Ringo Starr went to the public to find the identity of a group of fans in a photograph he took in 1964, during the Beatles’ first tour of America. He thought the photo was taken in Florida, but it turns out that they are actually from New Jersey and the photo was taken in New York.
As previously reported, Starr showed off a photo from his new book Photograph that shows six teens crammed into a car that pulled up to the Beatles’ car. The fans are looking straight at Starr’s camera, so they would be easily recognizable to anyone who knew them.
It turns out, someone does know them. Kenneth Kopelan, a Boston attorney, sent a letter to the Miami Herald on Thursday, stating that he knew everyone in the car and that they are his classmates from Fair Lawn Senior High School, who all went to New York to see the Beatles in 1964.
“The kids cut classes at Fair Lawn HS and went to LaGuardia Airport to meet the Beatles,” Kopelan said, noting that he wasn’t with them, unfortunately. “On the way from LaGuardia they saw four limos and thought it was a funeral, but each limo carried a Beatle.”
He said that the people in the car are the late Gary Van Dursen, Robert Toth, Charles Schwartz, the late Matty Blender and Arlen Norbe Ressler.
Toth spoke with NorthJersey.com on Thursday. He still lives in Fair Lawn and is now an Air Force veteran. He was 17 when the photo was taken.
“Sure I’d love to meet him,” Toth said when asked if he’s like to meet Starr in person. “his will be his [Ringo’s] call...He’s the one on the billboard, not me.”
Schwartz, who lives in California now, told the site that he can still remember that day vividly. “I’ve told the story many times over the years,” he said.
image: Wikimedia Commons
