Faith Cohen, the 69-year-old founder of Global Beatles Day, is celebrating the event in Liverpool for the first time after it gained official recognition from The Beatles and Apple Corps. The Indianapolis native, who first fell in love with the band after watching them on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, spoke exclusively to the ECHO about her journey.
A Holiday Born from a Quote
Cohen conceived Global Beatles Day in 2009 after reading a quote by novelist Kurt Vonnegut. She recalled: “He said that ‘The purpose of an artist is to make people appreciate being alive a little bit.’ When asked if he knew of any artists that had done that, he said, ‘The Beatles did.’ It just clicked.” She chose June 25 because it marks the 1967 broadcast of “All You Need Is Love” on the global television program Our World.
“I thought, there’s all these sort of holidays on the calendar that are silly… Why even bother? I thought The Beatles really do deserve a holiday. It’s a thank you and a love letter to them,” she said.
From Social Media to Official Recognition
Cohen initially spread the word through social media, and the day grew organically. This year, Apple Corps flew her 3,850 miles from Indiana to Liverpool to participate in celebrations. Sir Paul McCartney also posted about the day on social media. Cohen admitted she was nervous when first contacted by Apple Corps: “I got this call and I thought, ‘Oh no, I hope they’re not mad because I used a picture.’ They said, ‘No, on the contrary, we love what you’ve done and we want to support you.’”
She described the experience as “gobsmacking” and “tremendous.”
A Spiritual Homecoming
Cohen last visited Liverpool a decade ago. This time, she was named an ambassador of The Beatles Museum, and The Jacaranda—a venue central to the band’s early history—displayed Global Beatles Day posters. “I saw the Global Beatles Day posters in the window for the first time so that hit me pretty hard,” she said. “Liverpool is my favourite city. It’s like a spiritual home to me.”
She praised the city’s energy: “Everyone is so warm, so lovely and funny.”
A Lifelong Passion
Cohen’s devotion to The Beatles began 62 years ago when she saw them on The Ed Sullivan Show. “It was sort of like a duck imprinting to its mother,” she laughed. She even wrote an overlong fifth-grade report on the band. She admires their independence: “They did everything on their own terms. They followed their heart.” She added, “They’re everything good and everything positive.”
Cohen is spending the day in Liverpool with her family. “When someone says a dream come true, this is literally mine,” she said.
Global Beatles Day is being celebrated across Liverpool on June 25 with a special programme of events.
