Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play. Wait, that’s wrong. No, 45 years ago today, John Lennon apologized in Chicago for the interview that appeared back in March of that year (1966) in the London Evening Standard. In it he said:

“Christianity will go, it will vanish and shrink . . . We’re more popular than Jesus now. I don’t know which will go first, rock and roll or Christianity.”

This, of course, led people in the U.S. (not in the U.K.) to lose their minds. People burned their records in massive bonfires, etc., etc. So, five months later, John said he was sorry:

“I’m sorry I opened my mouth, I’m not anti-God anti-Christ, or anti-religion. I wouldn’t knock it. I didn’t mean we were greater or better.”

The Beatles’ 1966 tour was their last.

Note: for all our regular readers, there will be no new posts next week due to vacation.

Tags: apology, John Lennon, The Beatles