The Beatles Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

John Lennon signed on day of his murder in 1980 is going on auction.The late Beatle‘s signature is displayed on a legal document that is up for auction through Gotta Have Rock and Roll tomorrow (October 4). You can view it here.The typed letter lists three people to whom Lennon gave his proxy to vote at an annual meeting for the Beatles corporations that was happening nine days later in London.It was signed by Lennon on December 8, 1980, hours before he was shot and killed by Mark Chapman outside his New York City apartment block.The document is expected to fetch between $30,000 (£26,366) and $50,000 (£43,943).Incidentally, Lennon also put his signature on another item that same day.

Fatboy Slim has shared an anecdote from his time living next door to Paul McCartney, joking that it was “bizarre” because of his fandom for The Beatles.Slim (aka Norman Cook) recently caught up with NME to appear in the column Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! For the chat, he was quizzed on various happenings from throughout his own career – he forgot that Arctic Monkeys covered ‘The Rockafeller Skank’ at their first-ever gig, and that he produced the Blur song ‘Gene By Gene’, but did correctly recall that he once snorted cocaine off the London-to-Brighton train line.McCartney came up in a conversation about Cook’s infamous 2002 gig at Brighton Beach, where he performed for over 250,000 concertgoers. The show itself drew controversy after one attendee died, more than 100 more were injured, and several were rescued unconscious from the seashore.

Ringo Starr has cancelled several shows he had planned in Canada for this week, with the Beatle putting his tour on hold to recuperate after contracting COVID-19.After shows in New Buffalo, Michigan and Prior Lake, Minnesota were cancelled over the weekend “due to illness”, an official statement from Starr’s team confirmed the musician had tested positive for COVID. As a result, five shows that were scheduled for this week – in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Lethbridge, Abbotsford and Penticton – have been axed.“Ringo hopes to resume as soon as possible and is recovering at home,” the statement said.

The Beatles’ ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ has been released – you can listen to the studio outtake below.The track forms part of a new special deluxe edition of the legendary band’s 1966 album ‘Revolver’, which is set for release on October 28.Recorded during the first ‘Revolver’ recording session on April 6, 1966 in Studio Three at EMI Studios (now called Abbey Road Studios), The Beatles were joined by their producer George Martin, recording engineer Geoff Emerick and technical engineer Ken Townsend.“John [Lennon’s] ethereal vocals (fed from his mic through a rotating Leslie speaker), and innovative tape loops – including Paul [McCartney] saying ‘ah, ah, ah, ah’, which when sped up produced a sound similar to a seagull’s screech – converge with Ringo [Starr’s] thunderous drum pattern, George [Harrison]’s tamboura drone, and a backwards guitar solo,” a press release explains of the recording, which you can hear below.In an interview before ‘Revolver’’s 1966 release, McCartney told NME: “We did it because I, for one, am sick of doing sounds that people can claim to have heard before.”First confirmed by Giles Martin – the son of the late Beatles producer George – last month, ‘Revolver’ is the latest Beatles album to be re-released as a remixed and expanded deluxe box set following ‘Sgt.

the death of Queen Elizabeth II, songs about the late monarch have seen a rise in popularity on streaming platforms.As reported by Billboard, The Smiths’ 1986 song ‘The Queen Is Dead’ saw the biggest uptick in streaming numbers. While it received an average of 6,000 streams in the US on Wednesday September 7, the song racked up more than 114,000 hits a day later – Thursday September 8 being when the Queen’s death was made public – marking a rise of 1,687 per cent.Also returning to the spotlight was the Sex Pistols’ 1977 hit ‘God Save The Queen’, which went from less than 11,000 streams to more than 81,000 (a boost of 650 per cent).

