John Lennon Page 3

John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s relationship and work will form the basis of a new film, which will be produced by Ono herself with the help of the Oscar-nominated writer of The Theory of Everything.

The as-yet-untitled project will be written primarily by Anthony McCarten, whose take on the relationship between Stephen and Jane Hawking bagged him an Oscar nod in 2015. Yoko, now 83, will help produce the movie in tandem with Michael De Luca, whose credits include The Social Network, Moneyball and Captain Phillips.

Yoko Ono will be producing a biopic about her relationship with John Lennon

Continue reading: Yoko Ono And John Lennon 'Love Story' Movie Announced

The Beatles felt ''threatened'' by Yoko Ono, according to Sir Paul McCartney.

The 74-year-old singer songwriter has admitted he shares a ''good'' friendship with the widow of the late band mate John Lennon, although he has revealed he used to feel intimidated by her.

Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine about their friendship, he said: ''It's really good, actually. We were kind of threatened [then]. She was sitting on the amps while we were recording. Most bands couldn't handle that. We handled it, but not amazingly well, because we were so tight. We weren't sexist, but girls didn't come to the studio - they tended to leave us to it. When John got with Yoko, she wasn't in the control room or to the side. It was in the middle of the four of us.''

Continue reading: The Beatles Were 'threatened' By Yoko Ono

Sir Paul McCartney has launched a bid to regain control of his share of The Beatles’ catalogue’s US publishing rights from Sony / ATV Music Publishing. Although he co-wrote the majority of the legendary band’s hits, McCartney has never actually controlled the publishing.

The US Copyright Act of 1976 allows living artists to apply to regain control of publishing rights 56 years after the material is first published. This means that the earliest songs in The Beatles’ catalogue become available in 2018.

According to Billboard, the 73 year old singer filed papers on 15th December 2015 with the US Copyright Office, requesting a termination notice for 32 songs. Most of these date from 1962-1964, though a handful date from much later, such as ‘Come Together’ which won’t be available until 2025.

Continue reading: Paul McCartney Attempts To Regain Control Of Beatles' US Publishing Rights

Yoko Ono is recovering after being hospitalised in New York on Friday and receiving treatment for flu-like symptoms. The 83-year-old was taken to Mount Sinai West hospital at just after 9pm on Friday evening on the advice of her doctors.

Yoko Ono has been hospitalised in New York.

Her longtime spokesman, Elliot Mintz, told ABC News: "To the best of my knowledge, she had symptoms along the lines of a serious flu, and her doctor thought it was best that she would get a check-up at the hospital.”

Continue reading: Yoko Ono Hospitalised With 'Flu-Like' Symptoms

A lock of hair belonging to John Lennon is up for sale at a Dallas auction later this month and is currently bid up to $12,000. The lock was cut from Lennon’s hair by German hairdresser Klaus Baruck, just before filming began on comedy How I Won the War in September 1966.

A lock of John Lennon’s hair is up for auction in the US.

Heritage auctioneers in Dallas describes the lock of hair as ‘substantial’ and adds that the ‘overall length of the lock is approximately 4" and likely contains hundreds of strands’. It is believed to be the largest lock of Lennon's hair ever sold at auction and has been part of the original owner's collection for nearly 50 years.

Continue reading: A Lock Of John Lennon’s Hair Is Expected To Fetch Over $12,000 At Auction

It’s been less than a week since The Beatles’ back catalogue finally hit streaming services and music fans all over the world have been indulging in all the Fab Four’s classic hits. But the band’s arrival to the streaming world has perhaps also helped to settle a long-standing debate among music fans, as to what is the definitive Beatles’ song.

The Beatles’ back catalogue is now available on streaming services.

At 00.01am on Christmas Eve The Beatles’ music hit stream hit almost every major streaming platform including Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, TIDAL, and Amazon Prime. It marked the end of the group shunning the streaming world, finally bringing their music into the 21st century.

