Postscript: Chris Montez at Beatlefest

The NY Metro Fest for Beatles Fans is history, but the buzz is only building after Sixties pop legend Chris Montez rewrote Beatles history in his festival debut. Chris, who headlined a UK tour in March 1963 just as the first wave of Beatlemania broke across England, was on hand to share his memories and to introduce a preview of the new nonfiction film, El Viaje Musical de Ezekiel Montanez: The Chris Montez Story, which demonstrated how he not only influenced the Beatles' choice in electric guitars but their taste in fashion as they copied the round, collarless jackets he wore on stage.

The film from our pals at Frozen Pictures played twice to enthusiastic audiences on Saturday and Sunday, filming continued at the Fest and Chris rocked the packed ballroom two nights in a row with his triple-threat combo of Call Me, The More I See You and Let's Dance.

Backstage with The Chris Montez Story producer
and director of photography JB Blunck

Rehearsal with topnotch Beatles band Liverpool

Montez was only one of a group of crowd-pleasing cultural legends on hand including Mark & Brett Hudson, Martin Lewis, Spencer Davis, Andrew Loog Oldham and Denny Laine and Denny Seiwell of Wings.

Panel discussion on The Chris Montez Story with the Frozen partners

Chris with former Rolling Stones manager & producer Andrew Loog Oldham
(a name we remember from those album covers)
and Chris' publicist on that Match 1963 tour with the Beatles

Legendary publicist Sam Peters (second from lower left,
at the hairline of the big head in the corner)
adds his bongo beats to the nonstop Beatles music celebration
in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza

Chris Montez at the Fest for Beatles Fans

In his Fest for Beatles Fans debut, pop star Chris Montez is proving to be a surprise hit-- and full of surprises-- as he performs, meets fans, and, above, meets the crowd after a screening of a Beatlescentric preview of the new documentary El Viaje Musical de Ezekiel Montanez: The Chris Montez Story. Opening last night's all-star performance, Chris won the crowd over with his classics Call Me and The More I See You before bringing down the house and dancing with fans during Let's Dance. The Fest-- and Chris-- rock on today.

Israel Baseball League crashes Beatlesfest!

Among the Beatles memorabilia vendors at the marketplace of the NY Metro Fest for Beatles Fans in Secaucus, New Jersey was Art Shamsky, member of the 1969 miracle Mets and Manager of The Year of the sole year of the lamented Israel Baseball League, the coverage of which, led by Our Man Elli In Israel, led to a much-publicized Pulitzer Prize nomination that was rejected out of hand by that schmuck Sig Gissler. The Beatles played Shea Stadium and Art was signing baseballs and copies of his book, The Magnificent Seasons. (Last year's New York Metro Beatles Fest odd man out booksigner was Butch Patrick, known to you as Eddie Munster.)

Fest for Beatles Fans is on

The NY Metro Fest for Beatles Fans launched tonight with Sixties pop star Chris Montez (who headlined over the Beatles in a March 1963 tour of the UK) among the celebrity Beatles friends and colleagues including Denny Laine of Wings, Spencer Davis and Tabloid Baby pals Mark and Brett Hudson. A preview of the Montez biopic, El Viaje Musical de Ezekiel Montanez: The Chris Montez Story, from our pals at Frozen Pictures plays at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Chris Montez to rewrite rock history at this weekend's NY Metro Fest for Beatles Fans

The NY Metro Fest for Beatles Fans that kicks off tonight and runs through Sunday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Secaucus, will feature for the first time Sixties pop star Chris Montez, who'll perform his hits and talk about the March 1963 UK tour he headlined with The Beatles as the opening act.


He'll also reveal how he influenced the Beatles in ways few have realized or acknowledged (as hinted above).


The Fest will also feature an exclusive screening of the nonfiction film in progress, El Viaje Musical de Ezekiel Montanez: The Chris Montez Story, (from our pals at Frozen Pictures, in an early bird sceening at 11 a.m. Saturday as well as Sunday afternoon.

Watch this space for live blogging and updates...

Exclusive! Chris Montez returns to his roots with new original song, Con Esa Locura!

Hawthorne, California's Chris Montez has been a hitmaker in many genres, from rock 'n' roller with Let's Dance to lounge-flavpurd balladeer with hits like Call Me and The More I See You, to international star with latin hots like Ay No Digas. But now, for the first time, he's reaching back to his Chicano roots with original songs in the traditional Tejano style he grew up with.

Above, Montez is seen in Deerwood Studios in Simi Valley, California, with producer Vic Germano, recording one of those instant classics, Con Esa Locura. Fans of Latin radio, call in your request now!