Sir Paul McCartney has penned a letter requesting immediate action be taken to aid an abused Indian elephant.McCartney – a long-time PETA supporter – sent an urgent letter to Indian Union Cabinet Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, requesting immediate action be taken to send an abused elephant named Jeymalyatha (also known as Joymala) to a rescue centre for her recovery from psychological trauma.Joymala has been held captive the Srivilliputhur Nachiyar Thirukovil temple in Tamil Nadu. In a viral video, the animal can be seen being beaten with weapons and controlled using pliers.In his letter, McCartney said: “I am confident that action will be taken to send sorely abused elephant Jeymalyatha (Joymala) to a suitable rescue centre where she can receive the specialised care she needs for her psychological wounds, and can live unchained and in the company of others of her kind.”McCartney added that though the videos of the animal were heartbreaking, “equally heartbreaking is that this social, intelligent animal is still being forced to live in solitary confinement”.“I trust you agree that Jeymalyatha has suffered more than enough, and that she deserves to spend the rest of her time on this Earth the way away from her abusive trainers, rehabilitating, and with others of her kind.”According to a press release, McCartney’s letter follows a veterinary inspection report (and plea by PETA India) on the condition of Joymala, who found that her current handler (mahout) used pliers on her, even in the presence of inspectors.Inspectors were reportedly forbidden by the mahout to take photographs or video footage of Joymala.

The Beatles shooting their 1967 cult classic “Magical Mystery Tour” movie has been unearthed.The clips show the Fab Four and their wives on-set in between takes, children hanging around and an airplane flying overhead. It also contains snippets from the magicians’ sequence and shows the group organizing the ballroom spectacular, which was used as the finale of the film. The behind-the-scenes shots were captured by a man who visited the set in West Malling with his young daughter.

John Lennon‘s killer Mark Chapman has been denied parole for the 12th time, it has been confirmed.Chapman, 67, fatally shot Lennon at the entrance to the Beatles icon’s New York City apartment in December 1980. The musician and Yoko Ono were returning to the Upper West Side building following a recording session.

Pearl Jam covered The Beatles’ ‘Her Majesty’ in Toronto last night (September 8) to honour Queen Elizabeth II.Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, who was on the throne for 70 years, died yesterday at her Balmoral estate. She was 96 years old.While performing at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena last night, hours after the news of the Queen’s death broke, Pearl Jam took a moment to pay tribute to the monarch.

Julian Lennon — firstborn son of John — is only 2 years old.That’s because the singer-songwriter — who was actually born John Charles Julian Lennon to the late Beatles legend and his first wife Cynthia Lennon — legally changed his name to Julian Charles John Lennon in 2020.“I’d always take an issue with that, because I’d always been known as Julian — first and foremost to my mum,” Lennon, 59, told The Post. “And I used to get a lot of crap for [being named John] at airport security.

“Here, There and Everywhere,” The Beatles were at their most experimental on “Revolver.”And The Beatles’ 1966 classic — considered by many to be the Fab Four’s best album ever — is getting a big splashy reissue with three special editions that will be released on Oct. 28.“ ‘Revolver’ is an album where you could listen to each song and go, ‘Oh, this is the direction they’re going to go in next.’ And be wrong every single time,” producer Giles Martin — son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin — told Rolling Stone.

The Beatles’ classic album ‘Revolver’ is set to be released next month.First confirmed by Giles Martin – the son of the late Beatles producer George Martin – last month, ‘Revolver’ is the latest Beatles album to be re-released as a remixed and expanded deluxe box set following ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ in 2017, ‘White Album’ (2018), ‘Abbey Road’ (2019) and ‘Let It Be’ (2021).‘Revolver’, originally released by the four-piece in August 1966, will now be re-released in a range of newly mixed and expanded special edition packages.All 14 tracks on the original album have been newly mixed by Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell in stereo and Dolby Atmos, while the album’s original mono mix has been sourced from its 1966 mono master tape.The physical and digital “super deluxe” ‘Revolver’ collections also feature the album’s original mono mix, 28 early takes from the sessions and three home demos.

