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| From | matty karas <mkaras@mindspring.com> |
| Subject | The Beatles' Helping 'Hand' |
| Date | Tue, 20 Jan 2004 20:36:39 -0500 (GMT-05:00) |
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a great bit of pop history from the washington post:
The Beatles' Helping 'Hand'
She Triggered Beatlemania in 1963 But Prefers Her Role to Be Unsung
By Richard Harrington
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 16, 2004; Page C01
It was 40 years ago today that the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" became the No. 1 single in America, their first hit here. It happened just three weeks after Capitol Records, which owned U.S. rights to the Beatles' music, hurriedly released the song, after having turned down their first three British singles.
Capitol's chief talent scout, Dave Dexter, initially didn't find the Beatles "suitable for the American market." And on the day after Christmas, when the record was released, few in America had heard of the quartet.
But plenty of Washingtonians had. They had a big head start on what the rest of the nation would discover -- all thanks to an enthusiastic 15-year-old Silver Spring girl and the letter she wrote to a local DJ. Because of that modest note, urging him to locate and play a song by a certain obscure British band, she has been widely credited with helping light the fuse for the explosion that was Beatlemania.
Reluctant to take that credit, she all but vanished many years ago, and attempts to find her have failed. Until now....
rest of story here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21531-2004Jan15.html
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