The Beatles Marks The 60th Anniversary Since The Fab Four

Tuesday marks the 60th anniversary since the Fab Four – John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr – took the stage. It was a remarkable moment for the City of Cincinnati – to even be considered for invasion.

During the 60s, The Beatles reached a new height in their career, especially after their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

In August of 1964, the band kicked off their North America Tour – 34 days, 24 cities, 32 shows and Cincinnati was their eighth performance.

The concert was a sold-out show, costing the lucky golden ticket winners a whopping $5.50 for 29 minutes of their time.

Barb Brooks, of Cincinnati, was just 11 years old when she saw the Fab Four live, making the hike from Norwood to Cincinnati Gardens.

“I was wearing yellow shorts, a Beatles t-shirt and carrying a Beatles beach towel,” Brooks recalled. “We waited hours for the doors to open, hanging in the back of the Gardens to see them as their limo pulled in. Several fans tried to sneak in.”

When The Beatles took the stage, all she heard were screams from thousands.

“… The arena erupted in this high-pitched scream that took my hearing for days after it [seemed],” she added.

It was a side effect of “Beatlemania.”

Ellen Everman, of Northern Kentucky, was 13 when she attended the show with seven of her friends.

“We were 10 rows back and we had the most expensive tickets,” Everman told FOX19 NOW.

She paid $8 for something Beatles fans would kill for.

“Eight dollars was a lot of money back then,” Everman explained. “We raised money [for the tickets] by selling greeting cards in our neighborhoods.”

Despite being close to the stage, the Northern Kentucky native said the sound was not very good – not because of the poor quality sound system, but because of the shrill constant screams.

“If it [the show] went on any longer, we wouldn’t have any hearing,” she said. “It was like a tsunami of sound.”

The Beatles played 12 songs that night, opening with Twist and Shout, followed by Roll Over Beethoven in between, and shutting down the house with Long Tall Sally.

“This band changed everything – it changed the culture, totally changed music,” Everman added. “They were the beginning of the second British invasion… It was an invasion of love.”

How the Queen City secured The Beatles

“WSAI Good Guys” was plastered on a banner at the back of the stage that August night, referring to the Cincinnati radio station AM1360.

The “Good Guys” of the station were former Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes, Paul Purtan, Mark Edwards, Steve Kirk and Bobby Harper.

In 2014, Rhodes told FOX19 NOW’s Kara Foxx that the group sent a telegram to London, asking that The Beatles play in Cincinnati. Soon after that, each Good Guy pitched in $5,000 each to pay the $25,000 appearance fee.

“I don’t think this moment’s gonna be replicated any ways similar, ever again,” Rhodes told Foxx 10 years ago.

However, The Beatles did come back in 1966, performing at Crosley Field.

Remembering The Beatles

In honor of the anniversary, Cincinnati’s 60s/70s rock band, Haymarket Riot Band, is playing at The Redmoor Theater tonight, performing mainly Beatles songs. The performance will feature a special guest band, Backbeat.

Like how it was 60 years ago, tickets are being sold for $5.50 (general admission). The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 10:30 p.m.