Like two drops of water: the best John Lennon imitator arrives in Peru, and this is his story

Some of his photos, like the one illustrated in this note, appear to be generated by artificial intelligence. As if a combination of algorithms had brought back to life John Lennonthe iconic vocalist of The Beatles.

But not. What we actually see is an ‘old school’ job of characterization: the ‘mod’ hairstyle, the round glasses, and a natural physical resemblance that is especially noticeable in the prominent nose and sharp chin. That’s how it is Javier Parisi (Buenos Aires, 1980), Argentine considered the best Lennon imitator in the world.

“I discovered the Beatles when I was eight years old, and they blew my mind,” this clone of the “Imagine” singer tells us via Zoom. I asked my mother that she wanted to study English and guitar for them. But It wasn’t until I was 16 or 17 that a friend pointed out my resemblance to Lennon.. Then I formed a tribute band with some friends from the neighborhood, the voice began to emerge, I began to prepare the character at an acting level, and I even worked with an English coach to find the tone of his voice when speaking and singing. This is how the improvement occurred. “It’s been 20 years of that.”

Before, Parisi was a professional. “I have done everything to earn money.”, as we say in Argentina. He painted houses, he was a messenger, and he invested the money he earned in buying instruments, clothing, etc.,” he says. Today he has the luxury of living off his Lennon imitation. Destiny and perseverance have led him to record documentaries, fiction films, commercials and, of course, to go on tour around the world carrying his tribute concert.

Something that doesn’t get tired or boring, by the way. “Sometimes they ask me if I get tired of singing ‘She Loves You’ 200 times. And no, not at all. Because I’m not someone who does this by force. I am a fan who has the opportunity to sing the songs he loves on stage. I’m the eight-year-old boy who wanted to learn the language just for that. And I enjoy it very much.”

FROM LANÚS TO LIVERPOOL

With the toupee on, Parisi could also pass as a bad imitator of Javier Milei. And with that in mind, we asked him about the newly elected president of his country, although he prefers not to talk openly about politics. “Argentina has been experiencing a very difficult situation for a long time now. So I think people ended up deciding differently; If you want different results, you have to choose the different path. And well, let’s hope that God remembers us,” he comments.

Where he does have clear preferences is in football. A die-hard fan of Lanús, Parisi usually wears the maroon shirt and flag on all of his tours, even in the legendary The Cavern Club in Liverpool, place where the Beatles began to cement their fame. He has gotten there thanks to his amazing similarity to good John.

“The love I have received from John’s inner circle is also wonderful,” says the 43-year-old artist. For example, I got to know Helen Anderson, the designer of Lennon’s hats and one of his best friends. I bought her a hat, she posted a photo of me on her Instagram, and Lennon’s son Julian commented on her photo saying ‘I love him’. From that day on Julian also began to follow me on social media and always reacts to my photos imitating his dad.”

Your favorite Lennon song with The Beatles? “In My Life.” And about his solo stage? “Imagine”, of course, but also “(Just Like) Starting Over”, a song with which he feels a great connection. In fact, the coincidences between imitator and imitated reach the point that Parisi was born in 1980, the same year Lennon was murdered. when Mark David Chapman shot him four times in the back.

Tragic episode that serves Parisi to distance himself from irrational fanaticism. “Something that his family told me is that they didn’t see in me a crazy person who thinks he’s Lennon 24 hours a day,” he warns. I recreate it when necessary, because it is an artistic work. Afterwards I am still Javier”.