Continue reading: 'Come Together' Is The Most Popular Beatles Track On Spotify

The Beatles music has finally been confirmed as hitting a range of streaming services just in time for Christmas. The band’s official twitter account made the announcement today, with their full catalogue becoming available from tomorrow, Christmas Eve.

From tomorrow you will finally be able to stream The Beatles’ music.

‘December 24 at 12:01am local time, The Beatles’ music is available for streaming worldwide,’ the announcement read, with a link to the band’s official site. The music will be available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Google Play, Microsoft Groove, Napster/Rhapsody, Slacker Radio, Tidal and Amazon's Prime Music service. The songs will not, however, be available on Pandora.

Continue reading: The Beatles' Back Catalogue Confirmed To Hit Streaming Services On Christmas Eve

It's been a long wait for fans, but The Beatles are rumoured to finally be about to begin releasing their music on streaming services and tracks could come as early as Christmas Eve. Despite being arguably the most popular group of all time, the Fab Four have so far kept their back catalogue off services such as Spotify and Apple Music.

Are The Beatles about to join the streaming world?

Billboard reports that there is conflicting information on exactly when the band’s music will appear on streaming services, but discussions are said to be ‘strongly hinting’ towards a December 24th arrival date.

Continue reading: Could The Beatles Be Ready To Hit Streaming Services On Christmas Eve?

John Lennon's first wife Cynthia - the first of the Beatles' wives - has died at her home in Spain after a short battle with cancer. She was 75.

Cynthia Lennon died in Spain after a short battle with cancer

A message on her son Julian's website said: "Her son Julian Lennon was at her bedside throughout. The family are thankful for your prayers. Please respect their privacy at this difficult time."

Continue reading: John Lennon's First Wife Cynthia Lennon Dies In Spain, Aged 75

Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard is set to direct a documentary about The Beatles, following their journey from Liverpool's Cavern Club to their last concert at San Francisco's Candlestick Park. Crucially, the movie is being made in-corporation with Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison and Yoko Ono.

Ron Howard [L] will direct the Beatles documentary [Getty/Christopher Polk]

Howard - known for Apollo 14, The Da Vinci Code and Frost/Nixon - called it "an astounding story".

Continue reading: Ron Howard To Direct Beatles Documentary, From Cavern Club To San Francisco

The dying words of rapper Tupac Shakur have been revealed, 18 years after his death. The words were spoken to sergeant Chris Carroll, the policeman who questioned Shakur on the scene after the fatal shooting on September 7, 1996. Carroll told how he found the rapper, “covered with blood” and proceeded to try and find out what had happened: “So I’m looking at Tupac…I’m asking him, ‘Who shot you? What happened? Who did it?’ And he was just kind of ignoring me…All of a sudden in the snap of a finger, he changed…An ‘I’m at peace’ type of thing. When he made that transition, he looked at me, and he’s looking me right in the eye.”

Tupac's last words were his final act of defiance against the police

So, what profundity did Tupac, the voice of a generation, a rapper capable of penning poetic and poignant lyrics, have to say as his final words? Carroll continued, “That’s when I looked at him and said one more time, ‘Who shot you?’ He looked at me and he took and breath…then the words came out: ‘F**k you’.” And with his final act of defiance towards the police, the rapper died.

Continue reading: Tupac Shakur's Final Words Were 'F**k You,' Other Famous Last Words

Pharrell Williams is auctioning off the headline-grabbing Vivienne Westwood buffalo hat that he wore to the recent Grammy awards. As soon as the singer stepped out on to the red carpet wearing the oversized, brown, brimmed headwear, his image pinged across the world and its own Twitter account was quickly created ( "chillin on @pharrell's head" don'tcha know).

This Hat Right Here.

Capitalising on his hat's seemingly instant iconic status, Pharrell has decided to raise some serious cash for charity by putting the ostentatious accessory on eBay. With 9 days and 7 hours left on the auction, bidding currently stands at $10,500 (£6,300) and the winning bidder will not only receive the hat and a certificate of authenticity but also that warm glow of charitability too.

