Beatles News

In 1969, Paul McCartney wed Linda Eastman and adopted her daughter, Heather Louise, from a previous marriage.
The former Beatle and Eastman welcomed three more children together between 1969 and 1977: daughters Mary Anna and Stella Nina and son James Louis.  McCartney shares his youngest daughter, Beatrice Milly, with ex-wife Heather Mills. The couple welcomed Beatrice in 2003.

Paul McCartney might be a music icon to the world, but at home, he’s just dad. The former Beatles legend has five children: Heather, Mary, Stella, James, and Beatrice.

The singer-songwriter married his first wife, Linda Eastman, in March 1969. McCartney adopted Eastman’s daughter from a previous marriage, Heather, the same year. Over the course of their nearly 30 year marriage, the couple welcomed three more children together: daughters Mary and Stella and son James.

Eastman died of breast cancer in 1998, with her four children and McCartney by her side, People reported. “Any love song I write is written for Linda,” the musician had told People the year before. 

In 2002, he married model Heather Mills. The couple welcomed their only child, a daughter named Beatrice, in 2003. Mil details

On the morning of December 9, 1980, Paul McCartney received the devastating news of the death of John Lennon hours earlier at New York City’s Roosevelt Hospital. The ex-Beatle had been shot and killed just outside of his apartment in The Dakota just before 11 pm the previous evening. And while the global impact of Lennon’s death was immense, it paled in comparison to the painful shockwaves it sent through his closest associates, relatives, and friends.

Because many of those associates, relatives, and friends were just as famous as Lennon, the press flocked to the musician’s survivors to hear comments on how they were processing the violent tragedy. Years later, McCartney reflected on how the media twisted his shell-shocked reaction in the days and weeks that followed. 

The Beatles’ sheer gravitas and celebrity make it easier to forget that they were normal people, albeit famous ones, too. To receive a call about the death of your best friend, particularly one with whom you were not on good terms at the time, would be life-shattering for anyone. For a musical icon like Paul McCartney, it certainly was life-shattering. It was also glaringly, uncomfortably public.

Speaking about details

As part of a covers album made in tribute to the very best of the Fab Four’s music, longtime producer George Martin assembled some of the biggest names for fourteen songs. Each of the songs featured on In My Life had originally been produced by Martin with the band. Features from Céline Dion to Phil Collins gave the album some contemporary features from some of the biggest names around, but there were also some surprising additions made by Hollywood stars Sean Connery and Robin Williams. A comedian who featured on the album is the standout moment for fans, though, with Jim Carrey and his version of I Am the Walrus hailed by listeners as one of the best covers around.

One fan praised The Mask and Sonic the Hedgehog star in a post to the r/Music subreddit, writing: “Wow, he’s good. You can tell he put a ton of work into that, and wanted to do it right.”

Another added: “Holy shit, he actually sings rather well.” A third wrote: “Wow. Mind Blown. I wasn’t expecting that whatsoever.” Other listeners were left enjoying the Carrey cover more than the original version of the song, which went on to be covered by Oasis during several of their tours.

Sourc details

The Beatles’ music and their ability to elicit intense emotional reactions from their audience go hand in hand when defining their cultural legacy, but one of the biggest controversies the band ever faced (thanks in no small part to John Lennon) had the potential to derail their career entirely by alienating their U.S. audience.

Of course, in the end, not even the staunchest of American critics could hold back the massive tidal wave of Beatlemania that crashed into countries around the world throughout the 1960s.  John Lennon’s Words Came Back To Haunt Him In 1966

When Maureen Cleave first published her interview with John Lennon in the Evening Standard, few Brits batted an eyelash when reading the Beatle’s cheeky comments about the guitarist’s home life, the gorilla suit he bought for a band prank that only he participated in, and, of course, his dry commentary about the Beatles versus Jesus Christ. At a time when Lennon and the rest of the band were heavily investing in Eastern philosophy, practices, and perspectives, he waxed cynical about religion.

“Christianity will go,” he told Cleave. “It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that. details

We often think about the Beatles’ infamous breakup within the context of the music and cultural movements they were promoting throughout the 1960s, but the ramifications of that split went far beyond the music charts or trends of the day and deep into the center of the lives of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. These men weren’t just losing bandmates. They were growing apart from the friends they had since they were in their formative late teens and early 20s.

During a 2016 special edition of BBC Radio 4 Mastertapes, McCartney talked about the emotional impact of splitting up the Fab Four—an experience he likened to a popular barbershop song from 1929.  

By the time the Beatles officially split up, tensions were so high that it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume they couldn’t wait to get as far away from each other as possible. But as every ex-Beatle attested after the split, the business dealings and creative disagreements became too much for the band to bear. After less than a decade together, the Liverpudlian quartet broke up and began going their separate ways personally and musically.

