1966 Beatles Concert Memories

The "warm-up group" was nothing special and I don't remember who they were. All their piles of speakers were removed and replaced by much smaller ones. I believe they were Peavey, made in Mississippi.

The stage was backed up to the wall in the old coliseum at the fairgrounds in Memphis. Security was tight and there was a Jesus rally going on at the city auditorium in protest of The Beatles being in town.

There was a chain link fence around the stage with space for policemen to walk between the fence and the stage.

My girlfriend, whom I married two years later, and I were on row 16 on the floor. She sat and held her ears the entire evening. She was into church and classical music, and only there to humor me.

The Beatles were escorted directly from the airport and directly back when the concert ended. They marched onto the stage and took their bows and immediately began songs back to back. I think they performed every hit of theirs that was on the market at that time, plus a few selected American rock and roll hits of their choosing. Everyone rose to their feet, and on the floor, we had to stand in our chairs - except my girlfriend, Sandra Tallant.

They played and sang without a break for about one hour. They did not miss a beat even after someone set off a cherry bomb in the balcony seats behind me and to my left. They ducked, but did not stop the performance. Of course, there was fear that it was a gunshot.

Police surrounded the culprit and took him and his friends out. There was no further disturbance that I know about.

With a press pass, I was able to go to the stage and shoot two rolls of film. There were only a few of us photographers. The Beatles were gracious and clowned sometimes for the cameras.

I have been a photographer for more than these 40 years and this is one of the most profound memories personally and professionally, including Woodstock a few years later and many concerts since.

- Nathan Duncan, Tupelo


Since this concert was only two days before my wedding, I'd decided it was time to officially put my true love, Charles Michael Moore, over my "former love," John Lennon.

Fortunately, I had the magic memories of an earlier Beatles concert in New Orleans in the spring of 1965. This was my senior year at New Albany High School.

It was then that two of my best friends, Judy Roten and Priscilla Livingston, along with Priscilla's mama, Marjorie Livingston, left from school to venture to the then-grand Roosevelt Hotel in downtown New Orleans.

There we were anxiously awaiting one of the Beatles' first American concerts.

As we waited the arrival of the Fab Four at the outdoor stadium, the crowd of young girls was packed. My arms were literally pressed beside my body. I remember holding a spare flash bulb in my right hand. The press from the crowd caused the fragile flash bulb to crush in my hand.

Just as the black limo pulled in front of me, a security guard stepped between the limo and me. That was OK - I'd snapped a black and white close-up of my elusive Beatles.

The 1965 concert was even more than we could have hoped. We screamed and cried with the electricity, glory and excitement only youth can bring.

I could hardly wait to get my film developed at Gray's Drug Store as soon as we returned to New Albany. The pictures were back ... I must hurry home to open them.

With shaking hands, I took out the photos. There was the limo. But blocking the view of the windows was the back of the security guard. Ugh! I fell back onto my bed and wailed.

Even though my pictures were ruined, my memories were strong.

My wedding day was days away from another Beatles concert (Aug. 1966). This time my precious Michael won out over John.

I still listen to their music, but for this happily married bride of 40 years, their music is truly "yesterday."

- Sherry Moore, Blue Springs


Having loved and lived all my live in south Memphis growing up there as a peddlers son and just returning from my first tour in Vietnam as a paratrooper in the band of brothers 101st Airborne on leave to see my sick father and having a chance to break the sickness of war for only a night in the coliseum on that August night was a thing never to forget.

Then the uniform was khaki pants and shirt and highly polished jump boots with my new combat infantry badge and jump wings and a few ribbons of honor to show I've been somewhere. Most of the security I knew since I peddled the streets around Peabody and Harbert with my father for many years, so getting backstage wasn't a problem. And my cousin was just a young cop too, at that time, making some extra dough.

I just tried to stay out of the way backstage as I was told to do when they arrived, but for some reason, I stood out like a war trophy in those spit-shined boots. John Lennon was the only Beatle who wanted to chat the most. It seems now in my memories of that night, we spoke of the war in Vietnam.

