Book Authored by Dowell Native on Beatle's Visit to Benton Going Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[How about some Beatles trivia?

Just as the Beatles were gaining popularity in England, George Harrison visited his sister Louise in nearby Benton only five months before the Beatles' epic culture-changing appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. While visiting Southern Illinois, George found out that the Beatles had achieved record sales of their new hit, "She Loves You," in England. George also purchased one of the guitars he later used to play with the Beatles while in Southern Illinois. While here, he played with a local group, The Four Vests, at a VFW where it was said that George might make a good group member.

Radio WFRX in West Frankfort was the very first U.S. radio station to play Beatles music. On and on and on.

"Before He Was Fab" written in 2000 by Dowell, Ill. native Jim Kirkpatrick recounts these events - and much more!

The book has received such acclaim since being published 10 years ago it will soon become part of the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame's (Cleveland, Ohio) collection of Beatles memorabilia.

A life-long resident of southern Illinois, Jim has been a Beatles fan since the early 1960s. "But never in my wildest imagination did I expect that one day I would become friends with a Beatle sibling," Kirkpatrick said. That all began in January 1995, when Louise Harrison returned to Benton to help save the home that George had visited in 1963.

"I thought that this was a unique story; there were so many interesting recollections," said Kirkpatrick. "It would be a shame if this were not preserved."

A graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a degree in journalism, Kirkpatrick has worked for several southern Illinois newspapers, including The Southern Illinoisan, the Marion Daily Republican and the Du Quoin Evening Call.

For years he was employed as a congressional assistant.

He has worked for former congressmen Kenneth J. Gray, Glenn Poshard and David D. Phelps.