This morning Queens Borough President Melinda Katz appeared on the “Jim Kerr Rock ‘n Roll Morning Show” on Q104.3 (WAXQ-FM) to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles first visit to America.
It was 50 years ago today when the flight carrying the “Fab Four” to the U.S. arrived at Kennedy Airport, where they were greeted by thousands of screaming fans and a huge throng of reporters who came to the airport for the Beatles’ first U.S. press conference. Since that day the borough of Queens has played host to several other major Beatles events, including their August 1964 concerts at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills and their 1965 and 1966 shows at Shea Stadium (with the sold out 1965 show being the first concert ever to be performed in a major sports stadium). In recent years Paul McCartney has made several trips to Queens for performances at Shea Stadium and Citi Field and for a recent visit to the Frank Sinatra School for the Arts in Astoria, where he performed for and took questions from students.
During her radio appearance, the Borough President presented host Jim Kerr with a proclamation that notes all those important Beatles events and pays tribute to the band for the great joy and excitement it has brought to people throughout the world.
“Beginning with their arrival in the U.S. during the dark days after the assassination John F. Kennedy, The Beatles have had a profound positive impact on our nation and have brightened the lives of countless millions of people,” Katz said. “As Borough President and as a lifelong Queens resident, I am proud that our borough has played such an important role in Beatles history. Thank you to Jim Kerr and everyone at Q104.3 for inviting me to their station to help mark today’s anniversary.”