BORRELL: 'I TOOK DRUGS BECAUSE OF LENNON'

RAZORLIGHT frontman JOHNNY BORRELL blames hero JOHN LENNON for his drug habit, and credits rock rival PETE DOHERTY with helping him kick it. Borrell - reportedly dating actress KIRSTEN DUNST - insists he was inspired to try drugs because of the late BEATLE's experimentation with narcotics. But he insists Doherty, who he has feuded and physically fought with in the past, has helped him leave his habit behind. Borrell says, "Pete was inspirational."


PRESS RELEASE

Mistaken identity shocks Sean Lennon

Sean Lennon is accustomed to people recognizing him because of his famous parents, but one incident really caught him off-guard. "When I was 15, a cabdriver asked me if I was Paul McCartney's daughter," the 31-year-old singer told AP Radio in a recent interview. "That really blew my mind." Lennon said he usually finds himself unfazed by all the attention he gets as the son of Yoko Ono and former Beatle John Lennon, who was killed in New York City in 1980. Lennon, who is on tour in support of his latest album, Friendly Fire, prefers to be on the road. "I like playing music live for people because it's the way music was meant to be heard," he said. "We've only been recording music for a couple hundred years."


Mistaken identity shocks Sean Lennon | The Bryan-College Station Eagle

LENNON STUBBED CIGARETTE OUT ON HEFNER'S MATISSE

JOHN LENNON damaged a valuable HENRI MATISSE painting by using it as an ash tray during a wild party at the Playboy mansion in 1974, HUGH HEFNER claims. The French artist's works have sold for up to $15 million (£8 million) at auction, but amazingly Hefner forgave the former BEATLE for stubbing out his cigarette on the priceless painting - because Lennon was one of his heroes. The 80-year-old says, "He was separated briefly from his wife YOKO ONO and was in a very bad mood. "He was drinking a great deal. He misbehaved a little bit and a couple of my friends took exception to it. He put a cigarette out on a Matisse and one of my friends was going to kick his butt. But he'd been drinking. He was under tremendous pressure, and Lennon was one of my heroes."


NEWS LENNON STUBBED CIGARETTE OUT ON HEFNER'S MATISSE Music, movie & Entertainment News

Sean is serious

Sean Lennon says he's battling for street cred as he takes on another tour to back his newly released album Friendly Fire. Lennon says he's battling the critics to make it by himself as an artist, escaping the glare of being the son of Yoko Ono and former Beatle, John Lennon. Sean says he wants to be recognised as an artist, not just a spoiled little rich kid who is not serious about his work. Lennon says he is accustomed to people recognising him because of his famous parents, but sometimes is blown away by the questions he is asked. He says a taxi driver once asked him: Are you Paul McCartney's daughter?


Sky News: Sean is serious

Flashback: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper album cover shot

It was 40 years ago today (March 30th, 1967) that the Beatles posed for their famous Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover. The Beatles, who were sporting psychedelic marching band outfits, had designed the album cover concept with then husband and wife team Peter Blake and Jann Haworth, explaining that they wanted the crowd behind them to include "people they liked." Blake created the scene of the group being flanked by their audience, using mainly cardboard cut-out photographs of famous people. The final shot, which was photographed by the late Michael Cooper, has gone on to be one of the most revered and copied album covers in rock history. more

Peace of the action

THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT IS capable of some pretty awful things when it feels it's under threat. Take John Lennon. In the 1970s, shortly after moving to New York, the former Beatle discovered that singing about a peaceful revolution invited not just media scorn, but the undue attention of the Nixon administration. That's the starting point for The US vs John Lennon, an informative and entertaining documentary that burrows deep into the FBI's Lennon file to reveal a relentless campaign by the US government to intimidate the former Beatle and have him deported from the country by revoking his visa. The political awakening Lennon experienced in The Beatles took hold and he participated in political demos, promoting a message of peace through increasingly outlandish publicity stunts. The media were sceptical, of course, but the Nixon administration was downright terrified of his influence. The lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18 was the primary reason for White House paranoia: with 11 million new voters sick of the war in Vietnam and eligible to vote in the 1972 elections, Nixon aides feared Lennon's vocal anti-war stance might have a bearing on the result. more

Forgotten Inspiration: T-Rex

Chances are, most of you reading this have no idea who T-Rex are. Some of you might know their only U.S. hit, "Bang a Gong (Get it On)," but you still probably didn't know who sang it. But if you were living in the United Kingdom in the 70s you weren't able to avoid them. In 1972 after the release of two extremely successful albums, Electric Warrior and The Slider, T-Rex achieved Beatle-like popularity in their home country. The phenomenon became known as "T-Rextacy." The Beatles may have minded their throne being usurped had they not been fans themselves. Ringo Starr even directed the T-Rex concert film, "Born to Boogie" (which is so bad you must see it), and released it on Apple Productions. more

It was 40 years ago today......but Sgt Pepper artist wants it to go away

It was 40 years ago today - but Sir Peter Blake just wishes it would go away. The veteran pop artist created the iconic album cover art for The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band exactly four decades ago, when the famed collage was pieced together in a London studio. However, now Sir Peter, whose newest work is to be premiered in the 119th Annual Exhibition of the Paisley Art Institute next month, is rather sick and tired of his timeless contribution to the Fab Four's most fabulous release. Paid only a nominal sum for the collage all those years ago, the artist admits he is irritated by the attention his most famous work attracts. The 75-year-old told The Herald he would talk about it for one reason - to explain why he has decided not to talk about it again. more

'Heather Mills had therapy for lying'

She knows so many of Paul McCartney's secrets that Paul's lawyer want her as a star witness. Here, in a devastating interview, the sister of Heather's first husband reveals what she COULD tell the court. Dressed in a tiny mini-skirt and vertiginous heels, the plump, buxom teenager with bleached blonde hair took to the stage for the dance audition she hoped would be her passport to fame. As she moved to the disco beat, the casting directors for ITV's The Hippodrome Show were stunned into silence for all the wrong reasons. more

Sean Lennon Unfazed by Public Attention

Sean Lennon is accustomed to people recognizing him because of his famous parents, but one incident really caught him off-guard. "When I was 15, a cabdriver asked me if I was Paul McCartney's daughter," the 31-year-old singer told AP Radio in a recent interview. "That really blew my mind." Lennon said he usually finds himself unfazed by all the attention he gets as the son of Yoko Ono and former Beatle John Lennon, who was killed in New York City in 1980. more

Beatles Fan Hits Jackpot While Removing Rubbish in Levittown

When 1-800-Got Junk? driver Matt Comuzie, 23, was assigned the Nassau route recently, he received an unexpected surprise while cleaning out a Levittown home. Stacked from floor to ceiling in a room were newspapers and magazines dating from 1920 to 2007, all neatly arranged by date. The headlines ranged from John F. Kennedy's assassination to the first man landing on the moon. The man who had the collection passed away and his wife hired the rubbish removal company 1-800-Got Junk? She has since been moved into a nursing home. Comuzie's job was to clean out the room and dispose of its contents. more

Heather Mills: I Haven't Had Sex In Ten Months

The ex-model has told chat show host Jimmy Kimmel rumours she has taken lovers since splitting with husband Sir Paul McCartney last May have all been untrue. Mills added that she specifically requested a gay dance partner for her current appearance on Dancing With Stars to make sure no more false rumours could spread. She said, "I asked for a gay dancing partner as I've had all these rumours of all these different lovers and none of the enjoyment because I haven't had any for 10 months." more

Paul McCartney's cure for divorce blues

Sir Paul McCartney is going back on tour to get over his bitter split from Heather Mills. The Beatles legend is desperate to put his divorce battle behind him and has decided to hit the road again. A source told Britain's Daily Express newspaper: "Paul is itching to get back and play live. He never even got to perform in the UK or Europe so he's keen to rectify that. He has always loved touring and sees it as the perfect way to putting his problems behind him." more

The Kids Are Listening to Rock Again

The kids are listening to rock music again. In Vancouver's remaining sticky-floor, live venues like the Cobalt or the Lamplighter, you can see 'em nodding heads in appreciation of the gonzo boogie machine that is Pride Tiger, for instance. Bands of less distinction are even climbing on stage in James Gang and Cactus T-shirts. They still sound like Alice in Chains -- they always will -- but at least they're trying. A friend predicted this six years ago. "Classic rock, suede coats, beards...that's the next thing," he said, "Back to basics. You won't have to listen to this new wave trash forever." He'd just come back from New York. more

Retro Redux: The Monkees - More Than Just Beatles Wannabes

Before the mob with torches starts marching to my castle, let me hasten to assure you that I'm not equating the Monkees with the Beatles. Far from it. On the one hand, you have a band that was a pop icon in the 1960s and on the other hand you have the Beatles. Wait — that came out wrong. Let's try doing this another way. Everyone knows that the Beatles were one of the most significant forces in the history of pop, and helped create nothing less than a revolution in music. But to be fair, you can make a case for the Monkees as pop icons of a different sort, because they also had an impact on the music scene in the 1960s. Maybe they weren't in the same league as the Beatles - or even in the same universe - but they certainly left a mark at the time and are well-remembered today, and isn't that the real definition of a pop icon? more

Metallica & Rolling Stones for Live Earth

The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, the Who, and U2 might all be signing on for this summer's Live Earth concerts on July 7th. According to foxnews.com, the Stones will headline the London concert at Wembley Stadium, on a bill that will also include Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, singer-songwriter James Blunt, and modern rock outfit Bloc Party. The report adds that McCartney, the Who, and U2 will likely sign on in the coming weeks, but there was no indication of where they might perform. It should be noted that the Who have a gig in Roskilde, Denmark, on July 7th, while the Stones are booked to play in Rome the night before (July 6th), so this would be the only time on their European tour that they'd play back-to-back shows. more

In the name of John

YOKO ONO is to launch a world-wide foundation for children in memory of John Lennon. She is travelling from her home in New York to a special event at Liverpool’s Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in May. During Ono’s historic visit on May 25, she will outline her vision for the John Lennon Foundation for Child Health. Eventually, the foundation will be housed in its own centre in the grounds of the new hospital planned for adjoining Springfield Park. But its work will start almost immediately after its launch. more

When Lennon almost got beaten up at the Playboy mansion!