Continue reading: Pharrell's Big Grammys Hat On EBay: Other Celeb Memorabilia Auctioned Off

The childhood home of 'The Beatles' member John Lennon is being put up for auction at Liverpool's Cavern Club on October 29th 2013.

The property is a red bricked terrace house at No.9 Newcastle Road in Wavertree, Liverpool.

This was Lennon's first home as he lived in the house with his parents and grandparents from his birth in 1940 until the age of 5 years old.

Continue reading: John Lennon's Childhood Home To Be Auctioned Off

Yoko Ono's re-envisaged single album, 'Walking On Thin Ice 2013' has become the pop culture icon's 11th chart topper after it rose to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Dance Club Play chart to snatch victory from the likes of Avicii, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Daft Punk and Selena Gomez.

Yoko Ono's Not Letting The Dance World Forget Her.

"Walking On Thin Ice" was originally recorded during the 'Double Fantasy' sessions with John Lennon and would be the last recording by John and Yoko - recorded on that fateful night of December 8, 1980. Upon its release in January 1981, the single drew attention from tastemakers and DJs for its pioneering electronic dance / post-disco / nu-wave hybrid sound.

Continue reading: Yoko Ono Tops The Dance Chart With Remixes Of 1981's Electro-Pop Hit, 'Walking On Thin Ice'

A new album from The Beatles will be released in November showcasing songs the Liverpool band recorded in the BBC's studios. The record, entitled On Air - Live At The BBC Volume 2, will serve as the sequel to 1994's Live At The BBC and will feature ten unreleased songs from the 1960s that the band never recorded for their record label EMI.

A New Album Of The Beatles' Songs Will Be Released In November.

The rarities, according to The Independent, will include the famous four-piece's cover of Chuck Berry's 'I'm Talking About You' and the 19th century, oft covered 'Beautiful Dreamer.' All live-to-air pieces without editing, the songs will only emphasise The Beatles' musical proficiency and ability to make great music together.

Continue reading: The Beatles Rarities Album To Be Released: 'On Air - Live At The BBC Volume 2'

The news has experienced a bit of a John Lennon frenzy in the past few days. The late Beatles guitarist has made headlines - or at least relics of him have - as news that someone wants to clone him from a rotten tooth and that his blue jacket have been sold at auction has emerged.

John's Lennon Jacket Fetched £7,000 At Auction.

The jacket, which was expected to reach between £8,000 and £12,000 at a Derbyshire auction, was passed from Lennon to Jo Jo Johns, the band's former PA, after she acquired it after a 1971 clear-out of Lennon's house, reports BBC News. Johns then gifted the teal long blazer-style garment to her friend Tony Goddard as a birthday present and it was Goddard who chose to set the item now after 25 years of displaying it in his home.

Continue reading: John Lennon's Jacket Auctioned For £7000: What Weird Celeb Items Have Been Sold?

Having played in the West End last year, the Beatles musical Let It Be opened on Broadway last night (24th July) in the midst of an on-going copyright infringement lawsuit that has been filed by the creators of rival tribute show, Rain: A Tribute To The Beatles. The people behind Rain claim that Let It Be incorporates elements of their 2010-11 show, including musical arrangements of hits, hairstyles, similar Scouser banter, and a selection of 28 of the 31 songs that Rain brought to Broadway.

The Beatles Stage Tribute Band.

According to the New York Times, Peter Cane, a lawyer for Let It Be's producers, Jeff Parry and Annerin Productions, argued that the copyright claim was absurd. Speaking to the NY Times, Cane said "Let It Be is a tribute to The Beatles, not to the four guys who impersonate The Beatles. How do you monopolise the ability to present an impersonation of The Beatles? How many different ways can you really do it? The Beatles acted a certain way, they played certain notes, they spoke a certain way."

