December
24th : Ringo's New Book Says John Tried Lenses
John
Lennon was famous for wearing his little round granny glasses, but did
you know he once tried contact lenses? He lost one almost immediately,
and that was the end of the experiment. That revelation and many other
Beatles tidbits can be found in Ringo Starr's wonderfully inventive new
book, "Postcards From the Beatles." If you know a Beatles fan,
this is the ultimate gift, and all royalties are going to the Lotus Foundation
in the United Kingdom. The extravagant package, bound in a red faux-metal
postal box, comprises the many postcards Ringo received over the years
from Lennon and Yoko Ono, Paul and Linda McCartney, and George and Olivia
Harrison. The postcards' messages and artwork actually give a rare, intimate
look into the Beatles' personal lives. For one thing, I was surprised
that even after the break-up in 1970, they still communicated with each
other quite often. Ringo's descriptions of little trips and adventures
are fascinating. Seeing correspondence from all of them, especially Lennon,
is exciting. I liked that Ono, not considered a warm person by any means,
sent along a little special message to Ringo's wife, Maureen at the bottom
of one card. You can read more about Ringo's Postcards, and order a copy
from Genesis Books, at Genius
Publications. There's also a toll-free number (800-775-1111) to call,
since the book cannot be bought in stores. This story is from the Fox
News Site and for more on this story and many more Beatles news stories
please visit What
Goes On.
December
10th : Yoko Donates $10,000 ABS-CBN Telethon
Yoko
Ono donated $10,000 (P5.4 million) to the "A Call for a Better World”
telethon of the ABS-CBN Foundation last Sunday, it was learned Wednesday.
The telethon was held in cooperation with the Knowledge Channel Foundation.
Ono is the widow of the late John Lennon of the Beatles. Philippine Ambassador
to Tokyo Domingo Siazon made the arrangement for her to call and make
a donation to the telethon, which was aired live over the ABS-CBN News
Channel. In a talk with ABS-CBN talk show host Boy Abunda, Ono said she
has always supported projects for children and abused women. She made
the call from Paris. The telethon received approximately P45.13 million
in pledges and outright donations, including those coming from abroad.
Proceeds of the telethon will go to the foundation's various programs
like Bantay Bata 163, ABS-CBN Bayan Foundation and Bantay Kalikasan. This
story is from the ABS-CBN
News Site.
December
3rd : UK Release Of John Lennon Jewelry
Imagine,
Instant Karma and Give Peace A Chance are just a few of the legendary
songs by John Lennon, one of the most influential and respected musicians
in the world. Through the legacy of his music, the timeless message of
peace and love speaks to all generations. But few know that Lennon, who
was born in Liverpool, formally trained at the Liverpool College of Art
as a graphic artist. His original drawings are not for sale, but can be
viewed in museums around the world, and his prints have only been available
in limited editions. JewelAmerica, Inc., a leading global manufacturer
of fine jewelry, will bring his art to the forefront of popular culture
with the U.K. launch of The John Lennon Collection, a new line of jewelry
and accessories derived from his drawings and lyrics. Sterling silver
pieces from the collection are available at H. Samuels stores throughout
the U.K and a website has been setup to promote the collection and give
users more information on the collection and how to purchase it at www.johnlennonjewelry.com.
November
28th : Chapmans Album John Signed Auctioned
The
record album signed by John Lennon for Mark David Chapman just hours before
Chapman fatally shot him is being auctioned online. Gary Zimet, president
of the website Moments in Time, says the album, Double Fantasy, is being
offered for sale for $525,000 (U.S.). The album is being sold by the man
who originally found it in the front gate flower planter outside the Dakota
apartment building near Central Park. Lennon was assassinated in 1980
outside the building where he lived with his wife, Yoko Ono. Zimet says
on the website that the owner, "a Beatle fan all of his life ...
wrestled for 18 years before coming to the decision to sell the album."
The site does not identify the owner. Zimet says the cover and dust jacket
contain Chapman's fingerprints. "This piece of crucial evidence against
Chapman was turned into police and then returned to the owner with a letter
of extreme gratitude from the district attorney," Zimet says. This
story is from the Toronto
Star.
