The Indiana State Fair's
finest moment was the booking of the Beatles. For two shows, one at 6
p.m. in the Coliseum, the second at 9:30 in the Grandstand. It was Sept.
3, 1964. (The Fair was held later in the summer then.)
David
Humphrey was one of the some 15,000 people who saw the second show, sort
of. He watched at a distance, through a fence, with his parents. "We
were on Paul's side of the stage," Humphrey said. "We could see the
Beatles."
Humphrey was 8. He and his parents were not paying
customers, but his two teenage sisters and cousin were. They were in the
Grandstand.
Some parents were lukewarm on the four long-haired
English musicians who were cutting such a swath through the culture, but
Humphrey's parents liked the Beatles, and for the next few years
Beatles music pulsed through the Humphrey house, which was in Anderson.
Humphrey grew up and became a freelance writer and photographer (his
work has appeared in The Indianapolis Star), and now he has written a
book about the historic Hoosier night, "All Those Years Ago: Fifty Years
Later, Beatles Fans Still Remember" ($19.95, ButlerBooks.com).
The
book is illustrated with 10 pages of photos and photocopies of some
hilarious letters from fans seeking tickets ("Dear Congressman Brademas:
Could you please use all the influence you can possibly muster to
obtain these tickets for me?").
The bulk of the 84-page paperback
is made up of interviews with some of the 30,000 people who were at one
of the concerts. There are 40 interviews in all.
Among the people who saw the Beatles perform at the Indiana State
Fair on Sept 3, 1964, were two boys who'd grow up to figure prominently
in Indiana politics: Mike McDaniel, a lobbyist and former Republican
state chairman, and Democrat John Gregg, a former House Speaker in the
Indiana General Assembly and the 2012 Democratic candidate for governor.
Humphrey
interviewed them both. McDaniel noted that he "rubbed against the car
the Beatles arrived in and got a good look at all of them." He said his
favorite Beatles were Paul and Ringo.
Gregg also had a thing for
Ringo. "We were seated near the back of the stage, just to the left of
Ringo Starr," he says in Humphrey's book. "I'll never forget when Ringo
was introduced to the crowd. He was kind and gracious enough to stand
and wave to the fans seated behind the stage. Ringo waved in our
direction too, and the crowd went wild."
Despite the mania surrounding the bands' visit, 1964 was still a
simpler time, as evidenced by the Beatles' contract rider, the portion
that details musicians' hospitality needs.
The Beatles in 1964 were easy. In his letter to Robert
Weedon at the Indiana State Fair, dated Aug. 10, three weeks before
their historic appearance, Beatles' handler Ira Sidelle of General
Artists Corp. wrote that "we would appreciate it very much" if the lads'
dressing room could be equipped with "a supply of clean towels, chairs,
a case of cold Coca Cola, and if at all possible, a portable TV set."
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