Today Marks the Anniversary of the Last Public Appearance of The Beatles

Yes, January 30, 1969 was a sad day for the Fab Four. And a sad day for music in general. The Beatles performed publicly for the last time as a group. Though they didn't know it at the time.

After much debate about where to hold their Let It Be climax live performance, the foursome finally decided on a surprise gig on the rooftop of the Apple Records offices at Savile Row, London. The Beatles performed numerous songs including, "Dig A Pony", "I've Got A Feeling", "Get Back", and "Don't Let Me Down". Apparently, some neighbors complained about the racket and police showed up to put a halt to the proceedings. If you look closely at the above picture, you'll notice the presence of some local cops in the background.

Despite the presence of the po-po, the band continued to play for over 40 minutes and no arrests were made. Drummer Ringo Starr said he was disappointed that the police didn't drag him off his drums. The 1970 documentary Let It Be, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, captures the rooftop performance and also features footage of the band rehearsing and recording their twelfth and final studio album.

I'm certainly not going to be celebrating the anniversary of a sad occasion. I'm just thankful that we still have the glorious memories and the beautiful music of John, Paul, George and Ringo.