BY Don Snider, Correspondent
In 2004, American Heritage, a magazine devoted to serious history, called the arrival of the Beatles one of the phenomena of 1964 “that changed the country forever.”

Well, 44 years later, one thing has not changed:America still loves Beatles music.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!”

The Beatles are no longer together, of course. They disbanded in 1970, and John Lennon and George Harrison are deceased.

But their tribute bands carry on.

One of the first and best of those groups - 1964 the Tribute - has been performing for 24 years.

With all four of its original members, 1964 the Tribute will make its fifth appearance at the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District’s “Starry Nights” series.

The rare Thursday night concert will take place July 10 at Homewood’s Irwin Park.

“We’ve played Carnegie Hall in New York City (seven times), Red Rock in Colorado (three times) and Shea Stadium, where the Beatles played in ‘64,” said Mark Benson, spokesman and the John Lennon impressionist with 1964 the Tribute.

“It’s been a while since we played in Homewood, but we remember it well - all those families with blankets on the lawn, how cool it was to see three generations there singing along and leaving happy.”

In 1984, four members of disparate bands in Akron, Ohio, formed 1964 the Tribute.

Besides Benson, there are Gary Grimes as Paul McCartney, Tom Work as George Harrison and Terry Manfredi as Ringo Starr.

“We never intended for it to be a full-time tribute band,” Benson said.

“We just started it for parties and reunions. But we were such a big hit with the college-age crowd that by the second year, we were doing it full time.

“We still do 130 to 140 concerts a year.”

Most of the concerts are in the United States and Canada, but 1964 the Tribute also has toured Europe and Asia.

The secret to the group being named “best Beatles tribute on Earth” by Rolling Stone Magazine is the members’ dogged dedication toauthenticity in 1960s sound, dress, instruments and even spoken Liverpool accents.

Grimes, for example, is a right-hander who learned to play the bass guitar left-handed, just as McCartney does. And the band performs concerts that the Beatles never would have given.

Typical Beatles concerts were shorter and never included the range of songs that 1964 the Tribute performs.

A 1964 the Tribute concert typically includes up to 30 songs - almost the complete catalogue of Beatles hits prior to the time the band quit performing live concerts in 1966.

“One of the reasons they quit is because neither they nor their audiences could even hear their voices because of all the screaming,” Benson said.

“They decided to become mostly a ’studio’ band.”

But 1964 the Tribute has stuck with playing the “early” Beatles hits, instead of the “Sgt. Pepper”- or “Abbey Road”-era songs.

“It was a simpler era and people wanted simple love songs that made them feel good,” Benson said.

“And we play such songs the Beatles never performed live in concert, such as ‘Eight Days a Week.’ ”

“Starry Nights” fans also can expect “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Please Please Me,” “A Hard Days Night,” “This Boy,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Twist and Shout” and “Paperback Writer” among the two-dozen-plus songs to be performed.

One of the most popular songs from 1964 the Tribute’s last Homewood appearance, Benson recalled, was Manfredi (as Ringo Starr) leading “Act Naturally.”

“You could hear everyone in the crowd joining in,” Benson said.

It is no wonder that 1964 the Tribute has been called “the ultimate Beatles experience.”

‘Starry Nights’ featuring 1964 the Tribute

When: 8 p.m. July 10. Gates will open at 6:30 p.m.

Where: Irwin Park, Ridge Road and Highland Avenue, Homewood. The rain location is the 1,400-seat All Nations Community Church, 18620 S. Kedzie Ave., Homewood.

Tickets: $12 for adults, $7 for children in advance. Tickets are an additional $2 on show day.

Phone: (708) 957-PARK or (708) 957-0300 (for credit card orders).

Web: www.hfparks.com, www.1964thetribute.com.

Etc.: This performance, which also includes family activities, is part of the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District’s summer outdoor concert series “Starry Nights.”

The next installment in the series will take place on July 25 with family activities and a salute to Motown music by Together, an 11-piece band. The cost for the July 25 event is $8 for adults and $5 for children in advance. Tickets are an additional $2 on show day.