Ed Rudy, American DJ Who Covered Beatles' First American Trip, Dies


The New York Times
has published an obituary for Ed Rudy, who died Nov. 7 at age 93:

On Feb. 7, 1964, when the Beatles were greeted by thousands of screaming fans at John F. Kennedy International Airport, a radio reporter named Ed Rudy was there.

When they performed in Washington, Mr. Rudy was there.

And when they headed to Miami Beach, he was there.

Mr. Rudy filed reports to a syndicate of radio stations throughout the Beatles’ two-week tour of the United States, their first performances in the country, and soon after packaged his material into a 35-minute album, “The American Tour With Ed Rudy,” which rose to No. 20 on Billboard’s Top LPs chart.

“Here is the sound and substance of the world’s hottest entertainment group,” Mr. Rudy said at the start of the album in his booming Bronx-accented voice.

In a promotion to radio stations that was included on the album, John Lennon said, “This is the complete behind-the-scenes coverage of the Beatles in America by the fifth Beatle, Ed Rudy.”

The title is one that others would claim, including the New York disc jockey Murray Kaufman, better known as Murray the K. Like Mr. Kaufman, Mr. Rudy embraced it. 

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