16 in 64: The Beatles & the Baby Boomers by
Marti Edwards and Joe Carroccio
After seeing the Beatles on TV, Marti Edwards formed the
Chicagoland Beatle People Fan Club, and she was able to grow the membership to
over 1,200 people. Because of her ability to put together a successful fan
club, Marti and some other club members got to meet the band in a press
conference before their 1964 appearance at the International Amphitheater in
Chicago, where they were able to make a special presentation of an honorary
plaque from the fan club. Today, Edwards is a successful artist and
photographer.
Edwards grew up in the Forest Park section of Chicago. She
was a product of the 60s, growing up in
what many baby boomers refer to as a special time. Family was
the center of everything young people experienced during a time of faith, hope,
idealism, and “new things” being built every day despite the tragedies that
were to occur in their lives, such as the assassination of JFK. Yes, there were
extended sociological events where turmoil existed, but there was always a
feeling that things were “special.”
It’s a feeling that all baby boomers share.
And then there were the Beatles and all the kids of that time
felt the euphoria that came along with Beatlemania.
Edwards took courses, earning a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts,
at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, where she grew her passion for
the arts. Along with some high school friends, she decided to start a Beatles
Fan Club. They decided to visit local radio station WLS where they held signs
announcing the club to the disc jockeys and Edwards subsequently obtained a
mentor / part time job position at the station. Though her position, she was
able to obtain the name of the production company, along with a contact name
and phone number, that was promoting the Beatles tour, and she and her friends
reached out to them. All the while, the Chicagoland Beatle People Fan Club
became very active at events and continued to grow. Edwards’s optimism,
determination, and passion would eventually prove successful and she would
ultimately fulfill her dream of meeting the Beatles.
It was a special time and dreams still filled the souls of
the baby boomer generation, along with the idealism to succeed and make a
better world. Families and friendship were important and the Beatles became an
intersecting point in people’s lives.
(16 in 64: The Beatles & the Baby Boomers is available on Marti & Joe's website, 16in64.com, and the Kindle edition is available on Amazon.)