Hoosiers recall Beatles performances at '64 Indiana State Fair

Deep-fried Pepsi is impressive, but surely the Indiana State Fair's finest moment was the booking of the Beatles. For two shows, one at 6 p.m. in the Coliseum, the second at 9:30 in the Grandstand. It was Sept. 3, 1964. (The Fair was held later in the summer then.)

David Humphrey was one of the some 15,000 people who saw the second show, sort of. He watched at a distance, through a fence, with his parents. "We were on Paul's side of the stage," Humphrey said. "We could see the Beatles."

Humphrey was 8. He and his parents were not paying customers, but his two teenage sisters and cousin were. They were in the Grandstand.

Some parents were lukewarm on the four long-haired English musicians who were cutting such a swath through the culture, but Humphrey's parents liked the Beatles, and for the next few years Beatles music pulsed through the Humphrey house, which was in Anderson.

Humphrey grew up and became a freelance writer and photographer (his work has appeared in The Indianapolis Star), and now he has written a book about the historic Hoosier night, "All Those Years Ago: Fifty Years Later, Beatles Fans Still Remember" ($19.95, ButlerBooks.com).

The book is illustrated with 10 pages of photos and photocopies of some hilarious letters from fans seeking tickets ("Dear Congressman Brademas: Could you please use all the influence you can possibly muster to obtain these tickets for me?").

The bulk of the 84-page paperback is made up of interviews with some of the 30,000 people who were at one of the concerts. There are 40 interviews in all.

Among the people who saw the Beatles perform at the Indiana State Fair on Sept 3, 1964, were two boys who'd grow up to figure prominently in Indiana politics: Mike McDaniel, a lobbyist and former Republican state chairman, and Democrat John Gregg, a former House Speaker in the Indiana General Assembly and the 2012 Democratic candidate for governor.

Humphrey interviewed them both. McDaniel noted that he "rubbed against the car the Beatles arrived in and got a good look at all of them." He said his favorite Beatles were Paul and Ringo.

Gregg also had a thing for Ringo. "We were seated near the back of the stage, just to the left of Ringo Starr," he says in Humphrey's book. "I'll never forget when Ringo was introduced to the crowd. He was kind and gracious enough to stand and wave to the fans seated behind the stage. Ringo waved in our direction too, and the crowd went wild."

Despite the mania surrounding the bands' visit, 1964 was still a simpler time, as evidenced by the Beatles' contract rider, the portion that details musicians' hospitality needs.

For instance, 2013 State Fair performers Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band requested, "'Pork rinds (hot or BBQ,' 'Turkey (please none with honey on it; that stuff is nasty),' '1 box of live ammunition (.22, 9mm or 12 gauge, please no foreign ammunition).' The fair did not honor the request for ammo."

By comparison, the Beatles in 1964 were easy. In his letter to Robert Weedon at the Indiana State Fair, dated Aug. 10, three weeks before their historic appearance, Beatles' handler Ira Sidelle of General Artists Corp. wrote that "we would appreciate it very much" if the lads' dressing room could be equipped with "a supply of clean towels, chairs, a case of cold Coca Cola, and if at all possible, a portable TV set."

Contact Star reporter Will Higgins at (317) 444-6043. Follow him on Twitter @WillRHiggins.