Continue reading: Let It Be: The Beatles Broadway Musical Opens Despite Copyright Lawsuit

Before her death, Marilyn Monroe reached out to her acting mentor Lee Strasber, in a letter. She talked about her despair and feeling like she didn’t belong to “the human race”. Now, that letter, written on stationary from the Bell Air hotel, is going up for auction. A collector is selling the piece of history, alongside a whole host of other documents, including missives from Dwight D. Eisenhoweand r to his wife Mamie, written during WWII and letters from John Lennon to Paul McCartney, the Daily Mail reports.

Monroe’s letter is expected to fetch up to 33 000 GBP. In it, she talked in great detail about her struggle to stay sane: 'My will is weak but I can't stand anything. I sound crazy but I think I'm going crazy. 'It's just that I get before a camera and my concentration and everything I'm trying to learn leaves me. Then I feel like I'm not existing in the human race at all.'

The other items up for auction – the 58 letters from Eisenhower, also shed a lot of light into a complicated historical period. In them, the Allied commander shares news from the war and expresses his devotion to his wife. The sale is the second of several planned online auctions of the anonymous collector's artifacts. The entire collection contains 3,000 items.

Continue reading: Historical Letters By Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon And Eisehower To Be Auctioned Off By Collector

As an artist, Yoko Ono is familiar with the phrase "a picture paints a thousand words," and she hopes the age-old saying will prove true in the debate to change America's gun law debate. This week, she tweeted a picture of her husband John Lennon's bloodstained glasses, the very pair he was wearing when shot dead outside the Dakota building in New York on December 8, 1980. "Over 1,057,000 people have been killed by guns in the USA since John Lennon was shot and killed on 8 Dec 1980," were the words accompanying the image on Twitter.

It was just one of several tweets the 80-year-old sent out in a bid to get the U.S. to change its gun laws, in light of the recent massacres at Sandy Hook and Aurora. "31,537 people are killed by guns in the USA every year. We are turning this beautiful country into war zone," she tweeted in another post. One of the world's most famous peace advocates, Ono also tweeted pictures from her wedding to Lennon in March 1969. "We decided that if we were going to do anything like get married that we would dedicate it to peace." The couple married in Gibraltar and spent their honeymoon holed up in an Amsterdam hotel room to campaign for peace. 

On the afternoon of December 8, 1980, after posing for a photo-shoot by Annie Leibovitz, John Lennon gave what would be his final interview to a San Francisco radio station before leaving his New York apartment to mix his new track Walking On Thin Ice at the Record Plant Studio. He and Ono was approached by Mark David Chapman as they walked to their car, signing an autograph for the 25-year-old who would kill him just hours later. A haunting image of Lennon signing a copy of Double Fantasy for Chapman emerged after his death.

Continue reading: John Lennon's Bloodstained Glasses: What Happened On December 8, 1980?

The latest person to add her support to the gun control movement in the US has been Yoko Ono.

This comes as absolutely no surprise, as Ono has never shied away from backing a social justice cause, often in memory of her late husband. After getting behind the campaign to stop fracking in New York, gun control is the latest cause on Ono’s radar. She expressed her thoughts on the subject via a series of Tweets yesterday, all of which included the image of Lennon’s bloody glasses – the ones he wore on the day he was killed. Besides being hugely symbolic, the picture is also the cover of Ono’s 1981 memorial album, Season of Glass.

One tweet read: "31,537 people are killed by guns in the USA every year. We are turning this beautiful country into a war zone." Later, Ono got more personal, tweeting "The death of a loved one is a hollowing experience. After 33 years our son Sean and I still miss him."

Continue reading: Yoko Ono Tweeted John Lennon's Bloody Glasses In Support Of Gun Control

Yoko Ono has made a powerful contribution to America’s intense gun law debate by tweeting a photograph of the blood-stained glasses of husband John Lennon, who was gunned down in New York 33 years ago. “Over 1,057,000 people have been killed by guns in the USA since John Lennon was shot and killed on 8 Dec 1980,” the caption added.

