19 Jul
The Beatles - “More Popular Than Jesus”
March 4, 1966 - The Evening Standard conducted an interview with the Beatles. In it, John Lennon states that the band is “more popular than Jesus.” While there was little reaction in the UK, a backlash swept America five months later, when a magazine published the interview. Reaction was strongest in the south, where radio stations banned the Fab 4’s records. People burned Beatles records and memorabilia in the streets. Lennon received death threats. The Ku Klux Klan protested a Beatles’ concert in Alabama.
John Lennon Proclaims Beatles More Popular Than Jesus
Bigger Than Jesus Controversy