Beatles News

An Antiques Roadshow visitor was utterly astounded by the jaw-dropping appraisal of a guitar that once belonged to George Harrison of The Beatles fame.

On the beloved UK version of the beloved PBS show, expert Jon Baddeley was visibly thrilled as he examined the remarkable piece, with an eager audience gathered to hear its tale.

Baddeley began his conversation with the guitar's current keeper and music aficionado Paul, remarking: "Now you've brought me in an exceptionally rare guitar with an even more interesting story behind it. But let's focus on the make first. It's a make I have rarely ever seen."

Paul shared that the guitar was a product of Bartell of California from the 1960s, describing it as a "very rare" fretless prototype.

He then unveiled the lore: "And the story goes that the company owner has always said he gave one to John Lennon and he gave one to Jimi Hendrix. This is the Lennon one."  The spotlight then shifted to another guest, Ray, who recounted how this unique instrument came into his life.

Ray reminisced about his days as a session guitarist in the '70s and '80s, particularly his work for Handmade Films, the company founded by George Harrison.  He recalled, details

 In a striking statement, George Harrison stood firm: he'd only play if John Lennon was there. He saw Lennon as The Beatles' big brother, making it plain he clicked better with John than Paul McCartney.

"I'd join a band with John Lennon any day, but I couldn't join a band with Paul McCartney, but that's nothing personal. It's just from a musical point of view," Harrison told The Mirror. Despite their differences, Harrison, Lennon, and McCartney collaborated to create many hits.

As kids, Lennon and McCartney faced hard times. Paul's mom died when he turned 14. Three years later, John lost his mother in a crash. This shared pain brought them close.

Writer Ian Leslie, who studied their work, said, "When they met, they were teenagers, both of them very emotionally intense and both of them had had difficult childhoods in different ways, but in one particular way. They both lost their mothers at a young age," he told The Mirror. He also said that music was a vital outlet for Lennon and McCartney, and it let them channel pain, loneliness, and joy into their songwriting.

The band split in 1970 after McCartney walked away. John wrote the biting "How Do You Sleep?," and Paul shot back with "Too Many P details

If you were to make a list of the easiest Beatles’ songs for an amateur drummer to play, “Love Me Do”, the A-side to the band’s first single, would have to rank high on the list. It lopes along at a leisurely pace and doesn’t require too many fancy fills.

Why then did The Beatles use three different drummers on the three official studio versions of the song? It had nothing to do with difficulty. Instead, the somewhat chaotic circumstances surrounding The Beatles’ earliest recording sessions caused the rotating drummers.

The Beatles first took a crack at recording “Love Me Do” during their audition for EMI in June 1962. At that point, Pete Best was still their drummer, a role that he’d served for the previous couple of years. He joined the band during their time in Germany as they honed their live skills. And he helped them as they built a rabid following at The Cavern Club in Liverpool.

Unfortunately, George Martin didn’t think much of Best’s drumming skills. He agreed to sign The Beatles to the Parlophone label of EMI on one condition. Best would have to go. The Beatles had a choice to make if they wanted a record deal.

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These days, like so many other legacy acts, The Beatles usually perform best on music charts around the world with albums, not singles. This is typically because the millions of people who continue to listen to the group focus on either classic full-lengths or compilations built around some of the band’s most famous tunes. The Beatles do occasionally collect a hit or two, especially in the U.K., where the act’s fame remains particularly impressive. This frame is a big one for the rockers on song rankings, as British listeners appear to be interested in both albums and singles at the moment.

The Beatles fill a trio of spaces on one songs tally in the U.K. this week thanks to a pair of holdovers and one returning smash. "From Me to You" reenters the Official Physical Singles chart at No. 93. It joins both "Now and Then" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand," which dip to Nos. 70 and 84, respectively.

Of the three, "Now and Then" is the biggest hit by the band — at least on the Official Physical Singles chart — though the other tracks are much older. "Now and Then," which was released in 2023 as the final track by The Beatles, has reached No. 1 in the past. Both "I Want to Hold Your Han details

The Beatles were over when Paul McCartney announced his decision to leave the band, but one expert has revealed there was more to their split.

Tensions had been rising between the bandmates long before Paul left and by April 1970, he decided he'd had enough and announced his decision to quit The Beatles. Fans were devastated, but author David Stark has explained it was actually John Lennon who sparked the end of the iconic group.

 Stark, a lifelong Beatles fan, admitted he "wasn't surprised" when news of the split was made public. "It was obvious by the end of the 60s that things were changing," he told The Mirror US.

By this time, John was in a relationship with Yoko Ono and Paul had been working on his own things. The musician released his solo album in 1970 and went on to form the band Wings.

While it made headlines when Paul left the band, Stark told us, "In actuality, John had told them all that he was leaving in September 69 and he kept it quiet." However, there was one person John told his plans to.

