But today, on what would have been his 78th birthday, fans around the country are buying multiple copies of the US postage stamp adorned with Lennon’s iconic image.
It’s a small but unique way to savor the man, his music, and the memories he’s left behind.
We locals got our first, live taste of Beatlemania at a never-to-be-forgotten concert at Cincinnati Gardens on August 27, 1964. You may have been one of the lucky ones to attend.
Sensing its historical significance, the local press covered the event as if it was a visit by a world dignitary. Only world dignitaries usually don’t attract hordes of screaming teenage girls.
The Friday, August 28, 1964, Middletown Journal was no exception. It carried an Associated Press article describing the reaction to Lennon and his Beatle bandmates : Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
“A crowd estimated at around 14,000 -- and not all of them teenagers -- crowded into the Cincinnati Gardens Thursday night to see and hear the mop-topped British quartet, but few if any of them got to hear ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’...The moment the Beatles stepped on the raised stage at the sports arena, the 14,000 leaped to their feet and started to jump up and down -- and scream. (1)
“More than 100 persons fainted during the performance and a few were treated for cuts and bruises they suffered when they fell, but on the whole the crowd was orderly. (1)
“Weary policeman said the noise was something else again. They’d never heard anything quite like it…” (1)
If you’ve ever followed the Beatles you know well the iconic looks and sounds, the personalities, and the controversies that surrounded the group.
