By Elaine McAfee Bender
Ed: February 9, 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the Beatles’ first U.S. television appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. It was a singular cultural event that instantly launched a monumentally vibrant garage rock band scene across Texas.
Thousands of bands emerged almost overnight, all in pursuit of just a small piece of the magic they saw, heard, and felt coming out of their flickering TV tubes on that first evening. While these early Texas bands would emulate the Beatles and other bands of the time, many of these Texas kids would choose music careers, with an amazing number of them remaining active to this day as performers in Texas and around the world.
At the time of the airing, the North Texas community was still reeling from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, just over two months prior. The emergence of the Beatles at that time perhaps served as a salve for many younger Americans, especially for North Texans grieving the loss of the president, as their music offered a glimmer of optimism and hope.
At the end of this article, check out links to two documentaries that provide a deeper reveal of the band scene that emerged in the 60s, which produced many Texas musical luminaries in a variety of genres.
From the first moment of the Ed Sullivan Show performances, Elaine McAfee Bender knew what she had to do. The Beatles were coming to Texas, and she and her friends were determined to be there for every note played, every step of the way.
On February 9, 1964, 60 years ago this month, a record 73 million American television viewers tuned in to watch CBS’ The Ed Sullivan Show, the popular Sunday evening variety program.
“Ladies and gentlemen…the Beatles!” The words were barely out of Ed Sullivan’s mouth when the screams from the audience began.
While The Beatles were already popular in the United Kingdom and Germany, they hadn’t received much TV exposure in the U.S., but they were gaining popularity on the radio. This would be the Beatles’ first live appearance in the U.S.
Manager Brian Epstein had negotiated with Sullivan for the Beatles to perform three consecutive Sunday nights in February 1964 for the price of one, $10,000, on the condition that his band be elevated to the coveted position of “featured act” for those shows. By comparison, years earlier, Elvis Presley was paid $50,000 for three shows, but Epstein knew the immediate exposure would be worth it.
Sitting on the floor in my grandmother’s living room that February day, I couldn’t have known that this would be the beginning of a lifelong love affair with the Fab Four. And it would not be enough to just sit back and watch; I decided at that moment that we were going to get organized.
It was the beginning of an early Beatlemania journey that took us to two Beatles movie premieres, a frenzied Dallas Beatle-riot, and two concerts – one in Dallas, the other in Houston. Not to mention the countless radio station appearances by the girls in our fan club, dishing out every possible detail that fellow Beatlemaniacs needed to know on a daily basis.
The North Texas Beatles Fan Club is born
The next day in the auditorium at Monnig Jr. High School in west Fort Worth, three friends and I decided to start a Beatles Fan Club chapter. We playfully called it the “Cheese Forever Club” (Paul McCartney had mentioned his love for cheese in a teen magazine), and I applied to the official fan club headquarters in England.
Once I obtained an official fan club charter from the UK, our designation became “The North Texas Beatles Fan Club.” As more Beatles Fan Club applications began to pour in, Brian Epstein created a Beatles USA headquarters in New York City to deal with all the North American Beatles Fan Club charter requests. Not all were granted, but those selected were given numbers such as Beatles Fan Club #28, etc. At my request (since we were already established and thriving), I was allowed to remain under the UK headquarters. My information and instructions came from both the UK and USA.
KFJZ Radio in west Fort Worth sponsored some of our fan club activities. Disc jockey Mark Stevens brought us in for an interview and I was asked to return to read The Beatles News on live broadcasts. Sometimes I read straight off the wire and other times I read reports sent from the fan club headquarters. Fan club members received newsletters which we wrote and published, and even met in person at fan club meetings.
A Hard Day’s Night premieres at the Hollywood Theatre in Fort Worth
Months after the Ed Sullivan Show, the first Beatles movie, A Hard Day’s Night, premiered at the Hollywood Theater in downtown Fort Worth and other parts of Texas. Advanced tickets for the first special Fort Worth show went on sale Tuesday, July 14. About 100 teenagers lined up outside the theater early in the morning.
1964 was an election year – President Lyndon B. Johnson and his Republican challenger Sen. Barry Goldwater were vying for the office of President of the United States.
We had a better idea. We carried placards proclaiming the presidential candidacy of Beatles drummer, Ringo Starr. “Ringo For President” and “Barry Who? Vote Ringo.” The Fort Worth Star Telegram ran our photo on the front page, the top story that day.
On Saturday, August 1, 1964, the place for Beatles fans to be was on the sidewalk outside the Hollywood Theater. The first showing of A Hard Day’s Night was at 9 a.m., but girls had been camping out in line since 6 p.m. Friday evening. Due to the size of the growing crowd, police sidewalk control was needed by 8 a.m. Saturday.
