McCartney Times

(KFVS) -It’s estimated more than 111 million people were tuned into last weekend’s Super Bowl.That’s a big number. But a TV variety show on CBS and KFVS12 also drew quite a few viewers on this date in 1964.On February 9th in ’64, America met The Beatles. More than 73 million people were watching as the Fab Four made their first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”The studio audience was restless until Sullivan gave his now famous line: “Ladies and Gentlemen, The Beatles.” The audience went wild as the band performed “All My Loving”.The next number was the ballad “Til There Was You” and then the studio seemed to explode as the band broke into “She Loves You.”The Beatles would return later in the show to perform “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” After the performance, Beatlemania broke out. Sales of anything Beatles skyrocketed. In the coming weeks the group would dominate radio and the music charts with hit after hit. By the way, that episode of Ed Sullivan also featured the cast of the Broadway musical “Oliver.” Three years later, a young man who was a member of that cast had his own band and a TV show. That lad was Davy Jones and his band was The Monkees.

Source: America Meets the Beatles: February 9, 1964 – KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff