The Beatless Biography

The Beatless story began in the winter of 2002 as a whisper among several local musicians. "We should do an all Beatles show", one would say. "Yeah, let's do it!", said another. There was no one individual who organized the group. It just sort of fell together in bits and pieces until finally, on a Tuesday night in March, 2003 at John Schroeder's house, The Beatless was born, with John getting credit for the name. There were six original members, Gene, David, Kelley and John along with Paul Hibbets and Ralph Peters. The idea was to do one show which would include all six members rotating around an all Beatles set. And that was it. There were no delusions of grandeur or talk of touring or recording contracts. Just one show performed by some local guys who happened to love The Beatles and their music.

The show took place on May 31, 2003 and was a riot. The courtyard behind Schroeder's New Deli was standing room only for three solid hours. "It was a real eye opener. You just don't know what to expect sometimes," says rhythm guitarist and vocalist Gene Brigham (who plays the part of John Lennon), "People came up afterward begging us to do another show. How can you say no to that?" John Schroeder (who plays the part of Ringo) remembers, "There were a bunch of kids in the audience and they knew the lyrics to every song. It was just incredible!" So one show turned into two shows, and then three shows and so on. Gene Brigham says, "There's some kind of magic surrounding The Beatles and their music. It was obvious back in the Sixties, but even now, three-and-a-half decades later, a whole new generation has got the bug. It's infecting a lot of kids today just like it did back then."

Here's a picture of the original members of The Beatless: David Butler, Paul Hibbets, John Schroeder, Ralph Peters, Kelley Lane and Gene Brigham. The performance, the first Rome/Floyd County Humane Society Benefit at Heritage Hall in August of 2003, was a huge success. The show raised over twice what the promoters had anticipated. Unfortunately, it was the last time all six original members performed together. Due to scheduling conflicts and personal obligations, Kelley Lane and Paul Hibbets left the band shortly afterward. Ralph Peters continued on with the band for almost three years before turning in his mop top after the 2005 season. Both Paul and Ralph are sorely missed, and the guys continue to wish them well in their endeavors. In 2006, Kelley Lane re-joined the band and so the line-up today is Gene, Dave, Kelley and John.

After so many changes in the band's line-up, it would have been easy to say enough is enough. But there are still shows to play. So The Beatless have decided to persevere and continued to perform at various venues around northwest Georgia. Each new year seems to present the guys with more opportunities to play, and the band refuses to disappoint those clamouring for yet another show. The climax may have come in 2004 when The Beatless drew a record crowd of over 2,000 for the First Friday Concert Series in their hometown, but larger crowds may loom over the horizon.

The Beatless can be seen locally at several eating and drinking establishments and private parties. Now a quartet, like the Fab Four, Gene covers John Lennon's driving rhythms, Kelley Lane plays the leads of George Harrison, David makes a great Paul McCartney, John lays down the beats that Ringo was famous for and all four of the guys sing. "The shows just keep coming," says Gene, "I don't know where it will end. We haven't really advertised ourselves much until now. Word of mouth has been our best friend so far... and the fact that we seem to sound a lot like The Beatles."

Stadium Marquee Since 2003, The Beatless phenomenon has continued to gather steam. The Beatless have played State Mutual Stadium, Rockstock Music Festival, Chiaha Harvest Festival and the Trout Unlimited Chili Cookoff! And with club dates at venues such as Schroeder's New Deli, The Irish Cellar, as well as private parties, it should be easy to catch The Beatless performing just a little northwest of Atlanta. And since the guys have vowed to continue doing what they do, they may be performing in your town before you know it! Be sure to check out the Schedule and, if your going to be in metro Atlanta or northwest Georgia, make plans to see a show. And don't forget to sign up for The Beatless Fan Club e-mail, which will let you know all the latest about the band! Check back often as the calendar can change frequently. Scroll down for an individual bio of each current member of The Beatless.

	Gene Brigham		David Butler
Kelley Lane		John Schroeder