The Student Reporters Who Got to “Meet The Beatles”

None of The Beatles were keen on holding separate press conferences for the many teenagers who won various and sundry “Student Reporter” contests – affording them press passes and the opportunity to “meet the Beatles.” For one thing, a Student Press Conference meant having to endure yet another lengthy interrogation, in addition to the torturous one already afforded to the professional journalists. But more importantly, Student Press Conferences shuttled teens (The Beatles’ very fan base!) aside, as if they were not quite “good enough” to participate in a conventional press gathering.

The boys acknowledged that some youth reporters were wildly ardent fans who would do anything for a face-to-face encounter with them. But many of these young journalists were genuine: aspiring reporters hungry for a great story. And The Beatles believed these talented teens deserved a chance to “stand and deliver.”

Below is the true tale of one such fortunate small-town teen who determinedly arranged to participate in the 1965 Houston Beatles press conference. Her story will be featured in the soon-to-be-released volume in The John Lennon Series, Some Forever, which traces the events of August 1965 – January 1966.

Fifteen-year-old Kathryn Payne hailed from the Northwest Louisiana oil boom village of Shongaloo…about six miles from the “big city” of Springhill. And in 1964 and 1965, about 15 percent of Shongaloo’s population of 150 souls were pulsating with Beatlemania.

Kathryn and her two friends, Allene Baker (16 years old) and JoAnn Mouser (14 years old), were Beatle fans exemplar. They all listened “every single, solitary day” to Lovable Larry Ryan (“He’s our man!”) on Shreveport, Louisiana’s premier rock’n’roll station, KEEL – 710 on the AM dial. Kathryn was so devoted to the four British boys that she had won Ryan’s “Beatle Bug” contest by listening daily for the “secret Beatle word” and jotting each word faithfully down in her Beatles notebook.

Every day for weeks (by sneaking her transistor radio into her tiny school) Kathryn defied authority to claim KEEL’s highly-sought-after prize – a “chunky” metal pin too heavy to wear on a sweater set or even a car coat: The “Beatle Bug”! Admittedly, the pin wasn’t very attractive, but Kathryn didn’t care. Being the one fan in the ArkLaTex region to win the Beatle Bug was symbolic – it was the first step in achieving the larger prize: getting to see John, Paul, George, and Ringo in person!

The summer before, The Beatles had performed in Dallas, but Kathryn hadn’t been as savvy as she was now. She hadn’t known the importance of attention to detail, grit, and ingenuity. This year, as she pedaled her bike towards the Shongaloo bridge for a meet-up with Allene and JoAnn, Kathryn vowed she was going to make her dream come true.

Already, Kathryn had made great strides. On the evening airwaves, she’d picked up a Little Rock AM radio station whose deejay was chatting with George Harrison’s sister, Louise Caldwell. That night, Louise had spoken sincerely about the need for teen volunteers to help promote her Liverpool lads. In fact, Louise had provided an address where anyone willing to assist could write in and sign up. The very next day, Kathryn had carefully penned a letter to “Dear Mrs. Caldwell,” introducing herself and volunteering to address envelopes, distribute letters, and do whatever was needed. In just over a week, she had received a response. Now, “Dear Miss Payne” was part of The Beatles’ volunteer fan staff.

One afternoon, when a note from Louise supplied a telephone number and a request that Kathryn “kindly ring her up,” Kathryn ran to the local phone booth to speak with George’s sister. During the thrilling conversation, Kathryn asked about the possibility of another Beatles concert in Dallas, 1965. Unfortunately, Louise told her, The Beatles had no plans to return to Dallas, but, she confided, they were batting about the idea of a late August concert in Houston.

Immediately, the wheels started turning. As the early spring grass “turned green overnight” and Louisiana began to flourish with random violets, wild onions, and dandelions, Kathryn started mowing yards and pulling weeds. At night, she babysat for everyone she knew. And each evening, just before falling asleep, she would jiggle the Mason jar of coins and bills – a small fortune for a girl of sixteen: money for a ticket; coins for the bus fare and lunch. Now, she had only to “get the guts up” to approach her dad.

