DJ who gave Beatles a break

Carroll James, a Washington disc jockey who was the first to play a Beatles record on the radio in the US, died of cancer at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland, aged 60. The Beatles were beginning to make a name for themselves in Britain in 1963 but had not yet toured the US. James, who was then working at radio station WWDC, was asked by a fan to play "I Want to Hold Your Hand." After he played the record the station was swamped with requests for the song.

AP - Washington