World-renowned Beatles scholar and former Kingwood High School graduate Dr. Kenneth Womack will visit Lone Star College-Kingwood in April to promote his new book.
“Living the Beatles Legend: The Untold Story of Mal Evans,” tells the story of the band’s longtime roadie and personal assistant.
Dr. Womack is currently Professor of English and Popular Music at Monmouth University in New Jersey. On April 10th, he will be at LSC-Kingwood to share his passion for the Beatles.
LSC-Kingwood History Professor Steve Davis says it’s an honor to have Womack speak.
“Ken has become one of the leading Beatles scholars in the world. It is a real point of pride that he grew up in Kingwood just as it is a source of enormous pride that LSC-Kingwood is one of a handful of colleges in the country that offers a semester-long course on the Beatles.”
Womack says he was inspired by the Beatles when he was a child.
“It happened in dear old Kingwood! In 1977, when I was 11, the Beatles cartoons preempted my favorite morning show. The cartoons weren’t much to speak of, but the music was arresting. I’ve never looked back, really!”
Womack says 60 years later, the Beatles are still relevant.
“I think that they will remain relevant for as long as folks have ears and love music. The same thing that happened with the kids in the 1960s and myself in 1977 is happening thousands of times every day in the present as new people discover the Beatles. Their music is extraordinary, and when you discover them for the first time, there’s an incredible array of sound and complexity awaiting you. There’s really nothing like it.”
Womack has some advice for students at LSC-Kingwood.
“They live in an amazing moment of creativity. I would urge them to harness their own artistry and technology to become the next big content-makers! There’s no better guide than the pioneering sounds of the Beatles!”
As for his favorite Beatles song, he says it’s “A Day in the Life.”
“It’s one of the 20th century’s most enduring masterworks. Pure artistry on a grand scale.”
Womack will speak on the topic “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah -- Why the Beatles Still Matter” during the Curious Minds lecture on Thursday, April 10th, at 12:30pm in CLA 112 on the LSC-Kingwood campus. The event is open to the community. Later that evening he will do a book reading and signing at the Continental Club in Houston at 7:30pm. Following that will be a performance by the Beatles cover band, Beetle, at 8:30pm.
You can purchase a copy of the book here.
Lone Star College enrolls over 80,000 students each semester providing high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Mario K. Castillo, J.D. serves as Chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area. LSC has been named a 2023 Great Colleges to Work For® institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education and recognized by Fortune Magazine and Great Place To Work® as one of this year’s Best Workplaces in Texas™. LSC consists of eight colleges, seven centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence and Lone Star Corporate College. To learn more, visit Lonestar.edu.
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