News - News - News
23 September 2002
Paul considering erecting a statue of Linda on his Mull of
Kintyre estate in Scotland.
http://sg.entertainment.lycosasia.com/arts/seen/seenhg/10703.html
21
September 2002
The Tribute concert to George Harrison is confirmed
now. Royal Albert Hall, 29 November. Tickets on sale 11 October at 9.00
a.m. from the RAH.
14 September 2002
News on the street is that a Tribute Concert to honour
George Harrison is to take place in London on 29 November. Speculation is
that it may be the Royal Albert Hall. Those rumoured to have expressed
interest in appearing: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Tom
Petty, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan and others.....what a night that would be.
Check back for confirmation if it happens.
August 2002
Eric Idle Honours George Harrison at the Hollywood Bowl
News on Ringo's new tour: 21 July
2001
Matt Hurwitz has passed on the following information
about Ringo's up and coming US/Canadian tour:
1.Tuesday July 24
Ringo will be launching his Tour with a special on-line press conference.
Tour promoter will introduce the band, after which they'll perform a medley
of tunes to be played during the tour. Ringo and the band will then answer
questions, both from the press on-hand, as well as from us fans! You can
submit your questions online at Ringo's tour website -
http://www.ringotour.com
You can also find out how to view the press conference live, which will appear
through Yahoo! The conference begins at 11am ET.
2. ABC News
ABC News will be on-hand at the press conference - Peter Jennings will be
putting together a special segment on Ringo, to be aired on ABC's World News
Tonight shortly thereafter in August. Keep an eye out for that.
3. Wednesday August 1
Ringo will make a return appearance on Howard Stern's radio show in the morning.
Exact time not nailed down yet.
4. Wednesday August 1
The All-Starrs will make an all-star appearance at
the Coconuts record store in Manhattan from 12:30 to 1:30pm, to mark the
U.S. release of Ringo's "All-Starr Band Anthology. . . .So Far" 3-CD compilation.
Information about this event is available on ringotour.com
5. Friday August 3
As long as you're in New York, stick around a few days - Ringo and the band
will performing live in the plaza outside at Rockefeller Center on NBC's
"Today Show." Bound to be one of the biggest of the show's Summer Concert
Series - with your help, of course!
(There will be no appearance on CBS's "The Late Show with David Letterman," as rumored.)
MJI Broadcasting, who has brought us all of Ringo's radio specials in the past, as well as the recent "Wingspan" radio special, will be presenting a new 2-hour special about Ringo this weekend, airing Thursday thru Sunday.
Includes some brand new interviews with Ringo (recorded recently in Monte Carlo), as well as former All-Starrs Joe Walsh, Simon Kirke, Peter Frampton, Jack Bruce, John Entwistle and others. Plus lots of tracks from the new "All-Starr Band Anthology" compilation. Keep an ear tuned
The Woolton Stage Has Been Saved! - 12 July
2001
I have it on good authority that the stage where John was playing with the
Quarrymen on the day he met Paul at theWoolton Fete in 1957 has been saved,
at least it's not going to be chopped up and sold in little pieces!!!
The stage is to be auctioned off in September by pop auctioneers Fleetwood
Owen. The auction will take place at The Hard Rock Cafe in London and
is to be sold as a complete unit. More news as it comes in.
Students make Quarrymen documentary - July
2001
Alan Hamilton and Steve Harwood from Pensby and Bromborough on Wirral have
produced an 8 minute documentary film about the Quarrymen. Alan told me that
the idea for the film came from meeting Rod Davis whilst he was working on
the C4 John Lennon night last year. Alan had also previously worked
on Granada News report with Pete Best in late 1995.
The film was made as part of their degree on Media Production at Staffordshire
University and was filmed over 7 days in Middlesex and Liverpool and they
are hoping to make a longer film now that they have the full co-operation
of the rest of the band. The film has some nice clips of Paul at the
Liverpool book signing of "Blackbird" and these were obtained with the full
co-operation of Geoff Baker. Alan and
Steve are hoping to get the film shown at this year's Beatle Convention in
Liverpool. If you are visiting this year make sure you see it, it's
extremely well made and I am informed they received the highest grade for
the making of the film and it shows!! If you would like more information
on this film please email
Alan.
