On this day in music history: August 11, 1966 - John Lennon holds a press conference at the Astor Towers in Chicago to apologize for remarks he had made in an interview published five months earlier. The original interview with journalist Maureen Cleave is published in the British newspaper The Evening Standard on March 4, 1966. During the interview, Lennon comments on religion and what he feels is the decline of Christianity in modern times. The comments make little to no impact in Great Britain. On the eve of the bands fourth American Tour, US fan magazine Datebook reprints Lennon’s comments out of context causing a furor in the US bible belt, with radio stations banning the bands music, burning their records and The Beatles themselves receiving death threats. After Lennon’s public apology, the uproar eventually blow over. Though it mark the beginning of the end of The Beatles days as a touring band. They quietly and permanently withdraw from the road when they play their final live date at the end of the month at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CA.

thanks to Jeff Harris' wonderful blog 'Behind The Grooves  On this day in Music History