Singing Beatles tunes was a good way to pass the time, and I led groups of fans in song. Our “Cheese Forever Beatles Fan Club” got its second press hit in the Fort Worth Star Telegram in the form of a photo of me – with my mouth wide open singing – and a page 2 story in the evening edition.
The theater was packed and noisy, and the film did not disappoint. Oh, those Liverpudlian accents! Written by Alun Owen and directed by Richard Lester, A Hard Day’s Night depicts 36 hours in the lives of the group as they prepare for a television performance. It was an international box office and critical success, and Fort Worth was no exception.
Not long after the movie came out, the Beatles’ first full American tour was announced and Dallas was included – on September 18, 1964, at Dallas Memorial Auditorium. I was in line all night outside the box office for advance ticket sales, and grabbed four floor tickets only a few rows back from the stage.
Above: Recently discovered raw NBC KXAS-TV footage of Elaine McAfee Bender and friends at the Ft. Worth premiere of A Hard Day’s Night. Source: University of North Texas online syndicated archives.
Greet the Beatles!
The night before the Dallas show, my friends and I were at Red Bird Airport (now Dallas Executive Airport) to greet the Fab Four with waves and cheers. Arrival information had been leaked by various sources, but the crowd was not nearly as large as I had expected. We positioned ourselves as close as possible and watched as they came down the steps from the airplane and walked toward a waiting limo. They returned our waves and climbed inside.
A Riot Breaks Out at the Cabana Hotel on Stemmons in Dallas
Next stop was the Cabana Hotel on Dallas’ Stemmons Freeway, where the Beatles would be staying. A huge crowd of mostly teen girls were pushing, shoving and shouting, trying to get inside the lobby. There was the sound of breaking glass; then ambulance sirens, followed by police moving the crowd off the property. One girl was seriously injured, having been pushed through a large plate glass window. We moved to the freeway’s large grassy median, where we sat down as the entire hotel property and parking lot were now off limits. A local news team approached us with their cameras and peppered us with questions for the 10 o’clock news. “Who’s your favorite Beatle?,” and “Did you witness the accident here?,” they asked.
The Beatles spent part of the next day visiting the injured fan in the hospital and telephoning other fans injured in the crush. The hotel later removed the carpet from the suites occupied by John, Paul, George and Ringo and sold off small squares mounted on an official-looking certificate which stated “The Beatles Walked Here.”
The Dallas Concert – September 1964
The next day, September 18, 1964, I was headed to Dallas for my first concert, ever. On a whim, I dropped by the hotel to see if I could get a glimpse of them leaving. Two waiting limos were parked around the back.
Keeping an eye on the limos, I reached inside my bag for lip gloss and a hairbrush. As I was brushing my hair, the door behind me burst open and Ringo took the brush from my hand.
“Mind if I borrow this, luv?” he asked me.
Not a problem.
He ran the brush through his hair and handed it back before getting into a limo with Paul. I laughed and managed a “Hello.” Paul patted the seat beside him and asked me, “You coming with us?” A man in the front passenger seat shook his head at Paul, and I answered, “See you there!”
Still shaking, I arrived at the Dallas Memorial Auditorium. Floor seats, center section, 5th row. I was about to see the Beatles live in concert for the bargain price of $5.50. Showtime was 8:30 p.m. The very talented singer-songwriter, Jackie DeShannon, was one of the opening acts. I remember looking around and feeling pleased with our seats.
The crowd was moving around and talking up until the introduction: “And now…the Beatles!” Our blood rushed; and maniacal screaming ensued. Fans immediately rushed the stage. The band opened with “Twist and Shout,” followed by “You Can’t Do That.” Each song was introduced, played, and then the next song was introduced.
It was hard to get any real sense of the band’s personality other than the energy between the four of them. I did stand up in my chair for “All My Loving” and Paul looked at me and winked.
I am often asked, “Could you actually hear them at all?” The answer is “Yes,” but only because I was near the front. I doubt those fans seated further back or up in the balcony could hear over the roar of screams. The PA systems at the time were inadequate for this type of show. The amps were small, and they weren’t even mic’ed.
After years of playing together, John, Paul, George and Ringo were already so skilled they could still keep it together, despite the incessant screaming. Ringo was a powerhouse on the drums, bobbing his head, and keeping the beat where it needed to be. When it was his turn, he sang “Boys.” Paul and John seemed to have an understanding between the two of them as they traded lines of lyrics and harmonized.
George lived up to his reputation of “the quiet one” while he played guitar and added harmonies. He was a bit more animated as he sang the lead on “Roll Over, Beethoven.”
They performed a total of 12 songs in approximately 30 minutes. Other songs performed at the show were “Things We Said Today,” “She Loves You,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “If I Fell,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “A Hard Day’s Night. Paul was featured on the crowd-pleasing closer, “Long Tall Sally.”
Help! Why go to the theater when you can see the Beatles Live in Houston
Their second film, 1965’s Help!, also directed by Richard Lester, was the group’s first feature shot in color. Besides the Beatles, the movie starred Eleanor Bron, Leo McKern, Victor Spinetti and Roy Kinnear. The plot centers on the Beatles’ struggle to record a new album while trying to protect Ringo from a sinister eastern cult, and a pair of mad scientists, who are all obsessed with a sacrificial ring given to Ringo by a fan. The movie offered mystery, a bit of James Bond satire, chase scenes, and music being recorded in beautifully exotic settings. It has been suggested this film inspired the idea of music videos.
There was less-than-expected hoopla surrounding the premiere Help! on August 11, 1965, here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Maybe it was because fans were preparing for the Beatles arrival in Houston on August 18, to perform two shows the very next week.
With complimentary tickets in hand for both Beatles concerts in Houston on August 19, 1965, three friends and I prepared to welcome our favorite band to Texas, less than a year after seeing them in Dallas. We arrived a day early and went straight to KILT Radio, KFJZ’s sister station in Houston. KILT asked us to come in for a live interview and stir up excitement about this historic station-sponsored concert.
We then made our way to Houston International Airport (now Hobby) where the plan was to be in line to greet the Beatles and hand each one a real cowboy shirt, gifts from the fan club. Each shirt was different for each Beatle. As Ringo was very into all things western, his shirt was the most colorful, red with western braiding and pearl snaps. The others were more sedate, but authentic. Blue for Paul, yellow for George, and navy for John.
The palpable excitement was building, and escalating into hysterics, as we watched their airplane land.
But what happened next was terrifying.
Another Riot Breaks Out in Houston
Hundreds of fans broke through police barricades and rushed toward the airplane. Doors inside were locked as fans ran up the stairs and even out onto the wings. Fans were removed from the airplane, but the police could not safely clear the tarmac.
I had already been knocked down once, and my focus was on getting out of the way of the mob and over to the side of the terminal building. Many fans had been trampled and hurt, with some taken by ambulances to the hospital.
An elevated catering truck made its way over to the airplane, and the Fab Four stepped onto the top platform, protected on three sides from the chaotic scene below, and sat down. I will never forget Paul’s lovely face looking down at me, smiling as the truck moved past me to safety. He waved at me and I waved back. The other three looked exhausted.
I did eventually get to meet them and hand over those cowboy shirts at a reception. At the press conference, they were asked how they liked Texas. John replied that he had only been to Texas once before, and “was nearly killed both times.”
Sam Houston Coliseum was packed on Thursday, August 19, and we arrived two hours early for the 3:30 pm show. We sat in the Center Floor, 3rd row. This was a much larger venue than where they played in Dallas the year before. Opening for the Beatles was Cannibal and the Headhunters, Brenda Holloway, Sounds Incorporated, and King Curtis and his band, with the Discotheque Dancers.
My Friends in the Back Heard Screaming – and Little Else
My seat was a little toward the end of the row, facing stage right, in front of Paul. Those of us up front could mostly hear the music. Friends further back in the balconies heard screaming and little else. I was focused on trying to hear every bit of the music.
They opened with “Twist and Shout,” followed by “She’s A Woman” and “I Feel Fine.” Ringo sang “I Wanna Be Your Man.” George sang “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby.” Others included “Dizzy Miss Lizzy,” “Ticket to Ride,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Baby’s in Black,” “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help!” Once again, they closed with a high energy song featuring Paul on “I’m Down.”
The set list was exactly the same for the 8 p.m. show. This time, we sat in the Center Floor, 4th row seats. For those who purchased tickets, the cost was $5. The audience mostly stood up in their chairs once the Beatles took the stage. Surprisingly, the Beatles’ energy levels were high for a second performance that day.
I honestly thought I would get to see them again, but their 1966 tour did not bring them to Texas. Shortly thereafter, they quit touring altogether, and who can blame them. The cacophony of constant Beatlemania had taken a toll.
But most of us remained lifelong fans and these experiences defined who we are today. Beatlemania was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon, and those of us who were a part of it were fortunate indeed.
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