Liverpool Legends helping McHenry Co. girl with rare cancer
A great deal has happened since Liverpool Legends moved from its Northwest suburban base to its own theater in Branson, Mo. in 2006.
The band, which consists of Marty Scott of Schaumburg who portrays George Harrison, Kevin Mantegna of Elgin, as John Lennon, Bob Beahon of Detroit as Paul McCartney and Greg George of Kalamazoo as Ringo Starr, won such Branson awards as Best New Show, Best Band and, for the last four years, Best Show.
The band's appeared on the Travel Channel's "Beatlemania Britain" and won the channel's People's Choice Best Overall Entertainment in Branson, beating out 130 live shows.
Members have played at Carnegie Hall, The Cavern Club in Liverpool and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.
Back in Branson, the band is poised to move to The Mansion, the largest theater in town since demand for the show has outpaced the seats available at their current location.
All of which would differentiate Liverpool Legends from the many Beatle tribute bands in Chicago. But Scott says there is another important difference between his band all the others.
"Louise Harrison, George Harrison's sister, hand-picked the members of Liverpool Legends," said Scott. "She also narrates the multimedia show that covers the Beatles story during the performance."
Harrison appears at every Liverpool Legends show, answering questions during the intermission and often meeting fans after the show.
Mantegna has an experience with Sir Paul McCartney to add to his Beatle cred. When Louise Harrison introduced him to McCartney as a member of her Beatles tribute, McCartney reportedly said, "Hey, it's you! I could spot out John anywhere. You make a great John."
By all accounts, Liverpool Legends has become the apex of tribute bands, but when Mantegna and Scott return to the Northwest suburbs, they consider themselves on break and therefore rarely perform in Chicagoland.
They enjoy spending time with friends, family and often take time to mentor Stockwood, billed as the youngest Beatles tribute, whose members are all younger than 17 and considered younger brothers by Liverpool Legends.
But a frightening diagnosis for the little sister of JD Fuller, a former member of Stockwood, changed the band's original plans and will result in a rare appearance in the Chicago area - its only appearance in 2010.
"Liverpool Legends: The Complete Beatles Tribute Show" will be transported from Branson to Elgin's Hemmens Theater to benefit The Hope Fuller Medical Fund. All of the profits from the show, "We Will Always Have Hope," will benefit the fund.
"We have become friends with the family," Scott said. "We've watched the kids grow up. We want to be there for them."
Hope Fuller, 12, of Woodstock, was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a rare form of pediatric brainstem cancer that evades detection until it progresses to stage four of five.
The honor student, performer and athlete was diagnosed in July 2009 after baffling facial numbness developed. Once diagnosed, her condition quickly deteriorated. She is currently wheelchair-bound, unable to walk and has no use of her right arm, but according to her aunt Jody Murphy, her spirit remains upbeat and resilient.
"Her attitude is awesome. Obviously she gets a little discouraged here and there but, for the most part, she is her happy self that she's always been," her aunt reported.
"The things that bother her the most is not being able to sing and dance and play and do the kinds of things that her friends get to do," she added.
Hope is currently participating in a clinical trial at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago and is seeing some improvement in her movement due to physical therapy. Her goal is to walk on her own by February. She is also hoping to be able to attend the benefit concert, as she is one of Liverpool Legends biggest fans.
Hope's family is overwhelmed by the amount of support, not only through the upcoming concert, but by neighbors and friends who have taken it upon themselves to meet the Fuller's everyday needs.
Family friends Street Corner Blue, an R&B Elgin-based band, has also donated time and will open for Liverpool Legends, as well as This is This a three-piece band that will play in the lobby before the show.
Another family friend, Barb Ladner, Liverpool Legends' and Stockwood's press agent, has been working for months to bring the show together at The Hemmens.
But, not every act of kindness has a familiar face behind it, according to Deb Fuller, Hope's mother. She recalled a flight attendant who overheard someone talking about Hope's story while she was on the job.
Hope, who was adopted from Korea, wished to travel to her home country via the Make A Wish Foundation.
Her trip was canceled due to health concerns.
Another attendant was due to fly to Korea and offered to bring a memento, which she gave to the first attendant, who drove from O'Hare to Rockford to deliver a "lovely glass jar."
"Total strangers have left $10," Deb said. "Money is tight right now for the average person and yet they choose to give their time and money to us. It renews your faith in mankind."
"My most heartfelt wish is that people will know - my heart is so full of emotion I can't get it down on paper - how much it means to us," she said. "I hope they know, though they may never hear it from my mouth, what a difference they're making in Hope's life."
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>If you go</b></p>
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>What:</b> We Will Always Have Hope: a benefit concert for Hope Fuller, with performances by Liverpool Legends and opening acts Street Corner Blue and This is This</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>When:</b> Saturday, Jan. 16; doors open at 5:30 p.m.; the show begins at 7 p.m. </p>
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>Where: </b>Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col"><b>Tickets:</b> $45 on the main floor and $40 in the balcony; available at the box office and at <a href="http://hemmens.org" target="new">hemmens.org</a>.</p>
<p class="factboxtext12col">Info: <a href="http://www.alwayshavehope.org" target="new">www.alwayshavehope.org</a></p>