Joe Stefanelli
Encyclopedia
Joseph Leonard Stefanelli (born September 11, 1960 in San Francisco, California
) is an American
musician
and actor
, of Italian descent, who is best known for performing the voice of John Lennon
in the 1994 film Forrest Gump
.
Stefanelli arrived into the world of entertainment in 1989, by a chance meeting through a mutual friend who asked him to sit in on some jam sessions
with Duncan Faure
, a former lead singer of the Bay City Rollers
. Duncan had recently been in touch with Ian Mitchell and the two decided to get a band together and rehash old BCR songs. Duncan volunteered Joe to play bass
, though Joe could only play an acoustic guitar. In just two weeks, Joe accomplished the bass guitar and went on tour with the group. This was just the beginning of his life in music.
In 1992, Joe decided to try out for a spot as John Lennon in Beatles
tribute bands throughout the Los Angeles area. Most of the bands didn't have what Joe was looking for, so he started his own band, The Mop Tops. In the next 10 years, the Mop Tops toured the world, played Candlestick Park and Dodger Stadium
, and made hundreds of personal appearances. Based on this experience, Joe was hand picked by director Robert Zemeckis
to be the voice of John Lennon in Forrest Gump.
Today, Stefanelli resides in Southern California.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, of Italian descent, who is best known for performing the voice of John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
in the 1994 film Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
.
Stefanelli arrived into the world of entertainment in 1989, by a chance meeting through a mutual friend who asked him to sit in on some jam sessions
Jam Sessions
Jam Sessions is a guitar simulation software title and music game for the Nintendo DS based on the Japan-only title Sing & Play DS Guitar M-06 originally developed by Plato. It was brought to North America and Europe, courtesy of Ubisoft...
with Duncan Faure
Duncan Faure
Duncan Caldwell Faure is a singer from Pretoria, South Africa.-Early life:Faure was born in 1956 to William and Antonio Faure in Pretoria, South Africa. Faure was a championship swimmer around the age of ten. In 1975, at age 18-19, Faure joined the popular South African band Rabbitt...
, a former lead singer of the Bay City Rollers
Bay City Rollers
The Bay City Rollers were a Scottish pop band who were most popular in the 1970s. The British Hit Singles & Albums noted that they were "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh", and were "the first of many acts heralded as the 'Biggest Group since The Beatles' and one of the most screamed-at...
. Duncan had recently been in touch with Ian Mitchell and the two decided to get a band together and rehash old BCR songs. Duncan volunteered Joe to play bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, though Joe could only play an acoustic guitar. In just two weeks, Joe accomplished the bass guitar and went on tour with the group. This was just the beginning of his life in music.
In 1992, Joe decided to try out for a spot as John Lennon in Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
tribute bands throughout the Los Angeles area. Most of the bands didn't have what Joe was looking for, so he started his own band, The Mop Tops. In the next 10 years, the Mop Tops toured the world, played Candlestick Park and Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
, and made hundreds of personal appearances. Based on this experience, Joe was hand picked by director Robert Zemeckis
Robert Zemeckis
Robert Lee Zemeckis is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future film series, as well as the Academy Award-winning live-action/animation epic Who Framed Roger Rabbit ,...
to be the voice of John Lennon in Forrest Gump.
Today, Stefanelli resides in Southern California.