Foo Fighters closed out the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at Wembley Stadium tonight (September 3) with a massive set that featured big-name guests, including Paul McCartney and Travis Barker.The memorial gig kicked off this afternoon and featured an all-star cast throughout the six-hour run, from Liam Gallagher to Mark Ronson, Josh Homme to AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, and many more.After a video was shown featuring performance and video clips of Hawkins throughout the years, Grohl took to the microphone to kick off the final portion of the night. Tearing up, the musician began a poignant version of Foo Fighters’ 2002 hit ‘Times Like These’ with his bandmates, plus Devo and The Vandals’ drummer Josh Freese.After a raucous rendition of ‘All My Life’, Grohl explained how the last set of the evening would work.

The Beatles producer Giles Martin has confirmed a deluxe boxset of the band’s 1966 album ‘Revolver’ is in the works.Previously ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’, ‘White Album, ‘Abbey Road’ and ‘Let It Be’ have all received the deluxe boxset treatment, with the records being remixed and remastered by Martin (the son of late Beatles producer George Martin) and released alongside outtakes, unreleased tracks and demos.Now Martin has confirmed that ‘Revolver’ will receive the same treatment, with the boxset set for release this autumn, via Apple Corps and Universal Music.I really hope you all like it….

The Beatles Yellow Submarine and the director of Heavy Metal has died. He was 91 years old.The death was confirmed by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) in a statement to Pitchfork.In a statement, Claude Joli-Coeur, NFB chair and government film commissioner, said: “Gerald came to Canada and the NFB to be part of a new wave of storytelling, one that was fresh and irreverent, and he brought great wit and creativity to every project.

Phil Spector.Titled Spector, the upcoming four-part series will explore his conviction for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson in 2009.One of the most influential music producers of the 20th century, Spector worked with everyone from The Beatles and John Lennon to the Ramones and Celine Dion, as well being the driving force behind many era-defining songs.An official description of the docuseries reads: “In the early hours of February 3rd, 2003, a 911 call was placed to the Alhambra, California Police Department reporting the fatal shooting of a woman. The location, an eccentric French chateau style mansion known as The Pyrenees Castle, was the home of legendary music producer Phil Spector.

Directed and shaped by filmmaker Peter Jackson—based on footage shot by director Michael Lindsay-Hogg for the little-seen 1970 “Let It Be” documentary— perhaps no piece of pop culture has reignited Beatlemania like the documentary “Beatles: Get Back,” save for maybe the “The Beatles Anthology” docu-series in 1995. Released last fall to much acclaimed, Jackson’s gargantuan six-hour, three-episode long series put the band in a whole new light for a whole new generation, recontextualizing previously unseen footage of the band writing, practicing, and recording their final album before their infamous breakup.

Julian Lennon has discussed how he was initially “shocked” by Paul McCartney‘s recent virtual duet with his late father, John Lennon.At the start of his North American tour and again at Glastonbury, McCartney performed a virtual duet with his former Beatles bandmate courtesy of technology created by The Lord Of The Rings and Get Back director Peter Jackson.At the shows, McCartney and Lennon traded verses on the song ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’, with Jackson having isolated Lennon’s vocal for the team-up. “I’ve got a special little thing here,” McCartney said when introducing that track.

Drake has been crowned the artist with the most Top Five singles on the US’ Billboard Hot 100 chart, breaking a record held previously by The Beatles.The feat was achieved by proxy of a guest spot on DJ Khaled‘s latest single, ‘Staying Alive’, which arrived on the Friday before last (August 5) and, in addition to heavy sampling of the Bee Gees‘ 1977 hit of the same name, also featured bars from Lil Baby. The song made its chart debut at Number Five on the most recent edition of the Hot 100 (dated for the week ending August 20), which Billboard says earned Drake his 30th Top Five single..@djkhaled's "Staying Alive," featuring @Drake & @lilbaby4PF, debuts at No. 5 on this week's #Hot100.It earns Drake his 30th career top 5 hit, passing @thebeatles for the most of all time.— billboard charts (@billboardcharts) August 15, 2022A count through his Hot 100 history, though, shows that Drake has actually accumulated 31 Top Five releases.

