DENNY LAINE SHOWED HIS ARTWORK AT BETTENHAUSE ALFA ROMEO-FIAT, "PAUL IS A MUCH BETTER ARTIST THAN ME" HE SAID

Last Friday, however, Laine showed his other artistic love: painting. For the first time, he exhibited his own work at an art show at Bettenhausen Alfa Romeo — Fiat, 17514 Oak Park Ave., Tinley Park.

"Art is really more musical than it is visual," Denny said. "For me, creating art is killing two birds with one stone."

Aside from his works, the show featured 12 paintings by Paul McCartney, eight signed photographs from Linda McCartney and a handful of paintings from Ringo Starr.

Bettenhausen Automotive and WLS-FM collaborated together on supporting the art show to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Wings tour and visit to Chicago in 1976. Paul introduced Chicago to his then new band Wings with three sold-out shows in the old Chicago Stadium.

The art also was displayed last Saturday and Sunday at Bettenhausen Dodge, 8355 W. 159th St., Tinley Park.

On Friday, the exhibit attracted more than 75 people.

Laine acknowledged he was honored to have his artwork displayed along his friends – Starr and the McCartneys.

"Paul is a much better artist than me," Denny said. "I love those guys and we still hang out all the time. I was unsure about displaying my art to the public at first, but then I realized Paul and everyone else was doing it, so why not give it a shot?"

To create his artwork, Laine said he used fine-tipped pens and markers, acrylics, oil and watercolors

"Denny's artworks are visual representations of his songs," said Scott Segelbaum, Laine's publicist. "Each piece of art corresponds to a song. It makes it a truly multi-media event."

Laine's artwork consisted of storyboards from his rock opera, "Artic Song." In Laine's rock opera, an alien who is disguised as a human being visits Earth to address various ecological challenges: pollution, the state of rain forests and the Inland Sea, as well as polar bears, Siberian tigers and the whale population.

"'Arctic Song' was written 20 years ago before much attention was paid to green issues," Laine said.

Among Laine's artwork were photos and paintings from the "Wings Over America" tour in 1976. The concert featured state-of-the-art sound and a cutting-edge laser light show.

Laine also was an original member of the Moody Blues, singing on the band's first hit "Go Now" in 1964, and was a member of Wings with Paul McCartney from 1971 to 1981. He stayed until the group disbanded in 1981. Laine co-wrote some of the band's materials and provided lead and rhythm guitars, lead and backing vocals, keyboard, bass guitar and woodwinds.

McCartney has painted for 33 years, exhibiting for the first time in 1999 in Siegen, Germany. A professional photographer since the mid-1960s, McCartney's wife, Linda, photographed many iconic musicians, including Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. The International Center of Photography in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Portrait Gallery in London have exhibited her work.

"I am a huge fan of all these musicians and to have their art here on display is amazing," said Lisa Castillo, general sales manager for Bettenhausen Alfa Romeo — Fiat. "This is the first time we've ever held an event like this and it's really exciting."

Laine said: "I had a chance to see people and talk to people about the musical time in my life. And they got a chance to see another side of me."