Fifty years ago tonight, and I'll be in front of a TV again tonight

[Omaha Steve]

It was a B&W TV. No 3-d. No stereo. A much smaller screen. All four family members watched. Dad wasn't impressed. It would be a few years before I really became a fanatic. My sister went into the same state the girls in the live audience were in. To some people it ended the gloom that JFK's assassination put the country in a few months before. You can't go back. It was Beatlemania. If you didn't experience it, we can't explain it to you.

Locals share memories of The Beatles' first 'Ed Sullivan' performance, which took place 50 years ago today

(Becky in the article below was the president of the Beatles fan club, Nebraska chapter for many years. I hope she sees this.)

http://www.omaha.com/article/20140209/GO/140208897#.Uvf7Os5AfjI

Published Sunday February 9, 2014

By Kevin Coffey / World-Herald staff writer

Becky Skrivanek thought The Beatles were singing just for her.

It was 50 years ago today that the Fab Four first appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” singing “She Loves You,” “All My Loving” and “Till There Was You.”

“Their music was joyful and exciting, and they were so cute, especially Paul,” said Skrivanek, now 62. “The next day at school, their performance on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' was all that my friends and I could talk about. Who would have imagined that 50 years later, young and old alike, would still be talking about and loving their music?”

The then-12-year-old Skrivanek felt a personal connection with The Beatles — John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr — as she watched them on CBS, and she wasn't alone. More than 70 million other people watched the show — the biggest ever TV audience to that date — and they were instantly awash in Beatlemania.

FULL story at link.

[xxqqqzme]

1. One of the

70 million.One of my best friends in high school had heard about them a couple of months earlier and shared her craziness w/ me. We were primed and ready to embrace all things Beatles,

[Warpy]

2. I think it was more a tween phenomenon

I was in high school and wildly unimpressed, especially with the venue. There were so many screaming idiots that you couldn't hear a thing. Besides, I'd heard their UK hits and thought them cheesy and vapid.

Only later, when they'd dropped the packaging, did their talent emerge.

But yeah, we were all there with Mom and Dad and the dog. I don't know who that blond kid with the glasses was, but his "kill me now" expression was just how I felt about the whole embarrassing thing.

[MADem]

3. I only saw that footage years after the fact.

I was living in Europe.

The Beatles were already quite popular on the European continent, and the fashions were a good two years ahead of USA styles.

I seem to recall records that were 45 rpm sized, with two songs on each side and a pale blue label. It was a long time ago, though. Wish I had those things now, they're probably worth a bundle...

[malthaussen]

4. There's a great comment on one of the YT vids of the first show...

... poster claims to have been watching the video with his grandma, and when they panned the audience she lets out with "Oh my god, that's me!"

It's believable. She may never have seen the film before, and surely there are a lot of grandmas still around who were in the audience for that show.

I was in front of the box myself, Ed was a fixture in our house. Too young to have seen Elvis, though. I don't think we even had a TV then.

-- Mal

[The_Commonist]

5. We've got some friends coming over tonight at 7:30.

8pm sharp, Sullivan goes on the tube!
(no flat screens for us)

We've got the whole show on DVD, other acts, commercials and all.

[spanone]

6. fifty years ago tonight i sat there, enthralled. it was pure teenage energy.

[BenHoffman]

7. Will be watching

I'm going to DVR it so I don't have to sit through all the commercials. We're going to watch some of the Olympics.

[OKNancy]

8. I watched with my two younger sisters and my mom

I don't remember Dad at all.
I was 15, so my other sisters were 14 and 12. The 14 years old sis had a "boyfriend" who went to Germany. He sent her some 45 records while there and one was a Beatles record. I think it was I Saw Her Standing There", but I can't remember for sure.

So we were all watching.. My mom was only 34 at time, so she was just as thrilled as we were! LOL I remember her favorite was John.

[MiniMe]

9. I was 6, but in front of the TV for the event

My parents were not impressed with the boys with the long hair.

[napkinz]

10. KIDS REACT TO THE BEATLES

[edbermac]

11. I'll be rewatching A Hard Days Night on DVD

[napkinz]

12. a preview ...

Grammy Awards celebrate The Beatles in The Night That Changed America

In addition to the former Beatles, performers included Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison, Dave Grohl, Stevie Wonder and a reunion of Eurythmics.

Other guests who took part included Johny Depp, Eric Idle (as The Rutles reporter), Jeff Bridges, Kate Beckinsale and LL Cool J. Watching the show were Nancy Shevell, Barbara Bach, Olivia Harrison, Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon.

http://www.beatlesbible.com/2014/01/27/night-that-changed-america-paul-mccartney-ringo-starr-grammys/

[napkinz]

13. love them for their music and so much more ...

[flamingdem]

14. Yeah, yeah, yeah