Macca tops the pops! - 22 May
2001
Paul McCartney is to try his hand at TV presenting. He will host a
special edition of Top of the Pops on Wednesday 23 May 2001 which will be
shown at 6.00 p.m. on BBC2. Paul will introduce videos and hits by
Wings. He will also talk about Linda and his relationship with John.
The programme was recorded at MPL in London.
Paul writes foreword for Walt Disney World Vegetarian
Food Guide
- 18 May
2001
This is a new book by Susan Shumaker and Than Saffel and offers a guide to
restaurants, accommodation and markets for vegetarians eating in the Walt
Disney/Orlando area. It is the latest in a series of book that are
dedicated to Linda McCartney. You can get the guide from: Vegetarian
World Guides, Morgantown, WV 26508. USA (ISBN No. 0-9679280-0-1).
Celebrate Paul's 59th birthday in Liverpool - 18
May 2001
THE FIRST OF MACCA'S
£££££££MILLION'S
We all know that ex Beatle, Paul McCartney is well on his way to becoming a Billionaire, but it's a little known fact that the first of his millions was earned on Broadway - Liverpool's Broadway Shopping Centre!! Hidden behind a run of the mill row of shops in the northern suburbs of the City is New Clubmoor Hall. This is where Paul debuted as a Quarryman back in October 1957. Legend has it that the occasion was marred when he fluffed the 'Guitar Boogie Shuffle' and was not trusted on lead guitar for a long time after!!
Every year, live@pool tours organise 'A day in the life' event for Paul's birthday, always trying to find unusual venues never seen on the typical Beatle Tours. For the first time ever, Beatle Fans can enjoy a "Birthday Party, Party" in Macca's honour at this venue where as a fresh faced 15 year old he first performed on stage alongside a 17 year old John Lennon. Best of all - members of the original Quarrymen will be on hand to help re-create the event…Paul will of course be invited, maybe this could be his chance to redeem himself for that guitar solo - he's improved just a bit since…
The celebration will be on Saturday June 16th, just a couple of days before the ever youthful Sir Paul turns 59. It will be the finale to a whole day's touring & partying around Macca's Merseyside, also featuring an al-fresco lunch at Calderstones Park.
The all day event begins at 11am from outside The Beatle Story, Albert Dock, and finishes around midnight. The total cost is £55, which includes:
Coach Tours | Al-fresco lunch | Souvenir gift | Refreshments | Evening Concert with transport to & from Broadway to Liverpool City Centre
Details can be found on the live@pool tours website www.liveapool.com or by contacting Jackie Spencer at live@pool tours, The Jacaranda, 21-23 Slater Street, Liverpool L2 4SD
Tel: 0151-330-0844 / 07990-761478 (Int. +44 151-330-0844)
Paul interview from Arena Magazine - April 2001
Interview by Mark Ellen.
All men turn into their
fathers?
Yeah, they start looking at their father's hands growing out of their sleeves.
But I've got more hair than him. I think it's because he wore a hat a lot.
Stopped the air from getting to his head.
Could you live without
television?
Easily, but I'm starting to become hooked on these embarrassment and humiliation
rituals like "Touch the Truck". You haven't seen it? Dale Winton is somewhere
in London humiliating people at this very moment! It's like a traffic accident
- I don't want to watch but I have to. Like "Celebrity Big Brother".
You have 30 seconds on the phone to the Prime Minister
Go ahead.
I'm through to the Prime Minister? How are the kids? How's it going? How's
celebrity treating you? Do the Hunting Bill, go for it! It's all defeated
by the argument for drag hunting - it would still be riding horses, running
round the countryside and chasing something but unfortunately wouldn't involve
brutal death. We've stopped stuffing children up chimneys but they probably
lament that fact too.
Apparently Oscar Wilde's last words were 'Either
this wallpaper goes. 'Or I do.'
The one I like best, though, was Napoleon. I think he just said: 'Oh no!'
I suppose we should all be preparing a great exit line, but if only we
cared.
Give us a glimpse of a school
report.
'He is the biggest disappointment in the class.' I always said to my kids:
'Look I did OK at school, you should really try to do OK too.' And I managed
to keep that myth up until they found one of my old reports. 'If only he
would concentrate he might make something of his life.' From there on in,
they had me.
Karl Lagerfeld is fairly outspoken about Stella
elsewhere in this issue. Here's the exact quote: 'if you're the daughter
of a rich man it's easy to say "no fur". But there's an industry that lives
on it and, as long as people eat meant, what's the difference between fur,
meat and leather?'