John Lennon to former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney is up for auction, and bidding is in the five-figure range.The three-page letter — which is typewritten and also includes hand-written notes scrawled in the margins — was drafted in 1971 by an incensed Lennon in response to an interview McCartney did with the magazine .The current bid for the auction lot, which has seven bidders as of Sunday, is currently at $33,000, with 11 days left before it concludes.In the interview with, McCartney shared his thoughts on Lennon, Yoko Ono, and the iconic band's world-shaking split.Lennon's sprawling and self-annotated missive is addressed to McCartney, and to as well, asking that they give him equal space in their publication. The letter came just a few days after the interview was published, and appears that the minutiae regarding the details of the band's dissolution had not truly been resolved or addressed.The letter goes into specifics regarding the payout of royalties, while also airing personal grievances that Lennon had with McCartney — including McCartney's dismissive interpretation of Lennon's hit song «Imagine,» which McCartney apparently said wasn't intended to be political.«It’s ‘Working Class [Hero]’ with sugar on it for conservatives like yourself,” Lennon wrote.

John Lennon once wrote to his estranged Beatles bandmate, Paul McCartney, has been sent to auction.The letter came as a response to McCartney’s interview in the November 20, 1971 issue of Melody Maker, which among other topics, saw him wax lyrical on the relationship between Lennon and his widow, Yoko Ono, and the dissolution of The Beatles’ business partnership. Typewritten and inscribed with notes scrawled in pen, the letter runs for three pages and is addressed to “Paul, Linda, et all the wee McCartneys”.In it, Lennon riffed on the minutiae of The Beatles’ royalty-sharing arrangement, implying that he disagreed with the way McCartney was compensated directly from royalties that should have belonged to their self-run label, Apple Records. Lennon also took aim at McCartney’s understanding of his songs, snapping back at McCartney’s opinion that 1971’s ‘Imagine’ wasn’t intended to be political: “It’s ‘working class here’ with sugar on it for conservatives like yourself,” he wrote.

Gotta Have Rock and Roll, currently stands at $22,000. At the time he sent the typewritten letter, Lennon — then age 31 — was furious with McCartney over an interview he did weeks earlier with music magazine Melody Maker.

TikTok, where it has since gone viral with over 522,000 views.Williams, who does not reside in the home, asked to get up onstage at the fund-raiser, which consisted of a picnic filled with food, fun and games, following vocalist Toni Nesbitt’s performance.“When I got up, my daughter was begging me to sit back down, but I’m glad I didn’t,” Williams told South West News Service of his daughter Debbie, who is the chef at Park View.His powerful performance not only wowed social media but also attendees at the picnic, namely a woman who has dementia.“After my performance, I saw her singing the song to herself, which was brilliant,” he said.“Words can’t explain how we all felt after his performance,” Park View well-being coordinator Jodie Solaiman said. “Dave has lived an incredible life, to say the least.

Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s 1970 performance at the Royal Albert Hall.The restored album will be released on September 16, alongside the film Travelin’ Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival At The Royal Albert Hall, which is narrated by Jeff Bridges and directed by Bob Smeaton (The Beatles Anthology).Featuring the whole performance in its entirety, the never-before-released recording includes hits such as ‘Fortunate Son’, ‘Proud Mary’ and ‘Bad Moon Rising’, the last of which is now available to stream and download.Creedence Clearwater Revival At The Royal Albert Hall will be available as a standalone album on CD, cassette tape, and 180-gram vinyl, as well as digital platforms. On November 14, fans will also be able to purchase a Super Deluxe Edition box set, available exclusively at CraftRecordings.com.An official description for the restored album reads: “After spending roughly 50 years in storage, the original multitrack tapes were meticulously restored and mixed by the Grammy Award-winning team of producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell, who have helmed countless acclaimed projects together, including the Beatles’ 50th-anniversary editions of Abbey Road and Sgt.

