: Ritz - Belfast
• 1963-11-09: Granada - East Ham
• 1963-11-10: Hippodrome - Birmingham
• 1963-11-13: ABC Cinemas - Plymouth
• 1963-11-14: ABC Cinemas - Exeter
• 1963-11-15: Colston Hall - Bristol
• 1963-11-16: Winter Gardens - Bournemouth
• 1963-11-17: Coventry Theatre - Coventry
• 1963-11-19: Gaumont - Wolverhampton
• 1963-11-20: Apollo - Manchester
• 1963-11-21: ABC Cinemas - Carlisle
• 1963-11-22: Globe - Stockton-on-Tees
• 1963-11-23: City Hall - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
• 1963-11-24: ABC Cinemas - Hull
• 1963-11-26: Regal - Cambridge
• 1963-11-27: Rialto - York
• 1963-11-28: ABC Cinemas - Lincoln
• 1963-11-29: ABC Cinemas - Huddersfield
• 1963-11-30: Empire - Sunderland
• 1963-12-01: De Montfort Hall - Leicester
• 1963-12-02: Grosvenor House Hotel - London
• 1963-12-03: Guildhall - Portsmouth
• 1963-12-07: Empire Theatre - Liverpool (It's The Beatles)
• 1963-12-07: Odeon - Liverpool
• 1963-12-08: Odeon - Lewisham
• 1963-12-09: Odeon - Southend-on-Sea
• 1963-12-10: Gaumont - Doncaster
• 1963-12-11: Futurist Theatre - Scarborough
• 1963-12-12: Odeon - Nottingham
• 1963-12-13: Gaumont - Southampton
• 1963-12-14: Wimbledon Palais - London

The Beatles 1963 Christmas Shows [ ]

• 1963-12-21: Gaumont - Bradford
• 1963-12-22: Empire Theatre - Liverpool
• 1963-12-24: Astoria Cinema - London
• 1963-12-26–1963-12-28: Astoria Cinema - London
• 1963-12-30–1963-12-31: Astoria Cinema - London

1964-01-01: Finsbury Park Astoria Theatre - London

• 1 Jim McCartney
• 2 The Long One
• 3 The Beatles (animated series)

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The Beatles are the best band in the history of music. The fact their music is still appreciated and being discovered today shows that they are timeless. This band made such a difference to music and really helped and inspired some of the artists today and throughout the decades. It amazes me that a small group of men from Liverpool made such a difference to the 60's and to the music scene. They have been one of my favourite bands my entire life, and I can't remember a day growing up without listening to them, as my Dad was also a massive fan of The Beatles and still is today.

One of my favourite albums is 'Yellow Submarine' and that being my most favourite song! They have been through so much and still Paul and Ringo receive global recognition for all the amazing songs and work they have done.

Basically, The Beatles are one of the best ever to have been formed and still to this day hold that title.

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Watch CBS News

The Beatles' record-breaking 1964 North American tour

January 28, 2014 / 4:23 PM EST / CBS News

This piece by guest author Chuck Gunderson is part of a series of essays to mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' first American television appearance on CBS's "The Ed Sullivan Show." It culminates with  CBS News, 50 Years Later...The Beatles at The Ed Sullivan Theater: Presented by Motown The Musical , a live, interactive multimedia event at The Ed Sullivan Theater on Feb. 9. 

In February 1964, after finally achieving a number-one hit in America, the Fab Four came to the United States with high hopes, performing on the widely popular Ed Sullivan Show both in New York City and Miami Beach and playing concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Washington Coliseum.  In just 15 short days, the Beatles conquered America.

• Complete coverage of The Beatles: 50 Years Later

All told, the first official tour of North America would have the group play a staggering 32 shows in 26 venues in 24 cities in just 33 days.  In the end they would walk away richer by $1 million -- in today's dollars, about $7.5 million. GAC's Weiss marveled, "In the more than 15 years that I have been in this business, I do not know of any attraction that has come close to this sort of money in so short a tour." 

Elaborate plans were drawn up to transport the Fab Four to hotels and venues.  These included the use of ambulances, police paddy wagons, armored trucks, and, in one case an empty fish truck.  Hucksters as well as managers of fine hotels gathered up bed linens, pillowcases and even the carpet the Beatles walked on to be cut and sold off to fans that were eager to get their hands on anything the Beatles touched.

Perhaps no musical act before or since will ever rival the Beatles on their groundbreaking tour of 1964. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr would not only leave an indelible impression on their fans in the United States and Canada, but also leave the continent with devotees hungering for more.   

• More on the Beatles from CBS Local
• Win tickets to the live event at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Feb. 9

Chuck Gunderson is author of the upcoming book, “Some Fun Tonight,” an epic two-volume set on the history of the Beatles' North American tours of 1964 to 1966.

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The Beatles 1964 First Tour Of The United States – The Photos And The Mania

7th February 2014 marked 50 years since The Beatles first toured the United States. The band were a massive hit . On 9 February 1964 the Fab Four made their first live US television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show . At  8 P.M, 73 million Americans saw John Paul, George and Ringo play.

On 11 February 1964 The Beatles’ performed in their first US concert, a show at Washington Coliseum, Washington, D.C. Next day, they performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, New York. They squeezed in another performance on the Sullivan show before returning to the UK on 22 February 1964.

The Beatles leave London airport in 1964. From left: John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo)

The Beatles leave London airport in 1964. From left: John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. (AP Photo)

ARRIVING IN NEW YORK

Britain’’s Beatles make a windswept arrival in New York on Feb. 7, 1964, as they step down from the plane that brought them from London, at Kennedy airport. From left to right, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison (AP Photo)

The Beatles arrive at New York’s Kennedy Airport Feb. 7, 1964 for their first U.S. appearance. From left are: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. (AP Photo)

Police man the barricades outside New York’’s Plaza Hotel, on Feb. 7, 1964, as Beatle maniacs push forward in hopes of a view of Britain’’s singing sensations after their arrival for an American tour. (AP Photo)

Police enforce the barricades outside New York’s Plaza Hotel as fans push forward in hopes of a view of The Beatles after their arrival for an American tour on February 7, 1964. (AP Photo)

The Beatles are shown during a news conference in Forest Hills, N.Y., Feb. 1964. (AP Photo)

The British rock and roll group The Beatles are seen during their first U.S. tour in 1964. The band members, from left to right, are George Harrison, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo)

The Beatles meet reporters at Kennedy Airport in New York City, Feb. 7, 1964 on their arrival from London for their first American tour. The band members, from left, are, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and John Lennon. (AP Photo)

The Beatles wave to fans assembled below their Plaza Hotel window after they arrived in New York City on Feb. 7, 1964 for a short tour of the United States. From left to right are, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and George Harrison. (AP Photo)

The four members of Britain’s young singing group, the Beatles, stand in front of the microphones in the press room of Kennedy International Airport today during press conference following their arrival, February 7, 1964. From left: John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney. (AP Photo)

The Beatles face the media on arrival at the John F. Kennedy ariport in New York City. Feb. 7, 1964. The British rock and roll group was also greeted by a screaming crowd estimated at 5,000. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi)

The Beatles walk around New York’s Central Park, Feb. 10, 1964. From left: Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr. (AP Photo)

Three members of the Beatles pose on a stack of rowboats in New York’s Central Park, Feb. 10, 1964. From top: Ringo Starr, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. (AP Photo)

John Lennon, center, holds his forehead as 5-year-old Debbie Fyall, of London, England, sits on his shoulders, in New York, Central Park, USA, February 8, 1964. The other two members of the Beatles are Paul McCartney, left, and Ringo Starr, right. (AP Photo/The Beatles)

ED SULLIVAN

Three of the four member of the British group the Beatles are shown with Ed Sullivan before their live television appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in New York City, Feb. 10, 1964. From left are, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, partial view, George Harrison and Sullivan. (AP Photo)

American fans in New York react during the Beatles’ concert on the “Ed Sullivan Show”, Feb. 8, 1964. (AP Photo)

The Beatles, minus an ailing George Harrison, perform on the “Ed Sullivan Show”, Feb. 8, 1964. In front, left to right: Paul McCartney, Neil Aspinall (standing in for Harrison), and John Lennon. On drums is Ringo Starr. (AP Photo)

