This was The Beatles’ only concert in New Orleans, Louisiana. They played before a capacity crowd of 12,000 at the City Park Stadium, and were in the city for less than 24 hours.
The Beatles had arrived in the early hours of the morning. Captain Pres Cooper, the pilot of their charter aeroplane, an American Flyers Airline Lockheed 188 Electra, contacted New Orleans Lakefront Airport ahead of their landing. A helicopter was to have taken the passengers directly to their hotel, the Congress Inn on Chef Menteur Highway.
The helicopter, however, was grounded with a mechanical problem. Limousines were arranged, but were driven to the wrong airport – New Orleans International. Captain Cooper diverted to the airport, and landed the aeroplane at Moisant Field, a secluded spot at the west end of the airfield.
The Beatles and their small entourage were driven to the Congress Inn. They were initially accompanied by a police motorcade, but became separated during the journey. As their limousine neared the hotel, it was spotted by fans who quickly surrounded it.
The police arrived and forced the fans aside, but as the limousine reversed it hit a Kenner Police Department escort car, causing slight damage. The Beatles ran through the motel lobby, into the laundry room and finally into their three-room suite, room 100.
Upon their arrival, Brian Epstein was horrified to find that the hotel was a single-story building; at the time, The Beatles had trouble finding hotels willing to have them as guests, due to the crowds of teenage fans they attracted wherever they went.
The Beatles took to their rooms, remaining there until their late-afternoon press conference. For the first time on this tour, manager Epstein allowed a newsreel cameraman to film the conference.
During the afternoon Mayor Victor Schiro arrived at the hotel to give them a key to the city, and proclaimed 16 September 1964 ‘Beatles Day’ in New Orleans.
The group had one major request in the city: they wanted to meet Fats Domino. The musician agreed to meet The Beatles in their dressing room at the City Park Stadium immediately prior to their performance.
Fats Domino we admired. We met him in New Orleans. He had a very big diamond watch in the shape of a star, which was very impressive.
#OTD 16Sep1964 @thebeatles meet @RealFatsDomino backstage before their show in #NewOrleans. #starwatch #beatleboot pic.twitter.com/kt8MFgx0AX
— George Harrison (@GeorgeHarrison) September 16, 2017
The stage at City Park Stadium was situated on the far side of the venue, well away from the audience. However, during the performance of ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ more than 100 fans broke through a police cordon and ran across the field towards the stage. It took 225 police officers more than 20 minutes before order was restored, with mounted police patrolling the area of the breach.
Around 200 fans collapsed through excitement and exhaustion. One girl broke her arm, but refused hospital treatment until the show had ended.
The Beatles performed their standard 12-song set: ‘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’.
The concert was recorded, and was broadcast by the WNOE-AM radio station on the 10th anniversary of the concert. The songs were mostly inaudible due to the fans’ screams, but The Beatles’ between-song stage banter was captured. After the fans’ attempted stage invasion, John Lennon remarked: “We’d like to continue with our next number, if you would stop playing football in the middle of the field.” Prior to the final song, ‘Long Tall Sally’, Paul McCartney told the crowd: “We’d like to thank everybody for coming, including the football players.”
The Beatles’ performance lasted just half an hour. The other acts on the bill were, in order of appearance, The Bill Black Combo, The Exciters, Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry, and Jackie DeShannon. Henry had joined the tour in Philadelphia two weeks earlier, replacing The Righteous Brothers who had complained that the crowds were more interested in screaming for The Beatles than listening to them sing.
Also on this day...
- 2023: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Fruit Yard Amphitheater, Modesto
- 2022: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
- 2020: The Beatles announce Get Back book
- 2010: Paul McCartney to reissue Band On The Run
- 2005: Paul McCartney live: American Airlines Arena, Miami
- 1975: Wings live: City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne
- 1969: Maclen (Music) Limited begins legal proceedings against Northern Songs
- 1968: Recording: I Will, Glass Onion
- 1967: Recording, mixing: Your Mother Should Know, Blue Jay Way
- 1966: John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Brian Epstein meet in Paris
- 1963: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr holiday in Greece
- 1963: John and Cynthia Lennon holiday in Paris
- 1963: George Harrison holidays with his sister Louise in Benton, IL, USA
- 1962: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
- 1961: The Beatles live: Aintree Institute, Liverpool
- 1960: The Beatles live: Indra Club, Hamburg
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
I was at that concert! I was a young teenage girl, screaming my lungs out and watching girls getting tackled on the field. Wish I had kept the ticket. I am now 69 years old but what a memory!
Hi folks- my name is Ed Cotter and I was also there. I was in the 8th grade at St Francis Cabrini School. I am also 69 now (2021) and wish I could find my ticket. I could retire again on that alone. It was quite the scene. Just as described. My only comment was that the boys enjoyed the concert but the girls really did go nuts. I had a blast and have always felt the Beatles were without doubt the greatest band of all time. They defined our coming of age in so many ways. God Bless.
I was there and this article accurately reflects the concert.
They never mentioned my father, Herb Holiday, who promoted that concert. I was there too…although very young at that time.
I was there, outside, peering through the fence and not knowing I was witnessing history. Did not even know what was going on when the Limos had to stop for me to get the football out of the street (we played in an empty lot/yard at St. Patrick and St. Peter), that afternoon. I later fantasized it was the Fab Four in one of those limos but also realized it was probably just some VIPs on the way to the concert.
I went to John Dibert Elementary at the time and lived just a block from City Park, near Carrollton and Dumaine. It was a wonderful place to live, having City Park as my playground. Only a year or two later did I come to appreciate the Beatles and love their music.
The Beatles are the J.S. Bach of our generation.
I’ve heard that so-called recording of the concert, and it sounded completely fake to me. The songs were just the records with screaming added. You may want to take a second listen…
“It will never happen here.” “Girls only act like that in cities like New York, but not here. Never.” “No, I will not take you to see that!” is what our parents said. There were a few other problems too: 1. It was a school night [Wednesday] 2. It cost $5 [Albums cost $1.29] 3. I was only 10 years old. [My allowance was 50 cents/week provided I cut, raked, and garbage canned the grass. So $5 was very expensive. I would have borrowed it, if I had someone to go with. The next morning, the Newspaper Headline read: “Bedlam Reigns at Beatles’ Concert”. [I still have a copy of that.] – Richard Keen
I was there as an 8 year old. My dad, Ken Elliott (AKA ‘Jack the Cat’) was a popular New Orleans DJ. He put me atop a Box Truck behind the stage. Great view. I remember the chaos and screaming more than the music.