Ringo Starr has unveiled details of a new EP called ‘EP3’.The Beatles drummer has said the project will be released on September 16 via Universal.A press statement said that Starr recorded the four new songs that make up ‘EP3’ at his Roccabella West home studio. He said he worked with long-time collaborators on the project including Steve Lukather, Linda Perry, Dave Koz, José Antonio Rodriguez, and Bruce Sugar.After its digital release, physical copies of ‘EP3’ will be available from November 18 on CD, 10-inch vinyl, and a limited-edition translucent royal blue cassette.

Beatles-related project.In an interview with Deadline, The Lord Of The Rings director revealed that he’s in talks with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to develop a new film. Jackson last worked with the pair on the Emmy-nominated documentary series The Beatles: Get Back, which was released in November of last year.READ MORE: The Beatles: Get Back review: Peter Jackson’s long and winding but utterly unmissable epic“I’m talking to The Beatles about another project, something very, very different than Get Back,” he said.“We’re seeing what the possibilities are, but it’s another project with them.

Steve Coogan has quoted Alan Partridge‘s famous Beatles line from his TV series while watching Paul McCartney at Glastonbury.The music legend headlined the second night of the festival over the weekend, which saw him duet with Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen, as well as a virtual John Lennon.The BBC was in the crowd and managed to catch up with Coogan, who referenced a line in I’m Alan Partridge where the character is asked about his favourite Beatles album.“Alan Partridge was asked, ‘What’s your favourite Beatles album?’ And he said, ‘Errr, that’s a tough question… I think I would have to say ‘The Best of the Beatles’,” Coogan quipped.The scene in the series also saw Partridge say a memorable line declaring that McCartney’s group Wings “were only the band The Beatles could have been”.During his BBC interview, Coogan went on to argue: “The Rolling Stones have only ever written about eight brilliant songs, whereas The Beatles have done about 50.”After McCartney finished his set, the actor was asked for his snap verdict, admitting: “I don’t know what to say, it’s quite overwhelming. I don’t think there’s anyone else in the world who can give such unadulterated joy to people.

Paul McCartney duetted virtually with John Lennon during tonight’s Glastonbury headline set (June 25).Following the surprise arrival of Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen during his set on the Pyramid stage, he linked up with former Beatles bandmate, the late Lennon during ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’.Speaking to the crowd, McCartney revealed that the idea came from Peter Jackson, the director of the recent extensive documentary Get Back, which was based on the studio sessions for the band’s final album ‘Let It Be’.Check out previous footage below of the collaboration previously shot in Washington State.The pair traded verses in the song, with Jackson having isolated Lennon’s vocal for the team-up. McCartney first debuted the collaboration with his former co-songwriter on his recent US tour.“I’ve got a special little thing here,” he said introducing that track.

Paul McCartney ended the second main day of Glastonbury 2022 by headlining the Pyramid Stage (June 25), ending his set by inviting both Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen on stage. Check out footage and the setlist below.The legend took to the stage after Noel Gallagher tonight, performing a stellar set of classics from throughout his colourful career – including solo staples alongside many numbers from his time with The Beatles and Wings.After playing ‘Get Back’ by the Fab Four, McCartney beckoned the Foo Fighters frontman on stage.“Now, I’ve got a little surprise for you,” teased McCartney, before inviting “your hero from the west coast of America – Dave Grohl!”After some light banter of Paul offering, “Hi Dave,” before Grohl replied, “Hi Paul.

Billie Eilish has expressed shock and excitement over her headlining spot at this year’s Glastonbury festival – particularly over the fact that she was billed alongside Sir Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar.Eilish closed out the Pyramid Stage on the first night of the festival yesterday (June 24), performing 21 songs in a set that NME’s Thomas Smith said “felt like proof that the future is here”. Before the performance, she spoke to NME for this week’s Big Read cover story (which is also being printed in a special edition run of 1,000 copies), declaring that she feels “so honoured to be a part of” the festival.With her set, Eilish became the festival’s youngest ever solo headliner, and the first born after 2000 to top the bill.

