The Cynical Idealist Named Official Book of the 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute
Gary Tillery’s Spiritual Biography Chosen for the Biggest Event in Tribute’s History
November 12th, 2010, 8pm at the Beacon Theatre in NYC
September 29, 2010 (Chicago, IL) –Gary Tillery’s recent release The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon (Quest Books; 2009) has been selected as the official book of Theatre Within's 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute on Friday, November 12th at 8pm at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. "It's an honor to have my book chosen to be associated with this important Tribute to John. I hope it leads new people to discover his ideas and ideals. We all love his music, but he was so much more than a musician." says Tillery.
The Annual John Lennon Tribute has been held since 1981, shortly after Lennon’s death. The Tribute is the longest running event of its kind and the only ongoing tribute show in the country to have earned the support of Yoko Ono. For this year’s tribute Tillery’s book accompanies an all-star lineup of performers including Jackson Brown, Patti Smith and Cyndi Lauper, to honor the memory of John Lennon, celebrating his music and his passion for peace. In an exclusive interview with author Gary Tillery the Tribute organizers asked how he viewed Lennon’s present day relevancy. Tillery responded, “Lennon had a passion for truth and for focusing on what was important. He also wanted to use his time on earth to achieve something more than just acquiring more awards and more possessions. The common man will always be impressed by that. And people will always have a direct connection with him through his music. A hundred years from now some person who has never heard “Imagine” will listen to John sing the first stanza and realize that this is a man they want to know better.”
Much has been said about John Lennon the Beatle—his rock star evolution and tragic fate. But this book is more than a mundane biography covering Lennon’s life, music, and death. The Cynical Idealist is a soulful portrait of Lennon’s very being, illuminating the spiritual transformation of a man who influenced the world in a way few others had during the course of the twentieth century.
The Cynical Idealist caught the eye of the Tribute’s co-creator and MAD Magazine Senior Editor Joe Raiola because it was the first biography to focus on Lennon as a spiritual and intellectual figure. “In The Cynical Idealist Gary Tillery sheds a welcome new light on John Lennon as an artist, visionary and catalyst for positive change in the world. In writing “a spiritual biography,” he's created a new art form and in doing so, he reveals Lennon's essence and core values as no other biographer has. He celebrates Lennon without idealizing him and reminds us why his music and message still matter— and will continue to matter for generations to come” says Joe Raiola, producer of Theatre Within's Annual John Lennon Tribute.
Read the Tribute’s exclusive interview with The Cynical Idealist author, Gary Tillery:
For more information on The Cynical Idealist, or to connect with the author Gary Tillery, visit http://questbooks.net/title.cfm?bookid=2133, Facebook, and http://twitter.com/GaryTilleryArt
The Tickets for the Tribute are now on sale, available on BeaconTheatre.com, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 866-858-0008. Ticket prices are $304.50 for VIP Seats, $179.50, $139.50, $99.50 and $79.50. Additional information is available at LennonTribute.org, which features an online press kit and photos, videos from past Tributes, a Tribute blog and original exclusive content for John Lennon fans everywhere.
ABOUT GARY TILLERY, M.I.M.
Gary Tillery is the author of the Darkling Plain collection, as well as the humorous detective novels Death, Be Not Loud and To an Aesthete Dying Young. Tillery is also a professional sculptor, his most prominent work being a sculpture for the Vietnam Memorial in Chicago, the bronze bust of Steve Allen for the Steve Allen Theater, and the life-size bronze of Luis Aparicio at U. S. Cellular Field. His works are in the private collections of Patricia DuPont and General Tommy Franks. In 1968-69, Tillery served in Vietnam with the United States Air Force. Currently, Tillery is working on a biography of George Harrison. A native of the Southwest, Tillery currently resides in Chicago, Illinois.
ABOUT THEATRE WITHIN
Theatre Within is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit Performing Arts Presenter dedicated to producing benefit shows for outstanding charities and important social causes. By promoting the performing arts as public service, Theatre Within brings artists together to make a positive difference in their communities and around the world. Theatre Within is inspired by the humanitarian efforts of George Harrison, John Lennon, Arlo Guthrie, Willie Nelson, Bono and countless other socially conscious performers who have been the driving force behind charity events. Learn more at http://theatrewithin.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Xochi (sōchē) Adamé
publicity@questbooks.net
630-665-0130 x.358
Twitter: @XochiAdame
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