Sometimes, a tour is so bad that it leads a band to swear off touring for good. That was the case for The Beatles in 1966. After they wrapped up their touring ventures that year, including a trek through America, they decided to become a studio-only band. And any bona fide Beatles fan knows that it was the result of one controversial statement made by John Lennon.
While the Fab Four would perform several more times before calling it quits for good in 1970, their 1966 tour would be their last. And on this very day in 1966, The Beatles performed their final paid concert. That concert took place at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California.
An unsurprising 25,000 fans attended the concert. Those in attendance had no idea that they were watching The Beatles live for the final time. The group would not announce that they were calling it quits on performances until afterwards.
“It’s been wonderful being here in this wonderful sea air” would be one of the last things Paul McCartney would say to the crowd during their performance.
The Beatles Had Such a Bad Time in 1966 That They Quit Touring for Good
The Beatles’ final paid concert wrapped up on August 29, 1966, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. They opened up with a wild cover of “Rock And Roll Music” by Chuck Berry. While the show went well, the tour they were on was anything but good for the Fab Four.
Their trek across America had more than a few hiccups. John Lennon had infamously made a comment during an interview that The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.” This controversial statement did not sit well with a lot of Americans, particularly those in the Deep South. When The Beatles toured there, the sense of actual danger in even being present in those areas was palpable. Their tour of the Bible Belt had left a bad taste in their mouths, and the whole debacle would be a major factor in their decision to stop touring.
The Fab Four also dealt with constant issues with sound systems and the overall exhaustion that typically happens when you’re on the road for months. It’s not exactly shocking that they decided to focus more on the studio than the road over the next few years.
Though, the concert in San Francisco wouldn’t be their last-ever performance. The band would later perform for the last time on January 30, 1969. The Fab Four famously performed on the roof of Apple Records in London, England.
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