The Beatles performed two concerts at the 15,000-capacity Detroit Olympia on this day. The other acts on the bill were, in order of appearance, The Bill Black Combo, The Exciters, Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry, and Jackie DeShannon.
The Beatles performed the standard 12-song set which they retained for most of the US tour: ‘Twist And Shout’, ‘You Can’t Do That’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘Things We Said Today’, ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘If I Fell’, ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, ‘Boys’, ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, and ‘Long Tall Sally’.
After the show they stayed at the Whittier Hotel. Following their departure the sheets they slept on were purchased by a radio station and cut into small squares, which were then sold to fans.
The Beatles performed on one other date at the Olympia Stadium, on 13 August 1966.
Also on this day...
- 2022: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Lyric Performing Arts Center, Baltimore
- 2010: Ringo’s Beatles debut venue burns down
- 2003: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles
- 1993: Paul McCartney live: Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna
- 1992: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Circus Maximus Showroom, Las Vegas
- 1968: Recording: While My Guitar Gently Weeps
- 1968: Television: Paul McCartney and Mary Hopkin filmed for Magpie
- 1967: Recording, mixing: I Am The Walrus, The Fool On The Hill, Blue Jay Way
- 1966: John Lennon begins wearing ‘granny’ glasses
- 1963: The Beatles live: Odeon Cinema, Luton
- 1963: UK EP release: The Beatles’ Hits
- 1962: The Beatles live: Rialto Ballroom, Liverpool
- 1962: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime)
- 1961: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
- 1960: The Beatles live: Indra Club, Hamburg
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
I was at this concert and saw Paul McCartney again at Comerica Park July 24, 2011. He mentioned that you could not hear songs for all the screaming. So true. I was bummed because you could not hear at all. Girl next to me fainted and missed entire concert. Did enjoy Jackie DeShannon but don’t remember the other acts. I have never run into anyone who was at that concert and everyone is always impressed that I saw them in 1964. I live in East Lansing, MI. Who else was there???
I also attended the 1964 concert. The event was so influential in my life that it is etched in my mind forever. Interestingly, I don’t remember any other bands performing at the concert. I remember that they only played for about 20 minutes and were set up at one end of what was normally the Olympia ice hockey surface. The screaming was constant and deafening and as fate had it, I was seated to the band’s right and just slightly behind them, but up in the second or third tier so I had a great view and could actually hear them play and sing, (except when Ringo sang the song “Boys”). Thoughtfully, they all turned around and acknowledged the fans seated behind them after every song.
Another image that has stuck with me is all the jelly beans that fans threw at them during the performance. After the concert, two rows of cops with arms interlocked surrounded the stage, barely stopping some and dragging others off who had leapt over them to grab the jelly beans they stepped on during the concert. An absolutely, unbelievably amazing Beatlemania scene! Afterwards, on the way out, people were breathing so hard from 20 minutes of screaming, that the walls of the exit corridors were literally dripping with exhaled moisture!
My sister was at that concert. She still has a couple of the jelly beans that the Beatles stepped on and threw back at the crowd. I went with my dad to pick her up from the concert. She was 17 at the time and came out of Olympia with her girlfriends hoarse and drenched in sweat.
Attention Mark Calice. Did you attend the 2 PM show of the Beatles at the Olympia September 6, 1964? If so I was sitting near where you sat as well. Do you have any pictures of the crowd to the right of the band on stage? That is side-stage-left? We have no pics. We didn’t keep our stubs. Really a bummer. My uncle gave me 4 tickets. I thought I had real power when deciding who I would take but my Mother nixed those ideas. She made me take her friend’s two daughters. Then to top it off she insisted on going to the concert as well. All in all it was still an impactful time that remains vivid in my memory. Hoping you will see this post and get in touch with me.
I was also there….up in the Press Box with the son of my Dad’s boss and his fiancee’. I remember a girl fainting and all the screaming. Though I had no idea what this word meant at the time, I can now describe it all as “surreal”…like I was almost dreaming it. I was 8 and it’s one of the best things I can ever say I’ve gotten to do in my life.
