Beatles News

Ringo Starr first learned he was receiving the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Award for Musical Excellence when Paul McCartney called him up about two weeks ago. "He said, 'Would you accept the award?'" Starr says. "I said, 'Sure, man.' He said he'd been talking to Dave Grohl and other people and they were stunned that I wasn't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he needed something to do that night and he's going to give me the award." Rolling Stone spoke to the affable drummer about his reaction and why he'll still be drumming.

Congratulations on the big news.
Yeah, the big news! My goodness! I'm so excited.

What was your first reaction?
I think it's good. I didn't know that George and John were in it. I'm not keeping up with it all the time. We'll have a very nice evening and it'll be my pleasure to receive the award.

So this isn't something you thought about much?
No. I didn't think about it much or expect it. This year has been quite busy. I've been touring a lot. I got the humanitarian award from GQ. I became a male model for John Varvatos, so my life is busy anyway. This came out of the blue. I didn't expect it. I got the call from Paul two weeks ago. He said, "This could happen. Do you want to do it?" I said, "Sure."

Two famous meetings that The King of Rock and Roll had, first with The Beatles, and later with President Richard Nixon, are featured in the new London exhibit, "Elvis at the O2, The Exhibition of His Life," which opened on Friday.

In August 1965, The Beatles finally got to meet their idol, Elvis Presley, at his home in Los Angeles. It's no secret that Elvis was a huge influence on The Beatles to play rock and roll starting in their teenage years. "Nothing affected me until I heard Elvis. Without Elvis, there would be no Beatles," John Lennon said.

During the meeting, Elvis pulled out a white Fender bass guitar to play, much to Paul McCartney's delight. Meanwhile, Ringo Starr took up a game of pool with members of Elvis' entourage at Elvis' pool table, now referred to as the world's most valuable pool table.

They may have caught the same flight but Sir Paul McCartney, 72, and his 53-year-old wife Nancy were strides apart when they touched down at JFK International Airport, New York on Sunday.

After a long haul flight in from London, the married duo walked separately as they were escorted through arrivals, former Beatles singer Paul keeping a low profile a few paces behind in tinted shades. 

The hipster, after 44 years in the industry, was taking a new direction with his musical offering having accepted an offer to pen a track for new video game Destiny. Hope For the Future.

Paul cut a smart image with youthful touches including a padded jacket and black plimsolls, while his wife kept her ensemble hidden beneath a camel overcoat.

Even most non-sports fans know what a baseball card looks like. There's a color photo on the front, along with a player's name, team and position. Many have a copy of the player's autograph as well as the team logo. On the back is printed the player's stats along with his height, weight and maybe a fact or two.

It's been that way since 1952, when a Topps salesman named Seymour P. “Sy” Berger redesigned baseball cards for his company, coming up with the new format at his kitchen table in Brooklyn with artist Woody Gelman.

"We wanted to make something attractive that would catch the eye," Berger told The Associated Press in 2002. "And we gave you six cards and a slice of gum for a nickel."

Berger died of natural causes on Sunday at his Long Island home at the age of 91, more than 60 years after reinventing what would become almost as much of an American pastime as the sport itself.

Happy Xmas (War is Over) is the new single from the RTÉ Radio 1 charity album, A Murray Christmas 2.

Damien Dempsey collaborated with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for their cover version of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Christmas classic.

All of the proceeds from the single will be donated to Aware, a charity which supports people with mental health issues. 

Speaking about the song, John Murray, presenter of The John Murray Show on Radio 1, said: “Dempsey's take on the Lennon/Ono classic is very refreshing, moving gently and tender at the start but ending with the passion and strength that listeners have come to expect from him. 

"Paired with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and his own band, it is a very uniquely Irish version of Happy Xmas (War is Over).”

Happy Xmas (War is Over) is available from iTunes, RTE.ie/shop or your usual download store. 

The second charity album by The John Murray Show, A Murray Christmas 2 is also available to purchase. It's the perfect Christmas soundtrack with contributions from artists such as Lisa Hannigan, The Riptide Movement, Mick Flannery, Cathy Davey, Walking on Cars, Declan O’Rourke, Eimear Quinn, Donal Lunny and of course Damien Dempsey.

A Murray Christmas Concert will take place this Wednesday December 17 in Christ Church Cathedral.

Drew Harrison plans to sing “Imagine” on Dec. 31, just as he has done each New Year’s Eve for the past 38 years. In many ways, he feels it to be the perfect song for fresh starts. It is, as he says, “about possibilities, and it means as much to me now as it ever has.”

Harrison is the John Lennon of the Sun Kings, one of many Beatles tribute bands out there, but one he says is different from the others. Rain, for instance, looks back at the history of the band. The Sun Kings, in its own way, looks forward.

“We try to answer the question, ‘What would it have been like if they had not broken up in 1971?’” he says. “We create the experience you would have had, and we make the music as authentic as we can.”

Calling from a pub in the Czech Republic, Harrison and his bandmates are set to play Harrah’s Tahoe on Saturday (7:30 p.m.; $22; Ticketmaster).