Paul McCartney had no qualms about admitting th details

As any band that has parted ways and continued solo will tell you, it’s impossible not to be compared to your former bandmates. Even in the most amicable of situations, it’s always a competition to see who can come out on top. The Beatles suffered these kinds of comparisons after they parted ways. While most of them took it in stride, John Lennon was personally offended after being compared to one of his Beatles bandmates. Find out which one below.

If we had to compare the solo careers of two former Beatles, the easiest connection would be Lennon and George Harrison. They both had something to say with their music that extended far beyond the typical love song or ode to heartbreak. They were both free thinkers who had no problem alienating listeners who were less so.

However, if you dissect what both Lennon and Harrison were saying with their music, you’ll find two people on opposite sides of a religious battle. Though they both penned songs about more than just faith, their opposing views in this arena summarize their differences—differences Lennon wanted people not to miss.

Lennon was markedly anti-faith. He wrote many songs about his disillusionment with religion. Harrison, how details

There is no denying that the Beatles are one of the world's most iconic bands in music history — having a heavy influence on wide-ranging aspects of peoples' lives since they formed back in 1960. In 1964, they first set foot in America, and Beatlemania took over the world, which is documented in the 2024 film Beatles '64 — and will soon be detailed on the big screen too, in FOUR new Beatles movies!

During their 10-year reign, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr made a huge cultural impact with their influences on music, fashion and even film. In 2023, the band released their 'final' song, 'Now and Then', which became their 18th Number 1 after 54 years and in 2025, they won Best Rock Performance at the Grammys! Now take a look back at their iconic career, as their album 'Help!' celebrates its 60th anniversary on 6th August 2025.

Let's take a look at where it all began back in 1957, bringing us classics such as 'Hey Jude', 'Come Together', 'Help!' and 'Here Comes The Sun'.
Why did the Beatles break up?

While a mix of complex factors contributed to the disbandment of the Beatles, it is most commonly thought that creative differences had the largest impact and ultima details

Some never-before-seen photographs from Paul Saltzman's Beatles in India series are on display at Toronto's Markham Street Gallery
Paul Saltzman’s Beatles in India photos came as a result of a serendipitous meeting

A group of people wearing flower garlands sit cross legged on a platform.  In 1968, filmmaker Paul Saltzman went to India and took some photographs of the Beatles that eventually became very famous. These photos would form the basis of a book, as well as a show, on now, at the Markham Street Gallery in Toronto.

But at the time, Saltzman didn't go to India with the intent of having a book or a gallery show or even photographing the Beatles at all. He didn't even know they were there. He went because he was having an existential crisis.

Saltzman says that, at the time, he had everything he could have wanted; he had a budding career in film, an apartment in Montreal, a girlfriend and a cool car. But one morning, he woke up and realized: "there were parts of myself I didn't like, and I wasn't a very self-reflective person, so that was a shock." Sitting on the edge of his bed, he asked himself what he was supposed to do about that, and he heard "a deep inner voice that was all details

 December 8, 2025, will mark 45 years since the senseless murder of John Lennon. And all these years later, it still remains one of rock's greatest tragedies: not only did it spell the end once and for all of any potential Beatles reunion, but also the fact that Lennon appeared to be gearing up for a highly productive creative period, after being out of the limelight for several years.

This leaves one to wonder what projects he had in the works for 1981. Over the years, quite a few people who worked closely with Lennon dropped a few hints as to what he had in the pipeline.  Lennon's biggest plan for 1981 appeared to be the launch of his first-ever substantial solo tour in support of his most recent album, "Double Fantasy," which was released on November 17, 1980, less than a month before his death.

In the 2020 book, "John Winston Ono Lennon", the bassist in Plastic Ono Elephant's Memory Band, Gary Van Scyoc, recalled a conversation he had with Lennon concerning this topic. "We talked on the phone, and he said, 'I'm hoping to go out. I don't know who would want to do it – whether Tony Levin [who had played on 'Double Fantasy'] would want to tour.' I said, 'Put my name on the list,' and h details

Ringo Starr’s energy shows no sign of waning, even though the celebrated musician recently turned 85. After more than six decades in the spotlight, the legendary drummer is not only still touring, he’s expanding his musical horizons in ways few could have expected, and continuing to produce more new music.

Just months after releasing Look Up, his first full-length in more than half a decade, Starr recently shared some good news via an announcement that confirms that more new work is on the way.
A Follow-Up to Look Up

In a video Starr shared recently on YouTube, the former Beatle revealed that he is already working on a new album, and the project sees him reuniting with the producer who helped him produce his latest genre-shifting effort.

