shyGirl
Dec 08, 2002, 11:30 PM
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/cda/article/print/0,1674,206%257E22097%257E1036864,00.html
Band devotees gather at Liverpool Days convention
By Lisa Faught, Staff Writer
PASADENA -- Ever since he first heard The Beatles at age 10, Eric Rodriguez has been a fan.
His sister wouldn't let him listen to her records, so he played hand-me-downs from his aunts and ended up with a collection of Beatles albums. Now a bass player in a band of his own, he plays Tex-Mex music with a Beatles flair.
"They were a major influence they changed music history,' said Rodriguez, of Fresno.
Rodriguez and his wife Patty were among the hordes of Beatles fans who turned out at the Liverpool Days celebration Saturday for a day of bad British accents and Beatles impersonators.
The event, held at the Pasadena Conference Center, was a tribute to the staying power of Beatlemania.
Hundreds of fans wandered throughout the center, peeking in on a display from the CBS Television Photo Archive of The Beatles 1964 debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show,' sitting through reruns of Beatles cartoons, lining up for autographs from former Beatles drummer Pete Best and snapping pictures with Beatles look-alikes and the stray Austin Powers impersonator.
But the music took center stage. As John Lennon impersonator Tim Beasley strummed Beatles tunes on his guitar, people in the audience jumped on stage to belt out their favorites in a Beatles karaoke challenge.
From a young age, people often mistook Beasley for Lennon, so he donned a wig and started singing his songs. Over the years, he developed two Lennon personas, which he calls "Mop Top John' and "Summer of Love John,' and took on the occasional Elvis impersonation.
"It all grew out of wanting to be a Beatle,' said Beasley, of Virginia Beach, Va.
Fans scooped up all kinds of Beatles trinkets to add to their collections greeting cards bearing John Lennon's drawings, Paul McCartney stamps, "The Beatles Experience' comic books, Fab Four baseball jerseys, Sgt. Pepper magnets.
Beatlemania sees a resurgence every time news about the Beatles breaks, like McCartney's recent tour in the United States, said Mike Lefebvre, owner of Pepperland Music in Orange.
"The music is everlasting; it's held up well throughout the years,' he said.
The conference continues from noon to 9 p.m. today at the Pasadena Conference Center at 300 E. Green St. Tickets are $27.50 at the door.
The lineup includes appearances by Best, Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz and Beatles historian Martin Lewis.
Band devotees gather at Liverpool Days convention
By Lisa Faught, Staff Writer
PASADENA -- Ever since he first heard The Beatles at age 10, Eric Rodriguez has been a fan.
His sister wouldn't let him listen to her records, so he played hand-me-downs from his aunts and ended up with a collection of Beatles albums. Now a bass player in a band of his own, he plays Tex-Mex music with a Beatles flair.
"They were a major influence they changed music history,' said Rodriguez, of Fresno.
Rodriguez and his wife Patty were among the hordes of Beatles fans who turned out at the Liverpool Days celebration Saturday for a day of bad British accents and Beatles impersonators.
The event, held at the Pasadena Conference Center, was a tribute to the staying power of Beatlemania.
Hundreds of fans wandered throughout the center, peeking in on a display from the CBS Television Photo Archive of The Beatles 1964 debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show,' sitting through reruns of Beatles cartoons, lining up for autographs from former Beatles drummer Pete Best and snapping pictures with Beatles look-alikes and the stray Austin Powers impersonator.
But the music took center stage. As John Lennon impersonator Tim Beasley strummed Beatles tunes on his guitar, people in the audience jumped on stage to belt out their favorites in a Beatles karaoke challenge.
From a young age, people often mistook Beasley for Lennon, so he donned a wig and started singing his songs. Over the years, he developed two Lennon personas, which he calls "Mop Top John' and "Summer of Love John,' and took on the occasional Elvis impersonation.
"It all grew out of wanting to be a Beatle,' said Beasley, of Virginia Beach, Va.
Fans scooped up all kinds of Beatles trinkets to add to their collections greeting cards bearing John Lennon's drawings, Paul McCartney stamps, "The Beatles Experience' comic books, Fab Four baseball jerseys, Sgt. Pepper magnets.
Beatlemania sees a resurgence every time news about the Beatles breaks, like McCartney's recent tour in the United States, said Mike Lefebvre, owner of Pepperland Music in Orange.
"The music is everlasting; it's held up well throughout the years,' he said.
The conference continues from noon to 9 p.m. today at the Pasadena Conference Center at 300 E. Green St. Tickets are $27.50 at the door.
The lineup includes appearances by Best, Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz and Beatles historian Martin Lewis.