I was there Gayle, and although there was a lot of screaming, I did hear them sing. I had forgotten there were other bands at all, I was so excited about the Beatles! I think I was 12 then! lol
Hi, how wild eh. I was there. Our mother took us kids to see them. Never forgot it. …..Bill
I was there in ’64. Couldn’t hear a thing with all the screaming. I think it is so wonderful though that I got to experience that and I love telling people that I got to see them when they came to Detroit. I still get goosebumps remembering all of it!
I was there too! I feel exactly the ssme??
I was there! I am impressed)). I was 12 years old – won my ticket to see them from our local radio station. I’ve never won anything since. I made an entire album of keepsakes from that concert that my mom sold at a garage sale(((! Couldn’t hear a thing except screaming but we saw history in the making. I feel your joy. I had it too ! I didn’t faint but girls around me did. Also, so many girls were outside stage door that they took the Beatles out the side doors we were exiting in and George slipped and fell by us. We were thrilled! ???I’ll never forget that experience and so fun to share that joy with you!
Was that station WKNR -Keener 13?
I was!
I was there, I thought I remembered a girl group performing that day but ma by I’m wrong.
I was there with two sisters and my mom. Yes, etched in my memory, John or Paul were only heard as the girls calmed down to hear them mention what song was next. One cord maybe, then couldn’t hear any of the songs the Beatles played but the screaming, the jelly beans the Beatles had to dodge. One girl kept jumping up and down screaming in front of us. My mother beat her with her purse cause she was blocking her view. The energy, the pandemonium. All worth to live a moment in the history of the Beatles. Heard they grossed more in Detroit than any other city that tour. I now live in Singapore, and yes, there is a bit of reverence, when you tell the world “you saw the Beatles live.” Mike Griffin
I was then Miss Michigan 1964, I am the woman in the picture behind them in the interview they had in Detroit. I have just found out that there are 2 more picutre found in London.We were all taken off stage after the jelly beans
I was at the 1964 concert. My family lived in ann Arbor. My dad got tickets from one of the Red Wings hockey players he knew through his job at Ford and he took me since I was only 12. This was a very special occasion since I was one of six children at this time. We were seated up and to the left of the stage and had a very good view. I was timid in the midst of all the screaming. When I finally worked up enough courage to scream, the woman in front of me turned and gave me a strange look. I stayed pretty quiet but was elated. If I covered my ears, I could actually hear the songs through all the noise. My dad wore airport ear gear! Funny! I was motivated to learn to play the guitar and I was convinced I would someday marry Paul McCartney. My best friend was going to marry John Lennon. What a childhood memory! I still have the original program from this concert.
Robyn, your sister mentioned on FB that you were there. Went to Pioneer with Pat. B I was there too. On my way to see Ringo tonight in Albuquerque.
Does any one remember how much the tickets were for the Beatles concert at Olympia?
$4. I still have the ticket stub!
I won’t mine for free but thinking maybe 4.00?
2,3,4 and 5 dollars
Saw the evening performance at Olympia. Main floor seats and we were allowed to get up and approach the stage. I laughlingly tell my boys, my Brownie picture of the Beatles is their inheritance. 2 tickets 4 Beatles, $8.00. 2 tickets Sir Paul, $570.
I was there , I lived in Detroit at the time. I don’t remember hearing much of anything because of the screaming and I think I was doing quite a bit of it myself. But, it was great fun, and I will always have that memory as I was only 12 at the time. The father of a friend of mine said they would never last and bet her a 6 pack of colt 45 that they would be gone in a year. Don’t know if she ever collected it or not!
My Dad, a Probate Judge, scored 4 tickets in ’64. He was to take my three older brothers; one who loved hockey didn’t care to go so I did. At 10 years old I recall hearing only one bit of music through all the screaming. I remember a girl behind me, the veins in her neck bulging as she screamed. As Ringo walked off stage I think a woman leaned over a railing and swung her purse to hit him over the head, likely so she could say her purse touched a Beatle. Amazing night and, yes, people have that reverence when I mention that I was there.
after watching the grammy tribute I have Beatlemania all over again, I too attended the concert at Olympia. Whenever I have talked about the concert, readily admit that we could not actually hear the music, but we knew what song they were singing and could hear it in our head! Still have the tix stubs and a special section of the Detroit News that they published that weekend.
