Beatles News
Today, Disney+ announced that Beatles ’64, an all-new documentary from producer Martin Scorsese and director David Tedeschi, will stream exclusively on Disney+ beginning November 29, 2024. The film captures the electrifying moment of The Beatles’ first visit to America. Featuring never-before-seen footage of the band and the legions of young fans who helped fuel their ascendance, the film gives a rare glimpse into when The Beatles became the most influential and beloved band of all time.
On February 7, 1964, The Beatles arrived in New York City to unprecedented excitement and hysteria. From the instant they landed at Kennedy Airport, met by thousands of fans, Beatlemania swept New York and the entire country. Their thrilling debut performance on The Ed Sullivan Show captivated more than 73 million viewers, the most watched television event of its time. Beatles ’64 presents the spectacle, but also tells a more intimate behind the scenes story, capturing the camaraderie of John, Paul, George, and Ringo as they experienced unimaginable fame.
The film includes rare footage filmed by pioneering documentarians Albert and David Maysles, beautifully restored in 4K by Park Road Post in New Zealand. The live performances from The Beatles first American concert at the Washington, DC Coliseum and their Ed Sullivan appearances were demixed by WingNut Films and remixed by Giles Martin. Spotlighting this singular cultural moment and its continued resonance today, the music and footage are augmented by newly filmed interviews with Paul and Ringo, as well as fans whose lives were transformed by The Beatles.
Source:thebeatles.com/
All four of The Beatles took on various acting roles throughout their careers. Some of those roles were small and cheeky, while others were actually quite serious and impressive. Let’s take a look at just four times the members of The Beatles stepped outside of music and took on acting roles!
1. George Harrison in ‘Life Of Brian’
Out of all of The Beatles’ acting roles in their respective filmographies, this is probably the smallest one. George Harrison only plays a minor background role in Monty Python’s Life Of Brian, but his role in the film as a whole is much larger than his brief appearance as Mr. Papadopoulos. Few might know that Harrison had his own film production company called HandMade Films, which produced the entire film.
2. John Lennon in ‘How I Won The War’
This 1967 film stars none other than John Lennon. How I Won The War is a British dark comedy movie that explores the similarities between war and games, and features John Lennon in the role of Gripweed. Out of all of the Beatles, Lennon took on acting the least number of times. Gripweed was his only non-musical role as an actor.
Source: Em Casalena/americansongwriter.com
In the years after The Beatles’ split, George Harrison dealt with a number of lawsuits. Perhaps most significantly, Paul McCartney sued his three former bandmates. He wanted to regain control of their music from manager Allen Klein. The former Beatles spent several tense years battling over this. Harrison also dealt with a lawsuit over plagiarism. He believed he should begin to fight back and start filing suits of his own.
George Harrison wondered if The Beatles should have been more litigious. In the years after The Beatles, a number of projects about them, or using their music, cropped up. Harrison said the band should put a stop to that.
“There’s not much more we [the Beatles] can be sued for, but we can sue a lot of other people,” he told Rolling Stone. “Being split and diversified over the years has made it difficult to consolidate certain Beatles interests. For example,...
Source: Emma McKee/Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Sir Paul McCartney helped a couple get engaged on stage during a soundcheck ahead of a sold-out show in Chile.
Sir Paul, 82, spotted Chilean couple Yamil Alamo and Leonora Pereira dressed as 1970s versions of himself and his late wife Linda McCartney holding a sign that said: “Paul: Give us a handshake and we’ll get married.”
The Beatles star invited the couple up on stage in Santiago during Friday’s soundcheck where, in front of Sir Paul, Mr Alamo got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend of six years.
Chilean couple Yamil Álamo and Leonora Pereira got engaged in front of Sir Paul McCartney during a soundcheck as The Beatles star is currently on his Got Back tour.
Mr Alamo said: “This was a very special moment for us because for many years we have tried to meet him and today is the day! I don’t have words to describe the experience.”
Source:Kerri Ann-Roper/standard.co.uk
In late September, Starr's team announced on Instagram: "Today Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band announced that unfortunately, they have to cancel their upcoming last two shows including tonight's performance at TD Pavilion at The Mann in Philadelphia, PA and tomorrow at Radio City Music Hall in New York City due to illness.
