Carroll James Jr., a Washington disc jockey who was the first to play a Beatles record on the radio in the United States, has died.
James died of cancer Monday at Holy Cross Hospital in suburban Silver Spring, Md. He was 60.The Beatles were beginning to make a name for themselves in Britain in 1963 but had not yet toured the United States. James, then working at radio station WWDC, was asked by a fan to play the Beatles' hit, "I Want to Hold Your Hand."
The record was not due to be released in the United States until early 1964, just before the Beatles were set to appear on "The Ed Sullivan Show."
WWDC arranged for a British flight attendant to carry a copy over. After James played the record on Dec. 17, the station was swamped with requests for the song. As excitement over the Beatles grew, Capitol Records released the record, six weeks earlier than planned.