One of Hugh Hefner's pals almost beat up John Lennon when the late Beatles legend extinguished a cigarette on a painting at the Playboy mansion. Lennon visited Hefner's mansion in 1974, during the time he and wife Yoko Ono separated. This period in Lennon's life has been dubbed his 'Lost Weekend', even though it lasted until the beginning of 1975. However, he angered his host's friend when he stubbed out his cig on a painting by French artist Matisse. "(Lennon) misbehaved a little bit and a couple of my friends took exception to it. I didn't witness it. I was elsewhere in the mansion. He put a cigarette out on a Matisse and one of my friends was gonna...," Contactmusic quoted Hefner, as saying. more

Raga Rhythms

Ravi Shankar may be India's best-known musical export, but it's also safe to say most people would be stumped if they were forced to identify another. Put out a poll on sitar virtuosos and chances are it would be the late Beatle George Harrison who'd top the tally. Then again, ask your average Joe to locate New Delhi and he'll probably point you to the bagel place that recently opened down the street. more

BLOC PARTYS OKEREKE OASIS ARE OVER-RATED

BLOC PARTY frontman KELE OKEREKE has branded rockers OASIS as "over-rated" and claims the band have "made stupidity hip". The SO HERE WE ARE star has hit back at the Manchester group after NOEL GALLAGHER made disparaging comments about Bloc Party earlier this year (07), comparing the band to geeky contestants on UK TV quiz show, UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE. He says, "I think Oasis are the most over-rated and pernicious and of all time. They had a totally negative and dangerous impact upon the state of British music. "They have made stupidity hip. They claim to be inspired by the BEATLES but, and this saddens me, they have failed to grasp that the Beatles were about constant change and evolution."


BLOC PARTY - BLOC PARTYS OKEREKE OASIS ARE OVER-RATED

Bid On Music Memorabilia From Hendrix, Lennon, Dylan And More To Benefit Katrina Victims

Jimi Hendrix's flares, John Lennon's glasses and Bob Dylan's harmonica are the latest lots to be added to an auction of the iconic music memorabilia next month. The items will be sold alongside U2 star The Edge's guitars at the event to raise funds for the victims of 2005's Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Hendrix's pants are expected to fetch up to $9,750, while Lennon's spectacles and Dylan's harmonica are expected to go under the hammer for $4,875 and $1,170 respectively. A receipt signed by late Nirvana star Kurt Cobain, Cher's wig and a guitar designed by the Rolling Stones are also up for grabs at the Hard Rock Cafe, New York City sale on April 21. Fans can also bid online at juliensauctions.com.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

Mick Jagger wishes Paul McCartney luck

Mick Jagger wishes old friend Paul McCartney luck on his new deal with the Starbucks-based record label Hear Music. During his recent webcast to announce the Rolling Stones' upcoming European tour, Jagger revealed that he had also met with Starbucks regarding a similar deal for the Stones, explaining that, "I actually met all the Starbucks people when I went to Seattle and you know we talked about it and they were very nice people, they told me they were starting an actual label, but I never heard anything more about it." Jagger wished McCartney well saying that, "So after a hundred years with EMI he has now signed up to Starbucks, so good luck to him!" McCartney has signed a one-album deal with the new Hear Music label. His still-untitled album is due out later this spring, with a tour to follow in the fall. more

Boomers cast a loving eye on their generation

The baby boomer generation is known for nothing if not its own self-regard, so of course members within its ranks will produce documentaries examining themselves. So, "The Boomer Century: 1946-2046" is pretty much what one might expect, and pretty much what one deserves. Psychologist Ken Dychtwald hosts, alternately declaring that boomers "transform every stage of life through which we pass" and reminiscing about the coonskin cap he owned as a boy. He states that the qualities that define the generation are idealism, anti-authoritarianism, embracing change and self-empowerment, which seems to be a nice way of saying doing whatever one wants without accepting personal responsibility. more

Paul McCartney eyeing fall tour to promote new album

Paul McCartney will hit the road sometime in the fall to promote his upcoming album, which is expected out in June. McCartney's lead guitarist Rusty Anderson posted an update on his myspace.com blog (myspace.com/rustyandersonmusic) saying that, "On the Paul McCartney scene, last I heard the tour is postponed 'til the fall. I'm not quite sure where yet. The record that we started and got over half done with Paul at Abbey Road (Studios) a while back should be finished by now. It sounds amazing. Very dynamic and colorful." Rusty Anderson says that recording with McCartney at the legendary Abbey Road Studios where the Beatles recorded the majority of their work is a surreal experience: "That's pretty trippy. It was really fun, you know, having Paul show us around and say, 'Oh, this is the room that we recorded (the Beatles') 'Yer Blues' in. We all set up in this little tiny room and crammed the drums and the amps and everybody in there, and recorded it.' And I'm like, 'Damn!' (Laughs) That's pretty amazing.'" more

Imagine is top song for over-50s

John Lennon's Imagine has been voted the favourite pop song of the baby boomer generation in a radio poll. The anthem narrowly beat Chris De Burgh's Lady In Red, which took second place in the survey of 3,760 over-50s conducted by the Smooth Radio network. Crazy, a number one hit for US hip-hop duo Gnarls Barkley last year, also made the list - but nearly half of the top 50 came from the 1960s. more

MUSIC MEMORABILIA UNDER THE HAMMER

JIMI HENDRIX's flares, JOHN LENNON's glasses and BOB DYLAN's harmonica are the latest lots to be added to an auction of the iconic music memorabilia next month (APR07). The items will be sold alongside U2 star THE EDGE's guitars at the event to raise funds for the victims of 2005's Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Hendrix's trousers are expected to fetch up to $9,750 (£5,000), while Lennon's spectacles and Dylan's harmonica are expected to go under the hammer for $4,875 (£2,500) and $1,170 (£600) respectively. A receipt signed by late NIRVANA star KURT COBAIN, CHER's wig and a guitar designed by the ROLLING STONES are also up for grabs at the Hard Rock Cafe, New York City sale on 21 April (07). Fans can also bid online at www.juliensauctions.com.


PRESS RELEASE

JOHN PAYS TRIBUTE TO LENNON AT 60TH BIRTHDAY GIG

SIR ELTON JOHN paid tribute to late BEATLE JOHN LENNON during his 60th birthday Madison Square Garden gig in New York City on Sunday (25MAR07). Lennon, who was shot dead in 1980, made his last public performance alongside the ROCKET MAN star at the same venue in 1974. John played his Lennon tribute song EMPTY GARDEN for the 20,000 fans and celebrity friends gathered on Sunday. He said, "The reception he got still gives me goosebumps and it makes me very, very sad and happy at the same time because we know what happened a few years later. "I only ever sing this song here because it's the only place it's appropriate and it's too upsetting for me to sing it anywhere else."


SIR ELTON JOHN - JOHN PAYS TRIBUTE TO LENNON AT 60TH BIRTHDAY GIG

GENE SIMMONS Says He Doesn't Want Original KISS Lineup To Reunite

A new Gene Simmons interview appears in the April issue of England's Classic Rock magazine. Gene discusses his reality series "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" and "Gene Simmons Rock School", (non-)marriage, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss and Paul Stanley. On the topic of Ace, Gene says, "I love him dearly, he's a sweetheart, but he's his own worst enemy. He's great with lots of people around but when he's alone he doesn't like himself. And he numbs himself. He's been numbing himself for 34 years that I know of. I don't know how often I've seen him straight, but it's almost never." As for Paul, there happened to be a spelling mistake in the advertisement for Paul's solo album "Live to Win" in Classic Rock a few issues ago that some readers found very amusing. Instead of "Bulletproof", one of the the album tracks was misspelled "Bulletpoof". more

Protest proves slightly less inspiring that predicted

On the fourth anniversary of the war on Iraq several people had likened this war to the war in Vietnam minus the protestors. A few days after the anniversary I had seen my first sign of a group opposition. It came in the form of a sidewalk chalk outline of a body proclaiming a student-led ant-war protest downtown on Saturday. The campaigner’s were doing a bit of teasing by not telling me where or what time. By the end of the week the sidewalk had peace signs with the chalk outlining the time and place finally. So, sure enough Saturday I was at Monument Circle from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. My first protest inspired mixed emotions. I came upon the other side of the monument listening to a man with a trumpet playing on the corner of Washington and Meridian playing "When the Saints Go Marching In," but as I got closer to the circle I heard a band playing, a rock band actually. I stood at the top step on the monument looking down on the band and a large group of students and veterans holding protest signs, flags, and wearing anti-war t-shirts and buttons. I was so proud of the organization of my peers, and fellow Hoosiers for demonstrating their desire to end the war in the heart of a conservative state. more