November
19th : Handwritten Lennon Lyrics Auctioned
John
Lennon's handwritten lyrics to the Beatles song Nowhere Man have been
sold for $455,000 (£270,000) at auction. The lyrics, part of an
entertainment memorabilia sale at Christie's in New York, were written
by Lennon in 1965. A spokesperson for the auction house said they had
been expected to fetch around $100,000 (£59,000). The sale's other
main item, the Oscar won by Michael Curtiz for Casablanca in 1942, was
sold for $231,500 (£137,000) to magician David Copperfield. Lennon
and Beatles memorabilia can fetch high prices on the collectors' market,
as recent auctions have shown. In July, two reels of private film footage
showing a day in the life of Lennon in 1974 sold for $53,775 (£33,235)
in New York. In September, a set of stamps designed by the singer to support
striking postal workers in 1971 went for £1,260 in London. Earlier
this year a long-lost musical collaboration between Lennon and Mick Jagger,
entitled Too Many Cooks, fetched £1,400, while a 1960s table owned
by Lennon reached £2,400. Other recent sales include a guitar played
by George Harrison at the final Beatles concert making $434,750 (£257,902
), and a signed copy of the band's album Revolver fetching £21,600.
This story came from the excellent BBC
website.
November
11th : Yoko maps course for Tate
She
has plastered her message of peace across a Times Square billboard and
spent a week in bed to promote world harmony. Now Japanese artist Yoko
Ono is to create an interactive work in Tate Liverpool to highlight her
anti-war protest. The Imagine Peace Map Room 2003 invites visitors to
mark where in the world they would most like to be untroubled. This is
the first time Ms Ono has exhibited her work in Liverpool since she showed
her performance art in the Bluecoat Arts Centre in September, 1967. Adrian
George, curator of exhibitions and collections at Tate Liverpool, said:
"The walls are covered with maps and visitors are given an ink stamp
saying 'Imagine peace' which they are asked to stamp on wherever in the
world they want peace. "Over time, the troublespots and places that
have had a lot of problems with war tend to be heavily stamped and places
that people see as utopic are unmarked." For more Liverpool information
and news visit IC
Liverpool.
November
7th : Yoko Helps Out Delta Goodrem
Delta
Goodrem has recorded a new version of John Lennon's seasonal anthem Happy
Xmas (War is Over). The ARIA-winning singer has updated the lyrics of
the 1971 hit to reflect current times, changing the title to Happy Xmas
(Let the War Be Over). Goodrem, who turns 19 on Sunday, needed permission
from the former Beatle's widow, Yoko Ono, to make the lyric changes to
the chanted section at the song's finale. Vince Pizzinga, who produced
the track and co-wrote Goodrem's No.1 hit Innocent Eyes, said: "We
just couldn't believe it when we heard back Yoko had agreed. "It
was very gracious of her. To be safe, I had Delta record the track both
times – once with our ending and another with the original ending.
"I personally think it has come out beautifully and Delta has certainly
put her own magic touch to the song." Goodrem, who is having treatment
for Hodgkin's disease, recorded the vocals in Sydney this year. For more
on Australian news an information visit The
Sunday Times Australia.
October
17th : Liverpool Actor In Line For Broadway Role
Liverpool
actor Mark McGann said last night he would consider reprising his starring
role as John Lennon in a spectacular new Broadway production - but only
if Yoko Ono asked him. The musical will explore the life of the former
Beatle and will feature 12 actors playing the different personalities
of the star. The production was given the go-ahead after Yoko Ono gave
it her blessing, with the show planned to arrive in New York in time for
the 2004-05 Broadway season. Mark, 42, made his name as an actor when,
at the age of 19, he took the role of the young Lennon in an Everyman
production in 1981 - the first after Lennon's untimely death - and later
at the Liverpool Playhouse. He also played him to critical acclaim on
Broadway, in the West End, and in a US film called John and Yoko: A Love
Story. For more on this story and many more Beatles news stories please
visit What Goes On.