British rock band the Beatles are shown during rehearsals on the set of the “Ed Sullivan Show” in New York, Feb. 9, 1964. On drums is Ringo Starr, bassist is Paul McCartney, left, and guitarist is John Lennon. (AP Photo)

Paul McCartney, bassist for the Beatles, is shown on the set of the Ed Sullivan Show, Feb. 1964. (AP Photo)

Ed Sullivan, center, stands with The Beatles during a rehearsal for the British group’s first American appearance, on the “Ed Sullivan Show,” in New York. Feb. 9th, 1964. From left: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Sullivan, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The rock ‘n’ roll band known as “The Fab Four” was seen by 70 million viewers. “Beatlemania” swept the charts with twenty No.1 hits and more than 100 million records sold. The Beatles broke up in 1970. (AP Photo)

The Beatles perform on the CBS “Ed Sullivan Show” in New York, in this Feb. 9, 1964, file photo. From left, front, are Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon. Ringo Starr plays drums in the background. The Beatles’ “Love” album is being released on Nov. 21, and is a thorough reinterpretation of their work. (AP Photo/FILE)

WASHINGTON – AN ‘I WAS THERE’ MOMENT

The Beatles perform at the Coliseum in Washington, D.C., Feb. 12, 1964, during their first American tour. The British band members are, in foreground, Paul McCartney and John Lennon; Ringo Starr on drums; and George Harrison on guitar, far right. (AP Photo)

Surrounded by amplifiers and treading jumping beans underfoot, the Beatles swing into their routine during a show at the Coliseum in Washington, Feb. 11, 1964. From left: lead guitarist George Harrison, bassist Paul McCartney, rhythm guitarist John Lennon, and drummer Ringo Starr. The beans were thrown by excited fans. (AP Photo)

DRINKS WITH THE KNOBS

The centre of attraction, four boys from Liverpool enjoy themselves as they attend a charity ball at the British Embassy, in Washington, on Feb. 11, 1964. They are the Beatles , from left: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and John Lennon, currently raising a storm on their first tour of the United States. (AP Photo)

NEW YORK GIG

Police security is on hand for the arrival of The Beatles as guitarist George Harrison leads the way from a taxi-cab to Carnegie Hall’s stagedoor on W. 56th St. in New York City on Feb. 12, 1964 . About 2,000 fans are gathered outside the concert hall to catch a glimpse of the British rock and roll band on their first U.S. tour. (AP Photo)

The Beatles, from left, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, take a fake blow from Cassius Clay while visiting the heavyweight contender at his training camp in Miami Beach, Fla. Tuesday February 18,1964.

Boxer Cassius Clay lifts Ringo Starr, one of the Beatles into the air while the singers visited Clay’s camp in Miami Beach, Fla. February, 18th, 1964. Others are, from left: Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and John Lennon. (AP Photo)

Ringo Starr of The Beatles Rock group shown on the beach in Florida, February 15, 1964. (AP Photo)

WELCOME HOME

British pop group the Beatles wave as they arrive at London Airport, England, in 1964 after their successful U.S. tour. (AP Photo)

A Beatle fan claws at a metal fence as she welcomes the pop group on their arrival at London Airport, England on Feb 22, 1964. Some 5,000 people, many of whom had waited overnight, were at the airport. (AP Photo)

Four thousand fans of The Beatles at London Airport to greet them on their return from a tour of the United States.

Paul McCartney looks up and acknowledges the waves and screams shortly after arriving with the other three Beatles at London Airport from America.

Fans press forward to the restraining linked arms of a chain of extra policemen on duty at London Airport when the Beatles returned from a tour of the United States.

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Feb. 11 1964, the Beatles' first concert in the United States

Eric Jentsch in our Division of Culture and the Arts shares the story of the first Beatles concert in America, which took place right here in Washington, D.C. 

February 11th marks the 48th anniversary of the Beatles' first concert in America. Two days earlier, the group introduced themselves to the nation by performing on New York-based "The Ed Sullivan Show." The "Fab Four" from Liverpool were famously met by more than 3,000 hysterical and nearly riotous fans at JFK airport when they first arrived in the city.

After the concert, the Beatles headed south to Washington, D.C., to play a raucous set before thousands of ecstatic teenagers at the overbooked Washington Coliseum.

American "Beatle-Mania" was a relatively recent development. Devotion to the group came seemingly overnight, with their first song to hit the U.S. charts, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" rocketing to number one that previous December, selling more than 5 million copies in seven weeks. The Beatles then succeeded themselves at the number one spot with "She Loves You," already a hit in England.

Washingtonian Carroll James is the DJ credited with first playing "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on U.S. airwaves. The Beatles' subsequent popularity in the nation's capital inspired the band's visit to the District after their Sullivan performance.

A ticket envelope from the Beatles' D.C. concert.

The concert at the now-defunct Washington Coliseum was nothing like the shows that would be staged by rock musicians just a few years later. Sub-par amplification coupled with incessant screaming from throngs of teens made the band hard to hear. The stage was placed in the center of the crowd, forcing members of the band to move their equipment around the stage during the performance in order to face each section of the audience. This was especially inconvenient to percussionist Ringo Starr, who was responsible for moving his large drum-kit about numerous times throughout the night.

None of this seemed deter the enjoyment of the hysterical crowd, whose screaming continued unabated throughout the entire performance. After sitting through opening acts The Caravelles, Tommy Roe, and the Chiffons, fans were given this set by the Beatles: "Roll Over Beethoven;" "From Me to You;" "I Saw Her Standing There;" "This Boy;" "All My Loving;" "I Wanna Be Your Man;" "Please Please Me;" "Till There Was You;" "She Loves You;" "I Want to Hold Your Hand;" "Twist and Shout;" and "Long Tall Sally."

After the appearance, the Beatles went to a party at the British Embassy. They then returned to New York to play two half-hour sets at the famed Carnegie Hall. Their performance on the Ed Sullivan program made the group the talk of the music world, compelling a return trip to the States that summer where they traveled across the country and played larger venues.

Their fantastic success created a "British Invasion" of other English artists inspired by American rock and roll, such as the Rolling Stones and the Kinks, who also found enthusiastic audiences in the United States.

A ticket stub from the February 11 concert, donated by Patricia Mink.

A ticket stub from the Beatle's historic appearance in the Smithsonian's hometown was recently given to the National Museum of American History by long-time D.C. resident Patricia Mink, who attended the concert with her friends. Ms. Mink also included other materials from her youth, including concert programs, autographs, and sound recordings. We are thankful for these materials, as they help us tell the story of this exciting, transitional time in American popular culture.

Eric Jentsch is the deputy chair of the Division of Culture and the Arts at the National Museum of American History.

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By the time fab four played chicago’s international amphitheatre, 60 years ago this week, they’d hit no. 1 and killed on ‘the ed sullivan show.’.

The Beatles’ John Lennon (from left), Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and George Harrison meet the press in New York on Aug. 29, 1964, a week before their Sept. 5 Chicago debut.

The Beatles went viral before there was viral.

In 1964, after playing to a staggering 45% of American households on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in February, the band embarked upon a chaotic tour of North America. The dates included a Sept. 5 show at Chicago’s International Amphitheatre, 60 years ago this week.

“It’s hard to understand how it was before the internet, but there was a thing called word of mouth,” says Beatles historian Martin Lewis . “The Beatles became successful because friends told friends. They said, ‘Have you heard this? It’s astonishing.’ ”

On the podcast “The Excerpt,” Lewis talked recently about how The Beatles went from being virtually unknown in the U.S. in 1963 to global icons in 1964. Here are a few highlights:

Q. What was happening in the American music scene when The Beatles toured the country in 1964?

A. The audience was still in the 1950s. They were still in that gray Eisenhower decade, but The Beatles were in 3D Technicolor … just giddy and optimistic and exuberant with their own energy, their enjoyment of music. And America was sorely in need of that authenticity and that expression of youthful vitality.

• The Beatles on tour: A reporter reminisces about the Fab Four in his book

Q. What role did The Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, play in the band’s rapid success?

A. On Christmas Day 1963, practically nobody in America had heard of The Beatles. And yet, by the time of “The Ed Sullivan Show” 45 days later, 73 million people tuned in. How did that happen? It was triggered mainly by Brian Epstein having secured a contract for them to appear on “The Ed Sullivan Show” at a time they didn’t even have a record contract in America.

