The Australian Women's Weekly

WHO KILLED THE BEATLES?

It was 53 years ago today (give or take three months) that Sgt. Pepper and the band last played. The sight of the Beatles rocking away in the icy wind on the roof of Apple Corps in January 1969 is an iconic image from an iconic decade. The history books all said this was both the last hurrah and the bitter end of the Beatles, but recently unearthed footage and audio recordings have sparked a re-examination of the band, their marriages and the last days of their career.

The ’60s belonged to the Beatles. They embodied a new way of looking, of sounding, of thinking. It was a hope for the future. But what we didn’t see was the price they paid personally.

Sydney-based DJ Bob Rogers was the fifth Beatle for almost two months in 1964, following every step of the band’s only Australian tour. Almost 60 years later, in the sunshine of his Mosman backyard, the memory of it all still makes him weary. He says the pressures on the Liverpool lads were enormous.

As Bob recalls, from the first moment to the last Beatlemania was on. Thousands of fans besieged the group. Girls climbed up the outside of their Sydney hotel. Streets were blocked. They were imprisoned in their suites, where teenage girls were delivered to them like room service. Bob found himself, typically,

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Australian Women's Weekly

The Australian Women's Weekly7 min read
Maggie’s Classic Christmas
• If you have the time, make the stuffing the night before, and store it in a cool place (don’t refrigerate it unless you live in a hot, humid climate, in which case fridge is best). • Make your own breadcrumbs for the stuffing, ideally from good-qu
The Australian Women's Weekly3 min read
Deck the Halls
Champagne corks Small eye hooks String/ribbon Paint (various colours) Sharpie pen Hot glue gun Felt, twigs, and embellishments (listed below) ● Start by painting the base of your characters. Red and white for Santa, grey for the koala, white and yel
The Australian Women's Weekly7 min read
Mysterious Miss Mozart
When his eldest child turned seven, Leopold Mozart decided it was time to start music lessons. The instruction began with scales and simple Austrian folk tunes in his modest yellow apartment with white-trimmed windows in Salzburg, where Leopold worke

Related Books & Audiobooks