Bill Kropinak thought he had walked down Abbey Road for the last time when he was asked to put in a Hard Day’s Night.

But Kropinak, formerly of the Beatles tribute band Abbey Road, has strapped on his Rickenbacker guitar for another Magical Mystery Tour portraying the man who would one day write "Imagine."

The Pulaski man plays John Lennon in the Cleveland-based Beatles tribute band Hard Day’s Night, which performs at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Chestnut St. Cafe, Sharon.

Hard Day’s Night had risen to the top of the Beatles tribute band heap by performing in old Beatles haunts the Cavern and Casbah in Liverpool, England, and earning a glowing review from Pete Best, who preceded Ringo Starr on the drum throne.

The band hadn’t done much recently after losing its Lennon character. It approached Kropinak after seeing an old tape of him with Abbey Road.

"I had been out of the Beatles tribute business about eight years," he said. "I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get back into it."

But the working class Liverpool accent, the rhythm guitar chords, harmonica licks and memories of "The Ed Sullivan Show" came back and Kropinak again took the stage as a member of a faux Fab Four.

Kropinak came to music late in life. He formed Abbey Road without having played guitar before, and about a year later the band was off on a seven-year ride aboard the Yellow Submarine.

"When I was 36, I decided I was going to give it a shot," said the former truck driver.

Abbey Road played mostly in local clubs but also harmonized in Atlantic City and in opening slots for Davy Jones of the Monkees and the Shangri-Las.

Beatles tribute bands try to recreate the camaraderie, humor, look and mannerisms of the musicians, along with the music.

"It’s not only being a musician --it’s being an actor," Kropinak said. "You have to be totally convincible to the character."

Hard Day’s Night recreates the touring era of the Beatles, circa 1964-66. Beatles tribute band fans demand authenticity and scour the stage for anything out of place.

Kropinak chews gum on stage because Lennon did. He paid $125 for a guitar strap because it was a replica of one Lennon used. His Rickenbacker 320 and Epiphone Casino guitar strums are sent through a Vox amplifier. And the band’s matching suits and Beatle boots look like they were stolen from a Beatles memorabilia collector.

The fans respond in kind, cheering more loudly after the songs George Harrison sang lead on because that’s the way Beatlemaniacs responded.

The 52-year-old lawn service owner not only listens to the Beatles’ music and learns to play the songs. He studies Beatles videos and reads books and news articles to help him look for Lennon traits that he can incorporate into the show.

"The more you delve into the character, the more little things come up about the character," he said. "It’s the little details we try to do to set us apart."

Musically, Kropinak is always trying to improve.

"They made their music sound easy, but it’s very difficult," he said. "I’m still learning about vocal harmonies."

Kropinak described Hard Day’s Night as "a step up" from Abbey Road.

"They’re more critical on the note-for-note thing. It’s a tighter package."

Kropinak, a member of Hard Day’s Night for only about two months, is joined on stage by Frank Muratore, who plays Paul McCartney, Tom Work as Harrison and the Starr-struck Glenn Birney.

The Beatles seem to be Kropinak’s musical destiny. He said he and other members of Abbey Road never more than toyed with original music.

"It just seemed like no matter what we did we would go back to playing Beatles. It’s pretty crazy. You just get the bug."

Tickets for Saturday’s show will be sold at the door. Advance tickets are being sold at the bar.