Rock ‘n’ Roll and other music lovers are sure to go down memory lane when Lone Star College-Kingwood pays homage to the Beatles.
The college’s Writers, Speakers, and Ideas Series invite the public to celebrate the golden anniversary of the Beatles “White Album” with a special one-man show. “They Say It’s Your Birthday: Fifty Years of the Beatles’ White Album” performance will take place on Nov. 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the college’s Music Recital Hall. This free concert will feature Johnny Ono, a member of Abbey Rode (a Beatles tribute band in Houston).
“Almost any ranking places the Beatles ‘White Album’ in the top 10 albums ever released. Countless bands and artists in the past half-century count the Beatles as their major influence,” said Steve Davis, a history professor at LSC-Kingwood. “It’s a great opportunity for the college to present quality live music from Houston’s music scene. We hope this event will both entertain the audience and contribute to their musical and cultural education.”
The 50th anniversary of the “White Album” is on Nov. 22. According to many scholars, the Beatles records still sell at a high level, and this particular album is the favorite among musicians due to its wide range of musical styles.
“The ‘White Album’ is my favorite of all the Beatles records because it is the most diverse. It covers so many genres of music and even introduces new styles,” Ono said.
Ono will speak briefly about the album and some of the songs but will perform all 30 tracks as they were originally written and demoed. His goal is to capture the attention of people who are not familiar with the music and to show fans how the songs sound in their original form.
“I want the audience to hear the Beatles’ music in its raw and stripped-down form. I want them to experience the music just as it was written and rehearsed in the studio,” the performer said.
After a brief college career, Ono knew he did not want to work in the engineering field. He wanted to share his passion for music with the hope of inspiring others. To fulfill that dream, Ono - unrelated to any Beatles member - started performing rock ‘n’ roll and other genres of music in Houston 10 years ago.
“Because of my awesome parents, my sisters and I grew up listening to classic rock and oldies and loved it so much. Seeing what those artists did on stage, the energy they projected and how they made people feel is what motivated me to buy a guitar and give it a try,” he said.
Ono has the sheet music for each instrument on every Beatles song. He believes that his guitar, piano, and singing improved by listening and studying their music. The performer used those skills to audition and earn a spot with various tribute bands across Houston. Along with Abbey Rode, he also performs with Already Gone (Eagles tribute), Band On The Run (post-Beatles hits), and Three Experience (classic rock albums live).
Besides the Beatles, Ono’s musical influences include Elvis, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and others.
LSC-Kingwood is located at 20000 Kingwood Drive. For more information on the free concert, “They Say It’s Your Birthday: Fifty Years of the Beatles’ White Album,” email Stephen.K.Davis@lonestar.edu.
Register now for credit classes online through myLoneStar. Classes are offered days, evenings, or weekends in traditional, online and hybrid formats. For more information or to register online, visit www.lonestar.edu/registration. For general information about Lone Star College-Kingwood, call 281.312.1600 or visit http://lonestar.edu/kingwood.
Lone Star College offers high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education to 99,000 students each semester. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., serves as chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area with an annual economic impact of nearly $3 billion. LSC consists of six colleges, eight centers, two university centers, Lone Star Corporate College and LSC-Online. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.
###
