The Fab Four | |
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Background information | |
Also known as | The Ultimate Tribute |
Origin | California |
Genres | |
Years active | 1997–present |
Labels | Delta Ent. (Laserlight), New World Digital |
Members | Ardavan Sarraf Ron McNeil Adam Hastings Gavin Pring Jon Fickes Neil Candelora<Tyson kelly> Doug Couture Robbie Berg Erik Fidel Richard Lewis Miles Frizzell Gilbert bonilla> |
Past members | David Brighton Frank Canino Frank Mendonca III Jim Owen Joe Gallo Michael Amador Rolo Sandoval Brendan Peleo-Lazar Luis Renteria Joseph Bologna Joshua Jones |
Website | www.TheFabFour.com |
The Fab Four is a California tribute band paying homage to the Beatles. Founded in 1997 by Ron McNeil (real name Ronald Mendonca),[1] a John Lennon impersonator, the group began performing Beatles music throughout southern California.[2] They have played in many places worldwide, including Japan, Malaysia, France, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Mexico and Brazil, covering nearly the entire Beatles songbook and material from Beatles members' solo projects.
The band's beginnings included Tuesday night performances at a small venue called Music City in Fountain Valley, as well as regular performances at Disneyland's Tomorrowland Terrace in Anaheim, The Hop in Puente Hills and Scruffy O’Sheas in Marina del Rey.[3] The core group consisted of McNeil (John Lennon), along with Ardavan Sarraf (Paul McCartney), Michael Amador (George Harrison) and Rolo Sandoval (Ringo Starr). Sarraf, a natural right-hander, taught himself to play the bass guitar left-handed to emulate McCartney.[4]
From 2005 to 2008, the Fab Four brought in a second cast of musicians to help perform a full stage show six nights a week in Las Vegas, with various members alternating between cast. Performing as Fab Four Mania, the Vegas cast performed regularly at locations such as the Las Vegas Hilton,[5] The Aladdin,[6] The Sahara[7][8] and The Riviera.[9]
In 2013, the PBS special "The Fab Four: The Ultimate Tribute," filmed at Pechanga Resort & Casino in 2012, received an Emmy Award.[10][11]
In 2018, McNeil said "After 25 years, I want to be home a little more. But I'm still president of the company, and everybody who started this with me are still my business partners, even though only Ardy's still on stage. So it'll be carrying on, which is great." He anointed Liverpool-born Adam Hastings as his replacement.[12] As of 2019, the most common lineup consisted of Ardavan Sarraf (McCartney), Adam Hastings (Lennon), Gavin Pring (Harrison) and Joe Bologna (Starr).
From 2020 to 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fab Four live-streamed numerous concerts, with McNeil, Sandoval and Erik Fidel coming back.