He seemed interested in all the people dying, which at that time were mostly civilians in small villages in the central highlands who had little, even clothes, and just a few Viet Cong killed in small battles that we had been in in the mountains. He was touched by my presence, I think, and ask me to be right beside the stage when they performed. I felt 10 feet high that night and he gave me a wink when playing. He wanted my autograph and I had, at one time, all of theirs with some special notes from each, but lost them in the jungles a long way from Memphis many nights later to the weather.

Oh yes, I didn't even have to pay for a ticket that night, just a rookie trooper. Went back for two more years in combat and won a few more ribbons, but not ever forgetting that night in my home town with The Fab Four back stage.

Oh, what a night.

- Thomas Locastro, Shannon


Back in August 1966, my lavender-colored room with purple carpet was lined with pictures of Paul McCartney and The Beatles. Although I listened to all the bands back then, I was first and foremost a Beatles fan.

I was 14 years old and could not believe it when I heard they were coming to Memphis. We had tickets for the 4 p.m. concert so I headed to Memphis in my grooviest purple and white polka-dotted dress.

My friends and I screamed all the way through the first concert and could not believe how great they sounded - just like on their records. I could not get enough of them and, since I have the best mother ever, I talked her into getting us tickets for the 8:30 p.m. concert, also.

Although we sat behind them, the sound and the frenzy was the same, and they even turned around to look at us a couple of times.

My friend and I sat through both concerts in total awe of how good they sounded and what an amazing show they delivered.

The moment that will never be forgotten came at the end of the first concert as they ended the show. I ran down to the stairs that were directly above the side of the stage where they were walking to go backstage.

I screamed to Paul at the top of my lungs and he looked up directly at me and smiled, then waved - AT ME!

Of course, all my friends never believed it but Paul and I knew it. For a young teenage girl in the '60s, it just didn't get any better than that.

- Sheila Jenkins, Tupelo


It was the summer of 1966 and I was 14 years old. I had been literally "worshipping" The Beatles for over two years and just had to go to their concert in Memphis.

I lived in Holly Springs. The first concert, scheduled for 8:30 p.m., was quickly selling out. However, my best friend, Judy Newsom, and I were able to get two tickets for the second show, which was scheduled once the promoters saw the need for it. The tickets cost $5.50, $5 for the actual ticket and a handling charge of 50 cents. We were ecstatic. We were true Beatles fanatics and had been for a long time.

We made posters for our favorite Beatle, Paul. They said "I love you Paul."

After dressing in our finest, we headed for the concert. Of course, we could not drive and had my parents, along with my 4-year-old little brother, take us to the Coliseum in plenty of time for the afternoon concert.

Of course, my parents were nervous about just dropping us off and we received many pieces of advice about being careful, etc. We took our posters with us (you could not do that today) and took our places in our seats - on the eighth row! We simply could not believe we were actually there.

The opening act sang a song about "a red rubber ball." No groups have opening acts today. Then the most wonderful rock and roll band ever came on stage. There they were Paul, George, Ringo and John. The security guards were taking cameras away from the audience because there was a "law" there were to be no pictures taken. I decided to put mine back in my purse. It was a Brownie camera by Kodak.

It was unbelievable, we were actually there and I was staring right at Paul and screaming his name the whole time they were on stage. I was waving my poster and I believe he looked right at me.

John was on stage wearing those "granny" glasses of his and not really acknowledging anyone yelling at him. We got the sense that he was really ready to leave the group. Ringo and George, like Paul, seemed pleased to be adored by so many people. It was awesome and one of my best memories ever.

They played for a short 25 minutes, but it seemed like a lifetime, not like the two-hour concerts you get for $75 or so today. Here was a really famous group that we were actually a few feet from and they were real! They were not just pictures in the many newspapers and magazines we collected and faces seen on "The Ed Sullivan Show." They were really singing to us in the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tenn., and a part of me believed that Paul was singing just to me! I will never forget it, for it seems like it was "Yesterday."

- Carey Rather Crain, Holly Springs

I was just out of high school in Ripley. We talked about this all summer, trying to get our parents to let us go to Memphis and go to the concert. At this time no one had a car, we had to borrow our parents' and they had only one car. Anyway we finally got the OK to go and the OK to spend the night.

