Ringo Starr recalls The Beatles' iconic debut appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964 – one of the most watched television events ever – in a new interview with Rolling Stone.
“Incredible,” Ringo said backstage at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles Monday night, where he was receiving the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace's "Lifetime of Peace and Love Award." “It was Ed Sullivan, and it was a big show, and we didn't know while we were playing that 70 million people were watching, but it was being in America that was so exciting. All the music we loved was in America; it came from America to England. Where we come from, Liverpool, it was great because it was a port, so all of the guys from New York would bring the tracks over. Vinyl in those days, the LPs, and it was just great. I could feel the buzz, even on the plane, it was so exciting. I went, Aaaaah!”
“It was crazy,” he says of the buzz in New York on that day, “and it was just like everywhere else for us. The other good news was that with Murray the K and Cousin Bruce, we're on the radio, in our hotel rooms.”
The Beatles’ Sullivan debut is considered by many historians and critics as one of the most important moments in music and television.
That Sunday night, the band performed “All My Loving”, “Till There Was You”, “She Loves You”, “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand.”
On Saturday, Ringo and Paul McCartney will be on hand as The Beatles will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at a special ceremony the night before the 56th Annual Grammys, and the pair will appear on the Grammys Sunday night, as well.
Show producers are marking the anniversary of The Beatles' appearance on Sullivan with “The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute To The Beatles", a TV special set to air on CBS on February 9 at 8 PM ET/PT – 50 years to the date and time of the original broadcast.
See also:
Rare Beatles album sells for $175,000
Beatles: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to perform at the Grammys
Eurythmics to reunite for Beatles Grammy special
Mercury crater named in honor of John Lennon
The Beatles release 1963 rarities collection
The Beatles to receive Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award
The Beatles mark 50 years of U.S. Beatlemania with new box set
The Beatles: The Fifth Beatle biopic to start filming next year
Beatles and U2 featured on Songs For The Philippines benefit album
The Beatles debut in US Top 10 with second live BBC package
VIDEO: The Beatles premiere Buddy Holly classic from new BBC release
The Beatles: TV special to mark 50th anniversary of Ed Sullivan debut
The Beatles: Part 2 of The White Album’s 45th anniversary on In The Studio
The Beatles: White Album 45th anniversary featured on In The Studio
VIDEO: Paul McCartney reunites Nirvana in Seattle
The Beatles to release Help! on Blu-ray
Jack White topples The Beatles as best-selling vinyl of 2012
VIDEO: Joe Walsh joins Paul McCartney on SNL
VIDEO: Paul McCartney and Nirvana rock SNL
Nirvana members debut new song with Paul McCartney at Sandy concert
VIDEO: The Beatles – Lost ‘Here Comes The Sun’ solo found
VIDEO: Cee Lo Green changes lyrics to John Lennon’s Imagine
Christmas Rock: John Lennon
John Lennon: home studio equipment up for auction
Yoko Ono: security breach at NYC Dakota building
John Lennon's private letters to be published in 2012
The Beatles: John Lennon’s Abbey Road suit sells for 46K at auction
Yoko Ono donates gold John Lennon coin to Alder Hey Imagine Appeal for auction
