August 11, 1966 – The Beatles arrive in Chicago
in the middle of a swirling controversy, and John Lennon, in a press conference
at the Astor Towers Hotel, apologizes for his part in creating the furor that
developed after his casual remark that the Beatles were more popular than
Jesus. “I wasn’t saying whatever they
say I was saying,” says Lennon, described by the Tribune as a “Shaggy-haired Liverpool performer.” [Chicago
Tribune, August 11, 1966] “I ‘m sorry I said it really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious
thing. I apologize if that will make you
happy. I still don’t know quite what
I’ve done. I’ve tried to tell you what I
did do but if you want me to apologize, if that will make you happy, then OK,
I’m sorry.” For a personal essay on the
event and how it has stayed with me for fifty years, you may want to look up
this blog entry from 2009. Information concerning Astor Towers, where the press conference took place, may be found here.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment