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The Beatles were supposedly “more popular than Jesus,” and yet their song “Let It Be” took on a religious significance to many people. That was never what the song was supposed to be. The tune became a massive hit in the United States. Years after its release, even John Lennon himself bemoaned that the track was too popular for its own good.

Paul McCartney revealed who The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ is actually about

There’s a great tradition of pop songs that sound like gospel music without being religious per se. These tracks include Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Elvis Presley’s “Burning Love,” Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” and Kesha’s “Praying.” The Beatles might have written the most famous pseudo-gospel song of all time: “Let It Be.”

It’s easy to mistake “Let It Be” for a Christian tune, considering it has a gospel soundscape.

“John Lennon: His Life, Legacy, Last Days” is set to air on National Geographic this Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 8:00 Pm. This special episode of “20/20” takes a deep dive into the life of one of music’s most iconic figures. It focuses on his journey from a young boy in Liverpool to becoming a global superstar with The Beatles.

The program will explore Lennon’s impact on music and culture, showcasing his creativity and activism. Viewers will get to see rare footage and hear stories from those who knew him best. The documentary also reflects on the tragic events of December 8, 1980, when the world was shocked by the news of his death.

This poignant tribute not only celebrates Lennon’s achievements but also examines the legacy he left behind. It promises to be an emotional and insightful look at a man who changed the music world forever. Fans of Lennon...

Beatlemania is once again sweeping the country. Well, sweeping Disney+ anyway, thanks to an intimate new documentary, “Beatles ’64.” Directed by Emmy nominee David Tedeschi and produced by Oscar winner Martin Scorsese, the film features footage from the 1964 TV documentary “What’s Happening! The Beatles in the USA,” new interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and archival contributions of John Lennon and George Harrison. It chronicles the days before and after the Fab Four’s first trip to America, including their appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” It’s a defining moment in popular culture, one that changed not just the Beatles’ trajectory, but the course of music history forever.

Now, you might be thinking to yourself: How many Beatles films and documentaries can one culture produce? How many is too many? At this juncture, it appears to be impossible to say. We don’t seem to have reached the saturation point yet,...

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Six decades ago, America got introduced to a new band known as The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. “It was like being in the eye of a hurricane,” John Lennon says of Beatlemania in the new music documentary Beatles ’64. “It was happening to us, but it was hard to see.”

Now streaming on Disney+, Beatles ’64 is produced by Martin Scorsese and directed by David Tedeschi,...

“Beatles ‘64” wants to hold your hand.

The latest Beatles documentary specifically focuses on the 1964 arrival of the lovely lads from Liverpool in America. This includes their zeitgeist-capturing performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and their first live concert in the United States, held at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C.

But how can you watch the latest documentary on the Fab Four? Read on to find out.

When does “Beatles ‘64” come out?

“Beatles ‘64” premieres exclusively on Disney+ on Nov. 29.

Is “Beatles ‘64” streaming or in theaters?

The new documentary is only available on Disney+. Sure, it would be pretty fun to watch “Beatles ‘64” in a crowded movie theater, with people reacting to the band today like they had back then. But alas, it is impossible.

Who is in “Beatles ’64?”

There are new interviews with surviving Beatles members Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney; there are...

When John Lennon first released his 1973 album Mind Games, it was met with tepid reception from critics and fans. But with Lennon’s son Sean Ono Lennon rereleasing a new box set of the album, the rockstar’s son is encouraging listeners to bring a new perspective to the music, especially in relation to the messages about his mother and Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono.

Lennon recorded Mind Games right before his well-known and highly discussed “lost weekend” in which he separated from Yoko Ono for 18 months, relocated to Los Angeles,...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker for Wbgr-fm on November 27th, reviewing “Beatles ’64,” a new doc on the coming-to-America of the Fab Four. Streaming on Disney+ beginning November 29th.

