And so it begins - February 9, 1964

I was a fairly sheltered kid. I blame it on being the oldest
child in my family -- I didn't have any older siblings or
friends to introduce me to "older" things such as pop music.
I was the pioneer.

Of course, I absorbed some stuff just from being alive and
watching TV -- so I knew there was music for "old people:" such
as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and guys like that, who I hated.
I have a different viewpoint now, but back then, the really
popular and common music of the time was to me for "old
people" (though of course my mother and everybody else
who enjoyed that were not really old -- they were
younger than I am now, but that's how I thought
back then.

And I knew there was rock and roll, but somehow just
assumed that was for teenagers, the big kids, not
for me.

So I just was not paying attention to the pop music
culture in those days, so I didn't know what those
pesky teenagers were listening to.

And because I hated entertainment for old people, I
didn't watch the Ed Sullivan Show. I don't recall
what show I watched instead. Walt Disney? Mission
Impossible? I suppose I could learn what was showing
on the other two channels (shocking that we could
watch only three main stations in those primitive
times) and figure out which show I must have
watched. But who cares?

I had no clue on Sunday night, February 9, 1964 that
I was missing the second most significant musical
event of my lifetime. (The first is the actual
birth of rock n roll itself -- when I was a
baby!) Until I went to school the next morning and
discovered the I was the only one who hadn't watched
Ed Sullivan the night before. That's all anyone
talked about.

"John's my favorite."

"I like Paul. He's so cute."

Yes, the game of "Who's your favorite Beatle?" had begun.

I think I liked George because he was the quiet one. Though Ringo
brought a personality quirk and appeal that is not as appreciated
today because the focus is now on the music. But lots of kids
liked Ringo then for being the funny looking and oddball one.

I think I could tell John was the smart-ass, but it was hard to
appreciate because I could rarely understand what he was saying
at those news conferences, through his British accent.


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