The Beatles Tennessee Connections

August 19, 1966: The Beatles play in Memphis at the Mid-South Coliseum
John Lennon recalled "that's when I knew, that was the last tour"
after someone threw fireworks on stage during the last of two shows while playing If I Needed Someone
By John Beifuss from The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Published in the Tennessean, Aug 20, 2006
It was 40 years ago, and the city of Memphis didn't want the band to play. At least that was the official stance the mayor
and Board of Commissioners took in a unanimous resolution passed August 10, 1966, to express "official disapproval" and
"advised The Beatles that they are not welcome in the City of Memphis." The Blue Meanies didn't stand a chance. On
August 19, 1966, Britain's Beatles - Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and John Lennon - performed two
concerts at the Mid-South Coliseum, at 4 and 8:30pm. Tickets were $5.50.    The Memphis date was the eighth in a
14-city tour that would be the last ever for the band that remains the most influential in rock history.    For each Memphis
show, the Beatles performed 11 songs in about 28 minutes, after almost two hours of music from an interesting roster of
opening acts: the Ronettes; Boston garage greats the Remains; Pennsylvania bubblegum popsters the Cyrkle ("Red Rubber
Ball"); and Nashville R&B singer Bobby Hebb ("Sunny"). The first show attracted 7,589 fans; the second, 12,539. Disc
Jockey George Klein and Johnny Dark acted as master of ceremonies. When The Beatles took the stage, "It kind of
reminded me of the movie "King Kong" when all the flashbulbs started going off," Dark later remembered. "There were so
many flashbulbs it was almost like a strobe light."  Onstage, the Beatles - wearing "modish dull/grey suits" in the afternoon
and "dark green creations with chartreuse shirts" at night, according to the local newspaper - exchanged such familiar hits
as "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and "A Hard Days Night" for mostly newer material.     The songs performed in Memphis
apparently were "Rock And Roll Music", "She's A Woman", "If I Needed Someone", "Day Tripper", "Baby's In Black", "I
Feel Fine", "Yesterday", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Nowhere Man", "Paperback Writer", and "Long Tall Sally".              
The Commercial Appeal reported in a front-page story the next morning: "The musical performance of the long-haired
Englishmen was hard to judge as the shrieks and screams of the paying guest almost drowned them out."  During a
between-shows press conference, McCartney noted that "little things like money" had prevented the Beatles from
recording what would become the album "Revolver" at Stax in Memphis. Lennon said The Beatles admiration for the guitar
playing of Steve Cropper was one of the reasons they wanted to record in Memphis. However, Atlantic Vice President
Gerald Wexler told The Commercial Appeal that Beatles manager Brian Epstien cancelled tentative plans for a
two-week studio session at Stax because "he was not pleased with the security and housing plans he found during a
one-day visit to Memphis."  The anti-Beatles resolution which described Memphis as "a City of Churches" was inspired by
Lennon's then much-publicized remark that
The Beatles were "more popular than Jesus now. ...I don't know which will go first, rock and roll or Christianity."  In the
days leading to the Memphis shows, The Commercial Appeal reported on several "Beatle burnings" in reaction to Lennon -
protest rallies in which Beatles records were broken and burned ("Foot in Moptop's Mouth Is Hot One," stated a headline).
Eighty police officers worked the show.
"I've never had so much security at an event, even Bob Hope," promoter Early Maxwell said.
JUNE 1970 NASHVILLE
Beatle Ringo Starr records
his second solo album, called
"Beaucoups Of Blues"  
Session musicians include:
Pete Drake, D.J. Fontana,
Jerry Reed,
Charlie McCoy and
Charlie Daniels
1974 :Paul McCartney &
Wings Spend Six Weeks in
Nashville Tennessee
He wrote and recorded a song about
Printers Alley called Sally G., along with the flip
side Juniors Farm & more. They were recorded
with Wings (Linda McCartney, Denny Laine,
Jimmy McCoulloch & Geoff Britton) during
their stay in Nashville. They were here to record
songs, and prepare for a Paul McCartney &
Wings world tour. Paul McCartney Midi Web Sight
Juniors Farm was named after the farm they stayed
at while in the Nashville area (Lebanon) owned by  
Curly "Junior" Putnam    
Nashville Remembers
John Lennon after the
murder of John Lennon
on December 8, 1980
in New York City
1981: Beatle Movies double-feature in Nashville
Yellow Submarine & Let It Be
at the Hickory Hollow Cinemas on February 19, 1981
Signed by original Beatles drummer Pete Best while in Nashville
in the 1980's to give a speech at Opryland and
do a book signing for his book "Beatle". Pete Best played
on ten songs on the 1996 Beatles Anthology 1
1997:
George Harrison
in Jackson TN at
singer Carl Perkins
funeral. The Beatles
recorded many
songs by Carl
Perkins and other
artists on
Sun Records.
Ringo also recorded
an album at Sun
Records in Memphis
November 29, 2001:
Former Beatle George Harrison died in Los Angeles
at the age of 58 after a long battle with cancer
GEORGE HARRISON
1943-2001
An image from a T-shirt, I purchased at the
John Lennon Vigil, held at the 103.3 KDF
radio station soon after John Lennon was killed
Jerry Lee Lewis and George at
Carl Perkins funeral in Jackson TN
1993: Paul McCartney brings his "New World"
Tour to the Liberty Bowl Stadium in Memphis
See our Paul McCartney Area Concerts Page
2000: Ringo Starr & his All-Starr Band
at the Gaylord Entertainment Center
in Nashville

