by Martin Wallace, Pennsauken, New Jersey

This is one of those moments that you seem to remember no matter how old you are. Music wasn’t really a part of my life until that fateful Sunday evening on the Ed Sullivan show, February 1964. My oldest cousin was a few years older than me and said I had to watch Ed Sullivan the next Sunday night. My aunt, uncle and cousin visited that following Sunday night. We all were lying on the living room floor starring up at the black and white screen with our parents apparently disinterested. As soon as my father glimpsed the Beatles’s long hair, he shouted: “Look at those hippie freaks!” All my brothers and sisters and cousin just ignored him and where enthralled by the group despite the fact we really couldn’t hear their performance.

I was only 12 at the time, but a new hobby and interest were born. It seemed music was some magical properties I was never aware of. To this day, I play bass in a classic rock cover band still dreaming I was on that stage playing the Ed Sullivan show!