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Tag: Paul McCartney

  • Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and More Mourn Passing of “Fifth Beatle” George Martin

    Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and More Mourn Passing of “Fifth Beatle” George Martin

    Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney are two of many celebrities within the music world who are mourning the passing of George Martin, the producer who was often called the “fifth Beatle.”

    Ringo Starr took to Twitter to confirm and mourn Martin’s death.

    Paul McCartney shared his feelings via his website.

    “I’m so sad to hear the news of the passing of dear George Martin. I have so many wonderful memories of this great man that will be with me forever. He was a true gentleman and like a second father to me. He guided the career of The Beatles with such skill and good humour that he became a true friend to me and my family. If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George. From the day that he gave The Beatles our first recording contract, to the last time I saw him, he was the most generous, intelligent and musical person I’ve ever had the pleasure to know.

    “It’s hard to choose favourite memories of my time with George, there are so many but one that comes to mind was the time I brought the song ‘Yesterday’ to a recording session and the guys in the band suggested that I sang it solo and accompany myself on guitar. After I had done this George Martin said to me, “Paul I have an idea of putting a string quartet on the record”. I said, “Oh no George, we are a rock and roll band and I don’t think it’s a good idea”. With the gentle bedside manner of a great producer he said to me, “Let us try it and if it doesn’t work we won’t use it and we’ll go with your solo version”. I agreed to this and went round to his house the next day to work on the arrangement.

    “He took my chords that I showed him and spread the notes out across the piano, putting the cello in the low octave and the first violin in a high octave and gave me my first lesson in how strings were voiced for a quartet. When we recorded the string quartet at Abbey Road, it was so thrilling to know his idea was so correct that I went round telling people about it for weeks. His idea obviously worked because the song subsequently became one of the most recorded songs ever with versions by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and thousands more.

    “This is just one of the many memories I have of George who went on to help me with arrangements on ‘Eleanor Rigby’, ‘Live and Let Die’ and many other songs of mine.

    “I am proud to have known such a fine gentleman with such a keen sense of humour, who had the ability to poke fun at himself. Even when he was Knighted by the Queen there was never the slightest trace of snobbery about him.

    “My family and I, to whom he was a dear friend, will miss him greatly and send our love to his wife Judy and their kids Giles and Lucy, and the grandkids.

    “The world has lost a truly great man who left an indelible mark on my soul and the history of British music.

    “God bless you George and all who sail in you!” Paul McCartney concluded.

    Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney are the only surviving members of the Beatles. John Lennon was murdered in 1980 and George Harrison died of cancer in 2001.

    John Lennon’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, shared his grief via Twitter.

    He shared a photo of George Martin on Instagram.

    Paul McCartney’s daughter, designer Stella McCartney, took to Twitter to share her grief.

    The passing of George Martin is proving to early Beatles fans that the end to an era is fast approaching. The only remaining members of the “fab four,” Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, are now in their 70s.

  • Yoko Ono: John Lennon’s Widow Didn’t Suffer Stroke, Released from Hospital

    Yoko Ono, the 83-year-old widow of Beatles legend John Lennon, was rumored to have been hospitalized this weekend after suffering from a stroke. Her son, Sean Ono Lennon, has since shared word that not only didn’t his mom have a stroke, but she was also released from the hospital on Saturday.

    It was Friday night when an unconscious Yoko Ono was transported by ambulance from her home at the Dakota to Mount Sinai West Hospital, where it was later determined she was suffering from a severe case of dehydration as a result of the flu.

    On Saturday, the only child of John Lennon and Yoko Ono seemed more than happy to announce his mom was home from the hospital.

    During an interview with Us Weekly last week, Yoko Ono admitted she still misses John Lennon, who was shot and killed in front of the Dakota back in 1980.

    “Maybe people already know this, but I miss John every day,” she said.

    Yoko Ono also says in the interview that she had nothing to do with the breakup of The Beatles.

    “I had nothing to do with breaking up the Beatles. And I think Paul [McCartney] is a pretty cool dude,” she said.

    Yoko Ono fans no doubt find it pretty cool that at 83 she’s still an icon. And they’re surely happy to learn she’s back at home and in much better health that originally feared.

  • Yoko Ono, 83-Year-Old Widow of John Lennon, Released from Hospital

    Yoko Ono was unconscious when she was rushed to Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan Friday night. Rumors quickly made the rounds saying the widow of Beatles singer/songwriter John Lennon suffered a stroke.

    Son Sean Lennon insisted early on Saturday that his mother didn’t have a stroke, but was suffering some serious flu symptoms instead.

