Sunday 14 August 1966 | Miscellaneous, The Beatles
| Station | KLUE radio, Longview, Texas, USA |
| Previous day | KLUE organised a public burning of Beatles music and memorabilia |
| Damage | Transmission tower struck; broadcast equipment destroyed; news director knocked unconscious |
On 14 August 1966 — the day after it organised a public burning of Beatles music and memorabilia — radio station KLUE of Longview, Texas was struck by lightning.
The lightning bolt hit the station’s transmission tower, destroying broadcast equipment and knocking unconscious the news director. KLUE remained off-air for some time afterwards.
Context: the Beatles burning controversy
The KLUE burning was part of a wider backlash in the United States following remarks made by John Lennon in an interview with journalist Maureen Cleave of the London Evening Standard in March 1966, in which he observed that The Beatles had become “more popular than Jesus.” The comments went largely unnoticed in Britain but caused outrage when republished in the American teen magazine Datebook in July 1966, just as The Beatles were about to begin their final North American tour.
Radio stations across the American South and Midwest organised public burnings of Beatles records and merchandise. The Ku Klux Klan picketed Beatles concerts. Death threats were received. Lennon issued a public apology at a press conference in Chicago on 12 August 1966 — two days before the KLUE lightning strike.
The Beatles played their final concert ever at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on 29 August 1966, just weeks later.
The Beatles — officially licensed merch
The Beatles: Revolver Album Cover Unisex T-Shirt (Black) — the album released in August 1966, the same month as the KLUE incident.
Key Facts
| Date | Sunday 14 August 1966 |
| Station | KLUE, Longview, Texas |
| Previous day | Public burning of Beatles music and memorabilia organised by KLUE |
| Lennon apology | 12 August 1966, Chicago press conference |
| Final Beatles concert | 29 August 1966, Candlestick Park, San Francisco |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did KLUE burn Beatles records?
KLUE organised a public burning of Beatles music and memorabilia in response to John Lennon's remark that The Beatles had become "more popular than Jesus", originally made in a March 1966 interview but which caused widespread outrage in the US when republished in July 1966.
What happened to KLUE after the lightning strike?
The lightning bolt destroyed broadcast equipment and knocked the news director unconscious. KLUE remained off-air for some time afterwards.
Did John Lennon apologise for the Jesus remark?
Yes. Lennon issued a public apology at a press conference in Chicago on 12 August 1966, two days before the KLUE lightning strike.
→ Recording: I’m A Loser, Mr Moonlight, Baby’s In Black, Leave My Kitten Alone – 14 August 1964
→ The Beatles’ fourth and final Ed Sullivan Show – 14 August 1965
→ August in Beatles History
→ The Beatles Knowledge Hub
→ On This Day in Beatles History
Shop The Beatles merch: Revolver Album Cover T-Shirt | Revolver Portraits T-Shirt | Revolver Track List T-Shirt
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