Real Beal’s One Man Band performs at Boone County Fair

By Michele Gruba

Reporter

BELVIDERE – The Real Beal’s One Man Band is truly a one of a kind musical experience. Jeff and his wife Nancy both sing while Jeff plays all the instruments;guitar, kick drum, and snare drum.

Their marital bond did not start with the one man band performance style though. Nancy Beal explained that The Real Beal’s One Man Band showed up out of the blue.

“We’ve been married for 29 years and have been entertaining audiences with guitar and vocals for 15+ years. Then about 5 years ago Jeff saw a one-man band performing and was so enthralled with it that he decided to try it himself. I didn’t think he actually would until I saw various drums, cymbals, etc., showing up in the garage. It was then that I realized he was serious!” Nancy said.

As the collection continued to grow, the couple decided to work on creating a cohesive blend of their old music style with a new one.

“After about a year of putting the drums together and learning how to coordinate them with the guitar, we added it to our act and have had the One Man Band for about four years now,” Nancy said.

The fun of picking up a new talent did not stop there. With his creative ingenuity juices flowing, Jeff took on other projects to make sure that they could have an organized lifestyle to match their performance.

“He recently built a cabinet that looks like an old Wurlitzer jukebox to house all our sound equipment. It has lights in the front that flash in sync with the music and it sits on a battery powered cart that also powers the equipment,” Nancy said.

To the couple, all of the new editions to their act have been worthwhile.

“We have appeared at several fairs and festivals in Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri the last few years and this is our first time entertaining at the Boone County Fair,” Nancy said.

Their one man band performance has a wide variety of music in every genre from country to pop. Covering artists such as Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Elvis to classic rock hits from artists like LynyrdSkynyrd, Bob Seger, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Newer country hits by Martina McBride and Trisha Yearwood and Pop songs by Celine Dion and Adele area also hits that the one man band covers.

The Real Beal One Man Band  strolled around the fairgrounds everyday at the Boone County Fair.