October
26th : Beatles Story Museum Loans Lennon Suit
A
Manchester law firm is helping to ensure that one of the most notable
pieces of 1960's memorabilia remains accessible to the people of the North
West. George Davies Solicitors negotiated the terms of loan of a suit
owned and worn by John Lennon to The
Beatles Story, the museum dedicated to the Fab Four based at The Albert
Dock in Liverpool. Shelbey Whitehouse of George Davies Solicitors says:
"All too often, there is no legal agreement in place to regulate
the terms of loan of articles of heritage or irreplaceable memorabilia
to museums. To safeguard the position of the owner and to preserve the
exhibit itself it is important to stipulate any conditions relating to
the safekeeping of the piece at the outset. This ensures that both the
museum and owner are aware of their rights and obligations as well as
guaranteeing future generations continue to have access to items of cultural
and historical significance." Manchester businessman Brian Fisher,
who owns United Carwash in Trafford Park, purchased the 1960s suit many
years ago and now feels it should be available to the public. Thanks to
Pete Davies of The
Base for this story.
October
17th : Liverpool Actor In Line For Broadway Role
Liverpool
actor Mark McGann said last night he would consider reprising his starring
role as John Lennon in a spectacular new Broadway production - but only
if Yoko Ono asked him. The musical will explore the life of the former
Beatle and will feature 12 actors playing the different personalities
of the star. The production was given the go-ahead after Yoko Ono gave
it her blessing, with the show planned to arrive in New York in time for
the 2004-05 Broadway season. Mark, 42, made his name as an actor when,
at the age of 19, he took the role of the young Lennon in an Everyman
production in 1981 - the first after Lennon's untimely death - and later
at the Liverpool Playhouse. He also played him to critical acclaim on
Broadway, in the West End, and in a US film called John and Yoko: A Love
Story. For more on this story and many more Beatles news stories please
visit What Goes On.
October
15th : Lennon Musical Heads For Broadway
A
musical exploring the life of John Lennon is on the way to Broadway after
his widow Yoko Ono gave her blessing to the project. Tracking his change
from rocker to meditation guru, 12 actors will play the different personalities
of the former Beatle. Most of the songs which will feature in the production,
yet to be named, will be hits penned by Lennon after the Beatles broke
up. The show's producers, Edgar Lansbury and Don Scardino, who are calling
the musical The Lennon Project for the time being, said about 30 of his
songs would be featured. The show is planned to arrive in New York in
time for the 2004-05 Broadway season. "Our project is the story of
Lennon as a lighting rod and how he defined the times and how the times
defined him," Scardino told Daily Variety Magazine. "Lennon's
changes corresponded to our generation. There was the rocker, the hippie,
the meditation guru, the transcendentalist, the political revolutionary,
the house husband, and all the while there was the evolving artist,"
he said. The project has already been three years in the making. For more
on this story and many more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
October
8th : Yoko says "We are still working together"
Yoko
Ono says compiling a new DVD of her late husband John Lennon's solo work
was one of the hardest jobs she's ever had to do. Twenty-three years after
John Lennon was gunned down outside their New York apartment, Yoko Ono
is convinced: "We are still working together. "I feel we were
like two soldiers in a battlefield marching with the beat of Give Peace
a Chance. And we are still doing it," Lennon's widow said on a trip
to London for the launch of a new Lennon Legend DVD. "When I was
doing the DVD, I felt as if he was there." The disc, Lennon Legend,
features 20 of the murdered Beatle's songs, illustrated with a mix of
restored promo clips, new animation and previously unseen footage of the
couple in public and in private. "It was very hard for me to work
on this, because there were many footages that reminded me of my life
with John," Ono told the audience at a preview screening in London
on Tuesday. "Sometimes it made me feel less professional about it,
and I wondered if I could go through it." As executive producer of
the disc, Ono, 70, helped comb through videotapes, home movies and newsreels
for footage of the couple in performance, at home in New York City and
at the beach. Ono is ever-present in the footage, much of it showing tender
moments between the pair. The Japanese-born artist, who married Lennon
in 1969 as the Beatles were disintegrating, dominated the last decade
of his life -- to the chagrin of many Beatles fans. She was at his side
for the 1969 Bed In for peace, marched with him against the Vietnam War
and performed with him in the Plastic Ono Band. For more on this story
and many more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
September
30th : Lennon Legend DVD Coming Soon
Rare
and previously unseen footage of John Lennon will be released on a new
video collection. With his widow Yoko Ono as executive producer, 'Lennon
Legend' is out on October 27 and is intended as a companion to his greatest
hits of the same name. "This is as definitive a collection as it
is possible to be," said Yoko Ono. "John's life was an amazing
one and one that I feel privileged to have been part of. Compiling this
DVD has been a very emotional experience: unearthing rare footage, watching
it increase in clarity before my eyes, reliving hundreds of memories that
were part of our lives and which are now being passed on to a new generation.
