- You can see pictures of the storm damage in the slideshow at left.
A destructive New Jersey storm Friday that had all the earmarks of a tornado has put a minor delay in plans by Beatles artist Shannon to create a portrait of the Beatles to hang in the famed Cavern Club venue in Liverpool.
The Cavern Club had commissioned Shannon to create the first exclusive painting for the famed Beatles venue. The 8" x 8" painting, titled "Toppermost of the Poppermost," was to be made up as four interlocking paintings representing each of The Beatles (John, Paul, George and Ringo) during their last appearances at The Cavern Club. Shannon said she was in New Jersey on the George Harrison part of the portrait working about a week ahead of schedule.
“I was getting ready to take a photograph of the painting and heard some thunder in the distance," Shannon said. "A little rain was bouncing off the pool. No big deal.
"Then it got very quiet and I thought, 'Guess it is just going to pass by.' With no warning at all, these unbelievable winds came along and the sky became pitch black with massive wind and the most amazing lightning. As I was grabbing gear off the back porch and throwing it in the house through the back door, I saw a full tree (roots and all) fly over top my swimming pool.
"Then off went my beautiful painting!," she said
The Newark Star-Ledger reported the storm caused damage in several areas of the state. "If it wasn’t a tornado, it certainly wasn’t far from it. The damage that was done was great," Vernon Mayor Victor Marotta told the paper.
The portraits of each Beatle were to be done in different locations: George Harrison, the part destroyed in the storm, was to be created in New Jersey; Ringo Starr in Florida and John Lennon at the Ultimate Air Affair in Utah where Shannon was headlining guest. The last part, of Paul McCartney, was to be done in Liverpool at International Beatle Week. The completed painting was to unveiled there August 30th. The painting was to be of each of the Beatles in the clean-cut look they adopted after Brian Epstein became their manager.
"I can repaint the George Harrison over again." But, she says, "we (Shannon and Buzz, her dog) are lucky to be alive.”
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