Springfield’s Robert Bartel is the Biggest Fan of The Beatles in Illinois – Possibly the World!

by Tara L. Simmons

Several months before British rock group The Beatles made their big splash on US soil in early 1964, George Harrison – lead guitarist for the band came to Benton, Illinois to visit his sister, Louise Caldwell, and her family. At the time, The Beatles were unknown to Americans, despite being at the top of the charts in England. George was able to remain fairly anonymous during his two week stay. He played with a local band, bought a guitar in a neighboring town, and mostly hung out as a tourist. The Beatles were about to explode on the world stage, and for years to come, folks in Southern Illinois would recall the polite young man with long hair and a funny accent. One local man, Springfield’s Robert Bartel, has in depth knowledge of this visit, which started his career of documenting George’s time in Illinois, and The Beatles in general.

Robert started life in an orphanage in Chicago, after being given up by his young mother, who conceived him out of wedlock, the result of an affair with a prominent married man. For years he was shuffled between the orphanage and foster homes.

Robert remembers when he was 10 years old, sitting on the lap of Judge Otto Kerner (who would later become governor), who asked Robert if he would rather stay in the orphanage or be adopted. Of course Robert chose adoption. Kerner then pulled out a small, shiny badge and pinned it to his shirt, telling him he was now safe, and no one would ever hurt him again.

The Bartels moved to Springfield when Robert was around 13, when The Beatles were a phenomenon. Robert instantly felt a connection to them.

“They spoke to me musically. It was like they understood my pain,” Robert explained. “The lyrics to most of their songs spoke to me on a very deep level.”

For instance, the song Nobody’s Child speaks of an orphan who has no one.

“Other songs were about love, I learned so much about love from listening to The Beatles,” he added. “They saved me from depression and possibly suicide. I idolized them. I wanted to be them.”

His obsession with The Beatles began, and continues to this day, over 60 years later.

“Some people are Beatles fanatics, I’m a maniac,” Robert laughed.

Robert dropped out of high school to start a band, following in the Beatles’ footsteps (he later went back and finished school). He bought a keyboard and became proficient, joining a band in Kansas City, but later returned to Springfield. One day, while pondering his future, he took that little badge that Judge Kerner had given him out of a drawer, contemplated it, and decided to further his education, eventually becoming a police officer for Springfield, later a sergeant in Illiopolis and eventually the Chief of Police in New Berlin. After retiring, he became a private detective, working for Fortune 500 companies. He also began writing.

In 1985 he opened Cadence Records and Recording in Springfield, booking bands through his own production company, Mr. Music Man.

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I recently visited with Robert and his wife Janice, also a Beatles fan, in their home in Springfield and Robert told me the story of how his obsession with The Beatles turned to mania, and all that this has brought to not only him, and Beatles fans locally, but fans around the world.

Robert and Janice actually met via a classified ad he placed in a Beatles fan publication, and they were married on October 9, John Lennon’s birthday. (Robert’s daughter was also born on October 9th.) The couple were at a BeatleFest in 1993 and heard Louise Caldwell  talk about her time in Benton, IL. George himself had visited her there? George Harrison? In Illinois?

During George’s stay Louise went to various radio stations to promote her brother and his band, as the remaining members were scheduled to come to the U.S. soon. And although Dick Biondi is credited as the first U.S. disc jockey to air a Beatles song on the radio, Robert told me that Louise hand delivered a Beatles 45 rpm single to a 17-year old DJ at WFRX, and that was truly the first air play on U.S. soil for The Beatles. This information is included in one of the several documentaries Robert has since produced on George Harrison.

Another interesting story about Harrison’s visit to Benton is that while there, he lost his wallet on the town square. A wallet that contained quite a bit of cash. A young man working on the square witnessed George drop his wallet and returned it to him. Harrison was impressed with his honesty and explained about his band, and that they intended to make quite the splash in America. Eventually the young man’s mother was hired to work with Louise in promoting the band.

George watched The Ed Sullivan Show while in Benton and  commented to his sister that one day he would be on that show. He didn’t know how quickly that prediction would come true, as four months later, The Beatles made their debut appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Robert had not yet met Louise or her soon-to-be famous brother at this point, but after hearing her speak at a BeatleFest about her time and previous home in Benton, he switched into private detective mode, tracking down the house where Louise had lived and George had visited. Much to his dismay, he discovered the house was scheduled for demolition.