John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney & Pete Best
1962: Early picture of The Beatles, signed by original drummer Pete Best
while in Nashville in the 1980s. (Ringo Starr took his place later in 1962)

NASHVILLE BEATLE FACTS:

1963: Soldier Of Love, written by Nashville's Buzz Cason
is recorded and ends up on The Beatles "Live At The BBC" album in 1994.
Buzz Cason told me he found out in 1980, The Beatles had recorded his song, and remarked
"that was a big one". Also on that album is a song written by Chuck Berry, Memphis Tennessee

Ringo Starr appeared in Nashville on the Johnny Cash Show while promoting his solo album
"Beaucoup of Blues" in 1970. He stayed at the downtown Ramada Inn.
John was here during "the lost summer" and stayed at the James Robertson Hotel.
Picture from Newspaper
A replica of a Beatles
Ticket Stub from the
last of two shows in
Memphis on Friday
August 19, 1966
It was 40 Years Ago Today,
The Beatles in Memphis TN
Memphis leaders gave icy reception
Audiences for shows had different reaction

Read Details Below:

Memphis officials did not want the Beatles to come

Read the song list, outfits & attendance figures
.
Opening acts  included Nashville's Bobby Hebb

They almost recorded "Revolver" in Tennessee

They admired Nashville guitarist Steve Cropper

And much more information!

CLICK ON NEWSPAPER ARTICLE TO ENLARGE
The Beatles only
concerts in Tennessee
took place at the
Mid-South Coliseum
in Memphis Tennessee
Pat Adams at the Dakota
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Ringo Starr from The Beatles in Nashville in 2008
Picture by
David Hofer Jr
Picture by
Pat Adams
See our pictures of Ringo Starr at the Wildhorse Saloon from July 6, 2008
Ringo Starr at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville Tennessee
We had the best table in the place (front/center) and got some great pictures of Ringo, Edgar Winter, Gary Wright,
Billy Squire and others. What a show, Act Naturally, It Don't Come Easy, What Goes On, Photograph,
Oh My My, Boys, I Wanna Be Your Man, Liverpool 8, With A Little Help from My Friends and more.
Speaking of help from friends, Edgar Winter did an 8 minute version of Frankenstein (playing
keyboards/sax/drums), Gary Wright with Dream Weaver, Billy Squire did The Stroke, Colin Hay performed
Who Can It Be Now, and Hamish Stuart played Pick Up The Pieces. The band did more of their hits, also.
Picture by
Pat Adams
See my own video of the line to see Ringo Starr in Nashville
July 6, 2008 at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville Tennessee
Ringo Starr ask for Peace & Love for his birthday in Nashville
My own video, on the eve of his July 7th birthday, Ringo Starr in
Nashville Tennessee, wants "Peace & Love" for his 68th birthday.

Paul McCartney in Nashville on July 26, 2010
Paul McCartney in Nashville
SEE OUR PICTURES & VIDEOS
Paul McCartney's "Up And Coming Tour"
Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on July 26, 2010
Paul McCartney's first concert in Nashville TN
See our own YouTube video of Paul McCartney in Nashville
Paul McCartney walks out on stage for his very first Nashville concert.
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