Montez is the star of El Viaje Musical de Ezekiel Montanez: The Chris Montez Story, the nonfiction film now in production by our pals at Frozen Pictures. And he'll be a special guest at the NY Metro Fest for Beatles Fans, March 26-28th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Secaucus, where he will be rewriting Beatles history!

Chris Montez to star at Beatles Fan Fest

The official poster for the NY Metro Fest for Beatles Fans has been released, along with word that legendary rocker and pop singer Chris Montez wil be among the special guests performing live at the three-day fest beginning March 26th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Secaucus, NJ, a tunnel away from Manhattan.

A special Beatlescentric preview of El Viaje Musical de Ezekiel Montanez: the Chris Montez Story, the new Montez documentary from our pals at Frozen Pictures, was a surprise hit of the Fest for Beatles Fans in Chicago last summer. The film will also get free screenings this time around, with a special twist: Q&A and performance from the man himself.


The Fest for Beatles Fans is the original and longest-running Beatles celebration (since 1974). Ticket information here.

Montez doco information here.

Cool photos from The Fest for Beatles Fans

The Fest for Beatles Fans that roared into Chicago over the weekend was not only a great prelude to the 09.09.09 release of the remastered Beatles CD collection (and for the youngsters, the Beatles RockBand game). It also showcased the first preview of the new Chris Montez biopic (from our pals at Frozen Pictures), introduced Montez and his Beatles connections to the Beatlephile crowd and was witness to great rock 'n' roll performers like Ronnie Spector, Mark & Brett Hudson, Earl Slick and the ukulele-toting former Carsman Greg Hawkes.


YouTube and Facebook are full of videos and photos from the Fest. As we got back to business, we found an excellent set of pix from Fest star Sharon Paige, who was gracious enough to allow us to post them.

Photos © Sharon Paige

Ronnie Spector, Mark Hudson and Allan Tannenbaum close Fest for Beatles Fans

The more they saw Chris Montez at the Fest for Beatles Fans in Chicago, the more they wanted to call him

The Chicago Fest for Beatles Fans is winding down tonight-- if "winding down" is the right description for an all-star rock 'n' roll blowout capping a weekend that starred the likes of Ronnie Spector, Earl Slick and two of The Hudson Brothers, among others with longstanding Beatles connections.


As thousands of fans passed through the O'Hare Hyatt Regency Hotel on the most humid day of the summer, the name most talked about as a future Fab Fest fave was that of Chris Montez, featured in a preview of Frozen Pictures' new project, El Viaje Musical de Ezekiel Montanez: The Chris Montez Story, that opened the Fest on Saturday with a grand screening in the Grand Ballroom and created more buzz this afternoon with a more intimate encore showing followed by a lively Q&A with producer Brett Hudson and director Burt Kearns.


Montez' winning personality, guileless honesty and brilliant talent as a singer and musician were equalled by the surprising story of his experiences headlining over the Beatles on the UK tour that coincided with the release of their first album and the first stirrings of Beatlemania.

Q&A

The duo promised the film will debut at a Fest for Beatles Fans in 2010, and there's already talk of Chris Montez appearing along with it.

Beatles Fan Fest goes wild for Chris Montez

There were cheers, laughs and even gasps as the preview of the new film, El Viaje Musical de Ezekiel Montanez: The Chris Montez Story, was unspooled this afternoon at the Fest for Beatles Fans in Chicago.


Brett Hudson and Burt Kearns of Frozen Pictures took the stage in the Grand Ballroom of the O'Hare Hyatt Regency Hotel to introduce the work-in-progress about the influential singer and musician who headlined a UK tour in 1963 with the Beatles as his opening act. Co-headliner Tommy Roe was another fan favorite as he and Montez revealed behind-the-scenes nuggets, breaking news and making history with untold stories (hence the gasps) before hundreds of Beatles fans.

Director Kearns and producer Hudson introduce the film
(Fellow producer and Director of Photography Joachim Blunck remained in LA)

"This was the audience we were most nervous about," said the film’s director Kearns after the credits rolled. "They know the history. They know the Beatles story. If we could tell them something new, we we were on the right track."

"And we did," added Hudson, who produced with Kearns. "It went over really well."

Hudson and Kearns, who've brought the Frozen Pictures flick The Seventh Python to two past Beatle fan fests, say the final work will encompass all of Montez' career and influence. They hope to bring it to a Beatle fest in the Spring.

Before the 34-minute preview was shown, fans were stunned by the trailer for an upcoming Frozen Pictures production, Apple Pie Heroes, which chronicles a reunion of The Hudson Brothers.

The Fest for Beatles Fans hosts a second screening of both works tomorrow at 1:30, followed by a Q&A with our pals from Frozen Pictures.