Keep in mind, Robert has been a Beatles fan for over 60 years, so there is so much information I do not have room to share with you, but long story short, Robert took on the effort to save the house. A long and winding road (pun intended), but the mission was accomplished and inspired Robert to produce a documentary, A Beatle in Benton, Illinois. The documentary was accepted into the archives of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, inspired Robert to write a book, The Beatles We Love, From Me to You, and subsequently, two more documentaries.

Robert became even more passionately involved in his love for The Beatles, and Louise and the Bartels became fast friends. Louise often stayed with the Bartels when she came back to Illinois for television and radio shows.

“Despite my love of The Beatles and my dedication to being the catalyst to continuing their story, I never got to see them live in concert,” Robert said.  “I did see Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr perform individually though.”

In his role as Beatles historian, Robert has been interviewed on several Beatles-related shows, countless BeatleFests, and was a guest speaker on the Westwood One Radio Network’s show, The Beatle Years. He owns and curates a Beatles museum, in the basement of his home, along with Janice. The museum motif commemorates The Beatles’ Abbey Road, the final album recorded by the band. The floor of his “art room” (yes, Robert is quite the painter also) is painted to match the stage of The Beatles’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Robert even has a “yellow submarine” parked in the garage – a 1976 Checker Marathon that he hand painted himself in honor of The Beatles.

And although being the catalyst to keep the story of The Beatles alive may be Robert’s favorite “claim to fame,” he has racked up numerous other accomplishments and accolades. In addition to writing screenplays, written and produced for stage and television, he is a member and judge for the Mid-America Emmy Awards. His theater production of  Dinner With The Family replaced the long-running  Tony and Tina’s Wedding which ran for two years in Chicago, and was awarded the  Red Carpet Concierge of Chicago (RCCI) Oscar for Writer of the Year.

Robert taught Poetry Writing Fundamentals and Classic and Modern Poetry at his local college and was awarded a grant from the Springfield Arts Council for First Night Poetry Slam.

Robert is also a regional editor of the New York literary magazine The New Press and founder and first president of the Poet’s and Writers Literary Forum in Springfield. In 2018 he was awarded a second Lifetime Achievement Ward at the Historic Vachel Lindsay Home.

Robert produced and hosted over 500 episodes of Studio A Bars and Tones, interviewing notable figures from a wide range of arts and entertainment.

The list goes on. Robert… where do you find the time??

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The Beatles arrived in the United State on February 7, 1964, and the music world was never the same. Robert Bartel was one of the 73 million viewers who saw the Beatles live on The Ed Sullivan show when BEATLEMANIA began. For Robert, that day and has never stopped.

From the world of foster homes, orphanages and no siblings, it was just Robert and the world of disconnect. The Beatles spoke truths to  him  about feelings of real love with their music, and lyrics. The Beatles became his family, and brothers, and led him out of  loneliness. The Beatles connected the dots with their music and gave Robert what he needed – REAL LOVE –  and in return he gives it back with his dedication to telling and preserving their story, especially as it relates to Illinois history.

Illinois’ biggest fan of The Beatles, Robert Bartel, is truly a multi-talented individual and I feel honored that he allows us to share his story, albeit just a very small portion of it. To find out more, order DVDs of his A Beatle in Benton, Illinois documentaries, or his book, The Beatles We Love, From Me to You (available at amazon.com), or to schedule a tour of his Beatles museum, email [email protected] or find him at Facebook/Robert Bartel. You can also view much of his documentaries and video footage from Beatles events on YouTube – search Robert Bartel Beatles. His 60th Anniversary Edition of A Beatle in Benton is therein a edited 2-hour version (the original is 7 hours long), featuring archival photographs and video footage, that is wonderfully engaging, even if you are not a fan of The Beatles, and a unique treasure if you are.

According to ultimateclassicrock.com, The Beatles recorded 229 songs that were officially released over the years, not including BBC recordings, live tracks or variations that have appeared on later expanded reissues. For Robert Bartel,  his favorite Beatles song is Please Please Me.

Robert is a favorite featured public speaker on The Beatles. Email him at [email protected] for more information.