They was fab, and 50 years later they still are. The Beatles' music still lights up an audience even though they are long since disbanded and only two members survive.
The band gets new life when tribute group Fab Fourever relives the glory days of the original band's breakthrough appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, triggering the British Invasion and tipping off a fanatical legion of fans only Elvis could truly understand.
Fab Fourever is now billed as Canada's best Beatles tribute band and the lads are coming to Prince George to spread a healthy dose of Beatlemania. The concert will feature the different phases of The Beatles' career, complete with vintage instruments and authentic costume changes.
Fab Fourever started out as just one. Jody Tennant was such a big Beatles fan that he forced his way into his brother's garage band to play bass like Paul McCartney even though Tennant couldn't play an instrument. The band eventually needed an actual musician in that position, so Tennant was out and so were his dreams of rock 'n' roll stardom. It was 1990.
But he didn't stop being a Beatles fan so 15 years later he, his wife and their kids (including an infant) all trekked from Vancouver to Seattle to see a Paul McCartney concert. It was a long and winding road, and little did they know what a magical mystery tour they were really on. It was Nov. 5, 2005 and Tennant remembers it like it was yesterday, and not just because he and the whole family were dressed in Sgt. Pepper costumes.
They were noticed by McCartney's travelling film crew and the whole family became part of Paul McCartney's documentary video.
"What a thrill" Jody recalls. "But it gets better - the next thing we knew, Paul's camera man was motioning for us to follow him backstage. And then all at once - there was Paul McCartney strolling towards us wearing a red robe. He visited with us like we were family. He shook my hand, kissed my wife and kids and posed for photos. We could not believe that we had just met Sir James Paul McCartney."
That chance meeting was all the inspiration Jody needed to fulfill his dream. He still couldn't play an instrument and couldn't sing but those were mere details to a man on a mission. He worked tenaciously at earning those skills and now he has three fellow Beatlemaniacs at his side also playing the parts of the original Beatles.
Fab Fourever will turn Vanier Hall into the Ed Sullivan Theatre on Oct. 24. Tickets are $38.50 and on sale now at Studio 2880.