    Yoko Ono was transferred via ambulance from her home at the Dakota, where she has lived since she and John Lennon purchased their apartment back in 1973. Lennon was shot and killed outside of the Dakota in 1980.

    Ono was expected to remain in the hospital for the remainder of the weekend, however her son took to Twitter later on Saturday to say she has been released.

    A bit later, Sean Ono Lennon added yet another tweet.

    Earlier this week, in an interview with Us Weekly, Yoko Ono shared a few facts about herself she thought her fans might like to know.

    “Maybe people already know this, but I miss John every day,” she said of her late husband.

    Yoko Ono also insists in the interview that she had nothing to do with the breakup of The Beatles.

    “I had nothing to do with breaking up the Beatles. And I think Paul [McCartney] is a pretty cool dude,” she said.

    Sean Ono Lennon, along with Yoko Ono’s fans, are no doubt relieved the 83-year-old is home and on the mend. It sounds like her ordeal on Friday night was a rather frightening experience.

  • Yoko Ono Rushed to New York Hospital Unconscious, Admitted With Flu-Like Symptoms

    Yoko Ono Rushed to New York Hospital Unconscious, Admitted With Flu-Like Symptoms

    Yoko Ono was unconscious when she was rushed to the hospital on Friday evening. First reports speculated the widow of the late John Lennon may have had a stroke, but that was later determined not to be true.

    Taken from her home at the Dakota and rushed to Mount Sinai West Hospital, Yoko Ono, 83, was suffering from flu-like symptoms.

    Ono has lived at the Dakota since 1973 when she and John Lennon purchased their apartment there. John Lennon was shot and killed in front of the building in 1980. The hospital where Yoko Ono was taken on Friday evening is where Lennon was pronounced dead.

    In an interview with Us Weekly earlier this week, Yoko Ono says she still misses the late Beatles legend.

    “Maybe people already know this, but I miss John every day,” she said.

    Yoko Ono also insists in the interview that she had nothing to do with the breakup of The Beatles.

    “I had nothing to do with breaking up the Beatles. And I think Paul [McCartney] is a pretty cool dude,” she said.

    Yoko Ono’s publicist, Elliott Mintz, says she will likely be released from the hospital sometime on Sunday.

  • Yoko Ono: John Lennon’s Widow Insists She Didn’t Cause The Beatles to Split

    Yoko Ono, the 83-year-old widow of John Lennon, is once again stating she didn’t cause The Beatles to split up back in the 1970s.

    Interviewed earlier this week by Us Weekly, Ono shared some interesting facts about herself that many people might not know.

    Married to John Lennon from 1969-1980, the singer-songwriter who, alongside Paul McCartney, wrote most of The Beatles’ tunes, Yoko Ono was by her husband’s side when he was assassinated in New York City on December 8, 1980. She has addressed rumors that she broke up The Beatles several times in the years since Lennon’s death.

    “I had nothing to do with breaking up the Beatles. And I think Paul [McCartney] is a pretty cool dude,” she told Us Weekly.

    Some of the fun facts Yoko Ono shared include that she has “never slept more than three or four hours at a time.” She also “wasn’t into drugs.” And Gone With the Wind is to this day her favorite movie.

    One of the facts Yoko Ono shared went without saying.

    “Maybe people already know this, but I miss John every day,” she said.

    People all over the world miss John Lennon, and no doubt frequently wonder what kind of music he’d be making now. None, of course, miss him the way Yoko Ono and their son Sean Lennon miss him.

    Were you a John Lennon fan? Do you remember when he first got together with Yoko Ono?

  • Paul McCartney Turned Away At Grammys After Party

    Paul McCartney has likely never been told no in his adult life, but that is exactly what happened at the doors of Argyle nightclub in Hollywood.

    Paul McCartney was looking to get inside for an after party thrown by rapper Tyga. He was accompanied by Beck and Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.

    After being turned away at the door, Paul McCartney took the snub in stride saying, “How VIP do we gotta get?”

    He then added, “We need another hit,” and turning to Beck and Hawkins he said, “Work on it!”

    But no tears need be shed for Paul McCartney as he was later(undoubtedly welcome) at the Republic Records Grammys after party. There, he was flanked by Woody Harrelson, Beck and McCartney’s wife, Nancy Shevell, at Hyde Sunset Kitchen + Cocktails in Los Angeles.

    Paul McCartney danced the night away with the likes of triple Grammy winner Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, and Lorde.

    A source said of the famous Beatle, “Paul McCartney literally danced the night away with his wife, Nancy. So adorable. And he was surrounded by Beck, Woody Harrelson and Taylor Hawkins. The song that got him up dancing was ‘FourFiveSeconds’.”

