Bob's extraordinary talents are featured prominently in Fab4Ever. Besides having a "fire and ice" voice and a great feel for the drum kit, Bob also arranges the vocal parts for the band.
He has been playing music non-stop since high school and is a veteran of many facets of the music industry. We are very happy to have him with the band.
Skip, like many other teens back in the 60’s, sat glued to the TV on that February night in 1964 to watch the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. Skip was heard to say, ‘’I can still hear my father’s voice saying, "Don’t even think you’re going to wear your hair like that!"
That same year, Christmas brought a new guitar: a sunburst Stratocaster copy from Woolworth's. A friend also got a guitar for Christmas. He took lessons and used to share different things he learned. Sheet music was also a great way to learn chords, and Skip also watched musicians on TV. Skip and two of his cousins used to jam for hours.
For a while, the guitar took a backseat while life went on. After serving two years in the Army, Skip played in several cover bands during the mid 70’s. Again, there was a pause in his guitar playing, while family took preference.
During the mid 90’s, an opportunity arose to play in a band again. A couple of old friends, a new one and a great four-piece cover band was born. This lasted about five years. However, Beatle songs were still the main focus. Being in a Beatles cover band was always on his mind. Then the opportunity came to actually be a part of a Beatles band. Playing in Fab4Ever is the dream come true.
Like bandmate Dorothy, Fran started with a Harmony guitar as well, taking lessons at the long-defunct Butler’s Music Center in Somerville, MA. He was in a band for a short time during sixth grade – long enough to actually play on the Somerville Theater stage, although he has long since forgotten how that came to be!
He continued playing in high school and was the guitarist for the Burlington High School Stage Band in 1971/1972. It was at this time that stage bands started to play “new material” rather than the classic jazz tunes that had been a mainstay of high school stage bands. The new songs came from the likes of Chicago, Lighthouse and Blood, Sweat and Tears.
After high school, the guitar rested for most of the next 35 years or so – again, a hiatus similar to Dorothy’s! In 2007, Fran was invited to “sit in” with the band playing at his high school reunion. That was the rebirth! After that, he was all over the local Open Mics and starting playing solo gigs at places like the Courtyard by Marriott in Fitchburg, the Newtowne Grill in Billerica, the Main Street Café in Groton and even at the small Grange stage at the Topsfield Fair.
In late 2009, Fran joined the nucleus of what would eventually morph into Fab4Ever. He is thoroughly enjoying this band, playing his Rickenbackers, singing some of the songs and playing the keyboards. Who knew that the cheap Harmony guitar would lead to all this 46 years later??
Colleen is an accomplished singer and guitarist who has played in the Greater Boston music scene for many years. She has played with bands such as Down Dog, Nora’s Holiday, and Aiden’s Clan.
She has long loved and admired The Beatles, and considers them to be the best band in the history of popular music. Colleen is beyond thrilled to be singing the Beatles’ music and to be part of Fab4Ever.
Dave played clarinet as a child, and in high school learned guitar. Like many others, he was watching TV when the Beatles played on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. He managed to see the Beatles play live twice, as well as many of the other great rock musicians of the 60’s. He played in a rock band while he went to college.
After a brief hiatus of 30 years, Dave picked up a bass as part of a plot to get his children interested in music. To his surprise, over the next five years he took lessons, jammed with friends, and played in several bands. He always wanted to be in a Beatles cover band, and the opportunity to join the Fab4Ever was a fantastic lucky break. Fab4Ever allows him to pursue his passion for the Beatles with a group of talented and dedicated musicians.
A lifelong traveler and athlete, Dorothy is a retired teacher, former coach, and mother of two. She's also an avid gardener, and after 25 years of toiling away at her wild backyard, her "bit of earth" has blossomed into an aesthetic garden retreat. She was happy to discover that George Harrison had been doing the same thing simultaneously during his lifetime!
Dorothy was drawn to music at an early age. She fondly remembers enjoying a xylophone toy and Polish polka music as a young girl, learning the flageolette in grade 5, getting a harmonica for Christmas, and always asking for music lessons. Salvation arrived at the age of twelve when her older brother brought home a Harmony acoustic guitar from his college roomate. Dorothy became completely attached to it, taught herself whatever she could and ended up playing in a variety of musical combos throughout high school.
After a hiatus of over 30 years, Dorothy resumed her passion for playing guitar. Dorothy has never taken a break from loving the Beatles, however! Playing in the Fab4Ever is a dream come true and she is happiest rocking on with her bandmates.