He went about convincing Capitol Records to sign The Beatles, and he did that by saying, “Hey, I’ve got them on ‘Ed Sullivan.’ ” The record was released on the day after Christmas, which was crucial because kids were at home. So instead of hearing the record on the radio maybe two or three times a day, they were hearing it 10 times a day.

By the time of “The Ed Sullivan Show” on Feb. 9, 1964, they were already No. 1. It took what was already exploding and just took it into the stratosphere.

If you think of the wonderful enthusiasm for Taylor Swift — a terrific artist — it was like that times 100 million. It is no disrespect to Taylor Swift and her incredible fans, but the electricity of The Beatles and their success without the internet was astonishing.

Q. The Beatles’ music still endures. Do you think that would surprise the Fab Four of 1964?

A. It would have surprised The Beatles to know that their music would last that long. But if we take a broader perspective, it shouldn’t surprise us.

We don’t say ‘Oh, that Shakespeare, he’s 400 years old, we don’t want any of his plays.’ Or we don’t say about the Marx Brothers, ‘Oh, it’s so 1930s, it’s not funny.’ It’s just either good or it’s not good. And what The Beatles did was timeless because it connected with the noblest part of the human spirit, which is the part that yearns to make itself and the world a better place.

• Beatles biopics on the way, with a movie each for Paul, John, George and Ringo

The laws of celebrity physics are: You come along, you’re successful for a few years, you fade away. Each new generation discovers The Beatles and says, “Wow, this stuff’s fantastic.”

Q. The songwriting team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney led to an evolution of the rock ‘n’ roll sound. What did each of them bring to The Beatles’ distinct sound?

A. What most artists did was they got better at doing the same thing. You played guitar better, you sang better. Your lyrics were a little more interesting. The Beatles weren’t interested just in getting a little better. They were interested in changing the boundaries of what you could do. Their approach to songwriting, the topics, the lyrics, the sophistication of all the elements was just unimaginable beforehand.

There was no way that, as great as they were, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly could never create what The Beatles created. They could only work with the building blocks they had.

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The Beatles live: Olympia Stadium, Detroit

The Beatles performed two concerts at the 15,000-capacity Detroit Olympia on this day. The other acts on the bill were, in order of appearance, The Bill Black Combo, The Exciters, Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry, and Jackie DeShannon.

The Beatles performed the standard 12-song set which they retained for most of the US tour: ‘Twist And Shout’ , ‘You Can’t Do That’ , ‘All My Loving’ , ‘She Loves You’ , ‘Things We Said Today’ , ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ , ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ , ‘If I Fell’ , ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ , ‘Boys’ , ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ , and ‘Long Tall Sally’ .

After the show they stayed at the Whittier Hotel. Following their departure the sheets they slept on were purchased by a radio station and cut into small squares, which were then sold to fans.

The Beatles performed on one other date at the Olympia Stadium, on 13 August 1966 .

Also on this day...

Want more? Visit the Beatles history section .

Latest Comments

I was at this concert and saw Paul McCartney again at Comerica Park July 24, 2011. He mentioned that you could not hear songs for all the screaming. So true. I was bummed because you could not hear at all. Girl next to me fainted and missed entire concert. Did enjoy Jackie DeShannon but don’t remember the other acts. I have never run into anyone who was at that concert and everyone is always impressed that I saw them in 1964. I live in East Lansing, MI. Who else was there???

I also attended the 1964 concert. The event was so influential in my life that it is etched in my mind forever. Interestingly, I don’t remember any other bands performing at the concert. I remember that they only played for about 20 minutes and were set up at one end of what was normally the Olympia ice hockey surface. The screaming was constant and deafening and as fate had it, I was seated to the band’s right and just slightly behind them, but up in the second or third tier so I had a great view and could actually hear them play and sing, (except when Ringo sang the song “Boys”). Thoughtfully, they all turned around and acknowledged the fans seated behind them after every song.

Another image that has stuck with me is all the jelly beans that fans threw at them during the performance. After the concert, two rows of cops with arms interlocked surrounded the stage, barely stopping some and dragging others off who had leapt over them to grab the jelly beans they stepped on during the concert. An absolutely, unbelievably amazing Beatlemania scene! Afterwards, on the way out, people were breathing so hard from 20 minutes of screaming, that the walls of the exit corridors were literally dripping with exhaled moisture!

My sister was at that concert. She still has a couple of the jelly beans that the Beatles stepped on and threw back at the crowd. I went with my dad to pick her up from the concert. She was 17 at the time and came out of Olympia with her girlfriends hoarse and drenched in sweat.

Attention Mark Calice. Did you attend the 2 PM show of the Beatles at the Olympia September 6, 1964? If so I was sitting near where you sat as well. Do you have any pictures of the crowd to the right of the band on stage? That is side-stage-left? We have no pics. We didn’t keep our stubs. Really a bummer. My uncle gave me 4 tickets. I thought I had real power when deciding who I would take but my Mother nixed those ideas. She made me take her friend’s two daughters. Then to top it off she insisted on going to the concert as well. All in all it was still an impactful time that remains vivid in my memory. Hoping you will see this post and get in touch with me.

I was also there….up in the Press Box with the son of my Dad’s boss and his fiancee’. I remember a girl fainting and all the screaming. Though I had no idea what this word meant at the time, I can now describe it all as “surreal”…like I was almost dreaming it. I was 8 and it’s one of the best things I can ever say I’ve gotten to do in my life.

I was there Gayle, and although there was a lot of screaming, I did hear them sing. I had forgotten there were other bands at all, I was so excited about the Beatles! I think I was 12 then! lol

Hi, how wild eh. I was there. Our mother took us kids to see them. Never forgot it. …..Bill

I was there in ’64. Couldn’t hear a thing with all the screaming. I think it is so wonderful though that I got to experience that and I love telling people that I got to see them when they came to Detroit. I still get goosebumps remembering all of it!

I was there too! I feel exactly the ssme??

I was there! I am impressed)). I was 12 years old – won my ticket to see them from our local radio station. I’ve never won anything since. I made an entire album of keepsakes from that concert that my mom sold at a garage sale(((! Couldn’t hear a thing except screaming but we saw history in the making. I feel your joy. I had it too ! I didn’t faint but girls around me did. Also, so many girls were outside stage door that they took the Beatles out the side doors we were exiting in and George slipped and fell by us. We were thrilled! ???I’ll never forget that experience and so fun to share that joy with you!

Was that station WKNR -Keener 13?

I was there, I thought I remembered a girl group performing that day but ma by I’m wrong.

I was there with two sisters and my mom. Yes, etched in my memory, John or Paul were only heard as the girls calmed down to hear them mention what song was next. One cord maybe, then couldn’t hear any of the songs the Beatles played but the screaming, the jelly beans the Beatles had to dodge. One girl kept jumping up and down screaming in front of us. My mother beat her with her purse cause she was blocking her view. The energy, the pandemonium. All worth to live a moment in the history of the Beatles. Heard they grossed more in Detroit than any other city that tour. I now live in Singapore, and yes, there is a bit of reverence, when you tell the world “you saw the Beatles live.” Mike Griffin

I was then Miss Michigan 1964, I am the woman in the picture behind them in the interview they had in Detroit. I have just found out that there are 2 more picutre found in London.We were all taken off stage after the jelly beans

I was at the 1964 concert. My family lived in ann Arbor. My dad got tickets from one of the Red Wings hockey players he knew through his job at Ford and he took me since I was only 12. This was a very special occasion since I was one of six children at this time. We were seated up and to the left of the stage and had a very good view. I was timid in the midst of all the screaming. When I finally worked up enough courage to scream, the woman in front of me turned and gave me a strange look. I stayed pretty quiet but was elated. If I covered my ears, I could actually hear the songs through all the noise. My dad wore airport ear gear! Funny! I was motivated to learn to play the guitar and I was convinced I would someday marry Paul McCartney. My best friend was going to marry John Lennon. What a childhood memory! I still have the original program from this concert.

Robyn, your sister mentioned on FB that you were there. Went to Pioneer with Pat. B I was there too. On my way to see Ringo tonight in Albuquerque.

Does any one remember how much the tickets were for the Beatles concert at Olympia?

$4. I still have the ticket stub!

I won’t mine for free but thinking maybe 4.00?

