The Cynical Idealist named official book of the 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute in New York City!

Gary Tillery’s Spiritual Biography Chosen for the Biggest Event in Tribute’s History!

November 12th, 2010, 8pm at the Beacon Theatre in NYC

Gary Tillery’s recent release The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon has been selected as the official book of Theatre Within’s 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute on Friday, November 12th at 8pm at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. “It’s an honor to have my book chosen to be associated with this important Tribute to John. I hope it leads new people to discover his ideas and ideals. We all love his music, but he was so much more than a musician.” says Tillery.

The Annual John Lennon Tribute has been held since 1981, shortly after Lennon’s death. The Tribute is the longest running event of its kind and the only ongoing tribute show in the country to have earned the support of Yoko Ono. For this year’s tribute Tillery’s book accompanies an all-star lineup of performers including Jackson Brown, Patti Smith and Cyndi Lauper, to honor the memory of John Lennon, celebrating his music and his passion for peace. In an exclusive interview with author Gary Tillery the Tribute organizers asked how he viewed Lennon’s present day relevancy. Tillery responded, “Lennon had a passion for truth and for focusing on what was important. He also wanted to use his time on earth to achieve something more than just acquiring more awards and more possessions. The common man will always be impressed by that. And people will always have a direct connection with him through his music. A hundred years from now some person who has never heard “Imagine” will listen to John sing the first stanza and realize that this is a man they want to know better.”

Much has been said about John Lennon the Beatle—his rock star evolution and tragic fate. But this book is more than a mundane biography covering Lennon’s life, music, and death. The Cynical Idealist is a soulful portrait of Lennon’s very being, illuminating the spiritual transformation of a man who influenced the world in a way few others had during the course of the twentieth century.

The Cynical Idealist caught the eye of the Tribute’s co-creator and MAD Magazine Senior Editor Joe Raiola because it was the first biography to focus on Lennon as a spiritual and intellectual figure. “In The Cynical Idealist Gary Tillery sheds a welcome new light on John Lennon as an artist, visionary and catalyst for positive change in the world. In writing “a spiritual biography,” he’s created a new art form and in doing so, he reveals Lennon’s essence and core values as no other biographer has. He celebrates Lennon without idealizing him and reminds us why his music and message still matter— and will continue to matter for generations to come” says Joe Raiola, producer of Theatre Within’s Annual John Lennon Tribute.

Read the Tribute’s exclusive interview with author Gary Tillery

For more information on The Cynical Idealist, or to connect with the author Gary Tillery, visit Quest Books, Facebook, and Twitter @GaryTilleryArt.

Tickets for the Tribute are now on sale, available on BeaconTheatre.com, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 866-858-0008. Ticket prices are $304.50 for VIP Seats, $179.50, $139.50, $99.50 and $79.50. Additional information is available at LennonTribute.org, which features an online press kit and photos, videos from past Tributes, a Tribute blog and original exclusive content for John Lennon fans everywhere.