"Ringo has come down with a cold and after consulting a doctor he was advised to cancel these two remaining shows and get rest." Despite his recent illness, Starr, 84, has been known for his health-conscious lifestyle.
A source told Closer magazine: “He's still keeping up with the all-organic vegan diet and hasn't touched a drop of alcohol in 36 years, but even an obsession with health and avoiding germs isn't enough to keep the flu bug away, at least not anymore.
“For a guy who never got the sniffles, this is worrying.”
Before kicking off his tour, The Beatles icon revealed his secret to staying healthy and gave credit to being "vegetarian for the last 25 years" as well as having a personal trainer.
Source: Lauren McIver/radaronline.com
Harrison’s advice also included how to navigate the fraught relationships that develop when working with many talented egos, such as in Monty Python.
“I was moaning about the others one evening in Tunisia and George said to me, ‘What do you think it’s like for me trying to get a look-in with Lennon and McCartney?’,” Idle said.
However, the most important lesson for the Spamalot star was how to deal with death which Idle believes is something we all need to talk about more. “I was with George when he died and it was beautiful. He wasn’t frightened or angry, he was very calm about the process,” Idle said.
“It was a lovely death to go through and we should talk about these things more because it’s there for all of us.” The Meaning of Life star faced his own health challenge recently, undergoing surgery after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019, and was thankful the disease was caught early as he now enjoys “every moment” of his life.
“Oh, I shouldn’t be alive. I’m a lucky bastard and I enjoy every moment,” he said. The Monty Python star initially thought his doctor was joking when he broke the news of his diagnosis.
“I had been working on a project called Death: The Musical and I asked my doctor which type of cancer I could use to finish off one of my characters. He said, ‘Pancreatic cancer, it can finish people off in three weeks,'” he said.
Ten years later, Idle had routine tests with the same doctor and queried an ominous-looking blood result. The comic added, “He said, ‘Pancreatic cancer’ and I burst out laughing because I thought he must be joking.”
Source: Nicole Keramos/startsat60.com
Happy Days' Henry Winkler has said he called Paul McCartney dozens of times after the Beatle gave him his number, but the musician never answered.
The actor, 78, said he once bumped into the music legend in New York and that Macca ended up giving him his number, suggesting they get in contact. Though Winkler called the number repeatedly for an entire day, he never managed to get ahold of McCartney.
Winkler made the comment on the October 1 episode of the Fake Doctors, Real Friends With Zach and Donald podcast, where he also asked McCartney to call him back if he was listening.
The actor—who found fame as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the sitcom Happy Days—told the hosts he had met most of the Beatles during his career. "I met every Beatle except for George [Harrison]," he said.
Winkler added: "I was walking on the street in New York City with my wife, and coming the other direction was Paul McCartney, and he went, 'The Fonz!'
"We stood talking. A woman came out of a store, gave us each a rose. Another woman came up and said, 'Hey do you mind if I just stand here?' He said, 'We're in the middle of a conversation.'"
Source:
In a touching tribute to mark their 13th wedding anniversary, Sir Paul McCartney has shared a rare and intimate photo of his wife, Nancy Shevell.
Known for keeping much of their personal life private, the 82-year-old Beatles star delighted fans by offering a glimpse into the couple's lives with the photo, which captured a tender moment between them.
Paul accompanied the post with a heartfelt caption, expressing his gratitude for their time together: "Wishing a fabulous anniversary to my beautiful missus [heart emoji]…
Hollywood actress and friend Rita Wilson was quick to reply, writing: "Happy happy anniversary love birds!." Leslie Mann added: "Cutest couple, Happy anniversary!" Kate Hudson stated: "Love you guys!!! Happy Anniversary."
The pair first met in 2007 and quickly became inseparable, with Paul finding love again after the loss of his first wife, Linda McCartney, and the end of his second marriage with Heather Mills. Their wedding took place in an intimate ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall in London on 9 October 2011.