    Happy World Wide Valentine! #PaulMcCartney #ValentinesDay #Valentine #MyValentine #happyvalentinesday

    A photo posted by Paul McCartney (@paulmccartney) on

    Tyga later denied he had anything to do with turning Paul McCartney away at the door.

    I wonder if the bouncer at Argyle still has his job today?

    What do you think about Paul McCartney getting turned away from Tyga’s after party?

  • John Lennon: Thousands Form Peace Sign in Late Beatles’ Memory

    John Lennon would have turned 75 on Friday. Instead, the former Beatles member and half of the iconic John Lennon and Paul McCartney song writing duo, was gunned down outside his apartment building on Manhattan’s west side, just across the street from Central Park in New York City on December 8, 1980.

    On Tuesday, thousands of people joined John Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, in Central Park, in an effort to form a peace sign in his memory. They hoped to break a record for the largest group of people to form a peace sign, but they didn’t achieve that goal. They celebrated the life of John Lennon, however, and the hope of peace he so longed to see.

    Yoko Ono used some of John Lennon’s most famous lyrics from his song “Imagine” to sum up the coming together of so many in honor of peace and of the late musician.

    “Imagine all the people living life in peace,” she said. “This is the best present to John.”

    A mother and son attended the peace rally in honor of John Lennon. Both Muslims, the two were spotted kneeling under a tree in Central Park praying.

    “To me, peace is something that should stop fighting, you need peace like, as in, if somebody is fighting with you and they act like they’re not your friend – act like you’re their friend,” the boy said. “That’s making peace. If there’s not a solution, then you’re part of the problem.”

    “Before we make peace outside ourselves, we have to make peace within ourselves,” the mother shared.

    John Lennon would have likely embraced these thoughts.

    “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one,” the lyrics from “Imagine” say.

    Yoko Ono has worked hard to keep John Lennon’s legacy of peace alive. On Tuesday in Central Park his light shone bright.

  • Paul McCartney Rearranges, Releases Remix of Duet With Michael Jackson

    Paul McCartney is nothing short of a musical genius. The former Beatles member not only performs, he writes music, rearranges it, and has an ear for the incredibly creative in the music world.

    It was back in 1983 when Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson recorded the duet “Say, Say, Say.” On his reissued album that came out October 2nd, “Pipes of Peace,” McCartney features a new arrangement of the song–one that will surely resonate with fans who recall the original.

    “Paul remembered that there were two unused lead vocal performances by Michael and himself,” Paul McCartney’s lead engineer Steve Orchard explains. “We then rearranged the vocal sequence and inverted the original performance so that Michael opened the first verse instead of Paul, to give the song a different take to the original version. Then we added additional backing vocal parts from the original multi-track to further enhance the instrumental mix.”

    In other words, what Paul McCartney sang in 1983 is now sung by Michael Jackson, and vice versa.

    Did you love Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson performing together decades ago? Do you expect the rerelease of “Say, Say, Say” will put Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney back on the Billboard charts again?

  • Sam Smith Joins Ranks With Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Sheryl Crow, Paul McCartney, and More With James Bond “Spectre” Theme Song

    Sam Smith is in good company with the release of his latest song and music video. The latest in the line of James Bond film theme songs, “Writing’s On the Wall” is already a huge hit, putting Smith in the ranks of musicians including Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Sheryl Crow, Paul McCartney & Wings, and more.

    Featuring steamy footage from the upcoming Spectre, Sam Smith’s music video includes scenes with Monica Bellucci and Daniel Craig that further enhance his haunting vocals.

    Last week, Sam Smith’s song debuted at number one on the U.K. charts.

    Only one of the prior James Bond theme songs has ever made it to number one on the Billboard Top 100. That honor goes to Duran Duran for “A View to A Kill” back in 1985–the theme to the film of the same name, starring Roger Moore, Grace Jones, and Christopher Walken.

    Might Sam Smith break the mold, becoming the second singer to achieve the feat?

    Smith has been absent from the music scene for a while due to having vocal cord surgery in Boston. He’s back now, much to the delight of his fans, and plans to go on tour again soon.

    Fans can catch Sam Smith’s amazing vocals when Spectre, starring Daniel Craig, Monica Bellucci, Lea Seydoux, and more hits the big screen on November 6th.

  • Cilla Black: British Singer, TV Personality Died of Stroke from Head Injury

    Cilla Black, the beloved British singer and TV personality who died on Saturday at the age of 72, died of a stroke. She was sunbathing at her Spanish villa when she stood up and apparently lost her balance–fell, and hit her head. The head injury caused the stroke. According to the BBC, she didn’t suffer, but fell unconscious immediately.