Well number one, the people who kill animals and sell them for fur say that
because that's the only thing they're prepared to sell. You don't have to
do fur. It's like not switching crops if you're a farmer. You can switch
if you're a clothier. And number two, she may be the daughter of a rich man,
but that's not what she's paid to be. She is a successful designer and that's
all there is to it. People said when she started out that she's just the
daughter of a rich man, and that they should have chosen a name from fashion
instead of music. It was actually Lagerfeld who said that but he was proved
severely wrong 'cos she ahs quintupled the profits of Chloe`. He had the
same opportunity but he didn't. And as I point out to people, the name McCartney,
if you fail, can be used as a cudgel to beat you with. I mean people were
beating her with it before she proved them all wrong. She's a really talented
designer. She could take the easy route and use fur but she's too ballsy
and too sensible and way too cool to do that. She's ballsy enough to tell
Madonna off for wearing fur - in public and in private. She's brilliant.
She's cool man. She's the real thing.
Does the Creative Director of Chloe` ever tell you
you're not going out dressed like
that?
No, she doesn't mind what I wear. I've got a real rapped-out old comfortable
glove of a farm jacket and she actually nicks it to wear. They put this picture
of me in the Mail the other day and one of Liam and said 'Look who Liam's
dressing like!' I had like a puffy jacket and he had one of these fur
collar-lined anorak type things that he wears and we didn't look anything
like each other. In America the tend to have earthquakes and floods and things
on the cover, but I do feel the British press can be school girlish - you
know, 'Oooh look at what Sandra's wearing!' I thought the article was childish,
man.
Liverpool or
Everton?
Well my dad was born in Everton so, genetically, I belong to Everton but
I've got some sort of - what do you call it? - 'condensation' from The Pope.
Once when Wings played Wembley, there were empty seats in the second
row, and I always tell my promoters at close of play just to give them away
to anyone - I just don't like empty seats, puts me off. So after the second
number this line of seats gets filled by the entire Liverpool football team,
walking in their grey suits, white shirts and red ties and I had to love
Kenny and the boys from then on. So yeah, it's not strictly speaking allowed
but I claim both teams.
Is it tougher growing old when you were once the
world's most eligible bachelor?
I should be dimpling shyly and saying 'No, no, no, nooo', but if I'm immodest
enough to go with the premise of the question then the truthful answer must
be that - touching wood - it' doesn't appear to be to difficult at all. I'm
looking at BB King and admiring his mature good looks. He's still playing
a blinder, probably having the best time of his life.
When was the last time you
cried?
I lost my mum when I was fourteen so I got very good at not crying, and then
probably didn't cry much 'til John died. Now my first reaction is 'don't
cry'. Then my second reaction is 'why?' My third reaction is 'Because you're
a man and men don't cry,' and my fourth reaction is 'Fuck off, go ahead,
cry.' It's a four-step method. Four steps to tears.
What's it like being in a relationship again after
all these years?
Very nice. It's lovely. Very surprising. Linda and I were very lucky. We
were totally faithful to each other for 30 years 'cos there didn't seem any
reason not to be and that, in most people's books, is amazingly lucky.
After she died, I remember Ralph Lauren telling me 'I couldn't go through
all that again', and I know what he meant, but you just don't know what's
around the corner.
The McCartneys are a famously close family. It must
have been hard for Heather [Mills] to get
accepted?
Well it is very hard, not was. It's very difficult for anyone to step into
that position. Linda and I had such a beautiful relationship for so many
years that there's no question of replacing her but, even having said that,
it's still difficult. The fact is that life goes on and I fancy Heather and
the kids appreciate that. It was awkward, yeah, but it's getting better by
the minute.
Everything we her, think, say or wear would be different
if it weren't for The Beatles.
Yeah, it's unbelievable. It really is true and that's staggering. We did
stand for some really cool shit - and still do - but the timing was perfect.
You'd had all these world wars, you'd had the second one which was going
to be the war to end all wars, and the time was right. We were the age group
that was entering its prime. We were being let off the leash and thinking
and saying what we wanted. There was this incredible free climate. I always
equate it to Moses and God opening the waters: there was a time before when
the waters were closed, and then the time of The Beatles when the waters
opened and we all got through, and then they closed behind us. There
were four people poised to be the guys that did that and I'm one of them
and it still staggers me to think that. I play it for all it's worth. When
I go and meet Steven Spielberg and I'm signing seven copies of the Number
One album for his kids, you'd better believe I love it!