Over 1,057,000 people have been killed by guns in the USA since John Lennon was shot and killed on 8 Dec 1980. twitter.com/yokoono/status…rel=nofollow

— Yoko Ono (@yokoono) March 20, 2013 rel=nofollow

Continue reading: Yoko Ono Tweets Photograph Of John Lennon’s Blood Stained Glasses (Photo)

For four decades Beatles fans have blamed Yoko Ono for the band's demise. However, in a revealing interview with Sir Paul McCartney, the legendary singer has shed light on many aspects of himself and the Beatles, as well as removing blame from Yoko Ono and transposing it onto Allen Klein, the Beatles' manager who took over proceedings after the death of their original manager, Brian Epstein. 

In this new interview that McCartney's given to David Frost, he admitted "[Yoko] certainly didn't break the group up, the group was breaking up". E! reports that also told Frost what a great influence she had on John Lennon. After the breakdown of the Beatles Lennon went on to forge a hugely successful solo career, including the wildly popular and iconic song 'Imagine'. "I don't think he would have done that without Yoko, so I don't think you can blame her for anything. When Yoko came along, part of her attraction was her avant garde side, her view of things, so she showed him another way to be, which was very attractive to him," McCartney said. "So it was time for John to leave, he was definitely going to leave." 

The Frost/McCartney interview will be aired on Al Jazeerah English, and is the longest interview given by McCartney for decades. 

There are few people that have ever lived, who have changed the world and made such an enormous impact, that subsequently results in their memory being upheld, almost as sacred, all over the world, decades after their death. Jesus is the obvious one, Saint Patrick is another, whose lives we celebrate either with an evergreen tree or with green tshirts, hats and a pint. However, yesterday it was John Lennon that the world (or at least a small portion of it) celebrated. October 9th would have been John Lennon's 72nd birthday, and fans gathered to his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Lennon was shot and killed three weeks after his album 'Double Fantasy' was released in 1980, aged just 40. His lasting contribution to the world, in his preaching of peace, love and acceptance, and has culminated and manifested in a variety of ways. Philip Lopez, who made the pilgrimage to Lennon's star of fame, named his own son Lennon after the musician and peace activist. Lennon himself, speaking to the LA Times, aged just 5 says he likes the song 'All the People'.

Other monuments, events and awards in his honour include: the Liverpool John Lennon Airport, in the city where he was born, which is named after him; the Strawberry Fields, in New York's Central Park, is dedicated to Lennon; in Japan, a John Lennon museum was open for ten years; the John Lennon Peace Monument was unveiled two years ago, and the Lennonono Grant For Peace is given by Yoko Ono every other year. Towards the end of his life Lennon devoted a huge amount of energy and time, alongside Yoko, into peace activism, and arguably his most famous lyrics read, from little Lennon's favourite song: 'Imagine all the people living in peace'.

Continue reading: John Lennon's 72nd Birthday Celebrated, His Legacy Lives On

Jarvis Cocker has reviewed the latest book to be have been published about The Beatles. 'The John Lennon Letters', edited by Hunter Davies, is a collection of missives from the late Beatles’ songwriter, dating from between 1951 and 1980. Cocker questions the real value in these pop history artefacts, drawing attention to the fact that the source material was largely sourced from private collections; from people who have paid vast sums of money to own a piece of Lennon’s personal history and the former Pulp singer asks whether the books say more about the culture of collecting pop memorabilia than the words of the letters can ever say themselves.

“I love the Beatles. I haven't named any kids after them but I still really love them,” says Cocker and he painfully recalls the way in which the ‘Britpop’ era was damaged by that very nostalgia that permeates collections such as this. “Wearing the same clothes and taking the same drugs will not make us into Beatles. It will make us fat and ill. And books like this (along with many others, I admit) are what make that mistake possible. The Beatles didn't know they were the Beatles. The Beatles didn't have a plan or a blueprint to follow. They followed their impulses and vague hunches and somehow left a legacy of 213 songs with scarcely a dud among them. That's all the information you need, really.”

In essence, Cocker describes the hoarde of surviving Beatles fans as “the children of the echo” and suggests that we should all “get a life” and “move on,” rather than obsessing over trivia such as is contained herein.