Few people are able to turn their obsessions into full-time careers. Mark Lapidos, founder and organizer of the annual Festival for Beatles Fans, is one of the lucky few.
“I fell in love with the Beatles from the first time I heard ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ in ’64. In 1973 I just said someone should do something to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Beatles’ arrival in America. I thought that was historic,” Lapidos said last week.
After getting the blessing of none other than John Lennon himself, Lapidos realized that had found his life’s work, and the Festival for Beatles Fans was born the following year in New York City.
In 1978, Lapidos moved the annual festival across the Hudson River to Secaucus where it has been celebrated ever since.
And so, next weekend (March 27 to 29), 5,000 to 6,000 Beatles enthusiasts will make a pilgrimage to the New Jersey Crowne Plaza Meadowlands Hotel to commune with other fans for the 35th festival.
New faces, old friends
Lapidos admits that keeping the festival fresh and interesting after more than three decades can sometimes be a challenge. This year, he is excited to have as a guest Victor Spinetti, a British stage and screen legend who appeared in all of the Beatles films. (Fans will remember him as the zany scientist in “Help.”)
Spinetti, who will attend all three days of the festival, has participated in the event before, but it has been 15 years since Fest goers have had the opportunity to connect with him in person.
Of course, festival staple Liverpool, “arguably the best Beatles tribute band out there” according to Lapidos, will be on hand for the event. Liverpool will perform live and jam with other musicians at the fest, including former Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes. (Interestingly, Hawkes has released an album, “The Beatles Uke,” that was inspired by George Harrison’s love of the ukulele.) Each year the Liverpool jam is a festival highlight, especially for post-Baby Boomers who didn’t live through the British invasion of the ’60s but who have come to appreciate the music of their parents and grandparents.
Finally, some members from the 2007 film “Across the Universe,” a coming of age musical set to Beatles tunes, might make a special appearance.
Beatles Jeopardy!, karaoke, trivia competitions, and name that tune are other events that are generally popular with fest participants.
“We have something for all generations,” Lapidos said.
Special guest: Ronnie Spector
This year’s special guest is Ronnie Spector, former lead singer of the girl group The Ronettes.
“She actually met the Beatles before they came to the U.S., so she has memories and anecdotes that few people have. She’ll be sharing those anecdotes with fans,” Lapidos noted.
The Ronettes, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, were the Fab Four’s hand-picked opening act when they did their final U.S. tour in 1966.
And she was very close to Harrison and John Lennon, Lapidos said, “So her memories of those men will be particularly poignant.”
Money raised for charity
Lapidos expects fans to come to Secaucus from all along the eastern seaboard over the three-day festival, some from as far away as New Hampshire and North Carolina.
As in the past, there will be several charity raffles held throughout the weekend, with lots of Beatles memorabilia up for grabs. Money from these raffles goes to support the Spirit Foundation, started by John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono in 1978 to aid women’s charities, and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
Since it was founded in 1974, the Festival for Beatles Fans has raised more than $500,000 for these organizations.
The festival is dedicated in memory of Lennon, who was shot to death in New York City in 1980, and George Harrison, who succumbed to cancer in 2001.
The festival will be held from March 27 through 29. Registration is $32 for Friday and $47 for Saturday or Sunday. Children 6 through 12 get in for half price; children 5 and under are free. Special rates are available for multiple days. For more information, call 1-866-THE-FEST, or visit www.thefest.com.
Reach E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.