"It is a film made with love and hope - my love for my husband and
our hope that peace will prevail in the world. Give peace a chance!"
Video recordings of twenty tracks from the former Beatle have been remastered
and remixed using the latest technology available at Abbey Road. The DVD
includes film from Ono's private library, existing videos, specially commissioned
new promos and short animations in the style of John Lennon's drawings.
Some of the most treasured items thrown up by this release include an
excerpt from John and Yoko's Film #6 from December 1968 and live version
of 'Imagine' shot at during his last live show in 1975. For more on this
story and many more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
September
5th : Yoko goes naked for peace in Paris
Yoko
Ono is to re-stage her conceptual art project which saw her invite people
to cut off her clothes until she was left naked. It was 40 years ago that
Ono, widow of John Lennon, took to the stage in Japan for Cut Piece. Now
Ono, 70, will recreate Cut Piece in Paris on 15 September in an effort
to promote world peace. During the original stunt she wore a white gown
and gave audience members scissors to cut away the fabric. She remained
motionless until she was left completely naked. Now she will invite guests
to once again cut away postcard-sized pieces from her dress at the Theatre
Le Ranelagh and ask them "send it to the one you love". The
original Cut Piece performance took place before she met and married the
late Beatle Lennon. It has gone down as one of most outrageous conceptual
art performances, and has been widely copied by other artists. Ono said
she wanted to recreate the event because of political changes since the
11 September tragedies. "Force and intimidation were in the air.
People were silenced," she said. "Cut Piece is my hope for world
peace. When I first performed this work, in 1964, I did it with some anger
and turbulence in my heart. "This time I do it with love for you,
for me, and for the world." For more on this story and many more
Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
August
7th : New Play Imagines Theres No Beatles
A
new play by Larry Kirwan will have its UK premier at Liverpools Unity
Theatre next month. The premise of this play is that The Beatles never
''made it''. Because of a dispute over their second single (''Til There
Was You'' was chosen over ''Please Please Me'') John Lennon, George Harrison
and Ringo Starr quit the group while Paul McCartney launched a solo career
and gained international fame as the crooner Paul Montana. This play deals
with the question of parallel lives or displaced destinies. Liverpool
Fantasy is one distinct possibility. For more details on the play or to
book tickets visit www.liverpoolfantasy.com
For more on this story and many more Beatles news stories please visit
What Goes On.
July
4th : Play Depicts FBI Harrasment Of John Lennon
In
this sleepy Berkshires burgh of Sheffield, a new play is examining one
of the most turbulent eras in American history. ''Ears on a Beatle'' depicts
the FBI's harassment of Beatle John Lennon in the early '70s, back when
he was a voice of protest that FBI director J. Edgar Hoover sought to
silence during Richard Nixon's presidency. The play's historical facts
are based on declassified FBI files, though it's also a dark comedy about
the fictional lives of two FBI agents -- one a grizzled Archie Bunker
type, the other a young buck who says ''groovy'' and wears tie-dyed shirts
as he tries to infiltrate the counterculture. For more on this story and
many more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
June
26th : Huge Liverpool Lennon Poster Vandalized
An
investigation has been launched after thousands of pounds of damage was
caused to a Liverpool cultural landmark. Vandals attacked the John Lennon
wrap covering St George's Hall. They scaled scaffolding behind it before
scoring out a circle from the left lens of Lennon's spectacles. Last night
a hasty repair job had been carried out to restore Lennon to full vision.