2,3,4 and 5 dollars

Saw the evening performance at Olympia. Main floor seats and we were allowed to get up and approach the stage. I laughlingly tell my boys, my Brownie picture of the Beatles is their inheritance. 2 tickets 4 Beatles, $8.00. 2 tickets Sir Paul, $570.

I was there , I lived in Detroit at the time. I don’t remember hearing much of anything because of the screaming and I think I was doing quite a bit of it myself. But, it was great fun, and I will always have that memory as I was only 12 at the time. The father of a friend of mine said they would never last and bet her a 6 pack of colt 45 that they would be gone in a year. Don’t know if she ever collected it or not!

My Dad, a Probate Judge, scored 4 tickets in ’64. He was to take my three older brothers; one who loved hockey didn’t care to go so I did. At 10 years old I recall hearing only one bit of music through all the screaming. I remember a girl behind me, the veins in her neck bulging as she screamed. As Ringo walked off stage I think a woman leaned over a railing and swung her purse to hit him over the head, likely so she could say her purse touched a Beatle. Amazing night and, yes, people have that reverence when I mention that I was there.

after watching the grammy tribute I have Beatlemania all over again, I too attended the concert at Olympia. Whenever I have talked about the concert, readily admit that we could not actually hear the music, but we knew what song they were singing and could hear it in our head! Still have the tix stubs and a special section of the Detroit News that they published that weekend.

Do you stil have the newspaper? I would interested in buying it

Due to unbelievable good fortune, I was able to see the Beatles TWICE that day. My father had driven me to the first concert, which was at 2 P.M. and, just as was mentioned previously, the noise was so overwhelming from all the screaming that the songs could barely be heard, if at all. On my way out from the first concert, a father on the street who apparently had heard reports of the impossibility of hearing any actual music (and who was probably deterred by the pandemonium from entering the venue), handed me his ticket for the second show! I found my father, and asked him if he would wait for me. He agreed (since he worked in the area and could go to his office). So I returned for the 6 P.M. concert and experienced all the Beatlemania all over again! I’ve never told anyone I went twice until now, so I don’t have any idea what the “reverence” factor would be. (I also got to see Little Stevie Wonder perform when he was 12. I think he was a drummer at the time. In any event, one of the reasons the Beatles put Detroit on their tour was their reverence for Tamla-Motown. It was very influential at the time.)

I was there too. I was 14 years old and it was awesome that you could go to a concert and not have to bring your parents. I took a bus from Clinton twsp. to the stadium with some friends. Everyone was fine. Most awesome thing I ever went to. But boy were the girls crazy with taken off some of their clothing. That was a trip. I was amazed at all the crying too. Of course I was a little crazy with the screaming. Wasn’t everyone?

I saw them in Detroit on September 6, 1964. Unforgettable!!! I saw them again on August 13, 1966 and this time I was determined to get close to the stage. I managed to get close and Paul McCartney looked right at me and smiled when he was singing!!! I was screaming so loud—I was HYSTERICAL!!!!! I was only 14 years old and I can still see it in my mind!!! I will always remember those two days! I have been a Beatles’ fan ever since the first time I saw them on a film clip that was shown on Jack Paar’s Tonight show on January 3, 1964. It was love at first sight for me!!!

I was there also. I was 16 and we got the tickets through an entertainment book. Buy one get one. My friends and I were actually Motown fans and thought the Beatles were just okay at the time. We couldn’t get over the screaming and were caught up in watching all the girls go crazy. I do remember not being able to hear because my ears were plugged. We still laugh about it.

I was there. I was 15. Went with a friend from school (SMR). It was indeed amazing, but I too was upset that I couldn’t hear them. All the screaming – and no one sat down! It is something I shall always remember…screaming, fainting, waving, dancing, jumping up and down – they did it all at that concert. I do not remember any other groups performing that night, but it was a wonderful concert. I too get the same reaction when I tell folks I saw them.

I was rapt the 1964 concert in Detroit with my two cousins and sister, I had never seen anything like it? Loved every minute of it!!!!

I was there and it was my 1st concert. My dad dropped my girlfriend and me off as we were only 14. We screamed our heads off, of course, and had a blast. We even made it to the stage somehow and grabbed all the jelly beans we could. Pretty fun behavior for us ” good little Our Lady of Mercy” girls. I kept those jelly beans in a glass jar on my dresser for years. Great memories!! My kids of course don’t believe me LoL!!! Kathleen

Oh man, I am in the process of writing this as a first chapter to my memoirs for my grandchildren! Being curious I wondered how much the tickets were, and what other things happened then, so I looked it up on Google….I still have the ticket stub somewhere…but anyway, I was 11 and my sister 16. Our Mom drove us to Olympia, and sat in the car knitting the entire time we were inside. When we came out, she had struck up conversation with the mother next to her also knitting in her car! When we went to go inside, we saw a bunch of girls on the side of the building where it was roped off, and now we see a bus approaching! We ran over to squeeze into the crowd and see the Beatles inside the bus waving…one girl jumped the rope and then fell and broke out her front teeth – but still she cried, screamed and waved. We took a little camera, binoculars, and a small tape recorder inside with us. I can’t remember anyone checking out bags. We too had a hard time hearing, seeing, sitting…everyone was standing. Don’t remember the jelly beans at all….or that there were other performers. When we got into the car to go home, we wanted our Mom to hear the tape, and all we could hear was screaming, very faint and very little of the actual singing. We did not get any good photos, way too far, and not clear, and full of arms & heads. We were able to see thru the binoculars but hard when moving all the time – I remember gray suits with pink pin stripes I think. It was a moment in my life I’ll never forget. THanks to all of you for the memories…..

I too was there at the afternoon concert with my cousin. Our parents just dropped us off and left. I think of that now….being dropped off in the middle of Detroit and we were only 11 and 12!! I don’t recall the opening acts that are mentioned either. But I do remember the Cyrkle (RedRubber Ball) playing before the Beatles came out. I had my Brownie flash camera which took flashbulbs. It also had a bad connection so I had to lick each flashbulb before using it!! Which was hard to do as I was crying and screaming at the same time. I did get some pics but they aren’t very good, but they are precious to me!! And I have noticed that people of all ages are in awe of me when I tell them “I saw the BEATLES in person!” Definitely one of the highlights of my life!

The Cyrkle was an opening act during the Beatles’ 1966 tour, not 1964, and Red Rubber Ball (co-written by Paul Simon) was a hit for them in 1966. They were also an opening act for the Rolling Stones’ 1966 American tour.

I saw the beatles @ Olympia sept. 6th 1964. i think it was the first one in the afternoon @ 2:00. The girl in front of me passed out twice during the 1st song. she missed the whole concert which lasted for about a 1\2 hour. 12 songs. jelly beans flying all over the place. about 100 police surrounding the stage & using lots of force to keep fans, mostly woman, from attacking the stage, & when Ringo sang boys,he was hit with aTeddy bear& didn’t miss a beat. The best concert I’ve been to!!! total mayhem beatlemania!!! Got tickets from James Ransom who was the p. r. director at the Sheraton Cadillac at the time. They would not let the beatles stay at the Sheraton because they did not want the kids to tear up the place, but a lot of them showed up any way. also went to the hideout in gross pt.sat. nite,saw the fugitives& met pres. Johnson at the hotel all in the same wk end. An amazing time for a 16 year old from the U.P. (Newberry).

Glenn Frey of the Eagles saw both shows that day. It really inspired him to make music.

I too was lucky enough to see my idols, the Beatles, in Detroit at Olympia on 6 September 1964 (when I was 13) and 13 August 1966 (when I was 15). On the first occasion I’d managed to get through in a radio competition (WKNR as I recall) and answered two out of three questions on the Beatles and my next door neighbour and friend ran in to help me answer the third and final question correctly and I won TWO tickets to see THE BEATLES and we went together. We had very good seats in the front and could see them perfectly. I remember the buzz and excitement and the sweat pouring off the Beatles in the crowded 15,000 capacity venue!

In honesty I don’t remember the other bands allegedly stated on the bill, but I do remember the screaming crowds of adoring fans including ourselves shouting and some were crying non-stop throughout the Beatles set. I also remember rushing to the stage exit to watch the Beatles be bustled out the door with everyone trying to touch or steal a piece of them and John looked back and smiled at us, too!

