Local Guitarist to Play at the Brecksville Library on Sunday

The Beatles have captivated many around the world, including local Brecksville musician and businessman, Rick Iacoboni.

And at 2 p.m. this Sunday, Iacoboni will bring his knowledge of the band and talent of his own to the  for a lesson on The Beatles.

"Rick has been a customer here for many, many years," said Annette Jones, head of adult services at the library. "We've been wanting to have him for a long time."

His months of research will support his discussion on the band’s history. As part of his presentation, Iacoboni will perform songs on his acoustic guitar, as well. The Beatles' popularity is why library workers, including Jones, thought the program would work for all ages.

“I’m not trying to put myself across as an expert,” Iacoboni said. He explained that his information mostly came from the library, just like a lot of his music does.

His Beatles infatuation began in 1964 while watching The Ed Sullivan Show as a child. After seeing them perform on the weekly variety show, he told his parents he wanted to play guitar. Since then, he has played in bands and on his own throughout high school and college. After earning his communications degree at Bowling Green State University, he is now in marketing full time.

To this day, he admires the work of the popular, shaggy-haired rock band from Britain. It’s what got him started and eventually led him to play acoustic guitar as a side job.

“It’s important for me to have an outlet to express my creativity,” Iacoboni said.

He isn’t new to playing for the public. With more than 800 events under his belt, he has performed at events such as weddings, business functions and bar mitzvahs. Aside from The Beatles, he plays modern music and more classic songs. This means you might hear him playing Jason Mraz or James Taylor.

“If somebody comes up and says 'I like your music,' that’s worth a million dollars to me,” he said.

The payoff is in people’s appreciation, rather than the bit of extra money he earns with this side business.

“Oh, I’ll never stop,” he said when asked how long he plans to play. “If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would still do this. I love playing. As long as God has given me the ability to be healthy, I’ll play as long as I can play.”

Editor's note: This story has been corrected. It originally described The Ed Sullivan Show as a nightly talk show. It was a weekly variety show, according to the Museum of Broadcast Communications website.