    Now that they have received the conclusive results from her autopsy, Cilla Black’s three sons have received permission to fly their mother’s body home to the UK.

    “We are devastated by the sad loss of our mother, but have been deeply touched by all the kind messages of support from her friends, fans, the public and media,” Robert, Ben, and Jack Willis said in a statement to the press.

    “We would like to thank everyone, especially the people of Liverpool. The tributes and condolences have really helped us through these difficult times. The Spanish authorities have now told us we are able to bring Mum home, which we hope to do as quickly as possible. We would also like to thank all those involved for their assistance with this matter. We respectfully request for our continued privacy to grieve.”

    Several noted celebrities have shared their shock and grief at the sudden passing of Cilla Black.

    It is clear that the UK has lost a great talent and Cilla Black’s sons have lost a great woman.

    May Cilla Black rest in peace.

  • Nicole Kidman Doesn’t Diss Tom Cruise or Scientology, Unlike Heather Mills

    Nicole Kidman is a class act. The actress has been married to country music superstar Keith Urban since 2006. While they do occasionally make tabloid headlines, Kidman says her marriage and life now are pretty down to Earth.

    In a recent Vogue interview, it really jumps out how Kidman is able to praise her marriage to Urban without feeling the need to denigrate her time with Tom Cruise.

    “I wish I could have met him much earlier,” Kidman says of Urban, “and had way more children with him. But I didn’t. I mean, if I could have had two more children with him, that would have been just glorious.”

    The way she talks about Keith Urban is the stuff of fairy tale love stories. Like her recounting of watching him play in a friendly jam session recently.

    “I looked up at him at one point and I saw his tattoos and his foot going, and he had the guitar, and I was like, ‘God, I love that man. I’m so glad I’m in this world.’”

    One of the things Nicole Kidman will not talk about in interviews is Scientology. She would not even give a comment to the recent HBO documentary Going Clear, which has said Scientology tried to break up her marriage to Tom Cruise. Kidman has said that she ill not comment on that out of respect for her children with Tom Cruise.

    It’s not that Kidman won’t speak of those years with Cruise at all. She says, for example, that today’s young celebrities have a much harder time with tabloids and press than they did.

    “We’re the generation that got to duck all of that,” Kidman says. “When I was with Tom, I don’t remember paparazzi sitting outside our house . . . not like now. This is different.”

    Still, nothing bitter is aired about him, even though it would probably sell copy and get her interviews.

    What a contrast that is with Heather Mills’ recent statements. The ex-wife of Paul McCartney has spoken ill of him more than once recently.

    “I don’t want to go into my second marriage too much,” Heather Mills told the Guardian, “because if you haven’t got something nice to say about someone you shouldn’t say anything at all, and it had a lot to do with the person I married.”

    Rather than withhold comments out of respect for their daughter, she uses her as a topic to talk McCartney down.

    “I taught her the saxophone,” Mills says, “because her father can’t read music so I do all the music teaching.”

    On another occasion, Mills said of McCartney:

    “If I go down the street, all I get is kids coming up to me — half of them don’t even know who he is — that’s why he’s gotta do songs with Rihanna and Kanye West, so people remember …”

  • Heather Mills Is Crapping On Paul McCartney. Again.

    Heather Mills still hasn’t learned. No matter how many charities she fronts, no matter how much she crusades, the world will never love her as much as they love Paul McCartney. Decades from now, Heather Mills’ legacy will still be a footnote in the life of a Beatle.

    That may seem cold, but perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if Mills would stop taking digs at Paul McCartney.

    In a recent interview with the Guardian, Mills insisted that she did not want to talk about her marriage to Paul McCartney. That’s understandable. It must get frustrating to her that she has done so much good work in the eight years since she and McCartney split, but every interview has at least one question about Sir Paul.

    But why can’t Mills just say, “I’m not talking about that. Next question, please”? Or maybe have a polite, canned response she gives to every question. Eventually they would stop asking. Instead, she has to get in a dig at McCartney.

    “I don’t want to go into my second marriage too much,” she told the Guardian, “because if you haven’t got something nice to say about someone you shouldn’t say anything at all, and it had a lot to do with the person I married.”

    Mills spoke of Beatrice, the daughter she has with Paul McCartney.

    “I taught her the saxophone,” Mills says, “because her father can’t read music so I do all the music teaching.”

    Newsflash Heather: We all know Paul McCartney does not read music. That’s what makes some of those awesome Beatles songs so … awesome. It’s not something to look down on him for.

    You can read music. He does not. He is a music god. You are not.

    Mills pulled the same thing in an interview on “The Late Late Show” in Ireland. She insisted that people are not all that interested in Paul McCartney anymore.

