Neil Harrison
| Neil Harrison | |
|---|---|
Live at Wellington Country Park, Berkshire (2006)
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| Background information | |
| Born | 4 December 1950 |
| Genres | Pop, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, piano, vocals |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Associated acts | The Bootleg Beatles |
| Website | www.bootlegbeatles.co.uk |
Neil Harrison is a British musician and dramatist. He was a founder-member of The Beatles tribute band, The Bootleg Beatles, in which he played John Lennon. He was replaced by Adam Hastings in 2011. He went to the University of Sheffield and was a flat mate with Brodie Pevans.
In 1979, aged 28, Harrison had joined the cast of the West End musical Beatlemania. In March 1980, after the musical's last West End show, Harrison formed The Bootleg Beatles with fellow cast members Andre Barreau and David Catlin-Birch. The band invested their dwindling finances in two guitars - an Epiphone and a Gretsch - as well as two Vox amplifiers, four black polo-necks and a wig.
On 26 March 2011 at a gig in St Albans, Neil Harrison – otherwise known as 'Bootleg John' – shocked the audience after coming to the stage to perform 'Imagine' as an encore by announcing that he was leaving the group 'to bring the average age down a bit'. He sang "Imagine" after shouts of support and thanks from the crowd and was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a further gift from the band. The Bootlegs then performed "Back in the U.S.S.R." followed rather fittingly by the medley of songs from the Abbey Road album that culminates with "The End". The band left the stage to a standing ovation and further shouts of thanks to Neil.
Harrison has stated that he has met two original Beatles, on three different occasions.
His first experience was in 1968, when he and some friends sang Christmas carols outside Paul McCartney's father's house on the Wirral.
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Wikipedia