The poster was paid for by the North West Development Agency to cover
the hall while it is renovated. It took 30 gallons of ink and 150 hours
to print and depicts John Lennon as the Mona Lisa with a guitar. The wrap
gained international exposure, being seen by millions around the world
during Liverpool's campaign to become European Capital of Culture. For
more on this story and many more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
June
17th : Yoko Considers Releasing New Songs
Yoko
Ono, the widow of the former Beatle John Lennon, is considering making
public previously unreleased music by her late husund. "I have to
wait for the right moment," Ono, 70, told Germany's "Stern"
magazine in its special Wednesday edition. Ono, the jealous guardian of
his legacy, said the taped material should not be released in its current
condition. "He was a songwriter and he wanted the songs to be presented
correctly. I have to think about it," she said. For more on this
story and many more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
May
26th : Children Record New Version Of Imagine
Children
from Northern Ireland are featuring in a new recording of Imagine as part
of a human rights education campaign. The CD and video will be launched
worldwide this weekend. The new version features children from schools
in Lisburn, County Antrim, and Belfast's Glen Road. Children from India,
South Africa, Croatia and Tibet are also featured. The Imagine campaign
was inspired by Irish actor Gabriel Byrne after he heard children at a
New York school singing it at his niece's graduation ceremony. For more
on this story and many more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
May
16th : Top One Yoko
A
remix of a Yoko Ono song on which John Lennon was working before his death
has become a dance number one in the US. The dance mix of Walking On Thin
Ice, the song Ono and Lennon recorded in 1980, has debuted at number one
on the Billboard dance chart this week. Lennon wrote and plays guitar
on the track. "John said to me back then, 'You know this is going
to be your first Number One,"' Ono, now 70, told the New York Daily
News. "He just didn't say when." The song had originally been
released after the last Ono/Lennon album Double Fantasy in 1980, and proved
a hit in underground clubs months after Lennon's death. For more on this
story and many more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
May
16th : Lennon Guitar On Show In Liverpool
A
guitar found in the childhood home of John Lennon will go on display in
Liverpool tomorrow. The instrument, right, was discovered seven years
ago in the loft at Mendips, the semi where Lennon lived with his Aunt
Mimi until 1963, and where he and Paul McCartney wrote the Beatles' first
hit, Please Please Me. Last year, the National Trust bought Mendips, restoring
it to its 1950s glory. It opened in March as a tourist attraction. Aunt
Mimi once famously remarked to her nephew: "A guitar's all right
John, but you'll never earn a living by it." The Dallas Tuxedo guitar
can be seen at The
Beatles Story exhibition at Albert Dock. For more on this story and
many more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
May
15th : Come Together : The Artwork of John Lennon
Some
have criticized Yoko Ono over the years for her excessive marketing of
John Lennon's memory, especially his artwork. Yoko has always said she
is just trying to foster the love and peace messages inherent in the former
Beatle's music and simple drawings. And Lennon fans don't seem to mind.
They usually pack the exhibits of his artwork and happily buy up the prints
and other memorabilia. "Come Together: The Artwork of John Lennon"
returns to Cincinnati this weekend -- an exhibit that has been on the
road almost continuously since the late '80s. It features reproductions
of more than 100 pieces of Lennon's artwork and copies of Beatle song
lyrics sheets and other memorabilia. Yoko will not be in attendance. There
are no original pieces on display, but prints, reproductions and representations
of Lennon's work -- all will be for sale. For more on this story and many
more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
April
21st : Yoko " Asian Hero " Time Magazine
New
York Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui, artists Yoko Ono and Mongolian
yokozuna Asashoryu are among 29 individuals and groups Time magazine features
in its second annual "Asian Heroes" edition published Monday,
the publisher of the U.S. weekly said Ono, widow of John Lennon, has "finally,
at the age of 70, won her due as a groundbreaking artist".Ono, widow
of John Lennon, has "finally, at the age of 70, won her due as a
groundbreaking artist" after being long reviled as the woman who
supposedly broke up the Beatles, and Sakamoto was picked for setting up
an environmental group to advocate renewable-energy sources, it said.
