Today in History: August 27

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

The Beatles met Elvis Presley at his mansion on Perugia Way in Bel Air on this date in 1965.

The meeting between two of the biggest acts in show business came about after negotiations between Beatles manager Brian Epstein and Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker. When the Beatles came to America in February 1964 to perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, Sullivan read a telegram to the band: “Congratulations on your appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show and your visit to America. We hope your engagement will be a successful one and your visit pleasant. Give our best to Mr. Sullivan. Sincerely, Elvis & the Colonel.”

It was decided that with Elvis as the older performer (just four years older than John Lennon and Ringo Starr but famous for a decade by 1965), the Beatles would visit him at home while they were performing in Los Angeles instead of bring him to the home that had been rented for them or bring him backstage after they had performed.

Thus, there were no photographers present at 10:00 p.m. that night when the Beatles arrived at Elvis Presley’s mansion, and no tape recorders were turned on. All present say that an informal jam session took place, but no one wrote down what was played. Elvis played bass.

A few photographs exist, taken by fans outside Presley’s mansion gates who possibly did not know what they were witnessing or could not believe it. One is above; you can make out John Lennon walking toward a limo with Elvis and his girlfriend (later wife) Priscilla in the doorway on the left. In another photo, one of Elvis’ neighbors appears to be walking past, oblivious.
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Bearing Witness

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

One afternoon, my friend and I were waiting for her car to be serviced, so we sat in the waiting room to discuss the things good friends discuss in waiting rooms when coffee is being given away.

An elderly woman, still wearing her winter coat indoors, was sitting alone across from us, barking inarticulate sounds to herself. Sometimes, when she would hear laughter, she would rock forward, and, with a smile on her face, direct some louder sounds in the direction of the others, as if she was participating in the joking and merriment. Then she would slump back and the stream of non-language would continue, sometimes in a sing-song, sometimes with a note of fear and anger. Was she alone here? Had she wandered in off the street? That was not possible, as the street was Route 9.
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Today in History: August 26

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

Vulnerable. Reporters are vulnerable. The camera lens and a notepad do not stop bullets. One year ago today a local television news reporter and a cameraman for WDBJ7, a CBS affiliate in Virginia, were shot and killed live on the air.

The reporter was named Alison Parker; she was 24 years old and had recently gotten engaged to be married to another young WDBJ reporter. The cameraman, Adam Ward, was 27. He was engaged to be married as well and today was to be his last day at WDBJ; his fiancee was in the production studio doing her job when she watched her boyfriend get shot.

The shooter ran away and then was shot and killed by authorities himself later the same day.
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