by Diane Cameron Feinberg, Bala Cynwyd, PA

I have loved the Beatles and their music since I was nine years old. Their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show is seared in my memory; that night I was attending my friend Susan Thompson’s tenth birthday party!! I saved my babysitting money to buy my first 45, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” Beatles cards, Beatles magazines and Beatles boots soon followed. I was too young to see them when they toured the US, and when they broke up while I was in High School, I thought all hope of seeing live them was lost!!

Fast forward to the 1980’s, I was married and the Mother of two beautiful children. Music was always a big part of our life, going to concerts was always a treat. We took our kids, they were seven and four at the time, to see the Dead, at the last show at JFK. Our son Derek, when he was nine, asked to take guitar lessons. On the way to his lesson every week, I would ask him to learn to play “Blackbird” for me. It became a weekly ritual, along with music discussions, and high-volume sing-a-longs to The Who!!

When Paul McCartney announced his first solo tour in 2000 there was no way that I was going to miss it. Along with all the other Beatles lovers, my husband, son Derek and myself were bursting with anticipation, waiting for the show to start. I couldn’t believe it, I was seeing and hearing a real Beatle sing real Beatles songs, it couldn”t get any better, but. It did.

As Paul started his accoustic set and began his intro to “Blackbird,” Derek looked at me with tears in his eyes, he said “Mom” and we hugged and cried together. I can’t hear that song without grinning, thinking about that magic moment!!