Upcoming Paul McCartney album to feature new and old material

Insiders say that Paul McCartney's upcoming debut for the Hear Music label will feature both new songs and outtakes from his last two albums. According the fan run website themaccareport.com, McCartney previewed the album a few weeks ago in New York City for the new label. Among the songs included in the set are songs that Nigel Godrich, McCartney's producer for his last album, Chaos And Creation In The Backyard, rejected for the project. The album is said to feature his touring band on about half of the songs, with other studio musicians including a string section on other tracks, and some songs that only feature McCartney. The fact that David Kahne is being listed as a producer suggests that some of the material might date back to the 2001 sessions for his Driving Rain album. There's an unconfirmed rumor that the album might be released on June 18th to mark Macca's 65th birthday. more

Sir Paul McCartney Thinks Heather Mills Is 'Gold-Digger'

Sir Paul McCartney thinks his estranged wife Heather Mills is a "gold-digger", according to the paper who broke the news of their split. As we reported yesterday, the former Beatle is bracing himself for a bitter divorce battle after officially filing formal divorce proceedings citing ‘unreasonable behaviour'. According to a report in the Daily Mirror, Sir Paul is angered the ex-model has gone back on an agreement to have a 'quickie' divorce, where she would receive £30 million of his vast fortune – believing she’ll now hand on for up to £200 million instead. A source says, ''Paul believes Heather wants as much money as she can get. He thinks she is proving herself to be nothing better than a gold-digger. more

Paul McCartney rumoured to be dating Guinness heiress

A representative for Paul McCartney has denied that he and socialite and Guinness heiress Sabrina Guinness are an item. On Wednesday night (March 21st), McCartney was spotted picking up Guinness for a double-date with his daughter Stella McCartney and her husband Alasdhair Willis in London. Over the weekend blurry paparazzi shots of the couple meeting and embracing were posted on the Internet. Britain's Daily Mirror reported that, upon noticing that they were being trailed by the press, McCartney dropped Guinness off at a friend's house and had a long dinner with his daughter and son in-law. McCartney, who sat with his family near a window at the Notting Hill restaurant, enjoyed several bottles of wine, and came outside several times to admonish the press for bothering him. The 52 year-old Guinness heiress has in the past been romantically linked to Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Jack Nicholson, and Prince Charles. more

Doors open to new online fans

IN 1967 they were trying to "break down the doors of perception" with some of the best-known songs of the era. Now the surviving members of the Doors hope to snare a new generation of fans by releasing their entire back catalogue online. Faced with declining CD sales, record labels are hoping to market rock's biggest names to younger listeners via the web, with the Doors leading the charge to mark the 40th anniversary of the release of their classic self-titled debut album. more

Why ours is the real Beatles hotel

THE Hard Days Night Hotel has already captured the imagination of Beatles fans worldwide. The website for the 110-room, £18m the hotel on the corner of Mathew Street and North John Street is receiving an average 6000 hits a day despite the fact that bookings won't be taken until May and its doors are not scheduled to open until the end of October. "This is going to be a four star plus experience." says Bill Heckle manager of the Cavern's operators Cabern City Tours who conceived the idea for the HDN hotel over a decade ago. "People expecting the kiss me quick hat type of hotel are going to be surprised, this is going to be one at the very top end of the market." more

VIPERS SINGER BOOKER DIES

THE VIPERS frontman JOHNNY BOOKER has died aged 72. The veteran singer, who passed away on 19 March (07), formed skiffle band The Vipers in England in 1956 and the group scored a succession of hit singles in the next two years, many of which were engineered by future BEATLES producer SIR GEORGE MARTIN. Booker suffered from deteriorating health in his later years and was confined to a wheelchair. He died in Vancouver, Canada, where he lived.


BEATLES - VIPERS SINGER BOOKER DIES

John Lennon glasses for sale

John Lennon's iconic blue sunglasses are expected to fetch up to $6,000 at auction next month. The former Beatle's glasses will go under the hammer at the Icons of Music auction at New York's Hard Rock Café to raise money for the Music Rising charity. The charity was co-founded by U2 guitarist The Edge in 2005 to replace instruments lost by musicians in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Over 200 items have been donated for the auction by stars including Madonna, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and the Grateful Dead. The Edge, real name David Evans, has donated his well-used 1975 cream Gibson Les Paul, which is expected to fetch between $60,000 and$80,000. more

DYLAN PLAYS HIDE & SEEK

BOB Dylan thought The Beatles' first smash hit, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," was a drug song - until the Fab Four set him straight. In the Beatles memoir, "The Act You've Known for All These Years," out this June, author Clinton Heylin writes that during Dylan's first meeting with the mop tops, he told them how much he loved the song, "in particular its middle-eight, 'I get high, I get high' . . . It was patiently explained that they were actually saying, 'I can't hide, I can't hide.' Paul McCartney recalled Dylan "was rather amused by that. And we were amused that he was amused."


DYLAN PLAYS HIDE & SEEK - Pagesix - New York Post Online Edition

Heather Mills on keeping her daughter private

During an interview on Larry King Live, current competitor of ABC's Dancing with the Stars, Heather Mills said that she likes to keep her daughter, Beatrice, 3, private and out of the spotlight. When asked about bringing Beatrice to the L.A. set Heather said: I would never. I keep Beatrice so private, I don't understand when people put their children in the media spotlight. I don't agree with it. It's just my personal opinion. Yes, I could bring her on and get a few more votes and say, 'This is my cute little girl,' but I would never do that. Heather also talked about how Beatrice reacted the first time she saw her Mom dance on TV: more

Meet the Beatles......or a reasonable facsimile thereof

1964 . . . The Tribute will twist and shout in Abravanel Hall on Friday. You know them, you love them, they're the Fab Four . . . from Akron, Ohio? If seeing is believing, then it must be 1964. Hailed by Rolling Stone as the "best Beatles tribute on Earth," 1964 . . . The Tribute is the real, fake deal. But you won't find any Sgt. Pepper here. "And that's because unlike all the dozens of Beatles tribute bands out there, we focus on everything from 1964 and earlier, you know, the stuff the Beatles themselves were playing when they were touring," said Gary Grimes, who plays Paul McCartney in the band. Songs like "Twist and Shout," "Love Me Do," "Do You Want to Know a Secret," "A Hard Day's Night" and other hits on the frontier of the British invasion. The band - Grimes, Tom Work as George Harrison, Terry Manfredi as Ringo Starr and Mark Benson as John Lennon - has been together 23 years. The members went to the same high school in Akron, which could explain their synergy and chemistry. more

Elton gives Big Apple birthday bash

Sir Elton John is preparing to celebrate his 60th birthday with a record-breaking live extravaganza at New York's Madison Square Garden. The sell-out show will be the flamboyant star's 60th appearance at the famous arena. His most memorable performance at the venue was in November 1974, when he was joined on stage by John Lennon in what turned out to be the former Beatle's last concert performance before his death. Sir Elton's nearest challengers for supremacy at the Garden are the Grateful Dead, who played there 52 times. more

PAUL MOVES ON

March 25, 2007 -- PAUL McCartney is hanging with one of Prince Charles' old squeezes. McCartney, coming off his disastrous marriage to Heather Mills, has been seen out and about with Sabrina Guinness, 52, an heiress to the Guinness Stout fortune. The two were spotted in London with Paul's daughter, Stella, and her husband Alasdhair Willis. McCartney told the Daily Mail, "I realize everyone wants to see me with a new bird right now and that's very flattering. We enjoy each other's company. We talk about stuff like the environment and Al Gore, things like that."


PAUL MOVES ON - Pagesix - New York Post Online Edition

TOWNSHEND DISMISSES THE POLICE AS CLASSIC BAND

Outspoken rocker PETE TOWNSHEND has hit out at reformed trio THE POLICE in a New York radio interview - because he's sick of the ROXANNE hitmakers being dubbed a classic rock act. The snooty star insists only bands like his group THE WHO and THE ROLLING STONES deserve the lofty title, insisting The Police are little more than a punk act. In a webchat on radio station WAXQ-FM's website earlier this week (beg19MAR07) Townshend wrote: "The Police are punk... They're not classic rock. "You've got the Stones and the Who: classic rock - finished. It's all over after that. This is just music. It's not clasic (sic) anything."



PETE TOWNSHEND - TOWNSHEND DISMISSES THE POLICE AS CLASSIC BAND

WYMAN NOT EXPECTED TO BE ASKED TO SNAP THE STONES AGAIN

Rocker BILL WYMAN fears he'll never get the chance to photograph his former ROLLING STONES bandmates again - because MICK JAGGER and KEITH RICHARDS would never acknowledge he's a good enough snapper. The former Stones bassist has an impressive archive of his ex-bandmates, taken during magical moments on the road and in the studio. Wyman will be showing off some of the prints at a new Morrison Hotel Gallery exhibition in Los Angeles, which begins today (24MAR07). But he insists the idea of getting another chance to snap the Stones is far-fetched. He explains, "The Stones have never been interested in any members doing anything that isn't Stones involved. They're not interested in anybody in the band doing something that's not part of what the band do. "It's a weird political thing and it's something that no one talks about. They don't support each other like THE WHO did or the BEATLES did or U2 did, or LED ZEPPELIN. "They'd never acknowledge that they like the photos, unfortunately."



