NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On August 15, 1965, the Beatles made history when they played for a record 55,000 screaming fans at the now-demolished Shea Stadium during a stop on their 1965 tour of America. The noise generated by the adoring crowd was so great that the security guards were seen covering their ears and the band—John, Paul, George and Ringo—struggled to hear themselves play. Film footage from the concert shows fans in hysterics, crying, fainting and running onto the field (only to be stopped well short of the stage by the diligent, if deafened, guards).
Not only did the Beatles play for a record crowd, among them Ringo’s future wife Barbara Starkey, they also became the first band to prove that large-scale, outdoor performances were not only possible, they were profitable—the 30-minute Beatles performance generated more than $300,000 in profits. No other event in entertainment promotion history had come close to that number.
This performance was so important to American music history and to the Beatles’ careers that the kit is now referred to simply as the Shea Stadium Kit. In addition to the Shea Stadium Kit, the only two other kits played by Ringo that share this distinction of being known for where he played them are his Ed Sullivan Kit, played during the Beatles’ first American television performance which took place on “The Ed Sullivan Show” on Feb. 9, 1964, and his Maple Hollywood Kit, played during the Beatles’ unannounced performance on the rooftop of Apple headquarters in 1969.
Previously these historic items would only be available for display in a museum (such as the current record-breaking exhibit, Ringo: Peace & Love, at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, which includes both the Maple Hollywood Kit and the Ed Sullivan Kit and which has already had over 90,000 visitors).
Now, for the first time ever at a store, Bloomingdale’s proudly unveils the Shea Stadium Kit, featuring Ringo’s original Ludwig 22-inch bass, which he played that evening, on exclusive display in their flagship New York location at 59th street and Lexington Ave. for a very limited-time only. The kit can be viewed on the main floor in the Men’s Department at the Third Avenue entrance. At the beginning of 2014, the Shea Stadium Kit will travel to Los Angeles and be on display at Bloomingdale’s Century City.
Bloomingdale’s is celebrating the phenomenon that started the American’s love for all things British – The Beatles. Together with both Apple Corp Ltd and The Beatles, Bloomingdale’s will offer a one-of-a-kind assortment of men’s merchandise to celebrate 50+ years of “Beatlemania.” With the help of Ben Sherman, Hardy Amies, Lily and Lionel, Ted Baker, and dozens of others, shoppers will be able to scoop up new collectables inspired by the beloved band. Look for Beatles pop-up shops in select stores which will also feature some of the greatest books honoring The Beatles that were hand-selected by Mark Lewisohn, the world's pre-eminent Beatles historian and author of TUNE IN, which will be released by Crown Archetype on October 29 and available in select Bloomingdale’s. Also in October, Bloomingdale’s will partner with Esquire to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the British Invasion and the seismic impact The Beatles have had on the world with special roundtables hosted by Lewisohn. Esquire, the authority on men’s style and culture, will create four invite-only events at the Paley Center for Media in New York and Los Angeles in partnership with Hardy Amies, Kent & Curwen, and Ted Baker. Along with Lewisohn, the evenings will feature additional distinguished speakers, and will focus on the Fab Four’s legacy through their music and films. That’s not all! Rock Paper Photo, the world's leading online destination for music and pop culture fine art photography, will showcase a selection of rare Beatles photos in select Bloomingdale’s including framed and unframed, limited-edition prints featuring the work of several renowned photographers including Henry Grossman, Astrid Kirchherr and Trevor Bray, each of whom captured the Fab Four in their own fascinating light.
“Bloomingdale’s is honored to be able to exhibit the iconic Shea Stadium Kit,” said David Fisher, EVP and GMM. “Fashion is so often influenced by music, and giving access to such an iconic piece of entertainment history authenticates our British style focus and brings excitement to our exclusive Beatles merchandise.”
ADDITIONAL DETAILS OF DISPLAY:
Ringo’s original drums: Ringo actually had four Oyster Black Pearl drum kits during his career with The Beatles and this display is a mixture. This bass drum was used during The Beatles’ 1965 U.S. tour including the Aug. 15 Shea Stadium Concert. The floor and rack toms are from the 1964 and 1966 tours, including the Aug. 23, 1966 concert at Shea. All of the hardware and cymbals are vintage Ringo from the 60s.
For More Information on Ringo Starr Please visit: www.RingoStarr.com
Press
Contact for Ringo:
Elizabeth Freund, 718-522-5858, Elizabeth@Beautifuldaymedia.com
About RINGO STARR:
In June 2013 The GRAMMY Museum opened "Ringo: Peace & Love," a record-breaking exhibit which has had over 90,000 visitors already. It will remain open through March 2014. June 2013 also saw Ringo release his first eBook, Genesis Publications' PHOTOGRAPH, featuring never-before-seen images from his personal archives taken by and of Ringo. In October 2014 Genesis will unveil the limited edition hard cover version with almost twice the amount of yet unseen photographs. The release will be accompanied by a series of 12 selected fine art prints which will be available November 22, 2014. October will also see Ringo launch his next All Starr Tour, playing shows in Latin America, concluding with two Stateside, at the Palms in Las Vegas. In September 2013 Ringo was awarded the prestigious French Medal of Honor, being appointed Commander of Arts & Letters in recognition of his musical and artistic contributions. Ringo's most recent solo release was "Ringo 2012" (Hip-O Records/UMe). For more information please visit: www.RingoStarr.com
About Bloomingdale’s:
Bloomingdale's is America's only nationwide, full-line, upscale department store and a division of Macy's, Inc. (NYSE:M) It was founded in 1872 and currently operates 37 Bloomingdale’s stores and 13 Bloomingdale’s, The Outlet Stores in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Georgia, Florida, New Hampshire, California, and Texas. In addition, Bloomingdale's has an international presence with a location in Dubai. Be sure to follow @bloomingdales on social media, become a Loyallist, and for more information, or to shop any time, visit www.bloomingdales.com.