Paul McCartney has played a warm-up gig at Frome’s Cheese & Grain this evening (June 24), ahead of his Glastonbury headline set tomorrow.The 800 capacity Somerset venue took to Twitter yesterday (June 23) to announce that it would be hosting the legendary Beatle for a surprise gig, writing: “@PaulMcCartney Live in Frome? Tomorrow night at 5pm? Ok then!”Tickets could only be purchased at the venue and were available on a strictly first come first served basis.A statement on Cheese & Grain’s website read: “What an incredible opportunity to watch Paul warm up for his Glastonbury headlining performance this weekend. What an amazing treat… we are told this won’t be his normal set either so should be an afternoon full of wonderful surprises.”McCartney arrived on stage in Frome just after 6pm, playing to an audience that included Olivia Harrison, Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann, Brian Johnson from AC/DC and Olivia Rodrigo.His set included ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’, ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’, ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Let It Be’. Before ‘Out Of College’ he told the crowd: “Here’s a song that we’ve never done live in England until tonight, so it’s a first for Frome.”Ahead of final track ‘Golden Slumbers’, McCartney said: “Ok so there does come a time when we’ve got to go and it coincides with the time you’ve got to go.

Paul McCartney has announced that ahead of his headline performance at Glastonbury this weekend he’ll play a warm-up gig at Frome’s Cheese & Grain.The 800 capacity Somerset venue took to Twitter this afternoon (June 23) to announce it will host the legendary Beatle for a surprise gig, writing: “@PaulMcCartney Live in Frome? Tomorrow night at 5pm? Ok then!”Tickets for the event can only be purchased at the venue and will be on a strictly first come first served basis. Tickets are limited to two per person and are priced £25 + booking fee.

Paul McCartney has shared some exclusive on-the-road photos from his acclaimed 2022 ‘Got Back’ tour, before he returns to the UK to headline Glastonbury this weekend.After the former Beatle recently celebrated his 80th birthday, anticipation is high for what Macca might have in store for his return to Worthy Farm’s Pyramid Stage on Saturday.His 2022 stadium and arena tour kicked off back in April, boasting a stellar setlist that showcased the best his material from his solo career, The Beatles and Wings– as well as performing a “virtual duet” with John Lennon.A spokesperson for McCartney told NME: “Paul has just completed the US run of his Got Back tour. Ahead of headlining Glastonbury this weekend, his first UK performance since 2018, Paul has shared some photographs of life on the road over the past few months.”Check out some exclusive photos of McCartney on stage and behind-the-scenes below.Paul McCartney will take to the Pyramid Stage at 9.30pm on Saturday.

Elvis Costello has shared a cover of The Beatles‘ ‘Here, There And Everywhere’ to mark Paul McCartney’s 80th birthday.Macca turned 80 on Saturday (June 18), and stars from across the music world and beyond paid tribute to “the best songwriter ever” with tributes, covers and more.To celebrate, Costello covered the ‘Revolver’ classic, which was also covered by John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s son Sean Ono Lennon to mark the occasion.“A little birdy told me this was one of your your fav Beatles tunes,” Ono Lennon wrote in the video’s caption. “So Happy Birthday! Thank you for all the beautiful music.

Paul McCartney on the legendary singer-songwriter’s 80th birthday.The highly influential musician, known as both a hugely successful solo artist and member of the legendary Beatles, as well as founder of the band Wings, was born James Paul McCartney on June 18, 1942, in Liverpool.His seismic impact on music and pop culture is hard to put into words.

Paul McCartney joined forces with Bruce Springsteen as he wrapped his ‘Got Back’ US tour in New York last night (June 16).McCartney welcomed The Boss onstage at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey as a “birthday present to myself” to perform the latter’s 1984 classic ‘Glory Days’ before the pair played The Beatles‘ ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’.