The Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show was the most revolutionary moment in American pop culture of the 20th century. Tom Weschler is a veteran Detroit rock photographer who has shot some of the biggest names in music. Weschler says that he didn't know about the 60th anniversary of his professional photography business. The Beatles' Ed Sullivan debut, "I Want to Hold Your Hand", had just hit the top spot in the U.S. The Beatles on prime time with a then-record 73 million viewers tuning in. The Beatles were captured in all their live glory, thanks to the work of Weschler. The next day was Monday, and Weschler was met with a modicum of disdain when he got on the school bus. She asked, "What are you doing here?" Weschler asked, "Did you see the Beatles last night?" She said, "Yeah, didn't everyone?"
Weschler asked if he wanted to see them again.
The girl asked if she could borrow the notebook for a few hours, and Weschler agreed. When sophomore Weschler got up to her cafeteria table, she was met with glares from some upperclassmen. She told him to make prints again next week.
Weschler and his young partner made $400 from their Beatles shots. Weschler says that he has photography, girls, music, and a little bit of money.
The Beatles- Ed Sullivan prints were small and a bit blurry, and they were beamed across the skies of metro Detroit. The band's Ed Sullivan sets were released on VHS, DVD and online in 1964, but it would be decades before the public could see them again. Mike Novak assured him that Weschler did not take pictures of the Beatles. You took pictures of your television.
After attending Oakland University, Weschler became a band manager and began photographing artists. After landing a job at Artists Music, Weschler was given backstage access to take pictures of some of the biggest names in music. A friend of Weschler's asked him to help set up a show for Bob Seger at the University of Detroit. He dropped out of college after he was hired as a full-time roadie for Seger. Weschler was hired as a road manager for $150 a week by Seger manager. Weschler snapped away as he went and compiled a treasure trove of photos in the book "Travelin' Man: On the Road and Behind the Scenes with Bob Seger." Weschler found out he had worked over a thousand hours when he did a second stint with Seger's team. He was increasingly sought by record companies for promotional photo shoots, and leaving town wasn't good for that business. The Rolling Stones, Queen, AC/DC, and many other heavy hitters of the music industry were featured in his concert shots and posed photos, often featuring bands arm-in-arm with local disc jockeys. Weschler said that his interactions were positive across the board and that a lot of people think they areholes. I met a lot of people who were nice, but not abrasive.
He says the Beatles started the whole thing for him, and he just stayed with it.
He was a photographer at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in the 1990s. The woman he met was named Rosie, and she pulled out her wallet after greeting him. Weschler immediately recognized the Beatles picture that was inside.