( CNN ) -- The promoter and agent who first brought The Beatles to America has died . Sid Bernstein died Wednesday in New York City , publicist Merle Frimark said in a statement . He was 95 . Bernstein helped start the `` British invasion '' by bringing The Beatles to Carnegie Hall and later , to New York 's Shea Stadium for landmark concerts in 1965 and 1966 . People we 've lost in 2013 . Bernstein booked the Carnegie Hall concert in August 1963 -- the same year that Capitol Records had rejected three singles from the group . `` I 'm a hunch player , you see , '' Bernstein once said , according to his publicist 's statement . `` I was just glad to get this group I had been reading about for months . It took eight months after I booked them for there to be any airplay of their records on the radio . I had to convince Carnegie Hall and my financial backers to take a chance on this then-unknown group . I had been reading about their progress in the European papers and was fascinated with the hysteria that surrounded them . I was the first to promote The Beatles in the States and Ed Sullivan called me first about them before he ever booked them on his television show . '' The Beatles in color - Unseen photos . Ultimately , it was Sullivan 's audience who heard them first , on February 9 , 1964 . The Carnegie Hall concert that Bernstein booked was three days later . Bernstein , the son of Russian immigrants , also booked top acts like Frank Sinatra , Jimi Hendrix , Judy Garland and the Rolling Stones . He is survived by six children , six grandchildren and his wife of 50 years , Geraldine . CNN 's Todd Leopold , Denise Quan and Cody McCloy contributed to this report .
Al Bernstein booked The Beatles at Carnegie Hall and Shea Stadium . The promoter and promoter died Wednesday at the age of 95 . He also organized concerts for Frank Sinatra , Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones .