By Dr. Ron O’Boogie

Beatleologist

Imagine being able to play the role of the person who you most wanted to be like as a teenager and you have some idea what being a member of "1964: The Tribute" is like.

But first let's take a trip back in time.

The year of the Beatles Great American Breakthrough was 1964.

It was the year, the Beatles played on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and at Carnegie Hall. They would dominate the U.S. popular music charts for the next six years.

They met Muhammad Ali and their first movie, “A Hard Day’s Night,” was a critical and commercial success that summer.

Warp speed forward to 2002. This year Beatles’ fans across the United States are being treated to a recreation of the Beatles experience by “1964: The Tribute,” a road  
show that has delighted fans for 18 years.

For lifelong Beatles’ fans around the world such as the members of this group, the Beatles experience was magical. The Beatles’ music still tops singles and album charts every few years as new generations discover the music of the Fab Four, 32 years after the group disbanded..

Mark Benson, an Akron, Ohio, resident, has been taking the stage for 1964 as John Lennon since the group started its tribute He recreates the Beatles’ founder’s songs, harmonizes with McCartney, plays guitar and demonstrates Lennon's cryptic wit.

When Benson and his band mates began touring the world as 1964 in 1984, they thought the act would be something they would perform occasionally, but not on a regular basis. But by the second year, performing as “1964: The Tribute” wasn't just an occasional gig.

The group performs 130 to 150 shows per year. The venues range from small colleges such as Hanover College in the middle of nowhere to Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Cavern in Liverpool and historic locations in Germany.

“We were all Beatles’ fans since there were Beatles,” Benson said. “It was such an amazing phenomenon.

“They were working class and didn’t go to college. And there they were on Ed Sullivan and all those chicks screaming.”

And in those days, Benson thought maybe, just maybe someday, he could do something just like the Beatles.

Benson had learned to play piano from his sister. Later, he learned to play the trumpet. He was 17-years-old before he learned to play guitar, the primary instrument Lennon played in the Beatles.
When 1964 was formed, Benson took on the role of John Lennon.
“ I couldn’t sing like anybody else,” Benson said.
Benson incorporates the acerbic wit of Lennon into the show, which is a natural for him, he said, since his own personality is similar to Lennon’s.
“It’s great to be able to be like that and get paid for it,” Benson said.
Gary Grimes, a longtime friend and band mate of Benson, is the Paul McCartney character in the band. He had a bit more to learn for the role than Benson.
“He wasn’t a bass player and learned to play left-handed for this show, “ Benson said.
Grimes brings the vocal range of McCartney to the act.
Benson said, "It seemed natural."
Greg George, who fills the role of drummer Ringo Starr, was playing in a soul band in a teen club when he was enlisted. Jimmy Pou, who plays George Harrison, was performing in a Broadway production of “Beatlemania” before he joined 1964.
The music 1964 performs is from the period the Beatles were live
entertainers, which ended in 1966.
When the Beatles stopped touring, they went on to create studio masterpieces such as “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” "The Beatles" (aka "The White Album")and “Abbey Road.”
In early 2003, 1964 will play at Carnegie Hall, the legendary New York City music venue where the Beatles performed during their first U.S. tour. The group also has played at the Cavern in Liverpool, England, the primary venue where the Beatles honed its craft and were discovered by the manager who helped sign them
to a record label.
But the long and winding road of 1964 has lasted longer than the Beatles’ time as a band. Along the way, 1964 has been involved in a few historic moments of its own> One such moment was being one of the first bands to perform in Berlin after the wall dividing the city
was torn down.
Baby-boomers who grew up as the Beatles were revolutionizing popular music aren' the only people who attend 1964's performances.
“We get kids who are 6,7, 8 years old who know the words of the
songs and which Beatle plays which instrument,” Benson said. And all you want to add to that is "Yeah, yeah, yeah!"