“Daddy,” she finally stammered, one evening just after supper, “can I go see The Beatles in Houston this summer? I’ve been babysitting – and mowing yards. So, I’ll use my own money, if you’ll let me go. Allene is going, too…and her mother, Mrs. Gracie, would go with us. We could all take the bus from Bossier City, and…”

But before Kathryn could even finish her 5-point proposal, her father glanced over the top of his copy of the Springhill Press and said, “Well, I guess that’ll be all right.” And that was it! No fuss, no fight…just a casual “yes.” Kathryn was on her way to “meet the Beatles.”

Very early on Thursday morning, 19 August 1965, Kathryn dressed as professionally as her budget would allow. Several weeks prior, Allene and she had written to the Springhill Press, explaining that they had tickets to see The Beatles in Houston and wanted to “cover the extraordinary event” for the newspaper. All they needed, their letter had stated, were two official press passes. (“Fingers crossed!” they giggled.)

Shockingly enough, the Springhill Press had been happy to oblige. The newspaper had promptly responded that they were looking forward to the girls’ report on “The Beatles in Houston.” And inside the thick mailer, two press passes were neatly tucked. It was all too good to be true!

After a Greyhound Bus ride from Bossier City, Louisiana, to Houston, Kathryn and Allene would be attending the boys’ press conference as student reporters. Kathryn envisioned it all: a pungent, crowded room; cigarette smoke; shouted queries, and the struggle to hear and take copious notes for her first published article in an honest-to-goodness newspaper! This incredible opportunity, Kathryn thought, just about compensated for the fact that their $5.00 concert tickets were in an “obstructed view” on the lobby level. The girls might not be able to see much at the evening show, but at the press conference, John, Paul, George, and Ringo would be only a few feet away.

Houston was a sensory overload. The 25-story Sheraton itself was overwhelming. The girls had seen plenty of photos of skyscrapers in New York City, but standing on the sidewalk next to this! It was worth the trip.

The Beatles and their crew, Kathryn had heard, occupied the whole 18th floor, and craning their necks to locate the window where the boys might be looking down on them, Kathryn and Aileen squinted into the harsh August sun.

Fans were everywhere. Vendors sold cold drinks and souvenirs; one man proffered souvenir locks of Beatles hair. Hmpf! Kathryn thought, some slick Houstonian, hoping to prey on little country girls. Kathryn scowled and waved him away. She pulled Aileen towards the hotel entrance. “Press conference!” she shouted. “Let’s go!”

The lobby was heaving, and the doors to the conference room, even tighter. “Everyone who was anyone” tried to wedge into the room where the Fab Four would hold court. Despite their legitimate press passes, the two teens couldn’t persuade anyone to give them admittance. As the doors opened and closed for seasoned journalists, eager freelancers, and photographers, Kathryn caught a glimpse of Brian Epstein at the front of the room. And the next time the doors swung open, the boys themselves were seated on a raised stage.

This afternoon, the combined conference hadn’t worked to Kathryn and Allene’s advantage. The sheer number of those invited into the jam-packed room precluded the presence of teens. No matter how official their press passes were, two young girls were not among the elite. But when the door swung open one last time, Kathryn grabbed Allene’s hand and pulled her along. They pushed into the room without glancing at anyone for permission. And standing with their backs flat against the rear wall, the young reporters from Shongaloo, Louisiana, joined the event of a lifetime. With pounding hearts and wide eyes, they were firmly ensconced inside the 1965 Houston Beatles Press Conference.

Author’s Note: Kathryn Payne DeMoss is a very real person. She is a retired registered nurse who now resides in Texas. Sixty years after this momentous “day in the life,” Kathryn still thrills to the memory of seeing The Beatles in concert and being afforded the opportunity to breathe the journalistic “rare air” of a typical 1960s male-dominated, adult Beatles press conference. Kudos to Kathryn for the courage it took to achieve this wonderful success.

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-Jude Southerland Kessler

Photo: Getty Images