Concert Promoter Sid Bernstein Dies Aged 95

Legendary concert promoter Sid Bernstein, best known for booking the Beatles at New York’s Shea Stadium in 1965, has died at age 95, according to the BBC.

Bernstein was a crucial figure in the British Invasion movement of the early Sixties. In addition to bringing the Beatles to Shea (for the first ever stadium concert), he booked the band’s 1964 gigs at Carnegie Hall during their first American tour. The promoter also worked with other British groups, including the Rolling Stones, the Kinks and the Animals.

After returning from an Army stint in Britain during World War II, Bernstein kept reading British newspapers, eventually learning about the Beatlemania craze. Though he admitted to having never heard their music, he convinced Beatles manager Brian Epstein to bring the band to the U.S.

While Bernstein is most known for his work with the Fab Four, he is also recognized for breaking race barriers by booking African-American artists like James Brown and Jimi Hendrix.

Bernstein is survived by his wife, Geraldine, and six children.