Do you stil have the newspaper? I would interested in buying it
Due to unbelievable good fortune, I was able to see the Beatles TWICE that day. My father had driven me to the first concert, which was at 2 P.M. and, just as was mentioned previously, the noise was so overwhelming from all the screaming that the songs could barely be heard, if at all. On my way out from the first concert, a father on the street who apparently had heard reports of the impossibility of hearing any actual music (and who was probably deterred by the pandemonium from entering the venue), handed me his ticket for the second show! I found my father, and asked him if he would wait for me. He agreed (since he worked in the area and could go to his office). So I returned for the 6 P.M. concert and experienced all the Beatlemania all over again! I’ve never told anyone I went twice until now, so I don’t have any idea what the “reverence” factor would be. (I also got to see Little Stevie Wonder perform when he was 12. I think he was a drummer at the time. In any event, one of the reasons the Beatles put Detroit on their tour was their reverence for Tamla-Motown. It was very influential at the time.)
I was there too. I was 14 years old and it was awesome that you could go to a concert and not have to bring your parents. I took a bus from Clinton twsp. to the stadium with some friends. Everyone was fine. Most awesome thing I ever went to. But boy were the girls crazy with taken off some of their clothing. That was a trip. I was amazed at all the crying too. Of course I was a little crazy with the screaming. Wasn’t everyone?
I saw them in Detroit on September 6, 1964. Unforgettable!!! I saw them again on August 13, 1966 and this time I was determined to get close to the stage. I managed to get close and Paul McCartney looked right at me and smiled when he was singing!!! I was screaming so loud—I was HYSTERICAL!!!!! I was only 14 years old and I can still see it in my mind!!! I will always remember those two days! I have been a Beatles’ fan ever since the first time I saw them on a film clip that was shown on Jack Paar’s Tonight show on January 3, 1964. It was love at first sight for me!!!
I was there also. I was 16 and we got the tickets through an entertainment book. Buy one get one. My friends and I were actually Motown fans and thought the Beatles were just okay at the time. We couldn’t get over the screaming and were caught up in watching all the girls go crazy. I do remember not being able to hear because my ears were plugged. We still laugh about it.
I was there. I was 15. Went with a friend from school (SMR). It was indeed amazing, but I too was upset that I couldn’t hear them. All the screaming – and no one sat down! It is something I shall always remember…screaming, fainting, waving, dancing, jumping up and down – they did it all at that concert. I do not remember any other groups performing that night, but it was a wonderful concert. I too get the same reaction when I tell folks I saw them.
I was rapt the 1964 concert in Detroit with my two cousins and sister,
I had never seen anything like it? Loved every minute of it!!!!
I was there and it was my 1st concert. My dad dropped my girlfriend and me off as we were only 14. We screamed our heads off, of course, and had a blast. We even made it to the stage somehow and grabbed all the jelly beans we could. Pretty fun behavior for us ” good little Our Lady of Mercy” girls. I kept those jelly beans in a glass jar on my dresser for years. Great memories!! My kids of course don’t believe me LoL!!!
Kathleen
Oh man, I am in the process of writing this as a first chapter to my memoirs for my grandchildren! Being curious I wondered how much the tickets were, and what other things happened then, so I looked it up on Google….I still have the ticket stub somewhere…but anyway, I was 11 and my sister 16. Our Mom drove us to Olympia, and sat in the car knitting the entire time we were inside. When we came out, she had struck up conversation with the mother next to her also knitting in her car! When we went to go inside, we saw a bunch of girls on the side of the building where it was roped off, and now we see a bus approaching! We ran over to squeeze into the crowd and see the Beatles inside the bus waving…one girl jumped the rope and then fell and broke out her front teeth – but still she cried, screamed and waved. We took a little camera, binoculars, and a small tape recorder inside with us.
I can’t remember anyone checking out bags. We too had a hard time hearing, seeing, sitting…everyone was standing. Don’t remember the jelly beans at all….or that there were other performers. When we got into the car to go home, we wanted our Mom to hear the tape, and all we could hear was screaming, very faint and very little of the actual singing. We did not get any good photos, way too far, and not clear, and full of arms & heads. We were able to see thru the binoculars but hard when moving all the time – I remember gray suits with pink pin stripes I think. It was a moment in my life I’ll never forget. THanks to all of you for the memories…..