Who else would you rather
be?
I wouldn't rather be anyone now that I've just about figured out me.
Paul at Hay Festival - 10 April
2001
Paul will be appearing at the Hay Festival of Literature which takes place
between 25 May and 3 June in Herefordshire. He is expected to do a follow-up
to his poetry reading in Liverpool last month at The Everyman by reading
from his new book "Blackbird Singing".
News just in: Paul will be reading on 30 May at 2.30 p.m. Tickets
can be obtained from 01497 821 299 for £15.00
A Hard Day's Night - Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
- 9 April 2001
The local premiere of AHDN took place in Liverpool this week. It was
very nostaligic for me (Jean) because I was actually at the original Northern
Premiere at The Odeon in Liverpool in 1964 when all four fabs were present.
Seeing the film again brought back such good memories of loosing my
shoe in the crowd in my haste to get inside. I had totally forgotten
how young the boys were when they made this film and it also brought home
to me why the world fell in love with these four lads from Liverpool - they
endeared themselves to the world and the world opened up it's arms to greet
them. It was slightly tinged with sadness though - seeing John up there
on the big screen having fun with his mates made me remember that he's not
here anymore.
Yoko honoured by Liverpool University - 4 April
2001
Yoko Ono is be get an honorary degree from Liverpool University this summer.
She will be in the city to receive her award at the Philharmonic Hall
on 2 July 2001. The degree is being given in recognition of her artistic
work and also for her patronage of the John Lennon Memorial Scholarship which
she set up in 1991 as a trust fund to enable students to continue with their
studies. Speaking to the Liverpool Echo she said "It is an honour.
I am very excited."
Love for Heather causes family problems - 4 April
2001
Paul recently admitted that his love for Heather Mills has caused tension
in his family. He said his children could not at first accept him going
out with Heather Mills. He said "It's very difficult for anyone to
step into that position. Linda and I had such a beautiful relationship
for so many years that there is no question of replacing her, but even having
said that, it's still difficult."
Yoko's gift to John's old school - Dovedale Primary
School - 31 March 2001
Last year we reported that Yoko had made a considerable donation to the
rennovation of the playground at Dovedale Primary School in Penny Lane.
The school now has a brand new adventure playground thanks to Yoko's
£30,000 donation.
Lennon Merc doesn't meet it's reserve price at auction
- 28 March 2001
One of John Lennon's limousines and piano failed to reach their reserve price
at an auction of memorabilia in London recently. The 1970 Mercedes
Benz 600 Pullman reached £190,000 at the Hard Rock Cafe, but was still
£10,000 short of its reserve price. The car was specially built
for John and had a black velvet interior with a record player installed.
He sold the car to George Harrison when he moved to the US in 1973.
Offers for the Steinway piano which was from John's NYC home reached
£750,000, short of the £1m expected.
Linda's lasting legacy - 27 March
2001
Paul attended Kew Gardens on 26 March to launch a range of scarves the designs
of which had been inspired by some of the last photographs of Linda. The
scarves have been produced to aid and promote the Millennium seed bank which
is an underground vault which will house millions of seeds from the world's
most endangered species.
A Night In History - 21 March
2001
This is the date that The Beatles made their evening debut at the now famous
Cavern Club in Liverpool. They had of course performed in many other
places around the city but this was their first evening gig at the Club.
Fans that evening paid 3 shillings to see a show that also included
The Swinging Bluegenes, The Jaywalkers and The Remo Four.
Cavern DJ Bob Wooler had seen The Beatles are Litherland Town Hall and was
sure they would be a hit at the Cavern Club. Their first pay cheque
was for £6, that was £1 each plus £1 for Neil Aspinall, their
driver. By the time they played their last gig there they were being
paid £300!
Some other interesting things about 1961: Yuri Gagarin was the first
man in space; Berlin became two cities when the wall went up; Breakfast at
Tiffany's was the movie of the time; a box of Kellogs cornflakes cost 1 shilling
and 4 pence; JKF was inaugurated as President of the United States and Ipswich
secretary Toni Gardner became Princess Muna when she married King Hussein
of Jordan.