Music that changed the world

“And you know you should be glad!” Ed Sullivan introduced Beatles to U.S. 60 years ago Friday

This Friday, Feb. 9, 2024 at 8 p.m., marks the moment 60 years ago when The Beatles performed live on the “Ed Sullivan Show.” In a country of then 190 million people, an estimated 73 million witnessed the electrifying event on black and white TVs. Things would never be the same.

The Beatles’ music and harmony had a vibration that excited fans and made them “feel happy inside.”

In just 140 seconds a Beatles song would have you singing the chorus, or humming the tune.

The Beatles’ fresh, unique sound energized a young generation, sparked Beatle-mania, and help set the 1960s on a new course. Their music was a voice for a new generation that would grow up in a time of enormous change. The Beatles inspired people to reach higher and “Imagine.”

The “Ed Sullivan Show” appearances were only the beginning. It would be years before the full meaning of what had just been seen by millions would be realized. Few, if anyone, could have imagined how long this musical revolution would last. Their songs left you wanting more — and there was much more to come.

“There are places I remember.”

Debbie Holloman of Deltaville was 8 years old when The Beatles broke on the scene. “The Beatles and their music have played a huge part in our lives, especially for those of us who were young when they arrived in February 1964,” Holloman said. “It was like a whole new world opened up. It may have been in part because we were all still in shock, still grieving the loss of our young, handsome president (Kennedy) just a few months before. We needed something to help us overcome our grief. It may have been because they were different. They were young. They were not American. They had long hair, at least it seemed long at the time, compared to crew cuts! They had a sense of humor that bordered on irreverent. Whatever it was, we loved their music and them. And most of us still do.

“I was thrilled when our son Robby and his bride Cinthia chose The Beatles’ ‘In My Life’ for their first dance at their wedding.”

The movie “Yesterday” (2019) shows what the world might have been like without The Beatles, said Holloman. “In the movie, only three people in the world remember The Beatles and their music. I recommend the movie to those of you who have not seen it.”

Off the wall

Stephen Ward of Deltaville was in fourth grade in 1964 and he put Beatle albums on his bedroom walls. “My parents thought the Beatles were some kind of radical group. They had long hair. I wanted to grow my hair long like the Beatles. From my parents’ perspective, they were not having anything to do with the Beatles. I came home and all my Beatles albums were off the wall.”

“The music was not revolutionary, you could understand the lyrics, it had a message that was uplifting.”