By Jim Schuh

One thing that old people enjoy perhaps more than their younger counterparts is memories, because they have more of them. They’re one of the few positive things about growing old.

I was reflecting about a few memories going back to my radio days that started in the early 1960s and ended in 1999. A program on PBS about the history of the Beatles sparked a memory about the first big hit.

At the time – in 1964 – the Liverpool rock group hit the U.S. top pop music charts with their hit, “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” Lots of people were showing interest in the mop-haired quartet, which had first become popular in Great Britain.

The rock song debuted the Billboard charts in January of ’64 and led to an appearance by John, Paul, George and Ringo the following month on the Ed Sullivan show on CBS. The history books tell us 73-million people watched the performance.

Back in those days, smaller markets like Stevens Point normally had to wait a week or more for the record companies to send copies of their songs to radio stations. The companies first serviced larger market stations, where airplay could drive substantial record sales.

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