John Lennon left this world in 1980, and he left a hole in music and popular culture that never quite got filled. Even before that, when The Beatles broke up in 1970, they left a hole in rock and pop music that was never filled by a band of their caliber again. As a result, plenty of tribute bands have popped up over the years to try and capture that Fab Four magic. One such band is The Upbeat Beatles, a tribute group that has been around for years and is still active today.
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Back in 2018, the band needed another musician to fill their “John Lennon” role in the band. And it wasn’t just about looks, though that was certainly important. Outside of needing someone who at least kind of looked like Lennon, they needed someone who sounded like him and had some serious musical talents. That, obviously, was no easy feat. So, The Upbeat Beatles went to ITV’s The Big Audition for some help. And with that TV show’s help, they found their new John Lennon.
This John Lennon Lookalike Gave It a Shot
Gaz Keenan was a pretty obvious fit for the role that The Upbeat Beatles were looking for. He looked quite a bit like Lennon and definitely sounded like him, complete with a Liverpoolian (specifically Merseyside) accent.
Keenan, at the time, worked at a car factory and spent much of his free time making music. Apparently, a friend got in touch with him on Facebook to let him know about the audition that was taking place.
“‘John Lennon?’ I thought, ‘Why not have a go at that!’” he said.
This John Lennon lookalike spent weeks rehearsing for his audition on the TV show. You can watch his audition above.
He definitely gave it all, and one judge even commented that he really looked and sounded a lot like Lennon. Musically, he didn’t sound identical to Lennon (who could?) but wowed the judges regardless. The Upbeat Beatles, similarly, were excited about Keenan. And by the end of the show, Keenan won the coveted spot as the tribute band’s bespoke John Lennon. Today, it appears that Keenan is part of the tribute band John Lennon Tribute UK.
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images
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