I went to the second performance on 13 August 1966 with my three cousins and we had seats on the left hand side of the stage where we could see good but heard little singing with all the screaming again. I remember my cousin had binoculars around his shoulder and someone managed to pull them off him as they wanted to see The Beatles up closer! It was a fantastic experience and to have seen The Beatles twice live was and still is an accolade. It’s probably this influence that subliminally encouraged me to move to London where I’ve lived the past 40 years!

How many people can say they saw the Beatles perform live twice? Thanks to all for sharing these Great memories and I’ll never forget them!

I was there, and I couldn’t hear a thing, but I was screaming the entire time myself. I don’t remember any of he other bands at all, this was my first live concert, the first of many live music performances that I saw in Detroit and later, Ann Arbor. Was 13 at the time, and went with another girlfriend. We had good seats, we could see them plainly, if I remember correctly, they were in the neru jackets. Ah, what a memory!

What a walk down memory lane reading all of these wonderful comments! I saw them also at the 2pm concert in September 1964. I could swear that the Cyrkle who’s big hit was Red Rubber Ball was the only other act and that they wore their grey with pink trim Nehru suits. Couldn’t recall how much tickets were so thanks for that memory! Olympia looks just as I remember from the pics posted. I was able to get some pics with my Brownie camera but I had to spit on the flashbulbs so they would make proper contact! Lol. I’m sure I was quite a site screaming and crying and spitting on my lightbulbs!! One of the best days ever for me and my cousin. I was only 12 at the time.

I also was at this concert with my cousins in 1964. I was 10 years old and it my first concert. I thought Gladys Knight and the Pips performed that night also. Does anyone remember that?

Wouldn’t it be interesting to compile a list of everyone who was there? Jill I was there – age 12

Being only 7 at the time, I was too young to be there (though I WAS already a serious Beatles fan!). “The Old Red Barn” was a great place to watch hockey, though.

It was a beautiful September Sunday afternoon. We parked on West Grand Blvd and walked to Olympia. Our seats were on the main floor, rows of card table style chairs with an Isle down the center. The Stage was small and low. Jackie DeShannon is the only performer I remember. Wish I remembered The Bill Black Combo, Elvis Band. The instant the Beatles came in view the crowd, mostly young girls it seemed, erupted into a deafening scream which never subsided and everyone leaped to their feet. Impossible to hear anything, the Beatles or the person next to you. I remember hearing a second or two of a song that I recognized but have forgotten which song it was. The time flew by and they were gone, fled the stage and disappeared. It felt like you had just been put through a wringer ! I was on my tip toes trying to get a glimpse of them the whole time. Didn’t remember how long it lasted but it says here that it was 20 minutes.

I was at that concert remember those folding chairs and yes the stage was very low. So excited to sit in front row.

I did not see the concert but did get to see the Beatles at the Whittier Hotel Sept 1964 since my father was the Manager at the time and we lived in the hotel. It was insanity because thousands of fans camped out in the park across the street and my brothers and I were offered quite a bit of money to sneak them in. One fan even dressed up as a maid in order to get to their room. My father had several interactions with the Beatles in their room and walked into the bathroom hitting Ringo with the door while he was shaving and it came close to cutting him. After they left the hotel my father gathered up the sheets at the request of a DJ from Chicago and sold them to be framed along with his signature certifying them as authentic. It was a highlight getting to see them live and up close even if it was only for a few seconds.

I saw the Beatles in 1966, front row seats thanks to my girlfriends Dad who worked in Detroit. Still have program and newspaper article. On the side of the Beatles were several girls screaming who had their picture taken have that article also. I will never forget it was so awesome. We could hear they were right in front of us.

I also saw the Beatles at the 2:00 show at Olympia. My neighbor friend’s dad got two tickets and she asked me to go. They were good seats and you could see the band clearly! We lived in Southfield at the time. Debbie’s dad drove us as we were 13 at the time. Funny thing was, I was not terribly impressed at the time. The screaming was so loud you could barely hear the songs. I couldn’t quite get why these crazy girls were constantly screaming!! As time went on, I totally appreciated how awesome this experience was, and people are SO impressed when I tell them I saw the Beatles in ‘64. I have many times since then wished I could contact her and thank her for this wonderful experience!!

One of my most cherished memories. I was 15 years old. I remember the wall of amplifiers behind The Beatles and enjoyed The Exciters as one of the openers but only heard the first 3 notes of Twist and Shout and the opening guitar strum of A Hard Days Night. The rest was SCREAMING!!! Tickets were only $3 but programs were $15! Unfortunately my mother did not buy one. I wonder what it would be worth today,

I saw The Beatles twice at Olympia and once In Chicago at White Sox stadium. I took the “Beatle Bus “from Detroit To Chicago. My memory of the first Olympia concert was that I had just had my gallbladder out a few days prior and I was getting squished in the crowd I was 14) I pushed my way to the door and got the attention of the guard and showed him my surgery, he let me in!! I did’nt go for my seat, NOOO I was there to see Paul! I walked to the second level and stood by the metal bars, directly to the front and side where I knew Paul would be playing. and placed myself there. in a few minutes the stadium opened and the fans flooded in. I was able to stand there the whole concert! I had an I LOVE PAUL sign made from a sheet I hung over the rail. At a very slight chance of being heard, I screamed at Paul..I love you Paul, he turned to me and said I,m glad!! Then he started singing “Things We Said Today’! A girl next to me ripped the sleeve of my blouse when he did that!!Oh be still my heart..Paul talked to me!!! It is a beautiful memory that has stayed with me all my life!

The Beatles touched down in Australia 60 years ago — our culture was never the same

By Dan Condon

Topic: Arts, Culture and Entertainment

John Lennon, Jimmie Nicol, George Harrison and Paul McCartney at the Centennial Hall in Adelaide. Nicol was replacing Ringo Starr for two weeks while Ringo had tonsillitis.  ( Getty: Jeff Hochberg )

In the early 1960s, Australia was still besotted by 50s American rock'n'roll and surf music. 

Young music lovers would stomp and twist across dance floors the country over, and artists like Jerry Lee Lewis, Ricky Nelson and Bobby Rydell played packed houses around the country. 

But the world's musical landscape was changing, thanks to four young men from Liverpool. And one meeting in July 1963 made sure that Australia would not be left out. 

One big choice: The Beatles, or Gerry and the Pacemakers?

Kenn Brodziak had barely even heard of The Beatles when he sat down with the band's representatives to discuss bringing them to Australia. 

The Australian concert promoter — who had cut his teeth in theatre before booking tours for the likes of Dave Brubeck, Gene Krupa, and Lonnie Donnegan — had partnered with Dick Lean of Stadiums Limited, who owned most of the country's large capital city venues. Lean wanted Brodziak to bring something fresh and vibrant to Australia to tap into a younger market. 

"It was at Dick Lean's insistence that Kenn look for something for the kids," says Greg Armstrong, co-author of the new book When We Was Fab: Inside the Beatles Australasian Tour 1964. 

"When Kenn went overseas looking for acts, he wasn't looking for The Beatles. He didn't know about them. 

"But he had been clued into their existence by an agent in London by the name of Cyril Berlin. 

"He wrote to Ken, putting forward new ideas of different artists that are bubbling through in the UK, and he mentioned The Beatles. That was the first time Kenn Brodziak had heard of them."

Berlin's letter, which is one of many key pieces of correspondence reprinted in Armstrong and Andy Neill's book, is effusive. Something big was happening with this band and Cyril Berlin knew it. 

"I don't think I have ever in all my years in the business, seen such scenes of enthusiasm by the youngsters, who were quite ecstatic, and also the acclamation of grown-ups," his letter reads. 

"Up til now, I have had an open mind on this group, but after seeing them at work and meeting them personally, I have not the slightest doubt that this is the most exciting and interesting group this country has ever had and will undoubtedly become internationally famous. 

Susette Belle, 16, president of The Beatles Club of Australia, gives gifts to The Beatles in Melbourne. ( Getty: Bettmann Archive )

"There really has never been anything quite like their phenomenal success in this country and you can rest assured that they will steadily become more popular in Australasia and be quite sensational, if and when they play there."

Brodziak thought little of Berlin's suggestion. He had a London visit planned in the coming months and they could discuss new acts, whoever they might be, at that point.

"When Ken arrived in London, it wouldn't have taken him very long if he opened the newspapers or had his ear on the radio to hear that The Beatles were big business in the UK," Armstrong says. 