BILL WYMAN - WYMAN NOT EXPECTED TO BE ASKED TO SNAP THE STONES AGAIN

Heather Mills vows to go 'off men for a very long time'

Former 'Beatle' Sir Paul McCartney's estranged wife Heather Mills is determined to stay away from men after watching his pictures with another woman. The campaigner is shocked at reports that McCartney may be dating wealthy socialite Sabrina Guinness. McCartney had recently revealed that he was comforted by Sabrina during his divorce battle with Mills. "We enjoy each other's company," the Sun quoted him as saying. more

It all comes back to the blues

He was a god in 1965, an uncle by 2007. Eric Clapton has proven more human than godlike these past 42 years. As a god, he was worshipped for his guitar playing. As everybody's favourite uncle, he's experienced personal disasters. He seems to want to help, just as his friends were there to help him. Those good intentions, and his obvious flaws, are why he is liked and respected and might even eclipse his original claim to fame. Clapton has been involved in tributes and charity concerts, and has been interviewed for countless musicians he respects. As a father, he suffered the death of a child, Conor, in 1991. As a musician, he has survived drug addiction and alcoholism. As a philanthropist, he has established the Crossroads Centre to help other musicians overcome their addiction and/or alcoholism. more

McCARTNEY GUINNESS IS JUST AN OLD FRIEND

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has dismissed reports he is dating SABRINA GUINNESS - insisting she is just an "old friend". The former BEATLE was spotted with the 52-year-old - a former girlfriend of SIR MICK JAGGER and British royal PRINCE CHARLES - in London on Wednesday (21MAR07) evening. But MCCartney has denied claims he is romantically linked to the Guinness drinks empire heiress since splitting from HEATHER MILLS last year (06). He says, "It's nothing more than friendship. I realise everyone wants to see me with a new bird right now, and that's really flattering. "I have had a terrible day at the office and as you probably know, I'm going through a pretty difficult divorce right now too. "But I have known this lady for quite a while and we just enjoy each other's company. When we get together, we speak about stuff like the environment and (US politician-turned-activist) AL GORE." A spokesperson for the star also denied the allegations of a romance, saying, "There is no relationship (between the pair) beyond friendship."



SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY - McCARTNEY GUINNESS IS JUST AN OLD FRIEND

McCartney's date with Guinness 'knocks the stuffing' out of Mills

London, March 24 (ANI): Campaigner Heather Mills is reportedly furious at her estranged husband Sir Paul McCartney's alleged dating with wealthy socialite Sabrina Guinness in London. Mills, who is currently in Los Angeles starring in American television's 'Dancing With The Stars', went mad when she got to know of McCartney's big date on Wednesday, say her friends. "She was livid. She felt like someone had knocked the stuffing out of her. She feels this has really humiliated her. Heather has long believed forces are at work trying to destroy her and she feels this is just the next step," the Daily Mail quoted her pal as saying. "In Heather's mind, she feels this has actually been done when she is out of the country to overshadow her American television debut. She told everyone that he had sent her flowers to wish her good luck in the contest, and that he was really on her side. But she feels that the minute she leaves the country, he is pictured going out with someone else," added her friend. The publication revealed on Friday that McCartney had planned a rendezvous with Guinness, his fashion designer daughter Stella, and her husband Alisdhair in London's Notting Hills. However, they called it off after realising that paparazzi had got wind of the meeting. "To make it worse, he planned to take her for dinner with Stella. It took Heather months to start getting accepted by Stella - and of course the truth of it was that Stella and her never saw eye to eye all. Heather hasn't taken this too well," said Mills' friend. While McCartney's pals are insisting that he Sabrina are "just good friends", the former 'Beatle' had narrated on Wednesday how the two of them bonded over similar interests. "I realise everyone wants to see me with a new bird right now and that's very flattering. I have known this lady for a while. We enjoy each other's company. When we get together we talk about stuff like the environment and Al Gore, things like that. We have similar views," he said. "I have had a terrible day at the office and as you probably know I'm going through a pretty difficult divorce right now too. I just fancied going out for a few drinks to relax. We're meeting up with my daughter and that's that. It's not really a big thing, we have known each other a long time," he added. One of the reasons behind Mills' anger, presumed her friend, could be her feeling that she would remain an important part of McCartney's life even after their divorce. "Deep down, Heather believed that after the divorce, they would still eventually be friends and that she would always be a very important part of Paul's life," said her friend. "Now she feels rather anxious that she just may be forgotten when Paul moves onto someone else," the source added. (ANI)

Beatles tribute band in Manila

As impersonators, the members of Apple Band not only sound like the Beatles; they also seem to have imbibed the Fab Four's wit and irreverence. While preparing to sing a few numbers for journalists to promote the three-night concert "The Beatles Forever with the Apple Band," Mike Sarafian (as Ringo Starr) asked, "Why don't we do 'Satisfactioní'?" Strumming an acoustic guitar, David Leon (as John Lennon) said he had a better idea and proceeded to sing a Cascades tune: "Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain." more

Discord in Boston after Delp suicide

The band Boston spoke to people's souls during the 1970s with smash hits like "More Than a Feeling" and "Peace of Mind." But two weeks after lead singer Brad Delp's suicide at his New Hampshire home, bad feelings abound. Current members of the band, including the chief songwriter and founder, Tom Scholz, were not informed about or invited to Delp's funeral, which was attended by early band members who opposed Scholz in a 1980s legal battle. Last week, Delp's ex-wife Micki was quoted on a radio station saying Delp was distressed about the conflicts in his professional life and became despondent after a longtime friend, Fran Cosmo, was cut from Boston's summer concert lineup. The story spread online, where fans trying to figure out the reason for Delp's suicide took up the cudgels. Scholz, who called Delp his "closest friend and collaborator in music for over 35 years," said he was crushed by Delp's suicide and his exclusion from the funeral. Now he feels he is being unfairly blamed for Delp's death.

"It went from devastating on the initial phone call to an absolute nightmare," Scholz told The Associated Press on Friday in a tearful telephone interview, his first since Delp's death on March 9. (An interview conducted by e-mail was published earlier in Rolling Stone.)

"We had been told it would only be his immediate family (at the funeral), and of course it wasn't," he said. A lawyer for Scholz sent a letter to Micki Delp on Friday demanding a retraction. She did not immediately respond Friday to an e-mail message from The Associated Press via the publicist who has handled statements for the family. Boston has canceled its summer engagements, and Scholz said he still hopes the rift can be mended and the band can be part of a public memorial service that Delp's children and fiancee, Pamela Sullivan, said last week was in the works.

Tensions between Scholz and some of the early band members date from the early 1980s, when CBS Inc. sued the band over delays in recording new albums. The company's Epic Records label recorded the band's first two releases: "Boston," in 1976, and "Don't Look Back," in 1978. Scholz countersued for the rights to the band's name and music. Three members of the original band — Barry Goudreau, Sib Hashian and Fran Sheehan — testified for the record company, which lost. Goudreau is Micki Delp's brother-in-law, and she reportedly remains close to the ousted band members. Delp, the only band member besides Scholz whose name was on the CBS recording contract, remained friends with everyone, touring and recording with Scholz and the others over the decades. He also started a Beatles tribute band, Beatle Juice. Scholz wrote, engineered, and laid down nearly all the instrumental tracks on the first album, but he said Delp helped him refine the songs and brought his music to life.

"It went from a guitar lick that didn't mean a thing to a real song as soon as he opened his mouth. That was always the case," Scholz said. "We had a very, very close working relationship. I swear it was like we were hooked up by a cable. We didn't even have to talk most of the time."

Scholz and Delp were both vegetarians and pacifists, both dedicated their money and talents to causes they believed in, and both proposed to their longtime girlfriends on Christmas Day 2006 by putting rings in their stockings — only learning about the coincidence in a conversation afterward. The band's first album was wildly successful, and remains one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, according to Billboard, selling more than 16 million copies. Boston's early music also remains a staple on classic rock stations, especially in New England. 96.5 FM ("The Mill") in Manchester plans a two-hour tribute to Boston on Sunday featuring excerpts from the station's interviews with Delp over the years. Program Director J.C. Haze said he remembers hearing the first album.

"Tom and Brad, they made such a unique sound it just took the world by storm," Haze said. "Nothing ever sounded like it, and nothing ever did since."


PRESS RELEASE

Sir Paul has a Guinness and a Stella now

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has been spotted out on a 'date' with socialite and drinks empire heiress SABRINA GUINNESS, fuelling speculation that he is unconcerned over his courtroom problems with his current wife. Reports in the Daily Mail claim the former BEATLES legend has been partying with the 52-year-old Guinness, who has previously dated MICK JAGGER, BRYAN FERRY, JACK NICHOLSON, MICHAEL DOUGLAS and ROD STEWART, not to mention DAVID BOWIE and a certain PRINCE CHARLES. The couple met up with Sir Paul's daughter Stella and her husband ALASDHAIR WILLIS, before heading to the local pub. However, after spotting the paparazzi, Guinness was dropped off at a friend's house and the other three went for dinner alone. An angry Sir Paul reportedly told reporters from the paper: "I realise everyone wants to see me with a new bird right now and that's very flattering. I have known this lady for a while. We enjoy each other's company." He added: "I have had a terrible day at the office and as you probably know I'm going through a pretty difficult divorce right now too." Sir Paul admitted he just wanted to sit down with Guinness and Stella and have a quiet drink.


SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY - Sir Paul has a Guinness and a Stella now

Q: What Happened to Original Beatles Drummer Pete Best?

A: Pete Best had been the original drummer for an upstart Liverpool group called the Silver Beetles when he was sacked in favor of another, more experienced drummer named Richard Starkey, better known as Ringo Starr. As fate would have it, the Silver Beetles changed their name to the Beatles and went on to become the best-known group in the history of rock 'n' roll. It happened like this: Best's mom, who ran the Casbah Club in Liverpool, was the Silver Beetles' initial booking agent, and landed them a two-month gig in Hamburg. But while in Germany, the young group happened upon Ringo, and when they returned to London both Paul McCartney and George Harrison asked their new manager, Brian Epstein, to get rid of Best. more

EMI Shares Take A Hit After McCartney's Exit

Shares in EMI Group took a hit in London on Thursday after news emerged that Paul McCartney will record his next album for the Hear Music record label launched by Starbucks and Concord Music Group, rather than for EMI's Capitol Records, where he has spent more than 40 years. Market Watch reports that EMI's shares were trading down 4 pence, or 1.7 percent, at 229.5 pence after falling more than 3 percent in earlier trading. However, even though McCartney's new solo work will be on a different label, EMI retains worldwide back catalog licensing rights to all material from The Beatles and Wings. McCartney also still has a contract with EMI for some classical recordings. EMI said in a statement that the company "fully respected" McCartney's decision to "try something new" and wished him the best.

PRESS RELEASE

McCARTNEYS NEW WOMAN

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY is reportedly romancing heiress SABRINA GUINNESS, a former girlfriend of British royal PRINCE CHARLES and fellow rocker SIR MICK JAGGER. MCCartney - single since his split from HEATHER MILLS last year - and 52-year-old Guinness were spotted meeting in secret in London on Wednesday night (21MAR07). The former BEATLE, 64, picked up Guinness at her Notting Hill home, but when the pair realised they had been spotted by photographers, MCCartney dropped her off at a friend's house and met daughter STELLA at an Italian restaurant instead. According to friends, the couple have enjoyed a number of dinner dates and Guinness is helping MCCartney get over his split with Mills. A source tells British newspaper The Sun, "His friends are desperate to get him out and about and to start living again. "People like Sabrina are making this possible." Guinness has never married, but during the 1970s the heiress to the Guinness drinks empire was linked with a string of celebrities including Jagger, BRYAN FERRY, JACK NICHOLSON and MICHAEL DOUGLAS. During her relationship with Prince Charles she was even touted as a future Queen of England.



SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY - McCARTNEYS NEW WOMAN

Madonna set to turn Stella McCartney into a singing sensation

Pop icon Madonna and fashion designer Stella McCartney seem to be nurturing their friendship these days, after being at odds on a couple of occasions. After seeking fashion tips from former Beatles Paul McCartney's daughter, Madonna has assured help to Stella if she ever wants to record her own album. "I asked her for fashion advice and I told her, if she ever wanted to do a record, I'd gladly help out," The Sun quoted the 'American Life' singer, as saying. In December last year, Stella reportedly ripped into the Material Girl for playing a role in promoting pheasant shooting at her English country estate, Ashcombe, following which Madonna decided to stop the bloody sport. more

Sir Paul gets close to Prince Charles' former flame

He has used the services of Prince Charles' lawyer and now it seems Paul McCartney is forming a close bond with the heir to the throne's former girlfriend - glamorous heiress Sabrina Guinness. The pair have known each other for some time and are said to have much in common. "I realise everyone wants to see me with a new bird right now and that's very flattering," said Paul according to the Daily Mail. "I have known this lady for a while. We enjoy each other's company… its not really a big thing," he insisted. The 64-year-old Beatles legend, who is in the middle of divorce proceedings with estranged wife Heather Mills McCartney, went to pick his 'date' up for dinner on Wednesday night. But after spotting photographers they decided to part company with Paul dining at a Notting Hill restaurant with daughter Stella and her husband Alisdhair. more

THE KINKS SLAM PUB LANDLORD OVER MEMORABILIA REMOVAL

British rockers THE KINKS have slammed a London bar landlord for planning to erase an iconic piece of the band's history. Brothers RAY and DAVE DAVIES have pleaded with the new owner of The Clissold Arms not to remove iconic Kinks memorabilia from the venue - where they played their first gig in 1963 - to make room for an upmarket eaterie. The shrine to the WATERLOO SUNSET rockers includes guitars, records and souvenirs, displayed in a specially designated 'Kinks Corner' in the bar. Ray says, "I would urge whoever has bought the pub (bar) to retain some reference to The Kinks so fans all over the world can retain it as a sense of 'place'." Dave adds, "Why on earth can't they have their posh gastro grub (food) and still keep a part of it for tourists, Kinks fans and the curious? "I am sure that if this had been The Cavern and THE BEATLES' history that was being disturbed and got rid of, it would have been brought to the attention of the House of Commons, the Lords and the Queen herself." But new owner CAROLINE JONES remains determined to revamp the whole property. She says, "The new pub will be quite different and it won't be the kind of place you would expect to see (memorabilia)."



THE KINKS - THE KINKS SLAM PUB LANDLORD OVER MEMORABILIA REMOVAL

Heather gets her leg over on Leno

Heather Mills McCartney certainly knows how to milk a spot of publicity when it comes her way. Not content with bending TV veteran Larry King's ear about how much she loves dancing, the former model also appeared on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'. During an interview alongside fellow guest Rosanne Barr, Mills showed Jay Leno how she strapped on her prosthetic leg. more

What Ringo does for fun

Only someone as iconic as Ringo Starr would consider delving into an entirely new art form a hobby. "I am a busy guy, but also I do like to have downtime," the former Beatle says by telephone from London. The work produced in his "downtime" will be on display this weekend. The Ringo Starr Fine Art Show opens tomorrow and runs through Sunday at the Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The free exhibit, sponsored by local radio station WBIG-FM (Big 100.3), will feature hand-signed pieces available for purchase. The limited-edition images will not be available again once they have sold out. more

Paul McCartney inks deal with Starbucks

Confirming industry rumors, Paul McCartney has announced that he has signed to Starbucks and Concord Music Group's new Hear Music label. The announcement was made on Wednesday, March 21st, in Seattle at the Starbucks annual meeting of shareholders, where McCartney made a surprise appearance via satellite. Macca told the crowd that, "For me the great thing is the commitment and the passion and the love of music, which as an artist is good to see. It's a new world now and people are thinking of new ways to reach the people and for me that's always been my aim." Macca's still-untitled new album, which marks his move from EMI Records, his home of 45 years, will be out in early summer and will be available at all traditional music retail outlets and Starbucks locations internationally. more

Sir Paul McCartney To Receive Honor For Animal Advocacy

Proving that all you need is love (and a quick divorce settlement), Sir Paul McCartney will be honored this coming March 24th by the Humane Society of the United States for his lifetime achievement in supporting animal advocacy. Most recently, McCartney was a high-profile player in the fight to end the annual Canadian Seal Hunt. From the release, ''McCartney will receive the first Gretchen Wyler Award, named in honor of the founder of the annual Genesis Awards, which acknowledges members of the news and entertainment media for their coverage of animal-protection issues. The Wyler Award is given to a celebrity or public figure who has made news on behalf of animals.'' more

McCARTNEY OFFICIALLY SIGNS TO COFFEE LABEL

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has confirmed he'll be the first artist to sign to a new joint record label formed by coffee chain Starbucks and the Concord Music Group. The former BEATLE's as-yet-untitled new album will be released on the new label, Hear Music, in June (07). MCCartney says, "This is something I've been working on for a little while now." And he insists his first album for the new label will be one of his best: "A lot of it's very personal to me. The songs are in some ways a little bit retrospective. Some of them are of now, some of them hark back to the past, but all of them are songs I'm very proud of." The coffee chain's profile as a music retail outlet spiked in 2005 when the company's RAY CHARLES duets compilation, GENIUS LOVES COMPANY, became a chart-topping sensation and picked up eight Grammy Awards. The new label has also struck deals to release upcoming projects by ALANIS MORISSETTE and BOB DYLAN.


SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY - McCARTNEY OFFICIALLY SIGNS TO COFFEE LABEL

'A Day In His Life'

Tim Piper's journey into adulthood paralleled the emergence of The Beatles. "I was in second grade in New York when The Beatles hit America," said Piper, who portrays John Lennon in A Day In His Life, The John Lennon Anthology Concert at the Paramount Theatre on March 23. "And as I grew, The Beatles grew. The Beatles were my strongest influence. But I did not think at the time: 'Oh, I'll grow up and be him.'" However, that is exactly what happened. more

DIRECTOR TAYMOR UNHAPPY WITH BEATLES FILM FINAL CUT

FRIDA director JULIE TAYMOR is considering removing her credit from a new BEATLES-themed movie - because she is dissatisfied with the film's final cut. Taymor directed EVAN RACHEL WOOD and SALMA HAYEK in ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, a new film set to the songs of the Fab Four, but now wants nothing to do with the finished product. The New York Times claims Taymor fell out with producer JOE ROTH after he ordered a re-cut for the film without her permission. Roth's revamp reportedly came in 30 minutes shorter than Taymor's two-hour-plus film. In a statement yesterday (20MAR07), Taylor said, "My creative team and I are extremely happy about our cut and the response to it. "Sometimes, at this stage of the Hollywood process differences of opinion arise, but in order to protect the film, I am not getting into details at this time." Meanwhile, movie mogul Roth is playing down the controversy, stating, "She's (Taymor) a brilliant director. She's made a brilliant movie. "This process is not anything out of the ordinary. Her reaction through her representatives might be."