"The only person he told from the press was a chap called Ray Connolly." John swore Ray to secrecy and Stark suggested a reason why the writer agreed. The expert said, "If Ray had details

Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band just dropped new tour dates for this fall.

The Beatles drummer, 84, and his current bandmates, Steve Lukather, Colin Hay, Warren Ham, Hamish Stuart, Gregg Bassinet, and Buck Johnson, were already scheduled for their summer tour taking place from June 12 to June 25.

Now, Starr and company will also be performing 11 shows in September, including a six-show residency at The Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas.

Concert goers can expect the setlist to be a mixed bag of Starr’s solo hits, Beatles classics, and standout tunes from each All Starr member’s catalog. Performances in the past have included songs like “It Don’t Come Easy,” “Photograph,” “Yellow Submarine,” “With a Little Help From My Friends,” “Rosanna,” “Down Under,” and “Pick Up the Pieces.”

Related: Willie Nelson, 92, and Bob Dylan, 83, Reunite for Legendary Performance

See the full list of tour dates below:

June 12 – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, Bridgeport, Connecticut
June 13 – Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York
June 15 – TD Pavilion at The Mann, details

Music legend George Harrison had a rather unenthusiastic opinion when it came to one of his most popular Beatles hits.

Harrison began working on Something in September 1968, during the recording sessions for The White Album, but initially struggled with the melody, thinking it might have been subconsciously derived from another song.

According to Peter Jackson's documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, he continued to have difficulty with the lyrics into the Let It Be sessions.

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After completing the song, Harrison was uncertain about its potential success or even its inclusion on Abbey Road. This self-doubt was fueled by the constant dismissals from John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney. He offered the song to Joe Cocker but eventually recorded it with The Beatles.

Weeks after the album's release, the song was released as a double A-side single with Come Together, marking the first time a Harrison song became a Beatles A-side. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and received critical acclaim.

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You may not be able to play guitar like Eric Clapton or George Harrison, but now you can own one of their former six strings.

An ultra-rare 1913 Gibson Style O Acoustic Archtop once played by the two virtuosos is now up for grabs via Reverb, an online marketplace for new and used musical instruments and other goods. The instrument, nicknamed Pattie, can be yours for a cool $949,999.

Of course, the guitar has quite the musical history. Clapton, who actually owned the instrument, and Harrison can be seen with the axe in a private songwriting session back in October 1968. (You can also catch a glimpse of the guitar in Life In 12 Bars, a documentary about Clapton’s life and career.) In the image, the Beatle is playing Pattie while the duo is bringing “Badge,” their first co-written composition, to life; it’s the only known image of the two working on the song. “Badge” went on to be recorded that week at Hollywood’s Heider Studios for Cream’s Goodbye, the group’s fourth and final album.

Thanks to that songwriting session, Pattie also has ties to one of the Beatles’ most popular hits. Inspired by the bridge on “Badge,” Harrison used simila details

Ever since The Beatles broke up, the masses have been trying to place a finger on what exactly it was that caused it. In reality, it probably isn’t all that complicated. Regardless, people have treated The Beatles’ breakup like a high-stakes conspiracy theory. One individual who has grounded this event back to reality is The Rolling Stones‘ lead singer, Mick Jagger.

The Rolling Stones and The Beatles were musical contemporaries. However, they weren’t the best of friends, thus, they didn’t know much about each other on a vulnerable and personal level. Nonetheless, Mick Jagger still has a theory about the group’s disbandment, and given his status, his opinion is far more valid than some fan boy’s from Nebraska. Jagger’s theory is not hyperbolic or ornate to a fault. Rather, it is incredibly plausible and logical.   Mick Jagger Believes It Merely Was a Battle of Personalities

In a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone, Mick Jagger divulged the importance of his relationship with Keith Richards. Consequently, the interview pivoted in a direction Jagger seemingly didn’t see coming, as he was then asked about The Beatles’ breakup. Specifically, Jagger w details

John Lennon has continued to inspire millions of people with his music despite his death in 1980. However, what inspired him? Among various musicians, such as Elvis and Chuck Berry, Lennon was inspired by film. On several occasions, Lennon expressed his love for cinema and said that it often helped to form his own artistic vision, including his passion for the counterculture movement. However, one film in particular stood out for the singer-songwriter.

El Topo, a hallucinogenic interpretation of the Western genre directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky, was a film to which Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono felt deeply connected.  Oko descibed Jodorowsky as a "rare genius" and Lennon reached out to his manager and told him to offer $1 million to Jodorowsky for any new project he wanted to make.

The two, who were deeply spiritual, went to see multiple screenings of El Topo, a film Jodorowsky hoped would create an image that wouldstay with the viewer, while creating a hallucinogenic experience comparable to enlightenment that would be like being on "LSD without LSD".  El Topo, released in 1970, was an avant garde surreal film about an outlaw that defies the Four Masters of the Desert due to the love of a woman.

