Long before they became doctors and lawyers or C.E.O.’s and real estate developers, they played in garage bands and maybe even dreamed of becoming rock stars. That’s why they signed up for Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, and that’s how they ended up on the stage of B. B. King’s Blues Club and Grill in New York, dressed in leather before a cheering crowd.

For nearly a week, the mostly middle- aged “campers” had rehearsed in the West 54th Street studios once known as the Hit Factory, where Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon and Michael Jackson used to record. They came from as far away as London and Tokyo to prepare for their moment of onstage glory under the tutelage of rock star “counselors” like Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad and Rudy Sarzo of Quiet Riot.

“I feel like I’m 18 again,” said Jerry Goldberg, a 60-year-old investment banker and guitar player, originally from Brooklyn. “I admit that I felt a little intimidated when I first got here, but this has turned out to be a wonderful experience, one of the greatest of my life.”

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp is the creation of David Fishof, a sports agent who expanded into the tour promotion business, handling artists like Ringo Starr. His first camp was in Miami in 1997, more than a decade after baseball fantasy camps began proliferating.

Since then, his camps have been held in locations as far-flung as Las Vegas and London, where campers recorded in Abbey Road studios and made a trip to Liverpool to play in the Cavern, the club where the Beatles became famous. (Pete Best, the Beatles’ original drummer, sat in.) Participants have included Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones, Jack Bruce of Cream, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and Slash of Guns N’ Roses.

“Everybody has two businesses, their own business and show business,” Mr. Fishof, 54, said. “This can be a life-changing experience for them, and that’s what I’ve built this business on.”

At a recent camp in New York, the big attraction was the singer Roger Daltrey of the Who, who went from one rehearsal space to the next, jamming on Who hits like “My Generation” with campers who beamed with delight. After long days of rehearsals, there were also evening “master classes” with the drummer Simon Kirke of Bad Company, the producer Phil Ramone and the songwriter and producer Mark Hudson.

For the camp in New York, more than 60 musicians and singers enrolled, paying up to $10,000 for six days of camp and recording and $5,000 for a four-day package.

Mr. Daltrey, who has appeared at several fantasy camps, was asked why he keeps coming back.

“I’ve had people tell me that I shouldn’t be doing this, that it’s bad for my image or my credibility,” he said. “But that’s rubbish. Look, I’ve been on the road for more than 45 years now, and this reminds me of why I chose to do this in the first place.”

Many like their experience so much that they come back. Ed Oates, 64, a founder of Oracle and a guitar player, was attending his ninth camp.

“It’s addicting, and cheaper and safer than cocaine,” he said. “That’s the flip answer. The serious answer is that you get to eat and breathe music for a week and meet some pretty fabulous musicians who are also fabulous people.”


By LARRY ROHTER