FRIDA - DIRECTOR TAYMOR UNHAPPY WITH BEATLES FILM FINAL CUT

Final cut of Beatles musical sparks a fight

In Hollywood creative differences among moviemakers often make for more interesting results on the screen. But rarely do those battles escalate so much that a studio takes a movie away from an award-winning director. Such is the case — for the moment — with "Across the Universe," a $45 million psychedelic love story set to the music of the Beatles, directed by Julie Taymor, the stage and screen talent whose innovative interpretation of the Disney animated film "The Lion King" is one of the most successful modern stage musicals. After Taymor delivered the movie to Joe Roth, the film executive whose production company, Revolution Studios, based at Sony, is making the Beatles musical, he created his own version without her agreement. more

Traveling Wilburys Reissues Breed Mixed Emotions

Wilburys were one of the great rock supergroups. Initially formed by George Harrison and Jeff Lynne alongside Roy Orbison and Tom Petty, the band hooked up at Bob Dylan’s Santa Monica studio to record “Handle with Care,” a B-side to Harrison’s track “This Is Love.” They had such chemistry that all the participants decided to record an actual album. Traveling Wilburys Volume 1, which came out in 1988, was written and recorded in ten days by all five members, who posed as a band of assorted half-brothers and adopted corresponding pseudonyms (Nelson Wilbury was George Harrison, Petty was Charlie T. Jr. and Dylan was Lucky Wilbury). A varied lineup of the band then released their second album, the incongruously titled, Traveling Wilburys Volume 3, two years later. more

Heather Mills blasted by fans

Heather Mills has been attacked by US TV viewers after just one appearance on 'Dancing With The Stars'. Heather had agreed to go on the TV show in a bid to win over the American public following her bitter split from Sir Paul McCartney. But her efforts have already backfired as the show's website message-boards have been bombarded with scathing comments and insults. One viewer, using the screen name Mytgr8, said: "She made a fool of herself in almost every shot on the show - immature and asinine. She obviously is going all out to get people to like her and it is backfiring big time." more

Beatles mate picks iTunes News

While the world waits for EMI to re-issue the remastered Beatles catalogue on Apple's iTunes, one of John Lennon's old mates has decided to beat them to it by releasing his entire catalogue through the market-leading music download service. All Sir Elton John music will be available exclusively through iTunes starting next week. The entire catalogue of 400 tracks will be made available through the store starting 26 March, his artist management agents explained. The music will be available exclusively there until 30 April, when it will be made available through other music services. more

MILLS I WAS RICHER BEFORE I MARRIED McCARTNEY

HEATHER MILLS has hit out at claims she married SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY for money - insisting she is poorer now than before they met. The former model and charity campaigner claims she gave up a lucrative public speaking career to be a wife and mother. Mills tells talk show host LARRY KING, "If I was interested in making money, I'd be more well off than before I was married to Paul. I'm actually less well off. "I gave up a lot of opportunities when I got married. "I had a much better quality lifestyle and more money before I married."


HEATHER MILLS - MILLS I WAS RICHER BEFORE I MARRIED McCARTNEY

Pillow talk for peace

The "inactive activist" is at it again. Every March 21 for the past five years, the Tax Office worker Bruce Ryan has taken the day off and staged a "bed-in" for peace. His fifth effort will conclude at 9am today at the Embassy Hotel in Canberra. Ryan is silently demanding world peace, inspired by John Lennon and Yoko Ono's week-long bed-in at the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam in 1969. Raising money for UNICEF, Ryan is lying around for 24 hours with the hotel room door open and receiving all his meals from room service. "I'm encouraging people to do something like the 40-hour famine, alternative protests," Ryan said. What's the point? All he is saying is give peace a chance.


The Sydney Morning Herald Blogs: Stay in Touch

Accused Spector swans into court

Jury selection has begun in the murder trial of pioneering rock producer Phil Spector, who came to court in Los Angeles sporting a new blonde, Beatles-style shag and smiling broadly as he made his way past photographers. The trial will start more than four years after B-movie actress Lana Clarkson was killed at Spector's faux castle outside LA on February 3, 2003, and it promises to be the biggest celebrity court case since pop star Michael Jackson's 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges. A smiling Spector, 67, arrived at court like one of the 1960s rock stars he made his name producing - escorted by lawyers and beefy bodyguards. He was greeted by a throng of photographers, his once-wild hair newly styled into a blond moptop reminiscent of the Beatles. more

Canadian seal hunters: we're not a savage race

Mark Small is fed up with being portrayed as a bloodthirsty killer for his part in an annual cull in which about 300,000 young seals are shot or clubbed to death on ice floes off Canada's east coast. "It gives you a terrible feeling as a human being," said Small, a veteran hunter in the Atlantic province of Newfoundland. "We're not a cruel, savage race that came out of the forest somewhere." As animal rights activists gear up for their protest against this year's hunt, the sealers complain no one wants to hear their side of the story. The hunt is a humane operation closely monitored by Ottawa, clubbing seals is the best way of killing them, and it supports a they say. more

McCARTNEY SENDS FLOWERS TO MILLS

SIR PAUL McCARTNEY and estranged wife HEATHER MILLS are still friends and the former BEATLE sent a bouquet of flowers to mark the former model's debut on US reality TV show DANCING WITH THE STARS. Despite media reports of a bitter battle between the pair - who split last year (06) after four years of marriage - Mills insists relations between her and McCartney are amicable, and blames the rocker's lawyers for dragging out their divorce. She told talk show host LARRY KING last night (20MAR07) about McCartney's gift: "It was nice. There was a card that read, 'Dear Mummy, love Daddy and BEATRICE.' "We still have a friendship, it's just the lawyers who are nasty. Not on my side, but on his side. There's one woman. The lawyer, FIONA SHACKLETON, wants to drag it out to fill her pockets. She has said some mean things. She wants to make it as difficult as possible." She adds of her split from McCartney, "I still love him. He's the father of my child. But you can love someone and not be right for each other and have to move on. The lawyer, FIONA SHACKLETON, wants to drag it out to fill her pockets. She has said some mean things. She wants to make it as difficult as possible." She adds of her split from McCartney, "I still love him. He's the father of my child. But you can love someone and not be right for each other and have to move on. It's like a death. You marry someone because you are madly in love. We had a beautiful child after I'd had ectopic pregnancies and a miscarriage. We were together for seven years. We tried and tried and tried. But sometimes you have to say, 'It's not working.'"


PRESS RELEASE

Hello-goodbye: spat delays film with Beatles songs

In Hollywood, creative differences among moviemakers often make for more interesting results on the screen. But rarely do those battles escalate so much that a studio takes a movie away from an award-winning director. Such is the case — for the moment — with “Across the Universe,” a $45 million psychedelic love story set to the music of the Beatles, directed by Julie Taymor, the stage and screen talent whose innovative interpretation of the Disney animated film “The Lion King” is one of the most successful modern stage musicals. After Taymor delivered the movie to Joe Roth, the film executive whose production company, Revolution Studios, based at Sony, is making the Beatles musical, he created his own version without her agreement. And last week Roth tested his cut of the film, which is about a half-hour shorter than Taymor’s two-hour, eight-minute version. more

The US Vs John Lennon DVD

"Of all the documentaries that have been made about John, this is the one he would have loved," Yoko Ono. Before Iraq, before the Bush Administration, before the Dixie Chicks, Bruce Springsteen, and Pearl Jam … there was John Lennon, the celebrated musician who used his fame and his fortune to protest against the Vietnam War and advocate for world peace. The U.S government were so worried about the popularity and influence of this anti-war activist and inspirational icon, that they initiated a campaign to silence him. more

BUY: The U.S. vs. John Lennon

Flashback: John Lennon and Yoko Ono marry

It was 38 years ago today (March 20th, 1969) that John Lennon and Yoko Ono married in Gibraltar. Directly after the wedding the couple opened up their hotel room to the world's press during their Amsterdam honeymoon, and launched their first "Bed In" for peace. The couple had met in London in 1966 at one of Ono's avant garde art shows, and became romantically linked sometime between mid-1967 and mid-1968. By the spring of 1968, the pair, whom Lennon took to calling "Johnandyoko," began a long standing artistic partnership with the recording of their debut album, called Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins. The album included experimental sounds recorded in Lennon's home studio, and featured an album cover showing them nude. more

Saul Swimmer, director of 'Concert for Bangladesh,' dead at 70

Saul Swimmer, who directed the 1971 film "The Concert for Bangladesh," documenting a benefit show organized by Beatles star George Harrison and sitar player Ravi Shankar, has died. He was 70. Swimmer died March 3 of heart failure in Miami, his sister Esther Itzkovitz said. "The Concert for Bangladesh," held in New York's Madison Square Garden, was one of his proudest achievements, his business partner and friend Mario Custodio said. One of the first major rock concert benefits, the show featured Harrison and Ringo Starr a year after the Beatles broke up. Shankar, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan also played in the effort to raise money for millions of refugees of floods, famine and civil war in Bangladesh. more