    “That’s the thing. If I go down the street, all I get is kids coming up to me — half of them don’t even know who he is — that’s why he’s gotta do songs with Rihanna and Kanye West, so people remember …”

    At this point the host expressed a very mild version of the disbelief that the rest of the world was swelling to scream out. But Heather Mills pressed on.

    “[McCartney] is someone I fell in love with, who to me was a normal guy, who just happened to write a few cool songs in the 60s, and a few in the 70s. And it was just someone I fell in love with. Like everybody that’s a partner: fall in love, you get married, you sometimes then go ‘Oh,my God. This is completely wrong.’ You wake up, and you move on.”

    Paul McCartney is not “someone who just happened to write a few cool songs in the 60s, and a few in the 70s.” That’s like saying Bill Clinton worked in an office in D.C. or Michael Jordan liked to shoot hoops.

    There is no way Heather Mills did not know that Paul McCartney was already a legend long before she came along. Sure, their relationship ended badly. But to say that he is so irrelevant as to need to do songs with Rihanna and Kanye to stay in the public eye?

    Paul McCartney has also recently worked with Dave Grohl. And Dave Grohl nearly bowed in a “we’re not worthy” pose of obeisance.

    Maybe knowing Paul McCartney as the guy she woke up next to, had to put the toilet seat down after, and ended up divorcing soured Heather Mills. Maybe following Linda McCartney’s act was tough.

    But Linda McCartney would’ve never called Paul ‘someone who happened to write a few cool songs.’

    If Heather Mills wants to rise above footnote, she will have to embrace the fact that she will never shake being the Former Mrs. Paul McCartney, and stop talking trash about someone the rest of us love.

    I mean, damn. He’s not Bill Cosby.

  • Ringo Starr Celebrates Birthday, Former Member of The Beatles Turns 75

    Ringo Starr, known best for his time as the drummer for The Beatles, celebrated a very special birthday on Tuesday. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon’s former band mate turned 75.

    A celebration took place outside of L.A.’s Capitol Records building, underneath a giant card that read, “Happy Birthday Ringo July 7, 2015 #PEACEANDLOVE.”

    Ringo Starr blew out candles to refrains of “Happy Birthday,” and those on hand for the event claim the musician is “just as spry as ever.”

    Paul McCartney shared happy birthday wishes via Twitter.

    Born Richard Starkey in Liverpool, England, Ringo Starr wasn’t expected to live much past age seven. He got an infection that put him in a coma, and spent his seventh birthday hospitalized. Doctors didn’t expect him to survive.

    In 1962 he answered a call for a local band that needed a drummer. In 1964 he joined John, Paul, and George on stage at The Ed Sullivan Show. The rest, as they say, is history.

    Only Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr remember The Beatles’ history firsthand, however. John Lennon was shot and killed back in 1980. George Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001.

    Ringo Starr was the oldest of The Beatles. Paul McCartney turned 73 on June 18th.

    One of Ringo Starr’s birthday wishes was to hear his fans shout out his motto, “Peace and Love!” at noon.

    The crowd was all too happy to oblige.

    Do you remember watching The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show back in the 1960s?

    Can you believe Ringo Starr is 75 years old?

  • Cynthia Lennon, John Lennon’s Ex-Wife, Dies at 75

    Cynthia Lennon, the ex-wife of John Lennon, died on Wednesday of cancer at her home in Mallorca, Spain. She was 75. John and Cynthia Lennon were married from 1962 to 1968 and had one child, Julian Lennon. Julian was with his mother when she passed away.

    A representative for Julian Lennon posted a statement on his website announcing his mother’s passing.

    “Cynthia Lennon passed away today at her home in Mallorca, Spain following a short but brave battle with cancer. Her son Julian Lennon was at her bedside throughout. The family are thankful for your prayers.
    Please respect their privacy at this difficult time,” the statement reads.

    John and Cynthia Lennon met while they were attending the Liverpool College of Art, right before the Beatles became famous.

    “I got pregnant, we got married, the Beatles began–and we were all plunged into the whirlwind,” she said in an interview with People magazine back in 1981.

    John and Cynthia divorced, and he married Yoko Ono a year later. Yoko Ono and John Lennon remained married until his death in 1981.

    Julian Lennon posted the following tribute to his mom on his website and on his YouTube page.

    Many people weren’t aware that Cynthia Lennon even existed during the early days of the Beatles. The band’s management did their best to keep her hidden, so John Lennon would appeal to more teenage girls.