Last year, Paul revealed how he keeps the romance alive with the businesswoman in a post on his website. Opening up, Sir Paul explained how he tries to be a "considerate and romantic" husband and loves pulling out all the stops, especially when it comes to special occasions like Valentine's Day and Christmas.
"If there's an excuse to have some fun, I overdo it! At Christmas, I go crazy with the tree lights and fairy lights - totally overdo it," he revealed.
"I try to be helpful as a husband too. If there's a problem, I like to be the guy that will lend some strength to it. I'm always very happy to be the person Nancy relies on, and to be her strength when she goes through tough times."
Source: hellomagazine.com
Who, exactly, is the ‘Fifth Beatle’? Many have had that title bestowed upon them, deemed the essential but just-out-of-frame counterpart to Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. There’s producer George Martin, who worked extensively with the band in the studio, or road manager Neil Aspinall, and press officer Derek Taylor. But one of the top contenders for that title has always been Brian Epstein – the man who discovered the Fab Four in Liverpool, helped usher them into the spotlight, and died at the tender age of 32. Now, his story – and a slice of music history – is being told in biopic Midas Man, starring The Queen’s Gambit’s Jacob Fortune-Lloyd as Epstein.
Empire has been working eight days a week to bring you an exclusive first-look clip from the film – featuring not just one but two ‘Fifth Beatles’, depicting a pivotal point in Beatles history: the moment in which Epstein fires original drummer Pete Best (played here by Adam Lawrence), who would go on to be replaced by Ringo Starr. Watch it here:
Here’s the official Midas Man synopsis: “Meet Brian Epstein, a man who lived a thousand lives in a few short years, a visionary who transformed music history. From running a Liverpool record store to shaping the sound of a generation, Epstein's journey is a rollercoaster of ambition, passion, and relentless pursuit of greatness. Jacob Fortune-Lloyd stars as the mastermind behind The Beatles’ meteoric rise, navigating a whirlwind of unprecedented fame, cultural revolution, and personal demons. But behind the glitz and glamour lies a man seeking acceptance and love in a world not ready. Midas Man peels back the curtain on the swinging ‘60s, revealing the triumphs, heartbreaks, and secrets of the man who changed the face of music forever. Step into Brian’s world, where every touch turns to gold, but the most precious treasure remains just out of reach.”
Source: Ben Travis/empireonline.com
BBC One show Fake Or Fortune? is appealing for help to prove a piano owned by 1990s pop star Chesney Hawkes once belonged to John Lennon.
In Thursday night’s episode presenters Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould investigate the baby grand piano, which was acquired by Hawkes’ father Len Hawkes, who played in 1960s group The Tremeloes, when he was recording at Tittenhurst Park, a Grade II-listed country house Lennon once owned in the early 1970s. Lennon and Yoko Ono left the house for New York in 1971 and sold the property and its recording studio to Ringo Starr, who moved in in 1973. During the show the Fake Or Fortune? team were unable to prove the piano belonged to Lennon.
During the episode Hawkes explains that his family story goes that the Broadwood piano had been left on the lawn and that “it was John’s and Ringo didn’t want it”, so Starr gave it to his father. Although the show’s team make a number of discoveries during the episode, they cannot prove it belonged to the Beatles star.
Without provenance it is estimated to be worth a few thousand pounds, but with evidence it was once Lennon’s, the piano could be worth hundreds of thousands. Hawkes learned to play piano on the instrument and is hoping someone will be able to provide evidence it belonged to Lennon, although he does not plan to sell it.
He said: “My family still has a lot of love for this piano and it will carry on being loved in the Hawkes family for years to come.”
It's all about provenance - working to prove that a musical demi-god touched and used the musical instrument in question. It often involves rigorous research, but the rewards can be enormous
Bruce added: “We had such high hopes, it was so exciting, we’ve not looked into something like this before, but we couldn’t just, quite, clinch it.
“If someone’s watching, and you remember John Lennon playing this piano or you’ve got any photographic evidence, get in touch.” Mould added that the music memorabilia market is “fascinating” but provenance is key.
Source: Casey Cooper-Fiske/standard.co.uk
