Three days of Beatles music, love and entertainment filled the halls and ballrooms of the Hyatt Regency O’Hare for our 36th Annual Chicago FEST. With so many new first time Special Guests and new events, fans had to figure out where they wanted to be the most! Everybody loved FREDA KELLY (fan club secretary 1962-1972), as she told so many stories the fans were really interested in hearing. Beatles Recording Engineer KEN SCOTT has an amazing A/V show with some rare versions of some of the songs he had worked on. He signed extra copies of his new book Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust (see below). TOM SCOTT added so much to the Concerts and Musician’s Forum with his powerful sax solos. SPENCER DAVIS called 4 days before the FEST to let us know he couldn’t join us due to illness. He was really looking forward to his first Chicago FEST and was very disappointed. He hopes to join us in 2013! We were fortunate enough to get Wings’ lead guitarist LAURENCE JUBER to pinch hit for Spencer and he treated us to his solo acoustic Concerts each afternoon, to rousing ovations. The nightly jams with LIVERPOOL, MARK HUDSON, Tom Scott and Laurence Juber were among some of the best we have ever seen or heard. Our MC for 35 years, TERRI HEMMERT, was called away on Saturday to be at the bedside of her mother, in Ohio. Sadly, Betty passed away on Sunday. We all send Terri our Beatles love in this difficult time. Martin Lewis, Wally Podrazik and Tom Frangione filled in the gap on the various stages in Terri’s absence.
The new events and exhibits proved to be quite popular as well. Our first ever Chicago Beatles Parade on Saturday afternoon, saw 200-300 paraders walking around all the hotel rooms where the events were taking place, carrying balloons, signs and of course singing!!. It was headed by our Puppeteer and Grand Master Bob Abdou. The final five minutes of the Parade was walking through the Grand Ballroom singing Give Peace a Chance, while we held up the Auction so everyone in the audience could sing along!
Another first time Special Guest, ROB SHANAHAN, Ringo’s personal photographer, had a photo exhibit including many brand new images from this summer’s tour. Rob also had an A/V presentation and joined on the Drums for the Musician’s Forum. Beatles Yoga with Annette was quite a popular place to be over the weekend, as fans of all ages participated in the sessions, relaxing and invigorating fans throughout the weekend! Portrait Artist Georgina Flood made her U.S. premiere of her stunning portraits of The Beatles over the weekend. She is from Dublin, Ireland and it was Georgina’s first trip to America, ever! She was amazed and overwhelmed by the response to her work.
Sunday’s Battle of the Beatles Bands saw all 18 registered groups perform and The Shades were the Winners! The Foresman Five (consisting of 3 members under seven) were a close second. Liv and Harry won Saturday’s Sound-Alike Contest. Deco hosted a fabulous Art Contest with a most creative group of entries. Pictured here is Alex Bolton, a first place winner whose work consisted of 100% duct tape. Stay tuned for a complete wrap up of the Art Contest! Congrats to all winners.
With Wizard World/ComicCon going on the same time next door at the convention center, the hotel was full of revelry as Batman (pictured here with Author Brue Spizer), Superman and Spiderman were all spotted walking around the FEST. The real Hulk was there as well (Lou Ferrigno). The co-star of the 1994 film Backbeat, SHERYL LEE joined us on Saturday evening for a surprise visit and hung around to sign some autographs. Sheryl played Astrid Kirchherr in the movie.
Click on the link below to see The Shades’ winning performance on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9-zdejbR3g&feature=youtu.be
Nice meeting so many Beatles fans this year in Chicago! A splendid time was had by all! All You Need Is Love,
Mark, Jessica, Michelle and Carol Lapidos
For further recaps, photos and videos from THE FEST go to our facebook and event pages. More youtube videos of THE FEST coming soon! Thank you all for coming and participating and making the Fest so special this year!!!
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Chicago beatlefest came and gone so quick, it hit me like a ton of bricks it seemed like only yesterday what a way for me to celebrate my 30th birthday my dad and I headed to the airport, mom and Sue-Ann dropped us off. We got our plane tickets we were flying Spirit Airlines then we had a long layover delay due to the storm then dad and I we slept in the airport I had a Dr. Pepper to drink with cookis and gum. The hotel we booked was the Hyatt Regency O’Hare I met some new friends, I met Ruth at the front desk and she said “What a dream come true The Beatles and Comic Con.” I told her I will be participating in the sing-alongs under the glass staircase and she said “My husband and I we travel around the hotel singing Beatles songs like minstrels we will keep an eye out for you.”
Then I got to share the celebration of John meeting Paul and Ringo joining the Beatles with the Commoners we sang “If I Fell”, “You Can’t Do That”, and “Don’t Pass Me By.” I played and sang “Twenty Flight Rock” by Eddie Cochran the band was impressed that I knew all the words then I met Jeff, he was dressed as Uncle Fester from the Addams Family, he was the culprit who stole my camera which had pictures of me taken in my Paul Sgt. Pepper costume, me and Glen, me and imposter Mark Hudson, me and Mark Hudson, and me and David Bedford I caught him red handed. When I wore my Sgt. Pepper Paul outfit I had my picture taken with Glen, he said “Russ, so glad to see you, I’m playing you you came here all the way and by the way, where’s your hottie mother?” I met Jimmy, who’s from Kansas City and a lounge performer/pianist in the Las Vegas-Henderson area then dad and I were expecting to see Spencer Davis, Laurence Juber came. Then I ran into Robert D’Elia in the glass elevator then we sang “Dr. Robert” we sang “You’re a new and better man, he helps you to understand he does everything he can, Dr. Robert.” On sunday we saw a familiar face on the stage, Mitch Weissman then me and Jimmy sang “Kansas City” after the song ended Jimmy said “I will cherish this moment, my beatle buddy.” After the fest Jimmy signed my program book and wrote “To Russell, my beatle buddy, love your beatle brother, Jimmy.” Then I went down the glass staircase one last time and sang nine beatles songs
The Commoners played part of the Sgt. Pepper album and two songs from Magical Mystery Tour then we went to the airport, wating for our flight I ordered a plate of Chicago-style beer-battered fish and chips.