    Cynthia Lennon wrote two books throughout the years that detailed her time married to the Beatles legend. In 1978, she published a book of memoirs called A Twist of Lennon, followed by a more intimate biography called John, that was published in 2005.

    Condolences are likely going out to Julian Lennon from around the world on the death of his mother.

    Do you suppose he will hear from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr–the only surviving members of The Beatles?

  • Heather Mills: Paul McCartney is ‘Someone Who Happened to Write a Few Cool Songs’

    Heather Mills may be delusional. It certainly beggars belief that she could have been married to Paul McCartney and not know what kind of enduring impact he has had — and continues to have — on the world with his music.

    In a recent interview on “The Late Late Show” in Ireland, Heather Mills balked at answering any questions about Paul McCartney. It is understandable that the acrimonious split between the two might be a sore subject for Mills, but her comments went beyond declining to continue talking about Sir Paul and into taking a dig at him.

    After asking her a question about McCartney and meeting with some resistance from Mills that the topic was “so boring”, host Ryan Tubridy seemed ready to move on, but interjected the remark, “It’s just that I think people are more interested than you allow for, I’d suggest”

    Heather Mills took the bait.

    “No, they’re not. That;s the thing. If I go down the street, all I get is kids coming up to me — half of them don’t even know who he is — that’s why he’s gotta do songs with Rihanna and Kanye West, so people remember …”

    At this point Tubridy expressed a very mild version of the disbelief that the rest of the world was swelling to scream out. Heather Mills plowed ahead.

    “[McCartney] is someone I fell in love with, who to me was a normal guy, who just happened to write a few cool songs in the 60s, and a few in the 70s. And it was just someone I fell in love with. Like everybody that’s a partner: fall in love, you get married, you sometimes then go ‘Oh,my God. This is completely wrong.’ You wake up, and you move on.”

    Perhaps this is the disconnect. For most of the rest of the world, Paul McCartney is not “someone.” And he certainly is not someone who “just happened to write a few cool songs in the 60s, and a few in the 70s.” That’s like saying Bill Clinton worked in an office in D.C. or Michael Jordan liked to shoot hoops.

    Perhaps Heather Mills did not know that Paul McCartney was already a legend long before she came along. Fair enough. But to say that he is so irrelevant as to need to do songs with Rihanna and Kanye to stay in the public eye?

    Paul McCartney has also recently worked with Dave Grohl. And Dave Grohl nearly bowed in a “We’re not worthy” pose of obeisance.

    Maybe knowing Paul McCartney as the guy she woke up next to, had to put the toilet seat down after, and ended up divorcing soured Heather Mills. Maybe following Linda McCartney’s act was tough.

    But Linda McCartney would’ve never called Paul ‘someone who happened to write a few cool songs.’

    “I divorced someone I loved, and I’ve been abused for it,” Mills said. Perhaps talking about one of the most beloved icons in the world this way isn’t the best plan for making that stop.

  • Stella McCartney Gets Beatles Vibe, Tasteless Jokes from Chelsea Handler

    Stella McCartney has a pedigree that many kids would envy. She is the daughter of Paul and Linda McCartney, but she has made a name for herself as a fashion designer. She has four children herself with husband Alasdhair Willis.

    McCartney has been living the good life for a long time. But now she’s got Chelsea Handler cracking jokes for her.

    McCartney was honored at the Kennedy Center in New York for her fashion career, but also for her accomplishments as an activist and philanthropist. It was the Lincoln Center’s second annual Corporate Fund gala, and the audience was star-studded. Among the guests were Liv Tyler, Woody Harrelson, Lorne Michaels, Seth Meyers, and Alicia Keys.

    Also in attendance were Yoko One and George Harrison’s son Dhani, which put a lot of Beatles vibe in one room.

    Stella’s dad said to the assembled crowd, “I’m more proud than you could ever imagine. A trillion, a trillion times proud, times a trillion. You know, to me she was once just a tiny little baby, and I’m here now in New York, and she’s a celebrated lady who does so much for women, the planet, children and me.”

    But it was Chelsea Handler, a friend of Stella’s, who got the laughs rolling.

    “[Stella’s] collections have always spoken to me,” Handler said, “probably because we come from such similar backgrounds. Her father is one of the greatest musicians of all time, who influenced generations, and my father spent a night in prison for shoplifting an 8-track of ‘Yellow Submarine.’”

    Handler also cracked, “I would say a break a leg but I don’t want to insult Heather Mills.” Mills was Paul McCartney’s second wife after Stella’s mother died. Mills was unpopular among McCartney fans, but was also an amputee.

    Likely, the joke went over well with Stella. After her father went through a nasty and expensive split with Mills, she designed a necklace that was called the Heather Mills Jewelry Line. It featured a silver pendant shaped like a prosthetic leg.