We got our tickets, a motel room and something to eat before we went to the Mid-South Coliseum. Also, we actually "dressed up" and had a great time.

We sat about 10 rows back from the stage. This is a time in my life I will never forget. All went well, no problems.

- Eddie Norton

I was 13 years old and about to enter the 9th grade at Hernando High School in 1966. My friends and I were enjoying the last days of summer before school began. One of my friends had an extra ticket to the Beatles concert in Memphis and invited me to attend. In 1966 most 13-year-olds were not allowed to attend concerts. However, because my friend's parents were taking us, my parents granted permission for me to attend.

I was very excited - more excited because it was my first concert than because it was The Beatles! I remember we had very good seats - they were to the right of the stage and were one level up from the floor. I had no idea what to expect. I had only attended country music venues - my Uncle John Hughey played in Conway Twitty's band. But country music didn't have large concerts like they do now - they would play at fairs and rodeos. So a Beatles concert for a 13-year-old was something very exciting!

Once John (my favorite), Paul, George and Ringo took the stage, all of the females in the seats surrounding ours jumped up and began to scream. It practically scared me to death! Then I realized that this must be how you should behave at concerts. So my friend and I jumped up and began to scream, too. I don't believe we sat down the entire concert. However, I got tired of screaming and just tried to listen to the music. I especially liked listening to them speak with their British accent.

Even though the Beatles were not my favorite music group during my high school years, I'll never forget the excitement of my first concert and the memories it provided for a young, 13-year-old Mississippi girl.

- Jo Ann Henderson, Belden

Summer of 1966: I was 12, not overly fond of The Beatles but used to the hoopla after 2 1/2 years of living with an older sister (15) who wanted to marry Ringo.

Somehow (and this is one of those questions I wish I had asked him) our father managed to snag three tickets for The Beatles at the Mid-South Coliseum.

No clue how he did it, but he must have called in every favor anyone ever owed him. Anyhow, he dropped off my sister, her boyfriend and me at the Coliseum, where we joined a throng of over-the-top, out-of-their-minds teenage girls. Our seats were scraping the top of the coliseum, all the way at the back; I remember the opening act, Bobby Hebb, who had the No. 1 single on the charts, "Sunny." He was terrific.

The Beatles came out to total pandemonium ... much generated by my sister, who screamed through the whole performance.

To this day, I have to admit that I've SEEN the Beatles (way, way off) but never heard them in person. The screaming did not let up and I never heard the first note of their music. Went to see Roy Rogers and Dale Evans the next year and had a much better time (I was a truly strange teenager.) My sister, who went on to marry someone else, still has a soft spot for Ringo.

- Mary Carol Miller, formerly of Tupelo, now of Greenwood


I was only a preteen that summer, but my parents let my sister and me go to the Beatles concert in Memphis with our high school-aged brother and college-aged sister and her beau at the time.

Nobody had his own car in those days, so we all piled into Mama's big station wagon. Highway 61 beckoned us. We left the hot, Mississippi Delta town of Rosedale early in the afternoon on Aug. 19, 1966, because the concert started at 8:30 p.m.

We got to Memphis in plenty of time and made our way to the coliseum with thousands of others who had come from all over the world, as far as I was concerned. We took our place among the throng, standing beneath the massive concrete ceiling outside the coliseum. We were all so expectant and so thrilled to actually be at the Beatles concert at last.

The doors would open soon and my only job was to hold on to that $5.50 ticket with my life so that I would be guaranteed admittance. I could do that.

Unfortunately, I would never hear the Beatles live in concert that hot summer evening in 1966.

It was my first rock 'n' roll concert and my first time to get to do anything really cool - cool being the operative word because the times, they were all about being cool.

Cool I was not - hot I was but too young to know it. And I got hotter and hotter as the crowd grew larger and larger and we all stood closer and closer. The waiting seemed long, and as time passed, my knees locked, and I either stopped breathing enough or I breathed too much too quickly.

Either way, I eventually passed right out! Down I went to the concrete pavement encircling the coliseum in the middle of all that cool, cool crowd.

I could hear everything around me but I was out cold. I was floating by this time and I could hear the security guards asking everyone to "clear the way, please, clear the way, the ambulance is here."