"They were on the radio all the time with their radio programs on the BBC. Newspapers were starting to bubble through with a lot of hype, and The Beatles were starting to make a big noise."

In what seems like a stroke of very good fortune, Brodziak met up with a promoter named Arthur Howes, who offered him a list of names featuring artists available to tour. 

"The list of names included Gerry and the Pacemakers and The Beatles," Armstrong says. 

"He knew the name The Beatles, but he didn't know anything about them. He said, 'Well, I can't take them all, but I'll get back to you'."

He put a call through to Dick Lean back at home, who had even less idea of who The Beatles were than Brodziak. He did, however, know how he could do some quick market research.

"Key to that decision making was Bruce Stewart, Dick Lean's friend," Armstrong tells. 

"He was a young DJ on 3DB radio, and he knew about The Beatles."

He was also booking charity concerts at Melbourne's Festival Hall, which were popular with teenage music fans. So, Lean put him to work. 

"Dick asked Bruce to ask the kids in the audience at this Sunday charity event," Armstrong explains. "He literally went out and asked the audience, 'Who would you like to see come out to Australia?'. 

"He gave the two names and there was a little bit more applause for The Beatles. He basically went back and recommended The Beatles, Dick agreed, called Kenn back, and a verbal agreement was made to book to The Beatles to come to Australia."

A tale of two Beatles

The Beatles can't have slept much in the early 1960s. Their procession of perfect pop songs and endless string of live commitments and radio appearances puts the work ethic of most other bands to shame. They even made their first feature film in 1964. Things moved quick in The Beatles' camp.

"Months went past and a huge amount of progress occurred, whereas you could talk about other artists where years went by and perhaps not as much happens," Armstrong says. 

"They were incredibly busy, they were willing to do anything. It wasn't unusual for them to be recording at EMI in the morning and then driving 200 miles on the old roads to perform in a hall somewhere in 1963.

"It's quite remarkable the output of these boys, they were writing songs in the backs of vans. 'She Loves You' was written in a van."

This means The Beatles that Brodziak agreed to tour in July 1963 were a very different proposition by the time paperwork for their Australian tour was settled almost six months later. They weren't just a bit bigger, they were becoming a cultural force. And they were worth far more money. 

"The initial fee was put on the table by Arthur Howes for 1,000 pounds sterling, plus there'd be airfares and accommodation and perhaps a royalty or a part of the gate," Armstrong says. 

"A thousand pounds was pretty good money for any band back then. But of course, by the time the ink got on the contract, The Beatles had absolutely taken off and it more than doubled."

It was still a great deal, even at twice the price. The band and their manager Brian Epstein could very easily have reneged and focused their attention on bigger, more lucrative markets. 

"They could have commanded much more by the time the contract was actually signed by January '64," Armstrong says. 

"[Epstein] honoured earlier commitments to come to Australia which is very honourable. He could have got US$50,000 a night at that point in time."

Why Adelaide mattered

All of this is covered in almost forensic depth in When We Was Fab, which Armstrong co-wrote with fellow Beatles expert Andy Neill. 

Correspondence between managers and booking agents, telegrams from the band to local radio DJs, and a ton of photographs and reflections are all included in this fascinating and very in depth look at the band's sole Australian visit. 

A vast crowd gathers outside the Town Hall in King William Street to welcome the Beatles to Adelaide. ( Getty: Keystone )

One key piece of correspondence comes from the people of Adelaide to the tour's promoters. 

The Beatles were coming to Australia, but they weren't playing in Adelaide because the promoters didn't own a venue there. People weren't happy. 

"The moment that Bob Francis, a 5ID radio disc jockey, realised that Adelaide were not on the on the announcement in January '64, he got on the mic on the radio and said, 'This isn't good enough. Why don't we do something about it?'" Armstrong says.

"Within a few days, 80,000 signatures were gathered by people on the street, boxed up and sent to Melbourne by Bob Francis. We put the correspondence in the book because it's almost unbelievable to even realise that that's true, but also that the span of time was so short that they gathered those signatures."

When We Was Fab takes an in-depth look at The Beatles one and only tour of Australia in 1964. ( Supplied: Woodslane Press )

Not only did The Beatles end up visiting Adelaide, it's where they faced their largest ever crowd. Over 200,000 people lined the streets to see the band drive from the airport into the city. 

The Beatles' tour is broadly considered one of the pivotal moments in Australian music history. This was more than a chance for kids to see their favourite band perform, it was an indication that the youth had a culture of their own, and anyone could participate.

"The impact was that we were in the 1960s all of a sudden," Armstrong says. "That was a lasting cultural shift in our teenage culture. Kids had their own thing.

"Bands started to form, everybody realised you can actually do something."

The Adelaide visit alone is perhaps responsible for some of the finest Australian bands of the era.

"In South Australia, there was a couple of smaller bands that joined up and became The Twilights," Armstrong says. "You're talking about a band that would go off and record in Abbey Road Studios and have great fame. 

"Glenn Shorrock, John Bywaters, the names are commonly known today. These were young kids that realised 'I can do that' they want to be they want to make music, and perform and write their own songs. 

"The Masters Apprentices formed out in Adelaide in the wake of The Beatles tour.

"Up in Sydney, we've got The Easybeats, Dutch English migrants forming and becoming Australia's biggest music force with Friday On My Mind. 

"All of these things came in the wake of the Beatles tour and directly impacted by the Beatles as a clear signal that kids can actually do these things."

It's no surprise that Australia fell for the band. Yes, their songs were perfect, but there was a greater appeal than that.

"The Beatles came across as very much everyday people," Armstrong says.

"They weren't pompous university kids or anything like that. 

"They came across as happy go lucky. They were forceful. They were a bit cheeky. And they were very funny. And I think a lot of people noticed that, 'Hey, we can do that' or try and do that."

When We Was Fab: Inside the Beatles Australasian Tour 1964 is out now.

Hear episodes of The Music Show on ABC RN right here . 

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Mick Jagger interview: Rolling Stones vs. the Beatles and how it feels to tour at his age

Mick Jagger is speaking by phone from New Orleans.

Two days earlier, on Thursday, May 2, the Rolling Stones did “Time Is On My Side” with local soul queen Irma Thomas, whose 1964 recording of that classic inspired the British Invaders to cut their own rendition that same year, resulting in the Stones’ first Top 10 entry on the Billboard Hot 100.

Jagger and Thomas revisiting the song together as a deeply soulful duet turned out to be an aptly titled highlight of a set that was, remarkably enough, the Stones’ first time to take the stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Two days later, Jagger says he may go out and catch more music while he’s there — which he does, popping in on the festival’s Gospel Tent on Saturday afternoon — before he makes his way to Arizona for the Stones’ first metro Phoenix concert since the death of founding member Charlie Watts in 2021.

The Stones turned in a brilliant set at State Farm Stadium on Tuesday, May 7, the third date on the Hackney Diamonds Tour , named for the Stones’ first album of original material in nearly 20 years.

Boasting guest appearances by Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and founding bassist Bill Wyman, who left the group in 1993 , "Hackney Diamonds" has been hailed as their best work since “Tattoo You” or “Some Girls,” depending on the individual music critic’s level of enthusiasm.

Before the interview gets underway, the singer has a question for the interviewer.

“How hot is it there?” he asks. “ I remember the last time , it was warning you not to go out. Of course we did.”

Jagger laughs, as he does easily and often in the course of a 15-minute conversation that despite the actual presence of a phone never feels like he's phoning it in.

The man is unerringly affable, endearingly self-aware, impressively candid and refreshingly down-to-earth for one of rock and roll’s defining icons, widely held to be its greatest front man, a master of phrasing and a criminally underrated lyricist to boot, all while still doing stadium tours at 80.

Here’s what else he had to say.

Phoenix meets the Rolling Stones: First Phoenix concert in 1965 was a fever dream: 'So raw and so real'

Mick Jagger on touring as an 80-year-old legend with new music

The videos I've seen on social media from Jazz Fest and opening night have been amazing. Is the feeling you get from doing what you do on stage any different today than it was in the ‘60s or ‘70s?

Well, yeah, I mean, of course (laughs). You were younger and more crazy, more excited. And you were new. You weren't like treated like legends and all this. But you're the same person doing the same thing, even doing some of the same songs, so in some ways, it's the same. But it's a different time in the world, so there's a different vibe. It's the same, but only different, yeah.

