16 May in Beatles History

From The Beatles' Hamburg residency in 1961 to Ringo Starr at the Westbury Music Fair in 2000, the 16th of May spans six decades of Beatles and solo history. This page collects every confirmed event on this date.

→ May in Beatles History | 15 May | 17 May

Events on 16 May

1961 — The Beatles Live at the Top Ten Club, Hamburg

Night 46 of 92 at the Top Ten Club on the Reeperbahn — the longest single residency of The Beatles' Hamburg years, totalling 503 hours on stage. Lineup: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe, Pete Best. Peter Eckhorn paid each member 35DM (£3) per day.

1962 — The Beatles Live at the Star-Club, Hamburg

Night 33 of 48 at the Star-Club on the Große Freiheit — The Beatles' first of three 1962 residencies at Hamburg's newest rock and roll venue. Lineup: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best. Stuart Sutcliffe had died five weeks earlier.

1963 — The Beatles Film Pops and Lenny for BBC Television

The Beatles filmed an appearance for the BBC television programme Pops and Lenny at the BBC Television Theatre, Shepherd's Bush, performing 'From Me to You', 'Please Please Me', and 'I Saw Her Standing There' for host Lenny the Lion. Broadcast 18 May 1963.

1968 — Lennon and McCartney Return to Apple in New York

John Lennon and Paul McCartney returned to New York for further Apple Corps press activities. They appeared on The Tonight Show and continued promoting Apple's vision of a creative enterprise run by and for artists.

1969 — Ringo Starr Sails from Southampton to New York on the QE2

Ringo Starr and his wife Maureen boarded the Queen Elizabeth 2 at Southampton for the transatlantic crossing to New York, where Ringo was due to begin filming The Magic Christian with Peter Sellers.

1969 — Paul and Linda McCartney Begin Holiday in Corfu

Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman began a holiday on the Greek island of Corfu, staying at the Villa Kavvadias — a rare period of rest during one of the most turbulent years in Beatles history.

1971 — John Lennon and Yoko Ono Hold Press Conference at Cannes

Lennon and Ono held a press conference at Cannes following screenings of Fly and Apotheosis at La Quinzaine des Réalisateurs. Lennon wore a white YOKO ONO t-shirt. The following day they flew to Barcelona to consult lawyers about the Kyoko custody case.

1973 — Wings Live at the Hardrock Concert Theatre, Manchester

Night 5 of 18 on the Wings 1973 UK Tour, with Brinsley Schwarz in support. First of two consecutive nights at the Hardrock Concert Theatre on Withy Grove. The 15-song set included 'Live and Let Die', 'Maybe I'm Amazed', and 'Hi, Hi, Hi'.

1974 — Geoff Britton Joins Wings

Geoff Britton, karate champion and session drummer, was recruited by Paul McCartney to join Wings following Denny Seiwell's departure. He remained until early 1975, replaced by Joe English before the Venus and Mars sessions.

1976 — Wings Live at the Capital Centre, Landover

Night 37 of 65 on the Wings Over the World Tour — second of two consecutive nights at the Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland. The 29-song set included five Beatles songs performed live for the first time since 1966.

1977 — Thrillington – US Album Release

The orchestral version of Ram, recorded in 1971 and released under the pseudonym Percy 'Thrills' Thrillington, was released in the US by Capitol Records. McCartney kept his involvement secret until November 1989.

1980 — McCartney II – UK Album Release

Paul McCartney's second completely solo album — recorded entirely alone at his farms in 1979 — was released in the UK. It reached number one in the UK and number three in the US. The lead single 'Coming Up' reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.

1997 — Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band Live at Chastain Park Amphitheater, Atlanta

Show 14 of 30 on the 1997 US tour, featuring the fourth All-Starr Band: Peter Frampton, Jack Bruce (Cream), Gary Brooker (Procol Harum), Mark Rivera, and Simon Kirke (Free/Bad Company). 22-song set including three Cream classics and 'A Whiter Shade of Pale'.

2000 — Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band Live at Westbury Music Fair, Jericho

Show 4 of 32 on the 2000 North American tour, featuring the sixth All-Starr Band: Dave Edmunds, Jack Bruce (Cream), Eric Carmen (Raspberries), Mark Rivera, and Simon Kirke (Free/Bad Company). First of two consecutive nights at the Westbury Music Fair, Jericho, Long Island.