Beatles land in US 50 years ago; British Invasion begins

Beatles become most successful band in history 5 decades later

ORLANDO, Fla. - It started the beginning of the British Invasion. Five decades later, the Beatles are the most successful band in history.

Evelyn Seabrook and her dad were working at John F. Kennedy International airport 50 years ago when the Beatles touched down.

"I was really excited, but I really had to listen more to the fact that they had long hair," said Seabrook.

Seabrook's father unloaded their luggage as Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison walked off Pan Am Flight 101.

"He said they were just absolutely awful because they had all that long hair," she said.

Little did he know, "Beatlemania" had officially arrived in the U.S. and the band would transform pop music, capturing the imagination of American teenagers from all walks of life.

Manager of Rock and Roll Heaven in Orlando, Bill Warheit, said Beatles records are still his best-seller.

"Fourteen- and 15-year-old kids who have just gotten their first record players, those are some of the first records they buy, are these new Beatles reissues, 50 years after the fact the little ones are getting into it now," Warheit said.

Seabrook said it's because the band's ballads pull at your heart.

"I just really love it when I see so many of the groups who were popular 50 years ago, are still doing the same thing now -- that is really just so exciting to me," Seabrook said.

CBS is paying tribute to the Beatles' historic performance on the Ed Sullivan Show this Sunday night.

It's a Grammy salute, including appearances from Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Keith Urban and Maroon 5.

The program is at 8 p.m. Sunday on CBS.