The most memorable comment of all was that of a woman standing up above me somewhere, looking down on my pitiful sight, someone's mother, who said to her own child, "You see that girl, Mary. Now that is exactly why I didn't want to bring you to this concert ... because of people just like that, such carrying on, goodness!"

Gosh, I wish she could've said, "Hello, little girl, I want to hold your hand," so I could once again say "I feel fine."

But no, that mom was hot, too, and definitely not a child of my time, impressed not one bit with the whole phenom of The Beatles who would become the icon of our generation. Gosh, her words just made me wanna shout, "HELP! I need somebody. HELP! not just anybody."

- Nancy Brown Milam, Tupelo


I was there in Memphis sitting in the third row, center. I remember hearing "Paperback Writer" and "Nowhere Man" in particular.

I also remember seeing an ambulance and some hustle bustle just outside the entrance doors before the concert started. I have frequently wondered since then whether that was my future wife, Nancy Brown Lawler from Rosedale, on the gurney. Goodness, you just never know.

- James T. Milam, Tupelo

The summer of 1966 in the south was hot and volatile. There were civil rights marches, race riots in Los Angeles and Chicago and the war in Vietnam. In many parts of the country students spent their summer vacations protesting and marching against the war in Vietnam. As historical and important as these events were then and now, there was another event that would capture the attention of two 15-year-old girls in New Albany. The Beatles were giving a concert tour throughout the United States and one of the concert stops was to be Memphis, only 80 miles away.

Betty Burleson (Daniel)and I had been friends since first grade and we were both huge fans of The Beatles, so we immediately ordered tickets for the 8:30 p.m. concert. Unlike today's concerts, all tickets were the same price $5.50, whether you had a seat on the coliseum floor or the very top row. We were able to get tickets on the floor and near the stage. We began making plans for the week of the concert and what we would do if we actually were able to meet the group.

I went to Memphis a few days prior to the concert on Friday night and spent several days with another longtime friend, Paula Camburn (Hammond). Betty and her parents arrived on Friday and we were ready for the concert to begin. We urged Paula to go to the concert with us, but she wasn't interested. Her choice of music at the time was Paul Revere and the Raiders. We were able to bribe her older brother Ronnie Camburn into dropping us off at the Mid-South Coliseum and returning at the end of the concert to pick us up.

My memories of the concert are much the same as others who attended. There was a delay at the beginning because of death threats against The Beatles and the coliseum was searched for bombs. We had to stand on our chairs the entire time to even get a glimpse of the group as they performed and the screaming of the fans drowned out much of their music. None of that mattered to Betty or myself - we were actually in the same building and just a few yards away from the famous Beatles! Even the cherry bomb that exploded during the third song failed to dampen our spirits.

When Ronnie and Paula picked us up we were too excited to go home. We had devised a scheme to find the group and meet them personally. An announcement at the end of the concert said the group would be flying out immediately for a concert in Cincinnati, Ohio, on the following night. We were sure if we went straight to the Memphis airport we would be able to see The Fab Four and even get an autograph.

Against his better judgment, Ronnie humored us and drove to the airport. He chose to wait for us at the center of the main terminal while we raced up and down the corridors in search of Paul, John, George and Ringo. Unlike today, there was virtually no security to be seen at the airport and very few passengers or workers at midnight. We could see some planes on the runway and we were sure The Beatles were on one of those planes. Checking exit doors, we found one that was unlocked and we went down the stairs and out onto the tarmac. It was very dark and deserted, but we ran from plane to plane hoping to get a glimpse of the group before they left Memphis. We finally gave up the search when we realized they were probably already gone from the airport. We returned to the central terminal where Ronnie sat shaking his head in disbelief at our behavior. He was just glad that we had not been arrested for trespassing.

Betty, Paula and I naively thought such a world famous group would use a commercial airline. We found out the next day they had left in a private jet from the Army Depot airport on the other side of Winchester. Our memories of the actual concert have grown a little fuzzy during the years, but we all three vividly remember our search through the Memphis airport for The Beatles.

Only 10 days after the concert in Memphis the Beatles made their final appearance at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. We would never again be that close to them.

- Sandra Barkley McCollum, New Albany

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