- Joe Stefanelli
Joseph Leonard Stefanelli (born
September 11 ,1960 inSan Francisco, California ) is an Americanmusician andactor , of Italian descent, who is best known for performing the voice ofJohn 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 withDuncan Faure , a former lead singer of theBay 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 2 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, playedCandlestick Park andDodger Stadium , and made hundreds of personal appearances. Based on this experience, Joe was hand picked by directorRobert Zemeckis to be the voice of John Lennon in "Forrest Gump".Today, Stefanelli resides in Southern California.
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