How does it feel to have new music in the set?

Actually, really great. I love playing the old songs and all that. But it's great to be able to have something new, because you haven't done it before. It's a challenge to you to get it over to the audience and see if they like it, to see if they want to hear it.

It’s easier in a smaller place to play new songs. It's more difficult with a stadium crowd because they want to hear you know…. "Oh, I've come here to hear 'Paint It, Black'” “When are they gonna play 'Honky Tonk Women'?"

Are they gonna really like these songs? Are we gonna play them well enough? We haven’t played them that many times. We've only done “Angry,” like, three times, compared to “Paint It, Black.” (laughs) You go, 'Ugh, I made a mistake! Oh God.’ So yeah, it's challenging, but I enjoy it.

I would love to do more. We're doing three. I'm sort of changing them around, playing the three or four that are the most well-known. I'd love to put some others in, but there's only so much you can do, as I said, in a stadium. Red Hot Chili Peppers have got a new album. They're on tour and they're doing four songs. And I think we're on the same page here, when you're playing a big show. It's about all the audience can really take. (laughs)

Concert review: Time is still on Mick Jagger's side as the Rolling Stones thrash State Farm Stadium

Mick Jagger on being back in the studio with the Rolling Stones

How did it feel to get back in the studio and work on new material?

Oh, I loved it. It was great. I mean, I had a lot of songs I'd done during lockdown. I had a lot of time to write. So I had a lot of different kinds of songs and was glad to get them finally down. I thought, “When are we gonna get these songs down?” And it actually was really quick and fun and quite enjoyable. I like being back in the studio doing new things.

How do you decide “All right, it's time. Let's get in there and make an album” ?

I told this story when the album came out so I don't want to repeat myself too much. But I said to Keith, you know, “We've just gotta go make an album.” I didn't say, “I don't want to tour unless we have a new album.” But I said, “It would be better to go out with a new album when we next go on tour. So let's go do an album.” Keith said “Yeah, absolutely.”

We always used to have a deadline, you know? Like you guys at newspapers. You gotta write that story. And it's gotta be in here by this time. So I said, “We have to have a deadline.” Because otherwise we just keep going in the studio but we don’t finish anything. So everyone was down for that. And then we did it and we made the deadline. It all happened according to plan.

That's great. Were there specific goals you wanted to achieve artistically with this record?

Well, I wanted it to sound like a record made in 2024. The temptation with an old band is to go in and rehash something you've done before. And of course, the band is still the band. That's why I always say, “It's still gonna sound like the Rolling Stones, no matter what happens.”

But I said, “When you hear it, it's gotta sound like a record that's made by a rock band in this era,” you know? That crispness. If you listen to, say, a 1970s Rolling Stones record compared to this, you might love it because you've listened to it hundreds of times and that's the sound you like. But it's different, you know what I mean? It's a different period of sound.

It's much crisper and you can hear everything more clearly. But it's still got the energy level. To me, the energy level in a rock band is the most important thing. You've got to have that. You've got to feel the energy. That's a big part of it. And you've got to hear what everyone's playing.

Rolling Stones setlist: Every song they sang in Phoenix on the 2024 Hackney Diamonds Tour

Mick Jagger on working with Paul McCartney on 'Hackney Diamonds'

It's definitely got that energy. What was it like to work with Paul McCartney on this record?

Oh, it was great fun. We've all known Paul a long time. We worked in the '60s a little bit. He sang vocals with us and stuff. I've played with him in his house. Ronnie (Wood) has played with him a lot. And Andy Watt, the producer, was doing some work with him. So it was very fortuitous.

That's LA, you know. Next door there's Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton, Paul McCartney. It was great having him come by and he played great on "Bite Your Head Off."

Mick Jagger on losing Charlie Watts and recording with Bill Wyman

This is your first time in Phoenix since Charlie died. What was it like to sort of dust yourself off and get back to the music after losing someone that much at the core of who the Stones are?

Well it's very hard, you know, having Charlie since we first really started. I played with Charlie before the Rolling Stones existed. I played with Charlie as a singer in the Alexis Korner Band. He was playing the drums and I was the singer. Keith was sometimes playing with me. Sometimes he wasn't. So it was a difficult period to be without him.

But, you know, we decided to carry on. We had a tour planned. And Charlie said, 'You should go and do the tour,' you know? 'Go and do it.' So we did. That was tough, you know, doing it. Now, having done a tour with Steve (Jordan), we're kind of into that. But I miss Charlie. I look around and he's not there. But he is on the record. And we've got some other tracks he's on as well that we haven't released yet. So, you know, he's here.

One of the Charlie tracks has Bill Wyman on it. How did it feel to have him come in and kind of complete the circle ?

That was fun because we had this track with Charlie, and Andy and I said, “Well, let's marry up the old rhythm section.” It does sound a bit more like the old Stones, that particular track, “Live By the Sword.” It sounds slightly different from some of the others. But it's great. It's a different feeling.

Mick Jagger on building the ultimate Rolling Stones 2024 tour setlist

I love that you guys started doing “Out of Time” recently. I've always loved that song. What brought you back around to that?

I've always loved it. But the audience in America doesn't seem to know it as well as the European audience. So I think I'm going to give it a miss.

Uh oh. So we're not gonna hear that one in Phoenix?!

In Europe, they all sang along and everything. Here, they don't seem to know the song, you know? I mean, it's not a particularly well-known Stones song. It got a bit of popularity because it was in that (Quentin) Tarantino movie as a playout song. But they don't seem to know it. I put it in the front of the set, or near the front. And everyone's looking around like, “Ehh, what's this?” I don't know. I like to switch the set around. We've only done two shows. And I don't like doing the same set every night.

How do you go about putting a setlist together at this point?

Well, I have a list of all the numbers we rehearsed, right? We rehearsed for four weeks. So then, I go through all the ones I think we have to do, that people expect, that if we didn't do them, people would go, “Well, I came here to see ‘Honky Tonk Women' and they didn't do it.” And of course, I enjoy doing it. It's not a problem.

But then, the front half of the show, I kind of switch around a bit, just to keep everyone on their toes and interested with different ones on different nights. And now I've got to incorporate songs from the new album, which we rehearsed quite a few of them. And as I said before, we're only doing three so I'm switching it around a bit.

Are there other older songs you've never done live that you'd like to get around to someday?

I've tried to hit everything (laughs). I mean, I've been through the whole thing. And we do really weird ones. I mean, we did “I Wanna Be Your Man” (an early Stones single written by Lennon-McCartney) in Liverpool. That was really funny. We do that kind of thing from time to time out of the blue.

Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and rock & roll vs. pop

Speaking of "I Wanna Be Your Man" and Paul being on this record, there's been this ongoing debate for decades where Stones fans argue that the Stones are proper rock and roll and the Beatles are a pop band. What's your take on that?

Well, we're both pop bands, really. In the ‘60s, if you listen to the Rolling Stones, of course we played more blues than the Beatles. And The Beatles used to play more Tamla/Motown covers. We were all cover bands. But we both play pop music. We play blues. The stuff we played in early '60s, it's all influenced. But it's pop music.

“Time Is on my Side,” that we did here, that’s a pop song, you know what I mean? "Let's Spend the Night Together" is a pop song. "Ruby Tuesday" is a pop song. "Angie" is a pop song. Of course, we play rock. The thing about the Rolling Stones, though, and the Beatles, is there are very wide musical influences. Both bands incorporated a lot of styles into their music. Country music, blues, R&B, English music. So we had a very broad range, both of us.

It's difficult to pigeonhole either band, in my opinion. But obviously, the Rolling Stones are the more blues band, right? But we always were a pop band.

You know, one of the things that was so great about the era you guys came up in and defined was that being in a rock and roll band could mean playing any of those types of songs that are on any of those albums either of your groups recorded in the '60s. It seemed as though the possibilities were limitless.

We played Elizabethan songs like "Lady Jane" and "She's a Rainbow." "Paint It, Black" is not really a rock song. It's our most popular streamed song and it's like a Middle East-influenced pop song.

At this point, Jagger is reminded that the interview was scheduled to conclude five minutes earlier.

"Hey listen, I've got to leave you; thank you so much," he says.

And with that, he's off to hear some gospel in New Orleans, time still very much on his side.