This is the story of The Beatles’ exquisite timing in coming to America in February of 1964, which they also timed to their first Number One hit in America with “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.” Yes, this doc contains archival interviews with John and George, and contemporary interviews with Paul and Ringo, who must be very sick of talking about this all, but the lads still provide some insight. The rest of the story is from background players, with interviews of musicians of the era and social observers, in addition to the Beatlemaniac fans of the era. including many of their ardent females fans in New York City before and after their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show,...

One hundred years and going strong. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been an American holiday tradition since 1924, when the New York City department store decided to hold an event celebrating the expansion of its flagship Herald Square location.

Over the ensuing decades, generations of people have tuned in (or lined up in the cold) to see iconic character balloons, marching bands, dance troupes, and other performers usher in the Christmas season. In 2024, the parade kicks off at 8:30 a.m. Et on NBC and Peacock, with performances from Jennifer Hudson, Idina Menzel, and The Temptations. But before that happens, let’s look back at some memorable moments from past Thanksgiving Day parades.

The 1928 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade | Underwood Archives/Getty Images

Giant balloons weren’t actually part of the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which instead featured animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. The massive...

Barry Keoghan is apparently set to play Sir Ringo Starr in four biopics about The Beatles.The ‘Saltburn’ actor, 32, was previously rumoured to be in the mix to play the legendary drummer in the upcoming movie series about the iconic band, and now Starr, 84, has seemingly suggested that Keoghan has indeed signed on to play him in the films.Speaking with Entertainment Tonight about the actor’s rumoured involvement in the project, Ringo said: “I think it’s great.“I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.” The ‘Dunkirk’ star was first linked to the movies - which will to be helmed by ‘Skyfall’ director Sir Sam Mendes - in February, with Deadline reporting that Keoghan would portray the drummer, while ‘Gladiator II’ actor Paul Mescal and Babygirl’s Harris Dickinson would play Sir Paul McCartney and John Lennon respectively. While the outlet reported...

Back in February, we brought you the very exciting news that Sam Mendes has not one but fourBeatles biopics in the works, with each intersecting movie set to hit cinemas in 2027. And while that may still seem quite some time away, the long and winding road to Mendes' Fab Four pictures may have just found its first stop — and its first Beatle. In an Entertainment Tonight interview conducted after earning a glut of Grammy nominations, The Beatles' iconic drummer Ringo Starr heavily implied/all but outright said that Bird star Barry Keoghan is set to pick up his drumsticks in Mendes' upcoming films.

When asked his thoughts on the prospect of Irish actor Keoghan playing him on-screen, Starr coyly replied, "I think it’s great. I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many." Though this is far from an official casting confirmation at this point,...

“Saltburn” star Barry Keoghan shouldn’t take too many drum lessons if he’s preparing to play Ringo Starr in the upcoming Beatles biopic — and that’s coming from the drummer, himself.

The “Don’t Pass Me By” singer told Entertainment Tonight on Wednesday that rumors of Keoghan portraying him in Sam Mendes’ four-part movie series are just “great.”

“Well, I think it’s great. I think he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many,” Starr shared. “You gotta let them get their own feel. I did a MasterClass, and we were talking about, ‘You know, I’m not asking you to play like me, but you have to have this movement that you can do this stuff.'”

Sony’s project is the first to be approved by Starr and Paul McCartney as well as the families of George Harrison and John Lennon. Each film...

Ringo Starr has commented on reports that Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) will play him in an upcoming biopic about The Beatles. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer discussed the speculation in a recent interview with “Entertainment Tonight’s” Kevin Frazier.

“I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons,” he said. “I hope not too many!” When asked if he had any advice for the actor, Starr showed off his basic drumming tutorial and added, “I’m not asking you to play like me, but you have to have the movement to do this stuff. A lot of people come to the gigs we’re doing and say, ‘My son is taking drum lessons,’ and I say, ‘Not too many I hope.’ You’ve got to let them get their own feel.”

It’s been 60 years since The Beatles first landed in the United States and Beatlemania is still going strong.

Ringo Starr seems to have confirmed that Barry Keoghan will play him in the Starr-centric film in Sam Mendes’ four-part Beatles biopic.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight this week, the Beatles drummer weighed in when asked about the rumored casting, telling the network, “I think he’s great, I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons. I hope not too many.”

