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When the Beatles came to Detroit 50 years ago, this man introduced them

User: Patrick Julian
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facebook/Beyond Olympia Stadium
The Beatles

On Sept. 6, 1964, the Beatles came to Michigan.

The familiar sounds of the Detroit Red Wings playing at Olympia Stadium gave way to something completely different: 30,000 teenagers screaming for John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

They played two shows at Olympia Stadium.

Bob Green was right there, seeing Beatlemania unfold in Detroit.

He was a disc jockey on WKNR, Keener 13, the legendary Detroit radio station. He wasn't just there as the Beatles played Olympia, he was onstage introducing them.

“We were up there talking for a while to sort of fill time … People say get the hell off the stage, we want to see the Beatles,” Green recalled.

On Stateside today, we talked to Bob Green, the man who helped Michigan meet the Beatles. 

* Listen to the the full story above.

Thanks to Green, we've obtained the audio of a special feature produced by WKNR commemorating the Beatles’ visit in Michigan. It includes the raw audio of the Beatles speaking at a press conference in Detroit. And it hasn't been heard in some 50 years.

Beatles_Detroit_Show.mp3
WKNR's special feature on the Beatles

The Beatles at Olympia Stadium in Detroit in 1964:

Stateside is produced daily by a dedicated group of producers and production assistants. Listen daily, on-air, at 3 and 8 p.m., or subscribe to the daily podcast wherever you like to listen.
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