The story of George Harrison and Eric Clapton’s deep friendship became a focal point once again with the news that the two men shared a rare 1913 Gibson Style O guitar. The acoustic guitar, which went up for sale on Reverb.com this week for nearly $1 million, was used while Harrison and Clapton composed “Badge,” their joint composition from Cream’s Goodbye, and was nicknamed Pattie in a crude reference to Pattie Boyd, who married first Harrison and then Clapton.

Few people, including Beatles fanatics, were aware of the guitar’s existence before the guitar surfaced on Reverb, adding a new, if minor, instrument to the men’s history.

What often gets lost in the story of Harrison and Clapton’s friendship is how both men were supports for each others growth in 1968, a year in which each was working through new developments in their career. Cream had reached its end, and Clapton was insecure about his prospects for a solo career.

Harrison, having spent the past two years studying sitar and paying scant attention to guitar, had once again turned his focus to the instrument, having decided he would never master sitar. Moreover, Harrison had reached his breaking point as details

The Beatles' impressive catalogue of music will reportedly be arriving on the West End for a brand new musical.

Richard Curtis, best known for Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral, is said to be planning to turn smash hit film Yesterday into a stage show.  Alongside fellow producer Danny Boyle, he reportedly held a major event in front of potential investors including Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The duo are said to still be looking for a theatre to house their West End show as they hope to turn the 2019 film into a roaring stage success for 'years and years'.   An insider told The Mirror: 'This has been kept under wraps for months but it is a huge opportunity, and the prospect of a Beatles musical is too big to miss.'

'There was a performance this week to show the basics of what the production will be, and all the big players in London's theatre world came along,' they added.  The Beatles ' impressive catalogue of music will reportedly be arriving on the West End for a brand new musical.

Richard Curtis , best known for Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral, is said to be planning to turn smash hit film Yesterday - starring Himesh Patel - i details

Sir Paul McCartney was every inch the proud grandfather this week as he watched his grandson Elliot Donald graduate from New York University.

Elliot, 22, completed a four-year degree at the prestigious Gallatin School of Individualized Study, with his family showing up in force to support him at the ceremony.

The Beatles icon, 82, was joined by his wife Nancy, 65, and daughter Mary McCartney - Elliot's mum - as they posed for a sweet family photo shared on Mary's Instagram Stories on Wednesday night.

'Couldn't be prouder', wrote Mary, who looked chic in an all-black ensemble.  In one of the snaps, the group are seen smiling together with Paul holding the purple graduation programme in one hand and giving a thumbs up with the other, clearly thrilled to be celebrating the family milestone.

Sir Paul McCartney, 82, beamed with pride as he attended his grandson Elliot's graduation from New York University this week. The Beatles icon was joined by Elliot's mum Mary McCartney and Paul's wife Nancy,

Elliot was pictured cracking a beaming smile on the milestone occasion. Elliot recently enjoyed a holiday with Stella Jones, the model daughter of The Clash guitarist Mick Jones

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This July, you’re invited to celebrate as The Beatles Story calls on fans to mark Ringo Starr’s 85th birthday and help share his timeless message of Peace and Love with the world.

Each year on his birthday since 2008, Ringo invites people everywhere to pause at 12 noon local time to say, think, or post “Peace and Love” as a collective moment of global unity. This heartfelt tradition is now recognised worldwide as a simple yet powerful gesture of kindness and hope.

At The Beatles Story in Liverpool, fans and visitors are encouraged to take part in this uplifting initiative. Attendees are invited to gather outside the museum entrance at The Royal Albert Dock – and, together, a special “Peace and Love” moment will be filmed to be shared on Ringo’s official Facebook page as part of the international celebration.

In honour of Ringo’s milestone birthday and lifelong advocacy for peace, The Beatles Story is proud to be unveiling a Ringo Starr Peace and Love Sculpture – a lasting tribute to his message.

The sculpture, created using an original casting of Ringo’s right hand, symbolically and quite literally shows that Ringo had a hand in sp details

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will soon be teaming up once again. The two are working together on the upcoming animated film High in the Clouds, which is based on the children's book McCartney published in 2005. McCartney is one of the driving forces behind the project, and he's also slated to write — and possibly perform — original songs.

Starr, meanwhile, will voice a character in the movie. While it's not confirmed, McCartney could lend his vocal talents as well. No release date for the film has been announced yet, but fans of McCartney, Starr, and of course, The Beatles, are thrilled about the reunion.

Every time former bandmates from the most successful group of all time come together, it’s a momentous occasion. McCartney and Starr have a long track record of supporting each other's work, even after they split from one another professionally.

McCartney showed up in a big way to help Starr with his self-titled solo album Ringo. He played multiple instruments and sang backing vocals on the tune “Six O’Clock,” one of the standout tracks from the full-length. The song was released in 1973, only a few years after The Beatles split, highlighting how quickly the two rec details