Rolling Stones Phoenix 2024 concert: State Farm Stadium in Glendale AZ

When:  8 p.m. Tuesday, May 7.

Where:  State Farm Stadium, 1 Cardinals Way, Glendale.

Admission:  $63 and up.

Details:  800-745-3000,  SeatGeek.com .

Reach the reporter at  [email protected]  or 602-444-4495. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter)  @EdMasley .

Support local journalism.   Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

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Grammy-winning brazilian musician sergio mendes dead at 83.

Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes has died at 83.

The cause is reportedly health challenges related to long-term Covid. 

Mendes’s family told the Guardian in a statement that he “passed away peacefully” in his Los Angeles home. 

“His wife and musical partner for the past 54 years, Gracinha Leporace Mendes, was by his side, as were his loving children,” they said. 

“Mendes last performed in November 2023 to sold out and wildly enthusiastic houses in Paris, London and Barcelona,” they added.

“For the last several months, his health had been challenged by the effects of long term COVID.”

The Brazilian superstar had a career spanning more than 30 albums released across six decades. 

Mendes was known for bringing bossa nova — a style of samba — to an international audience in the 1960s with his band Brasil ’66. 

With hits like “Mas que Nada” and “Magalenha,” Mendes helped shape the modern crossover Brazilian pop.  

“It was completely different from anything, and definitely completely different from rock ’n’ roll,” Latin music scholar Leila Cobo said in the 2020 HBO documentary “Sergio Mendes in the Key of Joy.” 

She added, “But that speaks to how certain Sergio was of that sound. He didn’t try to imitate what was going on.”

Mendes was born in Niterói, Brazil, in 1941. He began playing in clubs and performing with mentors such as Antônio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto, before forming his first band, the Sexteto Bossa Rio. 

With that band, he released his debut album in 1961, “Dance Moderno.” 

By 1964, he moved to Los Angeles, signed  with Capitol Records and formed the band Brasil ‘65. After adding American singers Lani Hall and Bibi Vogel and changing their name to Brasil ‘66, they found success.

Their album, “Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66,” went platinum. It had the single  “Mas que Nada,” which Mendes rerecorded with the Black Eyed Peas in 2006.  

His wife, Gracinha Leporace, replaced Lani Hall in 1966. 

In 1962, Mendes played the first bossa nova festival at Carnegie Hall.

“When you’re young, you don’t think about the long-term future or anything like that. The first time I came was the bossa nova concert at Carnegie Hall with Jobim and Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz and so many others. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe it.’ I was 22 years old. Love at first sight,” he told Spin in a 2021 interview.

He also performed with Frank Sinatra. 

“I was very lucky to have worked with Sinatra. I did two tours with him — one in America and one in Europe,” he told the Line Of Best Fit in a 2023 interview. 

“We played at the Royal Albert Hall for about two weeks, and I was the opening act for him. So I saw him every night in Europe, and here in America, and we became very good friends.”

Mendes was known for mixing original songs with bossa nova covers of popular English-language songs, including the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends” and Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s Dusty Springfield hit, “The Look of Love.”

That song helped him reach a wider audience when he performed it at the 1968 Academy Awards. It had been nominated for an Oscar for the James Bond movie “Casino Royale” that year. 

His version of the Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil song, “Never Gonna Let You Go,” was also a hit in 1983. 

Mendes won a Grammy for best world album for “Brasileiro” in 1992.

In recent years, he helped produce the music for the animated movies “Rio” (2011) and “Rio 2” (2014). 

In 2019, he released his final album, “In the Key of Joy.” 

In his 2021 interview with Spin , Mendes said, “I tell young musicians just embrace your dream and keep walking and keep going. Perseverance is very important. It’s really about your passion. Just be with it.”

When asked what his greatest achievement was, he said, “I don’t think it was one thing. I think it was the whole journey. I’m very, very proud of it and very happy that I met and collaborated with so many different artists from different cultures and different ages,” citing Sinatra, the Black Eyed Peas, Common and John Legend.

“It’s my curiosity and the discovery and the wonderful thing of encountering people that you go to the studio with them, magic happens.”

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Gracinha, their two children, Tiago and Gustavo; three children from his first marriage, Bernardo, Rodrigo and Isabella; and seven grandchildren.

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Ice Spice and Cleotrapa’s tour controversy, explained

Ice Spice has been facing online backlash this week after Cleotrapa accused the rapper of mistreating her while they were touring together.

Ice Spice has been facing online backlash this week after her one-time opening act Cleotrapa accused the “Munch (Feelin’ U)” rapper of mistreating her while they were touring together last month.

Cleotrapa, a hip-hop artist who’s appeared alongside Ice Spice in the “In Ha Mood” music video, made the accusations in a series of six videos on TikTok earlier this week. The videos have collectively garnered over 15 million views, and Ice Spice has since lost tens of thousands of followers, according to the social media analytics website Social Blade .

“No matter what the opportunity is, nobody should make you feel like less than ... because they gave you an opportunity,” Cleotrapa said.

Ice Spice has dismissed Cleotrapa’s concerns, saying on X that her opening act seemed “entitled.” (Representatives for Cleotrapa and Ice Spice didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.)

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Cleotrapa said that when Ice Spice invited her to tour last-minute, her then-friend reassured her they’d share a dressing room and that all the expenses were already handled. But as the artists toured, Cleotrapa alleged, she was at times kicked out of the dressing room, had to pay for her own hotel rooms with brief notice and was left out when Ice Spice’s team ordered food, missing out on a chicken salad and a “secret” trip to a steakhouse. At one point, Cleotrapa alleged, Ice Spice’s team members refused to load her bags into a vehicle, so Cleotrapa had to lug the bags herself in the rain: “I got a sense that she just wanted me to struggle.”

Cleotrapa referenced Ice Spice’s earlier falling out with artist and internet personality Baby Storme. In May, Baby Storme posted several of her text conversations with Ice Spice, including one where Ice Spice appeared to call Nicki Minaj “ungrateful & delusional.”

After Cleotrapa stopped touring, she said, she sent a lengthy text to Ice Spice detailing the issues she had faced. “I will say overall you could’ve been a better host,” Cleotrapa wrote in the apparent text exchange, which was shown in one of her TikToks. “It was beginning to feel like I asked you to come & not the other way around.”

“Nah ur mad ungrateful,” Ice Spice appeared to reply in the screen recording. “i feel like this a cover up.” Ice Spice also called her former tourmate “careerless,” a “bum” and an “entitled loser that thinks the world revolves around them” in the text exchange.

Ice Spice’s manager James Rosemond Jr. appeared to address the debacle in a series of deleted posts on X from Tuesday: “You have to invest in yourself, aka pay expenses if need be for the opportunity. It’s corny,” he said. “Someone gives you an opportunity and this is the thanks the person gets. Openers dont have same things headliners has.”

Ice Spice also seemed to refer to the allegations in a Tuesday audio conversation on X Spaces . “The scary part of fame, honestly, is the moment that somebody feels like they can no longer use your platform or like they’re not getting exactly what they want out of the situation, the way that they want it ... it’s like that’s when they decide to crash out,” Ice Spice said. “... I genuinely was trying to help her.”

She added that while she agreed the invite was “mad last-minute,” Cleotrapa’s story and the “whole essay” the indie artist texted her left out other key details, including them enjoying a theme park together.

“You want me to try to, like, analyze this ... and figure out how I’m wrong when all I did was share my stage with you?” Ice Spice said.

John Rose, an entertainment attorney for Fox Rothschild, said Cleotrapa is one of many up-and-coming artists who have performed without contractual accommodations on a quick-turnaround, unpaid opportunity in the hopes of growing their fan base, getting media exposure or recording music with the major artist inviting them on tour. But artists should seek legal advice from their management or ideally their attorney, Rose said, to help secure basic protections.

“At the end of the day, there’s hundreds, if not thousands of artists who are dreaming of being able to showcase their talent in front of the masses, and they don’t get that opportunity,” he said. “It’s for these artists and their teams to creatively figure out: How do we cull the good out of every situation, no matter how tough it may be?”

Rapper Azealia Banks has advocated for Cleotrapa, criticizing Rosemond’s response and giving Cleotrapa the opportunity to join her Halloween performance.

“I don’t like how everyone is trying to make cleotrapa look,” Banks wrote on X. “She will - be paid, have her own space to glam, whatever she wants on her rider.. because i have ... respect & class.”