McCartney devotees all set to ostracize Heather Mills' Reality Show

Washington, March 20 (ANI): Music legend Sir Paul McCartney's fans have started a crusade to blacklist his estranged wife, Heather Mills' new reality show 'Dancing with the Stars'. The former model participation in the reality show is being looked upon as an effort to fix her image after the disastrous divorce battle with the former Beatle. But McCartney fans are encouraging television viewers to boycott the show. "The best thing fans could do is not to watch the show at all, and her offers will immediately dry up. Why reward ABC for hiring her? Bad ratings are the best revenge," Contactmusic quoted one internet posting on the show's site. Meanwhile Mills after her exorbitant alimony demands, has claimed that she is still in love with McCartney. She said that she still loves Sir Paul McCartney despite being subjected to an 'agenda to destroy her'. The 39-year-old, who has a three-year-old daughter Beatrice with Sir Paul, said of their relationship: "I will never get over it, I will always love Paul."(ANI)

New Ringo Starr studio album coming in June

Ringo Starr's upcoming studio album, titled Liverpool 8, will be released in June. Longtime producer and collaborator Mark Hudson says that the album, which he co-produced with Starr and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, features a new "synthetic" direction for Starr, and steers him away from the Beatle-esque direction of his past four albums. The title of the album refers to Starr's original Liverpool postal code. In addition to working on the studio set with Starr, Hudson has wrapped up work on Starr's still-untitled live album which was the soundtrack to the 2005 Soundstage concert aired on PBS. The show, which was taped in Chicago, is due out on May 8th. more

Mills is dancing on eggshells, experts say

She is the most hated woman in Britain because of her questionable past and accusations against estranged husband Paul McCartney. So when Heather Mills waltzed onto U.S. TV screens Monday night as a contestant on "Dancing With the Stars," there was far more at stake than competing in a hit reality show. The disabled former topless model is plotting an ambitious scheme to be "reborn in the U.S.A." and persuade the American public to take her into their hearts. more

Meet Phil Spector

The latest celebrity trial is about to begin. The media machine is idling in the parking lot waiting for the opening gun. The Phil Spector trial will provide everything the press wants these days, everything it's ever wanted - sex, squalor, glamor, violence, and a chance to use Grand Guignol journalism to distract the public from ongoing problems of war, corruption, and maldistribution of wealth. more

MILLS HIT BACK AT POLICE

HEATHER MILLS has hit back at British police who accused her of wasting their time by calling emergency services, insisting she has had reason to fear for her life. Sussex police claimed SIR PAUL McCARTNEY's estranged wife made a "disproportionate" number of calls to the police, concerned about people hanging around outside her home in Hove. They said she risked "being treated as the little boy who cried wolf". But Mills is astonished by the police's attitude - considering they warned her about a plot against her life. She writes on her website, "Just before Christmas, three officers visited me to say they had been made aware of a plot to kill me. Maybe I should approach anyone standing outside my home late at night and say: 'Excuse me, are you a member of the press or are you part of the death plot?'"


PRESS RELEASE

BIG RADIO STATION IN WASHINGTON D.C. DIGS RINGO

Big 100.3, Washington D.C. is hosting a three day presentation of Ringo Starr's complete signed works of art at the Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, Maryland from Friday, March 23rd through Sunday, March 25th. The show is free and open to the public from 10:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. (Sunday from 11:00 – 6:00 p.m.). All works of art are available to purchase at special prices and 100% of Ringo's proceeds will be donated to the Lotus Foundation. This is the first Ringo Starr endorsed radio event featuring the former Beatles artwork.

In preparation for the show, Big 100.3 has changed its website from www.IDigBig.com to www.IDigRingo.com. Click on the site to hear a brand new interview with Ringo and Big morning show host Ballard. You can also play Rate-A-Ringo or Ringo Bingo. Check out a Barbara Bach photo collection (not to be missed!), see exclusive rare videos of Ringo and his art from his private archives (never before seen) and much more.

There will also be live music, special surprise guests and Ringo art pieces that have never been seen before. If you can't make it out the Westfield Montgomery Mall from March 23rd through March 25th, check out the unbelievable material on www.IDigRingo.com.

Heather Mills criticised

Heather Mills' dancing was praised during her debut performance on 'Dancing With The Stars'. The former model, who lost her leg in a traffic accident, received praise from the judging panel for her foxtrot with partner Jonathan Roberts but was criticised for her arm movements. Judge Bruno Tonioli said: "You've got more guts than Rambo. But you've got to watch your arms." Panellist Len Goodman told Heather: "There was far more right about that routine than was wrong." Heather, the estranged wife of Sir Paul McCartney, said she hoped her appearance would inspire others with a disability. more

Beatles Not For Sale

Despite recent reports to the contrary, ''EXTRA'' has confirmed that Michael Jackson is not selling his Beatles catalogue. His spokesperson, Raymone K. Bain, tells ''Extra'' that ''There is no truth to the rumor that Michael Jackson will be selling his Beatles catalogue… period… not back to Paul McCartney, or any other individual or entity. He has no intention, or interest, in selling his catalogue.''



Beatles Not For Sale - antiMUSIC News

Anoushka Shankar

Anoushka Shankar continues to bring a new energy and excitement to one of the noblest and most sublime legacies in the world of contemporary music. Anoushka is the daughter of Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar, and she is the first and only sitarist in the world trained completely by him. Ravi Shankar has guided his daughter through her emergence as a performer and as a recording artist, writing and producing the five works she plays on Anoushka, her debut album. For Anourag, her second recording, Anoushka once again performed music written and produced by her father. This time, Ravi Shankar also joined Anoushka as performer, in his first studio recording in three years. When Ravi Shankar’s friend and protégé George Harrison first worked with Anoushka in 1997 -- when she conducted on the Chants of India album -- he saw that she had inherited not only her father’s virtuosity but also his musical soul. "Most people are musicians simply because they play a certain instrumentwhen they play that instrument, the music appears," Harrison said. "But Ravi -- to me, he is the musicit just happens to be that he plays the sitar. And it’s like that with Anoushka. She just has that quality. She could play the banjo, and it wouldn’t matter – she is the music." more

McCARTNEY FANS CALL FOR MILLS REALITY SHOW BOYCOTT

Fans of SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY have started a campaign to boycott his estranged wife HEATHER MILLS' new reality show DANCING WITH THE STARS. The former model made her debut on the show last night (19MAR07), in what is though to be an attempt to repair her image during a damaging divorce battle with the former BEATLE. But MCCartney devotees are urging TV viewers to turn their backs on the show. One internet posting, on a site dedicated to the show, reads, "The best thing fans could do is not to watch the show at all, and her offers will immediately dry up. Why reward ABC for hiring her? Bad ratings are the best revenge."


SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY - McCARTNEY FANS CALL FOR MILLS REALITY SHOW BOYCOTT

SPECTOR SHOWS UP FOR JURY SELECTION WITH A NEW HAIRDO

Music mogul PHIL SPECTOR stunned legal analysts in Los Angeles this morning (19MAR07) by sporting a new look as he turned up for the first day of jury selection in his upcoming murder trial. The record producer ditched the zany wig he wore for a court date last year (06) and instead sported a long BEATLES-type hairstyle and long black coat. The only flamboyant thing about his attire was a large-collar yellow shirt he wore. More than 70 potential jurors were interviewed in court in Los Angeles this morning. Spector's trial is likely to get underway at the end of next month (APR07). He faces charges he murdered actress LANA CLARKSON, whose body was found at Spector's Alhambra, California mansion in 2004.


PHIL SPECTOR - SPECTOR SHOWS UP FOR JURY SELECTION WITH A NEW HAIRDO

THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO IN OTTAWA

Though the Beatles never performed a live concert here in Ottawa, the city does have a unique connection to the Beatles. John and Yoko's decision to visit and use Canada in 1969 as a venue for delivering their campaign on world peace was generally embraced by our youth of its day. What made it more interesting for us all locally, was that Ottawa, Canada's Capital, was unexpectedly included into the Lennon's itinerary. How it all happened is a very intriguing story to tell. As a 14-year-old back then, I recall how my own interest was titillated by the Canadian media's own fascination over the arrival of John and Yoko into Canada: it was reported they landed in Toronto from the Bahamas on Sunday, May 25, 1969, where they stayed over-night at the King Edward Hotel. It was on this date, John Lennon tapes a pre-bed-in recording of "Give Peace A Chance" (on the hit parade, just the day before, a Beatles' song "Get Back" officially hits #1 on the US charts). The following day the press interviews John and Yoko in the King Edward Hotel but the media soon caught wind that John and Yoko were moving their "peace campaign" on to Montreal, Québec. The couple boarded a plane on the evening of Monday, May 26, 1969 and flew to Montreal, a city known for its beautiful and eloquent cosmopolitan look, the Lennons decidedly checked into room 1742 of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. The move proved to be strategically successful for the Lennons as the Queen Elizabeth Hotel became the "central focusing point" for their "peace campaign." With an open invitation to all media platforms from John and Yoko (based on an idea from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), the couple conducted interviews with the press and even brought on board some famous celebraties such as Dick Gregory, Tommy Smothers (his brother "Dick" was never at the "bed-in") and right-wing cartoonist Al Capp for a dialogue on peace. John and Yoko's activities during this time worked exceedingly well as news reports quickly travelled out from Montreal to all of North America. Back in Ottawa the students alumni at the University of Ottawa picked up on the activities of John and Yoko through the media. more

