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Karen E. Grace Beatles Collection

 Collection
Identifier: A3189

Scope and Contents

The collection is comprised of items relating to the Beatles and to their 1966 St. Louis concert at Busch Stadium. The collection dates from 1964 to 1968 and is arranged chronologically. The collection includes Grace’s concert ticket and materials leading up to the concert. Newspaper clippings announcing the August 1966 U.S. concert dates and details for the St. Louis date accompany clippings from “Louise’s Beatle-Fan Club.” One item unrelated to the 1966 concert is a KXOK bookmark dated December 14, 1968. It includes lists for the top singles and albums of the day and also images of station personalities Johnny Rabbit and Steven B. Stevens. John Lennon’s statement, “We’re more popular than Jesus Christ now,” appeared in an interview in the London Evening Standard on March 4th, 1966. While the statement went unnoticed in England, once the quote circulated in the U.S. in July 1966, Beatles bans began on American radio stations and the furor was reported worldwide. According to an August newspaper clipping in the collection, the controversy briefly affected ticket sales. Despite apologies from Lennon, protestors gathered outside Busch Stadium and handed out brochures, which Grace accepted as she entered the venue, entitled, "We're More Popular Than Jesus Now."

Dates

  • 1964-1968

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, quote from, or reproduce material in this collection, please contact the Archives Reference Desk at archives@mohistory.org. Copyright restrictions may apply. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.

Biographical Sketch

Karen E. Grace was an eleven-year-old Beatles fan when the band scheduled a concert on August 21, 1966, at Busch Stadium, St. Louis. Her mother bought tickets for her, Grace’s brother (age nine), and a teenage family friend at the price of $5.50 each. Grace had a friend whose mother knew Louise Caldwell of Benton, Illinois, who was George Harrison’s older sister. Mrs. Caldwell gave regular Beatles reports on KXOK, St. Louis’s Top 40 radio station. Grace’s friend started Louise’s Beatle Fan Club, which met at her home in south St. Louis County.

Extent

0.03 Cubic Feet ( (1 folder))

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Chronological

Physical and Technical Requirements

There are no physical or technical restrictions.

Donor Information

The papers were donated by Karen E. Grace in 2021 (accession number 2021-040).

Separated Materials

The fan book, The Beatles: As Heard on KXOK, The Top Station in St. Louis (MHS Library).

Processing Information

Processed with funding from The Stuart Foundation, Inc. by Kristina Perez, 2022.

Creator

Title
Karen E. Grace Beatles Collection
Status
Completed
Author
EAD by Kristina Perez using ArchivesSpace
Date
2022
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center Repository

Contact:
225 S. Skinker Blvd.
St. Louis MO 63105 United States
314-746-4510