From fleet street to the Beatles Beat: Harry Benson's photographs celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Fab Four's British invasion of America.

• Author: Barrett, Wayne M.
• Position: USA Yesterday - Book Review

THEY ABSOLUTELY adored Sinatra. They positively swooned over Elvis. Yet, nothing before (or since) ever can match how America want totally gaga over those four dashing, cheeky lads from Liverpool. Some 40 years after the Beatles began the British invasion with their historic Feb. 9, 1964, appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," the music world still stands in awe of their impact, and more importantly. their sound.

The exhibition, "The Berries: Photographs by Harry Benson" celebrates what many consider to be the most influential event not only in rock 'n' roll history, but for American society as well. "They touched all dimensions, all levels," marvels Benson. "People related to them because they were four really good-looking guys with enormous talent. I feel very fortunate to have been able to cover them, and to have been there when Beatlemania was rising.

"Even today, as soon as you hear their music play, you turn the radio up a notch. They make people smile. Their music is going to live forever ... it has to."

While the band stayed together seven years, ultimately splitting up in 1970, at the time of their arrival in the U.S., the Fab Four expressed doubts about their future. "They were apprehensive about how they'd be received," recalls Benson. "The Beatles thought they might not last. They figured they would last maybe 17 months. Ringo said he was going to open a beauty parlor. George figured he would play classical guitar for an orchestra. John wanted to be a writer. And Paul planned to [write] for West End London shows [similar to Broadway].

"They actually were tough kids, although the press sometimes made it out like they literally had been living on the streets of Liverpool. John and Paul were college-educated, which makes sense. How else are you going to write great music like that?"

At the time of their arrival in the U.S., few people figured the groundbreaking quartet would be American icons some four decades later. "I didn't even think about four months later no less 40 years," Benson admits. "My main concern was staying on the payroll until the end of the week. But the music changed everyone. It was happy; it was them.

"In their dressing room, there would be Lady So-and-So and Lord So-and-So and some government cabinet minister. They would go on about how much they loved the Beatles and how they wish they could come back again and bring their children to meet them. I'd think to myself, you should have had the children here in the...