It is with a very heavy heart that we have learned of the passing of legendary impressario Sid Bernstein. Sid was a dear friend to us and was the very first guest for our first FEST in 1974. What a sweetheart he was. Always told his stories with patience and passion. Sid presented The Beatles at Carnegie Hall on Feb 12, 1964, three nights after their first Ed Sullivan Show. But he will always be most remembered for being a big thinker. He had this idea of presenting The Beatles at Shea Stadium. He phone Beatles manager Brian Epstein with the idea. Brian was hesitant, not wanting his Beatles to play to any empty seats. Sid boldly guaranteed to purchase any unsold seats and the deal was made. The Beatles at Shea became the first of its kind and to most famous single concert in history, August 15, 1965. Sid was 95 years young. It was an honor to get to know him and have him join us at so many FESTS over the years. He was a man of vision and will be greatly missed, especially by Beatles fans around the world.
Month: August 2013
Chicago FEST Starts Tomorrow – Friday, Aug 9th
Here it is, early Thursday morning, and the set up is well under way. Today guests begin to arrive and everything goes into high gear. We have three days (tomorrow through Sunday) of Beatles excitement, energy, fun, premieres, live music, concerts, and all the other things that have made The Chicago FEST so popular for the past 37 years. So come one and come all, if you love The Beatles, this is the place to be. Advance tickets still available online through today. Individual day tickets will be available at the door. Go to our web page for all details. We hope you can join us.