  • Billy Joel Part Of Epic Paul McCartney Tribute Album

    Here’s an entire album that just might be a must-buy for music lovers of all ages. Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, The Who, The Cure, Brian Wilson, Alice Cooper, and Willie Nelson are just a few of the music legends performing Paul McCartney songs for a tribute album in honor of the former Beatle. The CD drops on Tuesday, November 18.

    The album, called The Art of McCartney, will feature 42 cover songs and be available in different formats which include a double-CD and box set. Fans can expect quite an eclectic array of songs from the ever-popular Yesterday to the more obscure Junior’s Farm. Additionally, musicians from all genres perform on the album from the smooth stylings of Smokey Robinson to the hard rock of Kiss.

    Los Angeles producer Ralph Sall has been working on the tribute album for over ten years. Every track is backed by McCartney’s current band.

    Check out The Cure performing a true rendition of Hello Goodbye with Paul’s son James McCartney.

    Here’s a full list of every track for the entire album:

    1. Billy Joel – Maybe I’m Amazed
    2. Bob Dylan – Things We Said Today
    3. Heart – Band on the Run
    4. Steve Miller – Junior’s Farm
    5. Yusuf Islam – The Long and Winding Road
    6. Harry Connick, Jr. – My Love
    7. Brian Wilson – Wanderlust
    8. Corinne Bailey Rae – Bluebird
    9. Willie Nelson – Yesterday
    10. Jeff Lynne – Junk
    11. Barry Gibb – When I’m 64
    12. Jamie Cullum – Every Night
    13. Kiss – Venus and Mars/Rock Show
    14. Paul Rodgers – Let Me Roll It
    15. Roger Daltrey – Helter Skelter
    16. Def Leppard – Helen Wheels
    17. The Cure, featuring James McCartney – Hello Goodbye
    18. Billy Joel – Live and Let Die
    19. Chrissie Hynde – Let It Be
    20. Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander and Rick Nielsen – Jet
    21. Joe Elliott – Hi Hi Hi
    22. Heart – Letting Go
    23. Steve Miller – Hey Jude
    24. Owl City – Listen to What the Man Said
    25. Perry Farrell – Got to Get You Into My Life
    26. Dion – Drive My Car
    27. Allen Toussaint – Lady Madonna
    28. Dr. John – Let ‘Em In
    29. Smokey Robinson – So Bad
    30. The Airborne Toxic Event – No More Lonely Nights
    31. Alice Cooper – Eleanor Rigby
    32. Toots Hibbert with Sly & Robbie – Come and Get It
    33. B.B. King – On the Way
    34. Sammy Hagar – Birthday

    Bonus Tracks:

    1. Robert Smith – C Moon
    2. Booker T. Jones – Can’t Buy Me Love
    3. Ronnie Spector – P.S. I Love You
    4. Darlene Love – All My Loving
    5. Ian McCulloch – For No One
    6. Peter, Bjorn and John – Put It There
    7. Wanda Jackson – Run Devil Run
    8. Alice Cooper – Smile Away

    What do you think? Is this an album that you would buy?

  • Kanye West Reportedly Working On New Track With Paul McCartney

    Kanye West is reportedly working on new music with a very high-profile, very unexpected partner: Paul McCartney.

    The former Beatle has made no secret of the fact that he enjoys Kanye’s music, and now several news outlets are reporting that they are recording a song called “Piss On My Grave” together. If they are, we likely won’t know for sure until they decide to release a single, as both musicians are said to be keeping the news tightly under wraps after a track from West’s upcoming album was leaked online last week.

    In the not-so-distant past, McCartney has named West and Jay-Z as rappers he would potentially like to work with but never gave a firm answer as to whether or not they were collaborating.

    “Kanye and Paul have known each other for a long time but have become more friendly recently. There’s every chance they’ll head into the studio together. Kanye really respects music legends and is still putting the finishing touches to his new album. He has been tapping Macca up for a while about working together,” a source told UK’s The Sun.

    It’s uncertain at this hour whether the duo will work on a full album together or just a song or two, but sources have spoken to Billboard and Huffington Post to confirm that they are indeed in the studio.

    If the rumors are true, Kanye will have a full plate for the end of the year; not only is he working on new material, he’s working on baby number two with Kim Kardashian. The reality star announced recently on Watch What Happens Live that the couple are enjoying the process of trying for another even as they enjoy time with baby North West.

  • Paul McCartney Cancels Japan Tour

    Paul McCartney has literally become the “Band on the Run” due to coming down with a nasty virus.

