Video: 'The Beatles Live At The Paramount Theatre, New York, USA (Sunday 20th September 1964)'
(Sunday, September 20, 1964, approximately 10:00 p.m. EDT; during The Beatles’ 1964 North American tour) — The Beatles brought their first full North American tour to a close with a special charity concert tonight at the Paramount Theatre in New York City.
The concert, held in aid of United Cerebral Palsy of New York City and Retarded Infants Services, marked the final performance of a whirlwind tour that had captivated audiences across the continent.
The Beatles had earlier spent a brief respite at a secluded ranch in Missouri, owned by Reed Pigman, before returning to the road.
Early in the morning, the group departed from the ranch and made their way to Walnut Ridge Regional Airport in Arkansas, where a crowd of about 200 eager fans had gathered, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Fab Four.
Paul McCartney and George Harrison arrived at the airport an hour before their bandmates and watched with amusement from a truck as fans mobbed a local crop duster, mistaking it for The Beatles’ plane.
John Lennon and Ringo Starr arrived shortly after on a small commuter aircraft and were quickly surrounded by enthusiastic fans. The four Beatles soon reunited and boarded Pigman’s plane, en route to New York City.
Video: 'Beatles Charity Show At Paramount Theater'
Upon arrival, the band prepared for their evening performance. Originally scheduled for 10:45 p.m., The Beatles took the stage 45 minutes early after the sets of other performers were cut short.
Outside the theater, 200 police officers struggled to control a crowd of 100,000 fervent fans.
Inside the Paramount Theatre, 3,682 attendees, ranging from young fans to New York’s elite, filled the venue. Tickets for the event had been sold for up to $100, reflecting the high demand to see the world’s most popular band.
Among the notable attendees was television personality Ed Sullivan, who visited The Beatles backstage, and journalist Gloria Steinem, reporting for Cosmopolitan magazine.
Following the concert, The Beatles retired to the Riviera Motel near John F. Kennedy International Airport, where they were joined by Bob Dylan and his manager, Albert Grossman. The two groups had previously met a month earlier at New York’s Delmonico Hotel, where Dylan famously introduced The Beatles to cannabis.
The evening also saw tensions between The Beatles’ press officer, Derek Taylor, and their manager, Brian Epstein.
Taylor, who had frequently clashed with Epstein over his independent actions and commitments on behalf of the band, resigned from his position at the end of the tour, although he was obliged to continue working until just before Christmas.
