Email : Name :Budi Susetyo Iskandar Country :Indonesia Tell us why you should win

Hello hello from Jakarta, Indonesia!

I’ve never been to Liverpool, but it was the first foreign city that I knew when I was little, thanks to The Beatles. I’ve been a fan ever since the first time I heard their songs from my parents’ music collection.

I have a modest collection of Beatles-related memorabilia; books, magazines, posters, CDs and DVDs. I also have a good number of Beatles (and Beatles’ members) vinyls/LPs which I collected from flea markets and used record stores, mostly during my time in Los Angeles.

Speaking of which, I was in Los Angeles in 2001 when George passed away there. I cried when I heard the news. George was my first ‘guitar guru’, the one who influenced me to pick up the instrument for the first time as a young boy. The next day, I went to The Beatles’ star on Hollywood’s Walk Of Fame and saw the place was absolutely adorned with lots of tributes from fans near and far. I stayed for almost the whole day there, singing along with and talking to fellow fans, remembering our sweet George.

And in 2002 I saw Paul McCartney in concert during his Driving Rain Tour at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. I was way up on the cheapest seat, but what an amazing experience that was!

I used to host a radio show in Jakarta (which I initiated) called ‘Beatle Juice’. It was the only radio show in town, and possibly in the whole country, dedicated to The Beatles. Sadly, the radio station changed ownership and had a major adjustment to the programs. No more ‘Beatle Juice’.

Now, I’m hosting a Beatles open-mic event held every month or so. It started as an intimate acoustic jam at a small coffeehouse. But now we’ve grown big and moved to better venues, with full instruments. It’s great to see fans of all ages singing and playing their favorite songs and sharing the love for all things Beatles.

I’m thrilled to be a Worldwide Ambassador for The Beatles Story. Hopefully, I’ll be able to visit Liverpool someday soon!

"All you need is love!"

26th November, 2015