Laurie Jacobson - Top of the Mountain: The Beatles at Shea Stadium 1965

The story of The Beatles at Shea Stadium lies in the many voices of the people who were lucky enough to be there. Endless thanks for your help and contributions... yeah, yeah, yeah.

Eric J. Adams, Jeffrey Ainis, Bill Angelos, Tony Barrow, John Bezzini, Steve Boone, Al Bunetta, Dawn Bunetta, Vince Calandra, Tracy Campbell, Felix Cavaliere, Joy Musiker Cohen, Melissa Davis, Jim Freyler, Dave Glyde, Whoopi Goldberg, Debbie Greenberg, Deborah Levine Herman, Jeff Herman, John Kane, Buz Kohan, Linda LaFlamme, Michael Lang, Bob Lefsetz, Tom Leonardis, John Lociano, Jim McCarty, Linda Ghignone Marotte, Melanie from Low 302 NSW, Dawn Michaels, Bobbie Molina, Chip Monck, Cousin Brucie Morrow, Denise Mourges, George Orsino, John Orsino, David Pelletier, Renee Perst, Bob Precht, Ronnie Schneider, Kurt Schreiner, John Sebastian, Susan Silva, Ronni Simon, Meryl Streep, Adrienne Steinbaum, Judi Tulini-Sims, Steve Van Zandt, Bobby Vinton, Mary Wilson, Seth Zimmerman.

Special thanks to Anne McDermott and Elliott Gordon.

Very special thanks to Marc Weinstein.

Love to my forever Beatle People Cristie Krauss, Cyndi Trauernicht, and Colin Gardner.

Love and thanks to my husband, Jon Provost, smart, fun, and totally fab.

And my deep gratitude to John, Paul, George, and Ringo, without whom this world would be a very different place.

Eric J. Adams: The concert changed my life. For one, I vowed to become a journalist if it meant experiencing cool shit like this. I did become a journalist, and, indeed, I was lucky enough to experience so much, from foreign travel to murder trials to leaps out of small airplanes. And I vowed to become a musician, because, man oh man, if it worked this well for The Beatles, certainly it might help me elicit a fraction of the attention showered on The Fab Four. I did learn to play guitar, and, by golly, it did help me attract a girl or two.

Joy Musiker Cohen with her granddaughterpassing along Beatle love to another generation. COURTESY JOY MUSIKER COHEN

Joy Musiker Cohen: My husband was also at Shea, but we didnt know each other at the time. We have a son, Matthew, and two beautiful granddaughters, Juniper, four, and Monti, fifteen months. The Beatles have had an impact on every facet of my life. Especially making friends from all over the world. We connect via social media and meet at Pauls concerts. You cant beat that personal contact. Most fun of all is going for a bite to eat after the shows. October 15, 2015, I was one of the lucky ones chosen to go onstage with Paul McCartney. He signed my arm and I now have my only tattoo.

Whoopi Goldberg grew up to become an internationally known comedian, actor, talk show host, and outspoken activist and humanitarian.

Joy after Paul signed her arm during a concert. COURTESY JOY MUSIKER COHEN

The Beatles gave me this idea that everybody was welcome. If you werent the hippest kid in the neighborhood, it didnt matter because you could be a Beatle fan, and I liked that. And that sort of carried me into these older days where its like Im my own person. I can look the way I want. I can be the way I want and its okay. And I got that specifically from them.

Linda LaFlamme still living the rock and roll life. COURTESY LINDA LAFLAMME

Linda LaFlamme was inspired by The Beatles to live her rock and roll dreams. Her boyfriend Willie wanted marriage, kids, and a house in the suburbs. Linda said no, and two years after Shea, she was sharing a communal home in Woodstock with Jimi Hendrix. A few years after that, she joined the rock group Its a Beautiful Day as its lead singer, married the groups founder, David LaFlamme, and continues to perform for their many fans worldwide.

Linda Ghignone Marotte: Linda and Renee Perst have remained friends and in touch for more decades than either will admit. Each has seen Paul and Ringo concerts through the years. Living during that special period in time as a teen and being at Shea that night was obviously a young girls dream and created memories never to be forgotten. Being able to see themselves on film keeps it as real as their memories of John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

Bobbie Molina: Forty years after Shea, Bobbie won another pass to see a Beatle, this time to a private opening for Ringos artwork at a New York gallery.

Bobbie Molina today. COURTESY BOBBIE MOLINA

I was able to see him up close, to say hello, and to touch his shoulder. I took my daughter, and it was a beautiful night. I was never so close to Ringo in all my life. It took so many years, but I finally got to see him face-to-face. One thing I dont like... I dont like him wearing those dark glasses. He should show his pretty blue eyes.

Denise Mourges says her experience with The Beatles filled her with confidence.

Denise Mourges 2014.

It made me believe that anything is possible... because who would have thought in a million years that anything like that could happen to me. It gave my life such a bump as to what can be. And Ive had that attitude my whole life. Ive led a really interesting life and I could never have imagined some of the things Id end up doing. Thats what I took away from my experience. It gave me the courage to go forth and be an envelope pusher for my generation.

I moved out to LA when I was eighteen after I had seen it with The Beatles. I was one of the first of my group to go out to California. It was our world. I worked at the Whisky a Go Go. I ended up writing for various performance magazines, Cash Box, the New York Times. We all pursued interests that had to do with culture and expression, just different ways. It was quite a youth movement in general.

Susan Silva Nikirk suffered devastating injuries in a skiing accident, which ended her jazz dancing career. She became a competitive ballroom dancer who was ranked third in the world and taught across the globe. Her life turned 180 degrees when she gave her life to God in her late thirties. She and her husband formed an international ministry, and doors opened to speak about God all over the world. Susan wrote her life story, Dancing out of Darkness, which has been translated into five languages.

Susan Silva Nikirk. COURTESY OF SUSAN SILVA

Shea changed my life, but I didnt know how until many years later. Now, at my age, I am more in awe of thatthat a nobody from no place toured with The Beatles, performed at Shea Stadium, and ended up speaking all over the worldand its all because of The Beatles. That opened doors for me I never dreamed of. I did that. I am in astounding wonderment.