While Starr’s remark gives some validity to the Keoghan rumors that had surfaced recently, another source would not confirm the casting based on Starr’s statements. They told Rolling Stone...

Barry Keoghan has “work to do” if he’s going to pull off a convincing Ringo Starr.

According to the Beatles alum himself, Keoghan has been cast as Starr in the four-part film series directed by Sam Mendes. Paul Mescal is also rumored to be cast as a fellow Beatle — perhaps Paul as Paul (McCartney)?

“I think it’s great,” Starr told Entertainment Tonight of Keoghan’s casting. “I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.”

IndieWire has reached out to Keoghan’s representatives for comment.

Starr, Paul McCartney, and the families of late Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison have granted full life-story and music rights for the scripted film.

Mendes will direct all four biopics, each of which will center on one band member’s Pov. Per the official announcement, the films will “intersect” with each other and “tell the astonishing story...

Barry Keoghan is set to portray Ringo Starr in Sam Mendes’ Beatles movies, according to the Beatle himself.

“I think it’s great,” said Starr to Entertainment Tonight when asked about his reaction to Keoghan’s rumored casting. “I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.”

Mendes is planning to direct four biopics, each dedicated to a band member: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Starr. All of the movies will be released separately in theaters by Sony Pictures. While several stars have been rumored to be circling the splashy project, including Pual Mescal and Joseph Quinn, no deals have been made with any of the cast. Sony had no comment.

“You have to match the boldness of the idea with a bold release strategy,” Rothman previously told The Hollywood Reporter about the project that earned the Oscar-winning director a coveted signoff from...

Following months of speculation, The Beatles’ Ringo Starr has confirmed that Barry Keoghan is being eyed to play him in the forthcoming series of Beatles films that Sam Mendes will direct for Sony.

When asked about the prospect by Entertainment Tonight, the iconic drummer said, “I think it’s great. I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.”

We were first to report on plans for the quartet of Beatles films back in February, and casting rumors have swirled ever since. While unconfirmed, it’s believed Paul Mescal is circling the role of Paul McCartney, with Harris Dickinson to play John Lennon, and Joseph Quinn to portray George Harrison. No cast deals for the film are currently in place, we’re told.

Mendes’ vision for the Beatles film series is to make four separate, but interconnected theatrical films — one from the point of view...

It looks like a rumored piece of information about Barry Keoghan might be true!

Earlier this year, the 32-year-old actor’s name was linked to Sam Mendes‘ Beatles movies. Sam is set to direct four separate movies about the Beatles.

Each movie is set to focus on the four members – Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, while also intersecting with each other, to “tell the astonishing story of the greatest band in history,” leading to the 1970 breakup, Variety reported in February.

A few months back, a report emerged linking Barry to the role of Ringo Starr. Now, Ringo seems to have confirmed the news.

“I think it’s great,” Ringo told Et about the casting news. “I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.”

Now, there’s three other actors linked to the three remaining Beatles roles, and we’re listing them here!

Barry Keoghan may soon be rocking a mop top, at least if Ringo Starr is to be believed.

The legendary drummer confirmed to “Entertainment Tonight” that the “Saltburn” star will play him in Sam Mendes’ sprawling look at the Beatles. “I think it’s great,” Starr said when asked for his reaction on Keoghan’s casting. “I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many,” he added.

The film, which Sony Pictures is producing, will consist of four separate movies, one from each Beatle’s point of view. For the first time since the group transformed popular music, Paul McCartney, Starr and the families of the late John Lennon and George Harrison have granted full life story and music rights for the scripted films. That’s made casting of the Four Fab a source of endless rumors and speculation. Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn and Paul Mescal...