“I’m in the studio here now doing another album with T Bone [Burnett]. Thank you, Lord. Woo. Yeah,” he said in the clip. He jokingly referred to the album’s working title as Look Up Two, but then added with a smile, “I don’t think it’ll be called that.”
Few Details Are Available

For the moment, details about Starr’s upcoming album are scarce, but that’s likely only because it’ details

The Beatles shocked their fans by releasing one of their most controversial albums at the height of their fame, one that stood as their first major political statement

The Beatles became one of the most successful acts in music virtually overnight with their fresh sound and incredible songs.

‌While some were unprepared for the changes the Fab Four ushered into music and pop culture at the time, diehard fans continuously fell in love with them. Besides what they brought the world in the early 1960s, they didn't truly rattle listeners until they released one of their most controversial albums, one that stood as their first major political statement.

‌In 1966, The Beatles released the album Yesterday and Today, which had a cover so grotesque that their record label pulled it. It featured the band surrounded by pieces of raw meat and decapitated baby dolls. As a result, copies featuring the original image are very difficult to come by, but one copy recently went up for auction and sold for a whopping five-figure value.

Yesterday and Today's disgusting album image seemed to come out of left field for The Beatles. They'd never done anything like it, as their previous albums had simply feature details

Ringo Starr famously stated that neither he nor his fellow Beatles bandmates (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison) could read sheet music. He humorously recalled that their biggest fear about joining a musicians' union was being forced to read music, as they were all self-taught musicians. Despite this, they achieved significant musical success, with Ringo Starr contributing both as a drummer and vocalist, and even writing and co-writing several songs. 

Self-taught musicians:
The Beatles were primarily a band that learned by ear and through experience, rather than formal music education.
Union concerns:
Starr's anecdote about the Nashville musicians' union highlights their initial apprehension about being required to read music.
Ringo's musical contributions:
Despite the lack of formal music reading skills, Ringo Starr was a vital part of the Beatles' sound, both as a drummer and vocalist.
Songwriting:
Starr also contributed as a songwriter, composing and singing "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden" and co-writing other songs.
"There are 4 drummers": The fact that Starr and the other Beatles couldn't read music didn't stop them from becoming one of the m details

Beatlemania is alive and well on Reddit, where fans have come together in harmony to declare one of George Harrison's songs as their favorite.

A Reddit thread has become a chorus of praise for with many users lauding it as Harrison's most impactful work and a pinnacle in The Beatles' storied catalog.

"Surprisingly no one said 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' yet - masterpiece," commented one enthusiast. "Not only is 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' my favorite song sung by George, it's my favorite Beatles song," another wrote.

  The acoustic rendition of the song struck a particular chord among fans. "This is my answer, specifically the acoustic version," penned one Redditor.

"The Love album acoustic version is his greatest masterpiece imo," echoed another, with several voices in the thread resonating with thoughts on how the unplugged variant allowed Harrison's vocal artistry to truly resonate.

One admirer reflected, "To me, the acoustic version shows what an incredible song it really is," while another confessed, "The album version is a classic, but IMO is way overproduced."

Another fan professed their adoration, saying, "Not only is 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' my favor details

The Bavarian garden gnomes, which feature on the cover of George Harrison‘s solo album All Things Must Pass, are representations of The Beatles.

The “quiet one” of the Fab Four confirmed as much during a question-and-answer session hosted on Yahoo Chat. A fan had asked why garden gnomes were featured on the cover of All Things Must Pass, and Harrison confirmed they were representations of the four members of The Beatles. The band had split up just months before its release in November 1970. Harrison began recording the album just a month after The Beatles had officially come to an end. He did leave a nod to his former bandmates on the front cover, though, confirming the four garden gnomes are meant to represent his time in the band.

Writing online, Harrison shared: “Originally, when we took the photo, I had these old Bavarian gnomes which I thought I would put there. Like kinda… John, Paul, George and Ringo.” Fans have since called the album cover “cute” knowing the intention was to pay tribute to The Beatles.

One user, who took to the r/Beatles subreddit where Harrison’s quotes were shared, wrote: “That’s so cute. Never even considered t details

It's "nonsense" that John Lennon was the creative genius of The Beatles, while Paul McCartney was his slightly talented, but superficial sidekick, Ian Leslie says.

In John & Paul, he explores a "love story" that began at a church fair, when both were 16, and was cut short by Lennon's assassination at 40.

"They were both extraordinary, complicated, weird geniuses, and you couldn't really have one without the other,” he tells Sunday Morning. “They kind of created each other."

It took many bizarre coincidences for two amazing vocalists like McCartney and Lennon to grow up a mile-and-a-half from each other in the south of Liverpool, then come together and ignite a cultural explosion, Leslie says.

One important aspect of their connection, which they didn't talk about much, was a shared a sense of being "different", because their mothers had both died when they were teenagers.

In a "very simplistic" version of their relationship, Lennon was the one who felt things very intensely, Leslie says, but the truth behind their incredible music is that they were both ambitious and extraordinarily emotionally intense young men.

Source: rnz.co.nz

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