    The 71-year-old former Beatle had to cancel his entire Japan tour because of the illness. The singer originally only nixed his Tokyo concert, set to take place last Saturday, for which he planned to hold a makeup concert on Monday.

    “I am very sorry to all my fans as I was greatly looking forward to the concert, but the situation is out of my hands,” he stated on the official Facebook site for his “Out There Japan Tour 2014.”

    Now, however, McCartney’s organizers say that he isn’t well enough to perform any of the shows, including the performance that is slated for Wednesday at Nippon Budokan hall, where the Beatles played during their first Japan tour in 1966.

    The singer’s doctors have ordered him to stay under “complete rest.”

    He is still hoping he can perform a concert set for May 28 in Seoul, South Korea at Jamsil Sports Complex Main Stadium, in addition to his 19 U.S. performances.

    McCartney fell ill this past Friday with a virus doctors refuse to comment any further on.

    Fans paid small fortunes to witness the singer take the stage. Ticket prices ranged from 13,500 yen ($130) to 17,500 yen ($170), and an extra 67,000 yen ($650) payment granted entry into the sound check.

    Some fans traveled across Japan to make the show and aired their disappointment on social media sites. However, many simply want the legend to get better.

    “I’d like to thank my Japanese fans for their love, messages of support and understanding,” McCartney said in a statement. “I hope to see you all again soon. Love, Paul.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ozzy Osbourne: 10,000 Sign Knighthood Petition

    Sir Ozzy Osbourne – it does have a nice ring to it.

    If one loyal fan has her way, the “Godfather of Heavy Metal” will be knighted very soon. Over 10,000 fans have signed a petition seeking knighthood for the 65-year-old singer on Causes.com.

    Helen Maidiotis started the petition in February and the amount of signatures increased significantly over the past few days after the campaign started to gain a little momentum.

    The goal in her effort is to attract the attention of the United Kingdom’s Honors and Appointments Secretariat, David Spooner. She has roughly another 10 weeks to collect signatures before the secretariat begins the honors and appointments selection process.

    “I am petitioning for Ozzy Osbourne, frontman for Black Sabbath to receive a Knighthood after over 40 years of service to the music industry,” Maidiotis wrote in the petition. “Now in his mid 60’s, I believe the time has come for him to receive a Knighthood. Please consider Mr Osbourne for this honour as it is well deserved and long over due.”

    Maidiotis, 45, said she originally wanted to get every member of Black Sabbath knighted, but decided she’d have more luck if she focused her efforts on Osbourne alone.

    “I have fought long and hard for this along with my followers on The Knighthood Of Ozz Facebook page, and though, at times, I feel like we are not getting anywhere, I am not one for giving up,” Maidiotis told the Birmingham Mail. “I intend to see this right through to the end, whatever the outcome.”

    In order to Osbourne to become a knight like Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John, it would have to be determined if he has made “significant contributions to national life.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Paul McCartney & PETA Work to Rescue Elephant

    Paul McCartney headed a campaign to rescue an elephant from a temple in India after a trip there in 2012.

    He saw 14-year-old Sunder being obviously mistreated at Jyotiba temple and, with the help of Maharashtra State’s forest department and India’s Project Elephant, arranged his transport to a sanctuary.

    It would have been really nice for Sunder who already suffered from numerous scars, an eye injury and a hole in his ear, if all had gone as planned. But it didn’t.

    Investigation by an animal rights group in February yielded video of Sunder being treated worse than before. He had apparently simply been moved to a chicken shack with no bedding and insufficient shelter to keep out the harsh sun during the day and the cold night wind. He was also shackled so tightly that he couldn’t lay down, according to Yahoo.

    A following investigation by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals provided video to back up those claims. They also gathered photos and video showing the still-young elephant in a malnourished state, being beaten and severely mistreated by his handler.

    The video shows Sunder “writhing in pain and struggling to stand as the mahout (handler) strikes him repeatedly,” said PETA director of veterinary affairs, Dr. Manilal Valliyate. “Sunder visibly recoils in fear from the weapon-wielding mahout, who continues to threaten him with violence after he has stood.”

    You can see PETA’s video here, but please be aware, it’s hard to watch:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BOWXPyQiMw&noredirect=1

    In August, he made an angry escape attempt including pulling down a heavy pillar to which he was tied with strong ropes and ransacking local retail shops, according to PETA’s website. They say it was a desperate flight to try to gain his freedom to enjoy what is remaining of his life.

    Hopefully India, a country ironically noted for holding the elephant as sacred, will be spurred to do more to see that this poor elephant is put somewhere safe and far away from the handlers and temples which have treated him so cruelly.

    Image Via PETA