Harrison first heard the Beatles when he was a youth at a recreation camp. His counselor put on “The White Album” and he fell in love with it, especially with his favorite Beatles song, “Dear Prudence.” He went on to earn a degree from UC Berkeley in peace and conflict studies. Then he started singing Beatles songs professionally, and the Sun Kings resulted 15 years ago.

“The Beatles are a genre, a genre to themselves,” he says. “There are so many people out there who love them. The songs are so much about the power and effect they have had on us.

“In live concert, it was not so much that they were talking to you. It was as if they were talking with you. The fourth wall came down and that is what we offer. A Sun Kings concert is an interactive experience.”

The band also includes James Funk, who handles the Paul McCartney vocals; Bruce Coe (George Harrison); Steve Scarpelli (Ringo Starr); and Ruben Salis, who accompanies with all sorts of instruments, sort of in the role of Billy Preston. The full name of the concert is “The Sun Kings, A Beatles Tribute as Nature Intended.”

RARE autographs of the Beatles, collected by a fan who spotted them staying in Newquay during their Magical Mystery Tour almost 50 years ago, are to go on sale at a London auction house today.

The signatures of John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison all feature on a page torn from an old address book which once belonged to a fan named Stella.

After learning that the Fab Four were staying at the town's Atlantic Hotel in September 1967 after filming in Bodmin, Stella approached three of the band members for their autographs.

In The Complete Beatles Chronicle, author Mark Lewisohn wrote: "The Beatles intended to stop here [Newquay] for just one night, but after considerable private discussion, in which they weighed up the merits of either moving on to a new hotel each day or staying put in one location and using it as a base, they opted for the latter alternative and decided to remain at the Atlantic for three nights, Tuesday to Thursday – September 12-14, 1967 – staying in four holiday flats. Much filming was done on Wednesday, September 13, beginning in the late morning when the Beatles and some of the actors set out in the coach, north along the B3276, to nearby Watergate Bay."

The signatures, in blue ballpoint pen, have now been put up for sale by Stella's granddaughter, and are expected to reach £1,800 to £2,200 at Bonhams in London.

John Lennon signed Stella's scrap of paper: "To Stella, love from The Beatles," before drawing a heart around the three autographs.

If drummer Ringo Starr had also signed the paper, the item could have been even more valuable.

Devolver Digital Films is proud to announce the digital VOD release of The Beatles tribute documentary, Come Together. Directed by Steve Ison and John Scofield, Come Together features performances by ten of an estimated 8,000 international Beatles tribute bands keeping the legacy of The Fab Four alive around the world. Come Together was filmed primarily in and around Liverpool, the birthplace of The Beatles -- including the world famous Cavern Club where they were discovered -- during International Beatleweek, five decades after the band was formed in 1960. Julia Baird, the sister of John Lennon, narrated the film. In addition to entertaining viewers, Come Together demonstrates the impact of The Beatles on global culture. Watch the trailer below!

The film's digital VOD release is scheduled for February 3, 2015 via iTunes, Amazon Instant Video HD, PlayStation, Xbox, VUDU, Vimeo on Demand, VHX, Gumroad, Google Play, YouTube Rentals, and others. For additional information, visit www.cometogethermovie.com.

"The idea for the documentary came when I went to Liverpool several years ago with a friend who performed as John Lennon in one of the featured tribute bands. I had never seen anything like it! 300,000 people, like me, with the same connection... the music of The Beatles," says Steve Ison, who co-directed the film. "The quality and diversity of the bands was unbelievable. We had to share this story with others."

X Factor hunk Ben Haenow has insisted Simon Cowell does not have a "favourite" on the show as they visited the singer's home town to drum up support ahead of this weekend's eagerly anticipated final.

Hundreds of people braved the cold and wet weather in Croydon, south London, to watch the 28-year-old perform on stage after he was introduced by his mentor.

Fellow finalist Fleur East, who is also in Simon's over-25s category, has received high praise from the music mogul who described her performance last Saturday as "one of the top three performances" in X Factor history.

But speaking ahead of his appearance in Croydon, Ben said Simon had offered "priceless" advice to him and the show judge was "confident" in both of his acts.

"I don't think he's biased," he said. "He's really excited for the both of us and happy we got this far.

"I think he believes in both of us as artists. I don't think he'd have a favourite there.

"I think he's just got two of us through and two people who have worked so hard really beforehand trying to make it in the music industry. I think he's confident in both of us."

Ben also claimed there was no "major competition" between The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing despite the BBC One show regularly winning the ratings battle this year. He added: "For me it's a completely different audience. I don't think there's any major competition in that way.

"Ratings wise I'm sure X Factor has done amazingly well. I think it's like 11 or 12 million which is not too bad if you ask me."

Ben performed his version of Come Together by The Beatles and John Lennon's Jealous Guy in front of his home town supporters. Simon told the audience beforehand that Ben was "representing Croydon" before bringing on stage the contestant's mother and grandmother.

X Factor hunk Ben Haenow insisted Simon Cowell does not have a "favourite" on the show as they visited the singer's home town to drum up support ahead of this weekend's eagerly anticipated final.

Hundreds of people braved the cold and wet weather in Croydon, south London, to watch the 28-year-old perform on stage after he was introduced by his mentor Cowell.