I too was there at the afternoon concert with my cousin. Our parents just dropped us off and left. I think of that now….being dropped off in the middle of Detroit and we were only 11 and 12!! I don’t recall the opening acts that are mentioned either. But I do remember the Cyrkle (RedRubber Ball) playing before the Beatles came out. I had my Brownie flash camera which took flashbulbs. It also had a bad connection so I had to lick each flashbulb before using it!! Which was hard to do as I was crying and screaming at the same time. I did get some pics but they aren’t very good, but they are precious to me!! And I have noticed that people of all ages are in awe of me when I tell them “I saw the BEATLES in person!” Definitely one of the highlights of my life!
The Cyrkle was an opening act during the Beatles’ 1966 tour, not 1964, and Red Rubber Ball (co-written by Paul Simon) was a hit for them in 1966. They were also an opening act for the Rolling Stones’ 1966 American tour.
I saw the beatles @ Olympia sept. 6th 1964. i think it was the first one in the afternoon @ 2:00. The girl in front of me passed out twice during the 1st song. she missed the whole concert which lasted for about a 1\2 hour. 12 songs. jelly beans flying all over the place. about 100 police surrounding the stage & using lots of force to keep fans, mostly woman, from attacking the stage, & when Ringo sang boys,he was hit with aTeddy bear& didn’t miss a beat. The best concert I’ve been to!!! total mayhem beatlemania!!! Got tickets from James Ransom who was the p. r. director at the Sheraton Cadillac at the time. They would not let the beatles stay at the Sheraton because they did not want the kids to tear up the place, but a lot of them showed up any way. also went to the hideout in gross pt.sat. nite,saw the fugitives& met pres. Johnson at the hotel all in the same wk end. An amazing time for a 16 year old from the U.P. (Newberry).
Glenn Frey of the Eagles saw both shows that day. It really inspired him to make music.
I too was lucky enough to see my idols, the Beatles, in Detroit at Olympia on 6 September 1964 (when I was 13) and 13 August 1966 (when I was 15). On the first occasion I’d managed to get through in a radio competition (WKNR as I recall) and answered two out of three questions on the Beatles and my next door neighbour and friend ran in to help me answer the third and final question correctly and I won TWO tickets to see THE BEATLES and we went together. We had very good seats in the front and could see them perfectly. I remember the buzz and excitement and the sweat pouring off the Beatles in the crowded 15,000 capacity venue!
In honesty I don’t remember the other bands allegedly stated on the bill, but I do remember the screaming crowds of adoring fans including ourselves shouting and some were crying non-stop throughout the Beatles set. I also remember rushing to the stage exit to watch the Beatles be bustled out the door with everyone trying to touch or steal a piece of them and John looked back and smiled at us, too!
I went to the second performance on 13 August 1966 with my three cousins and we had seats on the left hand side of the stage where we could see good but heard little singing with all the screaming again. I remember my cousin had binoculars around his shoulder and someone managed to pull them off him as they wanted to see The Beatles up closer! It was a fantastic experience and to have seen The Beatles twice live was and still is an accolade. It’s probably this influence that subliminally encouraged me to move to London where I’ve lived the past 40 years!
How many people can say they saw the Beatles perform live twice? Thanks to all for sharing these Great memories and I’ll never forget them!
I was there, and I couldn’t hear a thing, but I was screaming the entire time myself. I don’t remember any of he other bands at all, this was my first live concert, the first of many live music performances that I saw in Detroit and later, Ann Arbor. Was 13 at the time, and went with another girlfriend. We had good seats, we could see them plainly, if I remember correctly, they were in the neru jackets. Ah, what a memory!
What a walk down memory lane reading all of these wonderful comments! I saw them also at the 2pm concert in September 1964. I could swear that the Cyrkle who’s big hit was Red Rubber Ball was the only other act and that they wore their grey with pink trim Nehru suits. Couldn’t recall how much tickets were so thanks for that memory! Olympia looks just as I remember from the pics posted. I was able to get some pics with my Brownie camera but I had to spit on the flashbulbs so they would make proper contact! Lol. I’m sure I was quite a site screaming and crying and spitting on my lightbulbs!! One of the best days ever for me and my cousin. I was only 12 at the time.