Update: It appears that Ringo Starr has confirmed that Barry Keoghan will be playing him in Sam Mendes’ series of Beatles biopics! When Entertainment Tonight asked Starr what he thinks of the idea of Keoghan taking on the role, Starr replied, “Well, I think it’s great. I believe he’s somewhere taking drum lessons, and I hope not too many.” Meanwhile, World of Reel reports that Joseph Quinn of Stranger Things may be the top choice to play George Harrison, surpassing the previously rumored Charlie Rowe.

Our original article on the casting rumors, which we posted back in June, follows:

It was announced earlier this year that Sam Mendes was undertaking an ambitious project involving one of the biggest bands in history: The Beatles. Instead of just one movie, Mendes is set to direct four movies, each telling the story from the point of view of a different member of the Beatles.

In both anticipated or unexpected ways, great art can inspire, comfort, and heal. And sometimes bad art can serve exactly the same purpose — especially when we’re in desperate need of a laugh. So, this holiday weekend, we give extra thanks to the Lifetime Channel for Christmas in the Spotlight, a made-for-cable movie about a blond, super-successful, stadium-filling pop star and the football star she becomes entangled with. If that plot conjures a certain real-life pop star and a specifc actual athlete, you would be correct. But you don’t...

Ringo Starr is driving headlines even in 2024. First, Sam Mendes announced his ambitious project directing four biopics for each of the four Beatles all at the same time. Then, the band managed to snag two(!) Grammy nominations for their AI-assisted final song, "Now And Then." Then today, in a conversation about said noms,...

A rare, eight-page draft letter John Lennon wrote to Eric Clapton in 1971, pitching him on a new musical project at one of the most tumultuous times in Clapton’s life, is headed to auction.

This copy of the missive is dated Sept. 29, 1971 and it contains various deletions and corrections, including some in a different hand, possibly Yoko Ono’s. Lennon retained this copy of the letter and the exact contents of the final version sent to Clapton are unknown. (If all of this sounds vaguely familiar, the same letter was...

A clip in Beatles ’64 features Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan making a salient observation: “The chances of your understanding anything going on in your own time are very small, except through the means provided by artists. Artists are people who enjoy living in the present.” That perspective is both supported and disproven by the film’s candid access to John, Paul, George and Ringo — surnames not required — on the cusp of global superstardom during their first visit to America in 1964.

The band members are by no means oblivious to the seismic momentum of Beatlemania, becoming virtual prisoners at New York’s Plaza Hotel as it’s surrounded by a mob of screaming fans. And yet they remain at that time disarmingly innocent, almost incredulous — fundamentally still four goofy working-class lads from Liverpool with mop-top haircuts who appear to view the hysteria mostly as a lark. Only in interviews years...

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of The Beatles’ the’ first visit to the USA in February 1964, Martin Scorsese has put the band back together, so to speak. Scorsese produces along with others including Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison, and Sean Ono Lennon this wildly entertaining and smartly conceived new documentary that liberally mixes footage from the iconic 1964 documentary chronicling the Fab Four’s visit, which was the result of unprecedented access given to directors Albert and David Maysles (Gimme Shelter), plus new interviews including Paul and Ringo, remixed musical tracks and the Ed Sullivan Show appearance and much more.

Beatles ’64 will begin streaming on Friday November 29 on Disney +, which no doubt is trying to replicate its success with Peter Jackson’s landmark 2021 miniseries The Beatles: Get Back, which won five Emmys.

That film chronicled the recording of their legendary 1969 album Let It Be with rare...

In an interview with music producer Danny Bennett in David Tedeschi’s documentary “Beatles ’64,” we see that the Beatles have always been a marketing juggernaut. Bennett shows us Beatles nylons, a Beatles dress, Beatles sneakers, and perhaps the most bizarre item upon which to slap the Fab Four’s faces, Beatles talcum powder.

While it’s easy to be cynical about “Beatles ’64” as just another thing to sell that repackages the iconic group, it’s important to remember that just because there are a lot of Beatles products, that doesn’t mean all products are created equal or that they instantly cheapen the band’s music.

Thankfully, “Beatles ’64” is far more worthwhile than Beatles talcum powder.

