Astor Towers Hotel (formerly) - Chicago, IL
Posted by: 
adgorn
N 41° 54.357 W 087° 37.643
16T E 447964 N 4639524
The press conference The Beatles held in a hotel room on the 27th floor of the Astor Towers Hotel in the Gold Coast on August 11, 1966 is considered by Beatles historians to mark the official end of Beatlemania.
Waymark Code: WMHGEK
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 07/08/2013
Views: 4
It was the day John Lennon had to apologize for saying the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. On this August 11th, 1966, the Beatles were in Chicago to launch their third American tour. Reporter Maureen Cleave, a friend of John's, published an article about him in the March 4th 1966 edition of the London Evening Standard, entitled 'How Does A Beatle Live?'. The article contained a number of quotes, comments and thoughts from a recent conversation she had with him, including John's personal view of the current state of religion: "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that. I am right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now.” The quote was taken out of context in America, and spread as a headline: "John says Beatles bigger than Jesus." Reaction in the southern parts of the United States ranged from Ku Klux Klan protests and Beatle record burnings arranged by Christian radio stations, to anonymous death threats. Chicago was the first stop of their 1966 American tour. This was the Beatles' first opportunity to answer questions personally for the American press regarding the Jesus Statement controversy. John responded:
"Well, originally I was pointing out that fact in reference to England-- that we meant more to kids than Jesus did, or religion, at that time. I wasn't knocking it or putting it down, I was just saying it as a fact. And it's sort of... It is true, 'specially more for England than here. I'm not saying that we're better, or greater, or comparing us with Jesus Christ as a person or God as a thing or whatever it is, you know. I just said what I said and it was wrong, or was taken wrong. And now it's all this."
From there the press conference moved on to musical matters. The Beatles later played two Chicago performances at the Amphitheater then embarked on the rest of their 14-city tour.
Here's the transcript: (
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The Astor Hotel was designed by Bertrand Goldberg, the designer of Chicago Marina City and opened in 1962. It was converted to condos in 1979.
Gosh, I wish I would have known The Beatles were that close to where I lived on the north side back then!