tptb dragoon

I was an impressionable 18 back in 1963. John Kennedy had recently been assassinated. The country was in a state of emotional depression. Jack Paar had just relinquished his throne as host of the TONIGHT show to a young upstart named Johnny Carson. But Paar acquired a Friday evening prime time show. On that show one fall evening , he spoke about his recent vacation to England and how his young daughter, Randi, had become infatuated with a new rock group that was taking England by storm. They were called the Beatles, he said, and he had a brief video tape of them in concert, which he proceeded to show to the audience. Then he made some light humor about their unique appearance. What struck me most about that video was that they were singing a familiar song: something called FROM ME TO YOU. Rock singer Del Shannon had released it just a year earlier and I thought it was a great number which HE (Del Shannon) had written (since he wrote many of his own songs. This was all before their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, which would come the following February. I would learn later that FROM ME TO YOU was but one in a portfolio of songs written by two of the singers in the group--John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Within the next few months, the bland era of rock music became an explosion of fantastic songs--all written by various members of this incredible new group. At first, it was largely commercial rock music-- most of it original stuff, all written better and performed better than anyone in that genre had ever done before--even the King himself. Before long, inspired by the poet-laureates of the day such as Bob Dylan, they were releasing prolific message songs with a modern rock rythm. All of us in that youth generation NEW something great had just occurred! Within a short time, we realized these were going to be the greatest musical composer-performers of our time--the Bach and Beethovens of a modern age.

Two of them are gone now: first the tragic loss of a modern Sophoclean genius, John Lennon. Then later, the fabulous lead guitarist who wrote not as many, perhaps, but songs that were certainly as great as those of his companions-- the truly wonderful George Harrison. In that time, the two survivors, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, have become icons. One of the thrills of my life was seeing McCartney in concert, particularly when he sang some of those great Beatle songs he helped write and asked the audience to join in.

To a younger generation, I say, those four kids
changed the world. Not figuratively, but in reality. They made us think about life as we had rarely done before. They taught us the lessons of life that, heretofore, were only found in theologies. They taught us the meaning of love and working together to make a better world. And they shared the frustratiuons of life with us, so that we knew we weren't alone. Perhaps my proudest moments in life are knowing that I was part of that generation which spawned the greatest musical geniuses, surely, of the second half of the 20th century--the Beatles!