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What stands out the most in Janet DiGangi’s memory from the day the Beatles visited her town was the rush of excitement she felt while devouring cake and ice cream. It was September 12, 1964, and DiGangi, the eldest of seven siblings, was 12 years old and living in Boston, Massachusetts. However, before the family could head to the Beatles’ concert at the Boston Garden, they had to first commemorate her brother Peter’s second birthday with candles and gifts.
DiGangi, who is now 72, remembered being extremely angry because she did not want to be tardy. She had accumulated all the money she made from babysitting in order to purchase the band’s second album in the US, Meet the Beatles! She was filled with anticipation and luckily, she arrived at the show on schedule. The atmosphere was “electric” and caused fans to go into a frenzy. DiGangi recalls it as being a chaotic outburst of screaming and hysteria.
As a young American, DiGangi was among the many who witnessed the arrival of the Beatles in the USA, whether it was on their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964 or during their North American tour later that same year. This experience planted a deep affection and captivation for the band from Liverpool that lasted her entire life. As she transitioned from a schoolgirl to a teenager to a young woman, she followed along with the evolution of the band’s music, from the charming “boys next door” in A Hard Day’s Night to the mop-topped artists of Revolver and eventually to the sophisticated and creatively tumultuous White Album.
In April of next month, it will have been six decades since the Beatles dominated the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on April 4, 1964. This moment marked the peak of Beatlemania in the United States. Reflecting on this milestone, DiGangi recalls the memories with great clarity. She vividly remembers watching the group on TV and being moved to tears.
According to DiGangi, who holds Rubber Soul as her top album, she has imparted her love for the band to the younger generation by bringing her niece to Abbey Road in London in 2017. She shares, “It was just as exciting for me at that moment as it would have been in 1969.”
For many fans in the US, encountering the Beatles as teenagers sparked a lifelong desire to play music. Michael Shaw, a 76-year-old in Atlanta, Georgia, says he was part of the manic crowd of flailing limbs that greeted the band at Miami airport when they arrived for their second Ed Sullivan appearance, on 16 February 1964. Shaw was 16 and played lead guitar in a band called the Outcasts.
He claims that The Beatles and other British artists revolutionized music and the type of music we were creating.
Shaw recalls that during that period of time, he used to dedicate four hours a day to practicing guitar. He would sit down with his newest LP and repeatedly play one song, attempting to learn the chords. As the Beatles’ music evolved and became more mature, Shaw found it challenging to keep up with George Harrison’s ever-changing style. He admits, “It really pushed me out of my comfort zone.” Now, six decades later, Shaw is still a part of a band and continues to play music. Their genre is southern rock. He shares, “I always suggest that we add some Beatles songs to our repertoire.” Additionally, Shaw reveals that he is a proud owner of a Höfner bass guitar signed by both Harrison and Paul McCartney.
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At the age of 71, Ruth Yost recalls that she witnessed the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show and felt a shift in the world. When she was 12 years old, she brought binoculars with her when the Beatles performed in Indianapolis, Indiana on September 3rd, 1964.
Yost struggled to hear the music above the shouts, but still felt lucky to be in the presence of the Beatles. “I didn’t feel like my usual self, it was like I was someone else,” she recounts. “It was almost scary, the realization that I was actually there.”
Yost became a collector of all things Beatles; her son now keeps her original LPs safe. Yost says she was a hesitant girl, the baby of a large family, and saw something of herself in George Harrison. She even dressed up as him for Halloween in 1964. “I always identified with George,” she says. “He seemed so sweet.”
The band, according to Yost, provided solace during her teenage years. She believes that the Beatles, with their music and humor, aided her in coming out of her shell and maturing during high school. The group disbanded in April of 1970, coinciding with Yost’s graduation year. She feels as though they persevered until she reached that milestone.
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Susan Bendinelli claims that she attended the Beatles concert at the Cow Palace in San Francisco on August 19, 1964, with her elder sibling when she was ten years old. She recalls being mesmerized by their incredible energy and unique music, describing the experience as a shift from black-and-white to technicolor.
Sitting high above the stage, all she could make out were “four Beatles” performing. She remembers feeling annoyed that the loud screams made it difficult to hear the music. During the show, Bendinelli, who is now 69 years old, received a set of Beatles toys – she still owns figurines of Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
According to her, The Beatles played a significant role in helping her generation discover their voices. As she matured, the band also became more socially active, leading Bendinelli to participate in movements against nuclear and war efforts while advocating for environmental sustainability through events like Earth Day and local activism.
“Being an activist has been a constant in my life. I believe this was influenced by my experiences as a youth, particularly watching the Beatles become activists. Their influence has laid the groundwork for my continued activism.”
Source: theguardian.com