Working off footage shot by legendary documentarians Albert and David Maysles, “Beatles ’64” focuses on the Beatles’ first trip to America in February 1964. That two-week tour included the group’s unforgettable debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show,...

When John Lennon’s younger son, Sean, was born, the musician spoke about him with great pride. He stepped away from the public eye and his music career in order to raise him. He did not treat his older son this way. Julian Lennon was born during Beatlemania and spent little time with his father after his parents divorced. He spoke about how proud he was of his mother for raising him on “very little” while Lennon continued to get richer.

John Lennon’s son said he felt like his father cast him aside

After John and Cynthia Lennon divorced, Julian Lennon saw very little of his father. He said his mother was primarily responsible for raising him, and he believed that she did a great job.

“I’m immensely proud of her,” he wrote in the foreword to Cynthia’s book, John. “She’s always been there for me...

Decades before he was convicted of second-degree murder in 2009, music producer Phil Spector drew a gun and threatened beloved pop singer Cher, as revealed in the singer’s new book, Cher: The Memoir.

In writing, Cher details how her career began as a backup singer, and she was featured on several records that Spector produced. Cher and Spector went their different ways as Cher pursued a solo career, but in 1974 (after the completion of Cher’s album Dark Lady) Cher’s then-boyfriend connected the two for the possibility of a collaboration on a new album.

At this time, Spector asked Cher and Harry Nilsson to sing backup vocals on some songs for John Lennon’s Rock ’n’ Roll album. He also asked them to record a ‘guide vocal’ for the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas’ song “A Love Like Yours.” Although Spector supposedly promised to pass the audio on to Lennon,...

John Lennon’s son Julian had a complicated relationship with his father. He was a child when his parents separated, and he scarcely saw Lennon after the divorce. As Julian grew older, he began to wonder why his father put such limited effort into maintaining a relationship with him. His mother, Cynthia, recalled Julian asking why Lennon no longer loved him.

John Lennon’s son didn’t feel loved by his father

When Lennon moved to the United States, Cynthia and Julian found out through a news report. For the next several years of Julian’s life, he did not see or hear from his father.

“[T]here was no word from him between 1971 and 1974, apart from birthday and Christmas presents for Julian each year, sent by his London office with no personal note or card,” Cynthia wrote in her book John. “It must have felt to Julian as though his...

The Beatles‘ The White Album is, to put it mildly, strange. A fictional hero from adventure stories, an American historical figure, and an event in India inspired one track from The White Album. Here’s how that all went down.

1 song from The Beatles’ ‘The White Album’ was social commentary and a joke

The White Album is one of the oddest ducks in popular music history. It careens wildly between styles, embracing folk, rock, pop, vaudeville, blues, children’s music, and the avant-garde. While the record includes a lot of experiments, listeners tend to remember some of its radio-friendly tracks like “Blackbird,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “Ob-la-Di, Ob-la-Da.”

Somewhere in between the commercial and the experimental is the unusual folk ditty “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill.” The track is about the title character killing a tiger. The tune goes back and forth between portraying the killing as tragic and heroic.

A Resonet Futurama guitar, played by George Harrison during the Beatles’ early years, sold for $1.27 million at a rock & roll memorabilia auction house in Nashville earlier this week.

Julien’s Auctions originally priced the guitar between $600,000 to $800,000, meaning it sold for nearly double the lower end of its estimate. The $1.27 million price tag makes it the most expensive Harrison-owned guitar ever sold at auction.

The “Quiet Beatle” purchased the Futurama in 1959 from a music store in Liverpool. He played it at over 324 Beatles performances, as well as during the...

Did “Based on a True Story” need a second season? Arguably no, but credit where credit is due: Season 2 of Craig Rosenberg’s Peacock series is significantly more confident, entertaining, and batshit (respectfully) than the first, so when the inevitable cliffhanger rolls around, it actually feels earned.