"In these treacherous times of war and plague, we look to their bravery
as an example and an inspiration. By refusing to succumb to apathy or
despair, they give us the will to forge ahead when we might otherwise
lose heart," writes William Green, deputy editor of Time Asia. Also
included in the list were "SARS Heroes," which Time said referred
to various medical professionals from Hong Kong to Singapore who "willingly
place themselves on the front lines of the war against the killer disease"
called severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). For more on this story
and many more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
April
16th : Yoko Unhappy With Kelloggs' cereal
Yoko
Ono, may take legal action against a new breakfast cereal called "Strawberry
Fields," which she believes is too close in name to Lennon's famous
Beatles song, "Strawberry Fields Forever." Ono has no appetite
for the product marketed by Kashi, an organic-food company owned by Kelloggs,
and has asked her lawyers to look into the matter. In a bit of breakfast
cereal irony, Lennon once admitted he wrote the song "Good Morning,
Good Morning" on the Beatle's Sgt. Pepper album after hearing the
phrase on a TV commercial for Kelloggs' brand of corn flakes. For more
on this story and many more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
April
10th : Tapes Of John And Kyoko To Be Auctioned
Six
tapes of conversation featuring Beatle John Lennon are to be offered for
sale through web auctioneers MastroNet Inc. The tapes were recorded in
Denmark in 1969. This was the year that John and Yoko visited the latter's
former husband, artist Tony Cox, residing at that time in Denmark. Lennon
took the opportunity to get to know his stepdaughter, Kyoko, who lived
with her father. All the conversations between Lennon and Kyoko were recorded
on tapes that were in the possession of Tony Cox until 1995, the year
Cox sold the tapes for an unspecified sum to Chris Lopez, who now wants
to auction them. Apart from the father/stepdaughter conversations, there
are also passages on the tapes where Lennon tells stories and plays the
guitar. For more on this story and many more Beatles news stories please
visit What Goes On.
March
23rd : Johns Bedroom Recreated At Menlove
As
a shrine, it is very small: no more than 8ft by 6ft. But in this bedroom,
John Lennon and Paul McCartney composed Please, Please Me, the song that
rocketed the Beatles to fame and glory in 1963. "This is very good
for the next generation," said Yoko Ono, Lennon's widow, yesterday
at his boyhood home, a 1930s semi in Woolton, a pleasant Liverpool suburb.
"Children say: 'I only have a small bedroom'. But the biggest thing
in the world, that changed the world's culture so profoundly, has been
nurtured in this smallest bedroom." Ono was opening Mendips, the
house where Lennon lived with his Aunt Mimi from 1945 until 1963 and where
she once remarked: "A guitar's all right, John, but you'll never
earn a living by it." "If John is looking down now, I'm sure
that he is having a great laugh," said Ono, who had taken the long
and winding road to 251 Menlove Avenue. Ono bought the house last year
for a rumoured £150,000 and gave it to the National Trust, who returned
the house to how it might have looked in the 1950s. They fitted it out
with period details such as formica, harsh Izal toilet paper and Horlicks
mugs. For more on this story and many more Beatles news stories please
visit What Goes On.
March
18th : Yoko's 'Imagine Peace' Pledge
Yoko
Ono has become the latest celebrity to add her weight to the anti-war
lobby, with a campaign of newspaper advertisements. The 70-year-old veteran
peacenik has placed a series of full-page adverts in national newspapers
across the U.S. The ads, which read: "Imagine Peace... Spring 2003"
are in reference to Lennon's song 'Imagine' and cost her a reported $26,750
a time. Ono is said to be dismayed at the U.S. stance on Iraq. She explained:
"I just did it myself. That way there's no red tape, no waiting period
for approval from other people or organisations." The ad which has
been run in the L.A. Times, the L.A. weekly and the Village Voice, will
be run in the Washington Post this weekend. For more on this story and
many more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
March
13th : Paul McCartney Changes Credit Listings
Sir
Paul McCartney has courted controversy again by reversing the song-writing
credits of Beatles hits on the sleeve of his forthcoming album. Back In
The World - Live', soon to be released in the UK and Europe, will feature
a number of Beatles tracks credited to "Paul McCartney and John Lennon"
- a move which disregards the traditional Lennon-McCartney tag. Last year,
Sir Macca entered a war of words with Lennon's widow Yoko Ono after he
switched the same song-writing credits on a US released album, claiming
that his former bandmate had little or no input on the tracks in question.
According to reports, McCartney had long been frustrated with the fact
that he was not given fair recognition for his contribution to many Beatles
tracks. Classics such as 'Yesterday', for example, were written solely
by McCartney but credited to both Beatles songwriters. Ono, who described
McCatney's actions as, "absolutely inappropriate", is said to
have previously vetoed his plans to alter the credits on the massively
popular Beatles anthology album. For more on this story and many more
Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
February
17th : Yoko Tipped For Dance Hit
Yoko
Ono is being tipped to have a huge dancefloor hit after recording a cutting
edge version of John Lennon's final song. She has teamed up with the Pet
Shop Boys for a remake of Walking On Thin Ice. She will give the first
public performance of the song in a New York club in the early hours of
tomorrow - on the eve of her 70th birthday. She and Lennon were working
on the track the night he was shot dead by Mark Chapman in December 1980.
