I’m Mario Pollicita, I was born in Patti, Sicily in September 1955 where I still live. I am a doctor - all my patients know about my passion for the Beatles because my surgery is covered by their posters. 

My second passion is the sea; I’ve got a sailing boat called Michelle. I started listening to the Beatles songs since my childhood when their music in Sicily was unknown, appreciated by very few. Among these my brother Michelangelo who was older than me and a professional violinist. He loved Beatles music since their emergence in the early 60s (together with his classical Chopin and Beethoven) and made me listen to the first songs so the lyrics became familiar, though I couldn’t understand the words. He told me the Beatles would surely become history. Sadly my brother died aged 25 but his forecast became reality.

In Liverpool others had expressed similar views, especially George Martin (the voice of an era!) The Beatles have accompanied me from my infancy to date and inspired my art. I first used my school diary for my sketches. My brother saw them and their potential, and encouraged me. This lead to some exposures:1974 in Patti, 1989 in CasaleMonferrato called the long winding road. The most important exhibition for me was the one of Liverpool in 1992, at the Cavern Club where the Beatles story began. It was conceived as a multimedia event with dancers from Sicily interpreting my paintings.Near to the paintings there were Italian newspaper cuttings of the 60s showing comments about Beatles and some original covers of their records. The exhibition was visited from Alan Williams and Susie Cooper and the Liverpool Echo also published an article about it. To organize it, I met the manager of the Cavern, Bill Heckle. We carried the paintings down the stairs and they were exposed in the Hall next to the Cavern where the Beatles played. The Exhibition was entitled About The Beatles. In conclusion, the Beatles and their music have a great importance in my life.

02nd December, 2015