YESTERDAY: `FAB FOUR' WILL MAKE APPEARANCE AT CAPE'S RIVERFEST

To rock fans they fill some big shoes. But members of the four-man group of Beatles impersonators who call themselves Yesterday are just doing what they love and what they always dreamed about.

"I always worshiped the Beatles when I was a young boy," said the group's John Lennon, who is Don Bellezzo. "I always wanted to be a Beatle," he said in a telephone interview.

The mop-topped quartet has been performing for about five years. Their nostalgic tribute to the Beatles will be the featured main-stage entertainment at this weekend's Riverfest in downtown Cape Girardeau.

The free concert begins at 9 p.m. on Friday.

Bellezzo said becoming a Beatle was somewhat easy, given that he already resembled his favorite of the Fab Four, Lennon. His voice and vocal range also is similar to that of Lennon, and the rest just took some practice, he said.

"I studied his movements and learned how to play the songs by listening to the records," he said. "I did take some voice lessons to help me along."

Bellezzo said he met up with the other three members of the group after they toured in 1985 in "Beatlemania."

Through their love of the Beatles, the group formed and began touring the United States and Canada, he said.

Other members are Tim Piper, who portrays Paul McCartney; his brother, Greg Piper, who plays George Harrison; and Dave Mealey, a.k.a. Ringo Starr.

The group first performed in Cape Girardeau last year at the Southeast Missouri State University Homecoming celebration.

Bellezzo said the four are in the midst of a world tour. He said their continued success is mostly due to the fact that Beatles music is classic rock 'n' roll.

"The Beatles are timeless," Bellezzo said. "They were excellent song writers and a lot more talented than many acts are today. I think that as time goes by their legend will become more and more awesome."

The most "awesome" of all Beatles songs, he said, is "She Loves You."

"It's the best song of all time. It's got the hook, and the lead vocals between Paul and John have the harmony of a classic Beatles song. It's definitely my favorite to perform."

He said "Twist and Shout," "Come Together" and "Yesterday" are usually the songs audiences most enjoy.

Bellezzo said the Beatles are one of the most respected bands of all time because "they were a real band."

"They all played their own instruments, and their melodies and vocals are things people can relate to."

But he said luck and timing also played a part in the Beatles' phenomenal success.

"They came along at the right time," he said. "Rock was in its infancy and the country was depressed. John Kennedy had just been assassinated and then the Beatles came along. They sounded and looked a little different, but they were the real thing."

The group's reverence to the legendary band also shows in the music they listen to when they're not on the road and performing.

Bellezzo said when band members aren't listening to Beatles tunes they prefer to listen to other bands from the 1960s and '70s. The Rolling Stones rank high on their list of favorites, he said.

Yesterday's tribute to the Beatles is divided into two parts. They first appear as an early incarnation of the Fab Four, complete with the mop-top hair and collarless jackets. The second half of their performance is done in Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band costumes.

Though Bellezzo saw the Beatles in concert many years ago, he said Yesterday allows those who didn't see the group the opportunity to recreate the live-performance experience.

"We impersonate the Beatles in order to show a live recreation of the group," he said. "It's timeless, like a good bottle of wine."