Two months later she released the song and made it to number 35 in the
UK charts. Now she has collaborated with long-time admirers and Parlophone
labelmates Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe for the underground dance-style
track. She has been swamped with offers to play at electro clubs such
as Nag Nag Nag and The Cock in London. Monday's performance of the song
will see her performing with renowned DJ Danny Tenaglia, who has remixed
the track at New York's Arc club. Other remixers who have worked on the
track to be released in April include Felix Da Housecat. She said: "I'm
very excited that people love the record. I've been asked to come over
to Britain and play in some electro clubs and I think |I will do that.
"I'm playing at 6 in the morning in New York, the day before my 70th
birthday. Even my son (Sean Lennon) thinks that's pretty good going for
his mum." For more on this story and many more Beatles news stories
please visit What
Goes On.
February
10th : John Lennon's Dad Did Time In Jail
John
Lennon’s dad was jailed for murder, the ex-Beatle’s cousin
has revealed. Alfred Lennon was caged in Mexico in a mix-up after a killing,
claims Stanley Parkes. It was thought he vanished after John’s birth
in 1940 because he wanted nothing to do with his son. But Stanley, 69,
said: “This is untrue. “He was in the merchant navy, based
on the Queen Mary, and jumped ship in New York when he learned they were
targeted by a German submarine. He couldn’t swim and was terrified
of getting sunk. He then joined a boat heading south. “There was
some illegal activity on the boat and a man was killed. The man responsible
was a chap called Lennon. Alf was wrongly arrested because he shared the
same name. He was locked up for a time. “John’s mother Julia
didn’t hear from him and thought he had run away. It wasn’t
the case.” Stanley, who lives in Largs, Scotland, was brought up
in Liverpool with John. He learned Alfred’s story when the sailor
returned to Britain. Stanley’s version of events casts a different
light on Alfred’s life during World War Two. Previous accounts have
claimed that he and Julia argued over bringing up John who then went to
live with his aunt Mimi. Beatles chronicler Mark Lewisohn said yesterday:
“This is the first time I have heard about this.” For more
on this story and many more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.
February
4th : Phil Spector Charged With Murder
Legendary
record producer Phil Spector has been charged with first degree murder
in connection with the death of a woman. The charges came after the 62-year-old
was arrested at his home in the Los Angeles suburb of Alhambra. Police
found a woman, who has now been identified as 40-year-old Lana Clarkson
shot dead in Spector's hilltop mansion in Los Angeles, California. Neighbours
alerted police after hearing gunshots and officers arrived at the property
at around 5am Pacific Time, 1pm GMT. Spector was taken into custody for
questioning and later charged. He is expected to appear in court this
week to be formally charged with first degree murder. Phil Spector was
a great friend of John Lennon and was a massive part of producing much
of Johns work, he was probably best known for his work on the Imagine
sessions. He has also worked with artists such as the Righteous Brothers
and Tina Turner. For more on this story and many more Beatles news stories
please visit What
Goes On.
January
6th : Applicant Bids To Run Lennon Museum
A
heritage charity seeking a custodian for the childhood home of John Lennon
has received an application from as far afield as Australia. The National
Trust says more than 20 people have applied for the job looking after
Mendips - the suburban semi in south Liverpool where Lennon lived with
his aunt Mimi. The legendary singer/songwriter's widow Yoko Ono is believed
to have paid more than £150,000 for the Menlove Avenue property
which she donated to the trust. She wanted to ensure the house - where
her late husband wrote the early "Fab Four" hit Please Please
Me - remained accessible to the people of Liverpool. Lennon, who moved
into the house when he was five, was reportedly only allowed to play his
guitar in the glazed front-porch of the property where he composed and
rehearsed songs. Simon Osborne, manager of the National Trust-run Speke
Hall and overseer of the Beatles' properties, says he is pleased with
the response to the job advertisement. For more on this story and many
more Beatles news stories please visit What
Goes On.