ABSTRACT
The Beatles toured North America from 1964 to 1966. Perhaps the most controversial tour date was September 11, 1964, in Jacksonville, Florida. The southern states were adjusting to the eventual erasure of all Jim Crow laws when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law in July of 1964. The Beatles were due to play at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville when word leaked out the concert would need to be segregated. For five decades the full story of the events surrounding that appearance has never been told. Attempts have been made, but errors constantly arise in the telling of the story. Who was threatening the segregation and how did Beatles manager Brian Epstein and the group members respond? The answer lies in meticulously deconstructing the chain of events that led up to the concert date. Who were the key players, the promoters and city officials who were involved? The concert went off as planned, but the journey was interesting.
