The Associated Press (as printed in the Roanoke Times on August 3, 1966) reported, "A magazine article quoting John Lennon of The Beatles as saying his group is more popular than Jesus has ignited a 'ban the Beatles records' campaign by Birmingham Radio Station WAQY."

WAQY was launched on January 11, 1965, and was co-owned by Tommy Charles and Doug Layton—described by the Birmingham Post-Herald as "two of Birmingham's most popular disc jockeys." WAQY was described as a "rock'n roll format station."

Like many radio stations of the era, the staff at WAQY was very involved with their local high schools in 1966. In January, Layton and Charles served as judges for the "Miss Bessemer High" teen beauty pageant, and in February, the DJs from WAQY played the Sigma Tau sorority of Woodlawn High School in basketball. On March 31, 1966, a WAQY disc jockey was master of ceremonies at a Fairfield high school banquet at which one item on the agenda was for juniors to "give 'Oriental impressions'" to those assembled.

But when Tommy Charles read the Datebook magazine that included John Lennon's quote about Jesus and Christianity, he became angered. In a United Press International story, as printed in the Alabama Journal on July 30, 1966, Charles declared, "To them nothing is sacred." He added, "They have a complete lack of breeding. A clod will show his colors when given a chance." (Apparently, racist impressions demonstrate well-bred non-clods.)

Charles swung into action. He polled his listeners and claimed that "90 per cent were willing to to go along with the ban on the Beatles. We stopped playing their records two days ago," on Thursday, July 28, 1966, thus becoming the first radio station to ban The Beatles over Lennon's comments.

Charles then went into Disappointed Adult mode. "It's a shame because they're talented boys," he said. "They are as good or better than any group today but we think it's time somebody stood up to them and told them to shut up."

The Associated Press picked up the story, interviewing Charles about the controversy. "We just felt it was so absurd and sacrilegious that something ought to be done to show them they cannot get away with this sort of thing," he told the AP. This attention for Tommy Charles and WAQY was doubtless even more exciting then the previous year when Charles and Layton got a mention in Esquire magazine!

Either the campaign's popularity or Charles' recollection of the numbers rapidly grew. Charles told the AP that over 99 per cent of callers to the station supported it, a 9% increase from what he told UPI a few days earlier. 

In fact, fielding callers on the subject was  an emotional experience. "The teenagers almost as soon as they are sure the story is true became really angry; some to the point of tears," he said.

On August 2, according to the AP, WAQY began airing announcements asking listeners to bring Beatles "records, pictures, magazines and souvenirs to designated pickup spots." Charles promised a "giant Beatle bonfire" later in the month.

Charles made sure to tell the AP that WAQY's campaign was NOT for the sake of publicity. "I'm just mad abut anyone making such a statement about Christianity," he said.

Meanwhile, Doug Layton answered a trans-Atlantic phone call—back when long distance calling was a big deal—and talked to a reporter from the Times of London. He asked if Layton and Charles "were some kind of religious fanatics." Layton said he responded, "We go to church, if that's what you mean."

Charles told the Birmingham Post-Herald that WAQY had received "about 50 letters" about the controversy. He said that "75-80 per cent were in favor of our stand," apparently showing a significant drop in support compared to the 99+% supporting phone calls Charles cited earlier in the week.

As more stations began banning The Beatles, Charles and Layton seemed to be tiring of the campaign against the Fab Four. "If they made a really sincere apology, not one brought on by economic reasons, then we would reconsider our stand," he told the Birmingham Post-Herald on August 5. "We're not out to destroy them, we just want to answer them." That very day, they called their goals for the campaign "accomplished," cancelled their bonfire plans, and asked other radio stations to follow suit. In fact, the opposite occurred. More stations continued banning The Beatles.

When The Beatles arrived in the U.S. for their tour and John Lennon made his apology in Chicago on August 12, 1966, Tommy Charles found his off-ramp. That very day, he announced that WAQY was once again unbanning The Beatles. "We have called off our planned destruction of the Beatle records and other things we have collected. We don't consider it fitting  to continue the campaign. We have to take him at his word that he is sorry."

WAQY was the station where the ban originated.

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