Islander comes full circle with the Beatles

When Teddy Deane talks about the past, he casually mentions the days when he hung out with big names like Frank Zappa, Alice Cooper, Jerry Garcia and Paul McCartney.

"He was very friendly, very nice and very happy," Deane said about the famous Beatle.

Now Deane is coming full circle as he prepares to perform with Georgia’s popular Beatles tribute band, Abbey Road Live! on July 23, 8 p.m., at San Juan Community Theatre.

“It was a very good time,” Deane said, looking back. “We were all young and had fun.”

In 1972, Deane toured Europe for three months with his band the Holy Modal Rounders. At a show in Denmark, a few band members from McCartney’s group Wings came to Deane’s show. The guys from Wings liked the Rounders enough to invite them backstage and even asked them to come hang out in Amsterdam, where they were playing next. According to Deane, some of McCartney’s band mates wanted the Holy Modal Rounders to be their next opening act.

“Paul vetoed it because he didn’t want a bunch of crazy Americans onstage, he just wanted one folksinger,” Deane said. “We came really close to having our names on the map. It would have made our life to go on tour with Paul McCartney.”

On Saturday, Deane will also play with fellow islanders Robin Lohrey and Hannah Klein-Robbenhaar, Sally Browne, and Janet Olsen.  This instruments are required for the more complex and elaborate Beatles compositions, such as “Penny Lane,” “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Let it Be.”

“I’m looking forward to playing this music that has certainly stood the test of time,” said Deane, who will play the clarinet and flute at the upcoming concert.

The event’s Business Partner is Kings Market. Tickets are $29 for adults, $15 for student reserved, with $5 student RUSH one hour before the show. Tickets may be purchased at the theater’s box office or online at www.sjctheatre.org.

Contact Journal of the San Juans Reporter Cali Bagby at cbagby@sanjuanjournal.com or 378-5696.

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