OCTOBER 12, 1962 – The Beatles met Little Richard for the first time when they opened for his performance at the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton, England. Although he considered George and John a bit rude, he was quite taken with Paul McCartney, and even tried to seduce him at one point after the show. This was The Beatles’ 23rd show at the Tower Ballroom, and it was promoted by Brian Epstein’s NEMS company. Headlined by Little Richard, whose organist was Billy Preston, a total of 12 acts performed on this night, and the event lasted for five and a half hours. Among the bands was Lee Curtis and the All-Stars, whose drummer was Pete Best; the former Beatles drummer had an awkward encounter with his old band backstage. This show was also notable for being the first occasion on which John Lennon played his newly-painted Rickenbacker 325 in public. The guitar, bought byLennon in Hamburg in 1960, had been spray-painted jet black by a coach painter in Birkenhead.
