Two months old, in my crib. While I have absolutely no memory to share of where I was fifty years ago when the Beatles first appeared on Ed Sullivan, the impact it had on my life is undeniable.
One of the first records my parents bought me was The Chipmunks Sing The Beatles. As a toddler, I knew and loved I Wanna Hold Your Hand, just like I knew Ring Around The Rosie and the Kookaburra Song. Gleefully, I sat on the floor in front of our old black and white Zenith singing along with The Beatles cartoon.
By the time I was old enough to actually understand who the Beatles were, they were gone. Broken up. A memory. A legacy.
Those songs remained in my record collection and my heart. The Beatles had a hand in forming how I hear at music; harmony, melody, chord progressions, lyrical content, rhythm, everything. And as they inspired others of my heroes, who took those same lessons and morphed them into new and ever changing concepts, they further touched my soul. The music I love and the music I make would not be what it is had there never been a band called The Beatles who came to the States to play Ed Sullivan. Everything changed while I slept in my crib. Everything.