THE FAB 40!
Celebrating The 40th Anniversary Of
The Beatles Coming To America

NEW YORK MAYOR SALUTES THE BEATLES
BEATLES' 40th ANNIVERSARY DECLARED "FAB 40! DAY" !

The Mayor of New York City - the Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg - has bestowed a prestigious honor on the Beatles. He has issued a proclamation "in recognition of the contributions of the Beatles to the culture and spirit of our city" - and declared the 40th anniversary of their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show as "FAB 40! DAY"

The 400-word official proclamation - which references the titles of five songs written by the Beatles - relates that the Beatles "captured the imagination of people all over the country; young and exuberant, they embodied the optimism of our nation at its best."

It refers to the Beatles' triumph in the recent study of all-time TV rankings by relating that "their appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show" was seen by a record number of viewers - 40 percent of the entire American population" and notes "according to police officials, astonishingly few crimes were committed during that hour."

It also praises the Beatles' contribution to helping America recover from the tragedy of JFK's assassination. "The Beatles, with their buoyant songs and boundless energy, reminded us of our resilience. They showed us that All You Need Is Love, and love them, we did, Eight Days A Week."

With a nod to the continuing Beatles connections to the city (such as Sir Paul McCartney's "Concert For New York" after 9/11) the Mayor states: "As we continue to rebuild our city, the Beatles' message is especially poignant. We may not be able to return to Yesterday, but the music of the Beatles lives as a reminder that All Things Must Pass."

The proclamation was delivered to the official party celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show - hosted by Steven Van Zandt and Rolling Stone Magazine at New York's Hard Rock Café - just a few blocks from the Ed Sullivan Theater where history was made 40 years earlier. The party also celebrated the release of the new DVD "The Four Ed Sullivan Shows Featuring The Beatles" (Sofa Home Entertainment) which makes available for the first time all 20 live TV performances by the Beatles from their four Sullivan shows appearances- including 11 performances that had not been seen in 40 years.

Among the eclectic mix of stars, Beatles friends and family members on hand to salute the Fab 40 were Steven Van Zandt, Michael Moore, Richard Belzer, Robert Klein, Louise Harrison (George's sister), Sid Bernstein (Beatles NY concert promoter), Frank McCourt ("Angela's Ashes"), Micky Dolenz, radio icon "Cousin Brucie," Tony Perkins (GMA weatherman), former Lennon girl-friend May Pang, British invasion group The Zombies - and Martin Lewis (Beatles scholar/producer - and chairman of the Fab 40! Committee that has organized most of the Beatles 40th anniversary celebrations.)

The event also celebrated the results of a newly-published survey of All-Time Highest-Rated TV Shows - gauged by percentage of population viewing. The study revealed that the Beatles' four appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show held the top four positions in the chart of the most viewed Music, Comedy or Variety TV shows of all time - with a collective viewership on just four broadcasts of over a quarter of a billion viewers.

The study also showed that the Beatles starred in two of the top three TV broadcasts of All-Time (#2 and #3) - with a third broadcast at #16 and a fourth at #59.

The chart of all regular TV shows excluding extended sports coverage (such as the Super Bowl) shows the Beatles having THREE of the top six TV shows of All-Time (#2, #3 and #6) - with a fourth show at #23.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Michael Donnelly 212-481-6655 • 646-201-3087 (cell) • mikedx@yahoo.com

Jane Ayer: 310-581 1330 ext 107 • jane@janeayerpr.com

• The New TV Ratings Survey - http://www.thefab40.com/media/ratings.html

• Text of the Mayoral Proclamation - http://www.thefab40.com/media/proclamation.html

• Image of the Proclamation - http://www.thefab40.com/media/mayor.html

PHOTOS OF THE ALL-STAR PARTY WHERE THE PROCLAMATION WAS PRESENTED

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Contact: Patricia Lantis/Kathy Hopkins
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fax: 212 251 0605
e-mail: plantis@landov.com or khopkins@landov.com

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