Conspiracy Theory

Heather Mills deeply believes that her ex-husband, Paul McCartney, is concocting a "conspiracy" in an attempt to destroy her. The ex-model insists the British media have been overwhelmingly invasive, attempting to ruin her career, personal life and reputation since she split from Sir Paul. In a recent interview with the BBC, Heather said, "There is a huge agenda about trying to destroy me and put me down. There are huge powers. I don't have that powerful system that Paul has. There are huge powers that create these things for their own reasons. I have a daughter to protect and I don't want to speak badly about any of the parties involved. Since the couple announced they were separating in May 2006, reports have surfaced about Heather posing naked for a sex book, allegedly working as a high-class prostitute and wearing fur in 1989, despite the fact she is now an animal rights activist," adds the Post Chronicle. more

Phil Spector case to be transmitted live on US court TV

Some are calling it the biggest court event since OJ Simpson, others are saying that it simply shouldn’t be broadcast on live TV, but whatever the opinions of viewers, we will all be able to judge for ourselves as the case of Phil Specter Vs The United States law unwinds before our very eyes. In the ultimate reality TV spectacular, there is nothing quite like a murder trial involving one of the worlds best known music producers. Phil Spector has been penning songs for the likes of The Beatles, The Supremes, Cher, Leonard Cohen among others. Phil Spector is probably best known for his unique ‘Wall Of Sound’ concept involving multiple musicians combining together to produce a rich tone – he made this his trade mark production technique which catapulted Phil Spector into the super-league of music production. more

Heather Mills and Paul McCartney reach out of court settlement

Heather Mills McCartney and Sir Paul McCartney have allegedly reached an out of court settlement and the divorce proceedings have reached an end. According to a News Of The World reporter, the two are apparently calling a truce in order to avoid a bitter and drawn out court-room drama which would invariably be played out across the world's media. The former Beatle and National treasure Sir Paul has agreed to give Heather Mills a settlement in the region of £29 million including cash and property after months of bitter fighting and mud slinging. more

Will Heather Mills feel the love in the States?

She is the most hated woman in Britain because of her muckraking accusations against estranged husband Paul McCartney. So when Heather Mills waltzes onto TV screens as a contestant on "Dancing With the Stars," there is far more at stake than winning a hit reality show. Mills, 39, who will be dancing on an artificial leg, is plotting an ambitious scheme to be "reborn in the U.S.A." and persuade the American public to take her to their hearts. "I get nothing but support over here," she says of the United States, where she has a luxury home in the Hamptons. "People want to give me a hug."
But media commentators on either side of the Atlantic are divided on whether it will be more like a cold shoulder. more

MIJAC RUMORED TO BE SELLING BEATLES COLLECTIION

There's no telling how much money Michael Jackson made from his two Tokyo meet-and-greets last week; the more expensive sporting a price tag of $3,400-per-person. But word has it that he’s about to add untold millions to the pot. According to reports, the singer arrived in London over the weekend with plans to sell his Beatles catalog to former Beatle member, Paul McCartney. Jackson outbid Sir Paul and John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono in 1985 for ownership of over 200 songs from the Fab Four. more

Re-thinking the Beatles

A great spiritual confusion arrived during the 1960s and in many ways it came most powerfully through music -- especially rock music, which helped cause monumental societal, moral, and even spiritual change. In a way that often seems hard to peg, a revolution occurred. There was suddenly long hair. There were t-shirts. There were jeans. There was liberation -- from everything conventional, and from tradition. It was the onset of anti-traditionalism. There was freedom to dress any way. There was freedom to flee religion. There was freedom to use drugs (which replaced the spiritual "high"). There was "free" sex. There were often good intentions spurred by excesses in society but there was also the spirit of rebellion during an intriguing and in many ways dark period that was to deeply alter the moral landscape. more

BUY THIS "MUST HAVE" BOOK NOW: The Gospel According to the Beatles

LED ZEP STAR IN PIRATE TAPES BATTLE

LEGENDARY Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page is to give evidence in a Scottish court against a man accused of bootlegging the band's live concerts. Page will appear as a witness at Glasgow Sheriff Court in the case against businessman Robert Langley, of Buckingham. Langley, 59, was arrested at a record fair in the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow, two years ago, with £26,000 of allegedly pirated CDs. Among the massive haul was a range of previously unreleased live material by Led Zeppelin, including a concert at Knebworth, England, in 1979. Investigators also seized unreleased work by Bob Dylan, Robbie Williams and the Beatles. more

Rare Beatles footage made available online

Rare footage of The Beatles has been made available to the public for the first time. Fans of the Fab Four will be able to view "new" clips of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Star after download firm Wippit won a battle with record label EMI. McCartney's wedding to first wife Linda in 1969, Lennon and Yoko Ono's "bed-in" during the same year, and McCartney admitting to taking hallucinogenic drug LSD are among the clips available to download. more

I'LL NEVER FORGIVE HEATHER

FURIOUS dad Bernard Bradford blasted Heather Mills last night for wrecking his daughter's dreams of marrying her hunky fitness trainer. He hit out after Ben Amigoni ditched Joanne Bradford to be at the side of boss Lady Mucca. Bernard, 47, stormed: "I think Heather is just a sad case. She has the power to manipulate people. I can never forgive her for ruining my Joanne's happiness. Ben has turned against her. "They had planned their life together, marriage and children. Now all that has been taken away. more

Sir Paul McCartney Pokes Fun At Heather Mills

Sir Paul McCartney has made fun of his divorce battle with Heather Mills by posing for photographs as a down and out. The ex-Beatle was snapped rolling around on a pavement by the News Of The World, as he apparently yelled, “This is what she is trying to do to me!" following the recent commencement of their High Court battle. A source tells the paper, “Paul was out walking with his mates in Liverpool when he decided to jokingly pose for a picture to show how Heather is trying to destroy him. "He was only larking about, but making a point too. He’s been in great spirits since the court hearing."


Sir Paul McCartney Pokes Fun At Heather Mills - Entertainment News, Reviews, Competitions - Entertainmentwise

Liverpool's cruel legacy

Beatles lovers who seek out Penny Lane imagine it as that magical place "in my ears and in my eyes, there beneath the blue suburban skies." But it has a sinister undertone that still reverberates. The street in Liverpool, hometown of the Fab Four, is named after James Penny, a slave trader and investor in 11 voyages that took 500 to 600 captives at a time to the New World. Penny was among the many who enriched themselves and their city on human trafficking until the slave trade was abolished 200 years ago. Their ships carried millions of human beings from West Africa to the plantations of the Americas in a triangular trade that also brought profitable cargoes of sugar, tobacco and rum to England more

Heather Mills says 'huge powers' destorying her image

The former model insists the British media have been trying to ruin her career, personal life and reputation since she split from Sir Paul McCartney. In an interview with the BBC, Heather - who has a three-year-old daughter Beatrice, with Paul - said: "There is a huge agenda about trying to destroy me and put me down. "There are huge powers. I don't have that powerful system that Paul has. There are huge powers that create these things for their own reasons. I have a daughter to protect and I don't want to speak badly about any of the parties involved." more

Help needed

THE Spotlight Theatre is celebrating the work of The Beatles this summer and new talent is wanted. The shows, which are entitled With The Beatles, feature a variety of hits and singers, dancers and instrumentalists are needed. Producing the show is Colin March and Mark Howley is musical director – the team behind December's pantomime, Cinderella. The show will feature a live band as well as piano accompaniment together with movement, dance and comedy. Performances will be every Tuesday evening from July 17 to September 25 and performers will be able to negotiate time off for holidays. Rehearsals will be on every Tuesday night starting from April 17th at 7.30pm at the Spotlight Theatre in West Street. If anyone is interested they are invited to an open meeting on Wednesday at 7.30pm at Applegarth Court, Applegarth Lane. For more information please call Colin on 678678 or 07749 219551.


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Rock legend's murder trial to begin

FOUR years after B-movie Lana Clarkson was found shot dead at his LA mansion, legendary rock producer Phil Spector goes on trial for her murder. The trial, delayed repeatedly since Spector was indicted in 2003, will be shown on live television amid fascination with the 1960s musical genius turned recluse who once described himself as having "devils that fight inside me." Fifty news organisations applied for a seat in the Los Angeles courtroom for the biggest celebrity trial since pop star Michael Jackson's 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges. more

Orchestra, band to honor Beatles

It was more than 20 years ago today that Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play. And he's still teaching bands. His latest pupils: the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra will join with Classical Mystery Tour, a Beatles tribute band, to present "A Tribute to The Beatles" on Sunday at Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach. Classical Mystery Tour features former members of the Broadway show "Beatlemania," including Jim Owen, a singer, guitarist and pianist who first joined international touring versions of the show when he was 18. "We really make an effort to sound exactly like the originals," said Owen, who founded Classical Mystery Tour in 1996 with the idea of performing Fab Four songs with symphonies. Owen performs the John Lennon role. more