I also was at this concert with my cousins in 1964. I was 10 years old and it my first concert. I thought Gladys Knight and the Pips performed that night also. Does anyone remember that?
Wouldn’t it be interesting to compile a list of everyone who was there?
Jill
I was there – age 12
Being only 7 at the time, I was too young to be there (though I WAS already a serious Beatles fan!). “The Old Red Barn” was a great place to watch hockey, though.
It was a beautiful September Sunday afternoon. We parked on West Grand Blvd and walked to Olympia.
Our seats were on the main floor, rows of card table style chairs with an Isle down the center. The Stage was small and low. Jackie DeShannon is the only performer I remember. Wish I remembered The Bill Black Combo, Elvis Band. The instant the Beatles came in view the crowd, mostly young girls it seemed, erupted into a deafening scream which never subsided and everyone leaped to their feet. Impossible to hear anything, the Beatles or the person next to you. I remember hearing a second or two of a song that I recognized but have forgotten which song it was. The time flew by and they were gone, fled the stage and disappeared. It felt like you had just been put through a wringer ! I was on my tip toes trying to get a glimpse of them the whole time. Didn’t remember how long it lasted but it says here that it was 20 minutes.
I was at that concert remember those folding chairs and yes the stage was very low. So excited to sit in front row.
I did not see the concert but did get to see the Beatles at the Whittier Hotel Sept 1964 since my father was the Manager at the time and we lived in the hotel. It was insanity because thousands of fans camped out in the park across the street and my brothers and I were offered quite a bit of money to sneak them in. One fan even dressed up as a maid in order to get to their room. My father had several interactions with the Beatles in their room and walked into the bathroom hitting Ringo with the door while he was shaving and it came close to cutting him. After they left the hotel my father gathered up the sheets at the request of a DJ from Chicago and sold them to be framed along with his signature certifying them as authentic. It was a highlight getting to see them live and up close even if it was only for a few seconds.
I saw the Beatles in 1966, front row seats thanks to my girlfriends Dad who worked in Detroit. Still have program and newspaper article. On the side of the Beatles were several girls screaming who had their picture taken have that article also. I will never forget it was so awesome. We could hear they were right in front of us.
I also saw the Beatles at the 2:00 show at Olympia. My neighbor friend’s dad got two tickets and she asked me to go. They were good seats and you could see the band clearly! We lived in Southfield at the time. Debbie’s dad drove us as we were 13 at the time. Funny thing was, I was not terribly impressed at the time. The screaming was so loud you could barely hear the songs. I couldn’t quite get why these crazy girls were constantly screaming!! As time went on, I totally appreciated how awesome this experience was, and people are SO impressed when I tell them I saw the Beatles in ‘64. I have many times since then wished I could contact her and thank her for this wonderful experience!!
One of my most cherished memories. I was 15 years old. I remember the wall of amplifiers behind The Beatles and enjoyed The Exciters as one of the openers but only heard the first 3 notes of Twist and Shout and the opening guitar strum of A Hard Days Night. The rest was SCREAMING!!! Tickets were only $3 but programs were $15! Unfortunately my mother did not buy one. I wonder what it would be worth today,
I saw The Beatles twice at Olympia and once In Chicago at White Sox stadium. I took the “Beatle Bus “from Detroit To Chicago. My memory of the first Olympia concert was that I had just had my gallbladder out a few days prior and I was getting squished in the crowd I was 14) I pushed my way to the door and got the attention of the guard and showed him my surgery, he let me in!! I did’nt go for my seat, NOOO I was there to see Paul! I walked to the second level and stood by the metal bars, directly to the front and side where I knew Paul would be playing. and placed myself there. in a few minutes the stadium opened and the fans flooded in. I was able to stand there the whole concert! I had an I LOVE PAUL sign made from a sheet I hung over the rail. At a very slight chance of being heard, I screamed at Paul..I love you Paul, he turned to me and said I,m glad!! Then he started singing “Things We Said Today’! A girl next to me ripped the sleeve of my blouse when he did that!!Oh be still my heart..Paul talked to me!!! It is a beautiful memory that has stayed with me all my life!