Season 2, Episode 8, “This Week’s Guest” starts with Ava (Kaley Cuoco) and Nathan (Chris Messina) held hostage at a podcast studio by the as-yet-unidentified Copycat Killer. This is a show with so few characters that I was genuinely stumped as to the murderer’s identity, and thrilled by the reveal that its Chloe Lake’s (Natalia Dyer) sister (Sarah Paxton) — whose sister was killed by Matt (Tom Bateman), the West Side Ripper.

It’s a turn very much of a piece with the rest of the season, which smartly pulls away from Ava, Nathan, and Matt’s hit podcast and its dubious ethics.

The Beatles‘ songs inspired other classic rock artists in many ways. Surprisingly, Cat Stevens’ career was born out of frustration with The Beatles’ songs. The “Morning Has Broken” singer would later make a Fab Four classic his own.

Cat Stevens thought playing Beatles songs was hard and playing other songs was harder

During a 2019 interview with SongwriterUniverse, the “Peace Train” singer discussed his early relationship with music. “We had a little baby grand piano in our living room,” he said. “It was way too big for our living room, but it was a present that my father got from my sister. And at first, nobody really bothered to play it. My mother sometimes played a piano song here and there, but that was it.”

A certain British band had a huge impact on him. “Then along came The Beatles, and that changed everything,” he said. “What happened was, I got...

While my bank account gently weeps? A guitar owned by George Harrison just sold for an eye-popping $1.27 million at auction. It’s the highest-ever auction price for a guitar owned by the former Beatle.

George Harrison’s guitar fetches impressive price at auction George Harrison’s Futurama guitar displayed during “Played, Worn And Torn II” Julien’s Auctions Press Preview in New York City. | Manoli Figetakis/Getty Images

The early, Beatles-era Futurama guitar once owned by Harrison was the showpiece item in Julien’s Auction’s “Played, Worn & Torn II” sale. Heading into the auction, it was expected that the instrument might fetch upwards of $600,000, but the final hammer price was more than twice that.

The Futurama guitar was one of two guitars Harrison used most frequently while in the Beatles. He played it in more than 324 of the band’s performances, including those at the legendary Cavern Club, and...

Starting November 22 and continuing into December, celebrate the all-new “Beatles ’64” documentary and relive the electrifying moment of the band’s first visit to America on The Beatles Channel (Ch. 18).

The Fab Four, 24/8Everything dedicated to The BeatlesListen on the App

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Tune in to The Beatles Channel for special programming and exclusive content spotlighting the exciting year when Beatlemania swept the U.S. for the first time, as seen in the all-new “Beatles ’64” documentary (out November 29 on Disney+).

“Beatles ’64” Specials – Broadcast Schedule

Listen to The Beatles Channel on satellite channel 18 at the times below, or stream the specials anytime with the SiriusXM app after their on-air premiere.

Fab Fourum

The Beatles Channel’s weekly live talk show hosted by Dennis Elsas, Bill Flanagan, and Tom Frangione presents a very special edition this week as they welcome “Beatles ’64” director David Tedeschi to celebrate the film’s release.

The Rolling Stones‘ songs are in so many movies, but Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! is not one of them. A controversial Rolling Stones track was going to serve as a villain song in the movie. That wasn’t in the cards. However, the connection between The Rolling Stones and Moulin Rouge! did not stop there.

1 song by The Rolling Stones was kept out of ‘Moulin Rouge!’ for non-artistic reasons

The soundtrack of Moulin Rouge! includes songs from many different genres, including pop, soul, and Broadway music, but it’s at its best when it recontextualizes classic rock songs as show tunes. The film includes hits by The Beatles, Nirvana, Queen, David Bowie, Elton John, U2, Kiss, Joe Cocker, Paul McCartney & Wings, and The Police. In a 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly, music supervisor Anton Monsted revealed that several songs were kept out of the final cut of the film, including...

In the film A Complete Unknown, Elle Fanning acts alongside Timothée Chalamet. Chalamet plays Bob Dylan, and Fanning plays a version of his girlfriend Suze Rotolo, renamed Sylvie Russo in the film. Fanning has been a fan of Dylan for years, and she said Chalamet’s vocal performance as the musician blew her away. She shared what the reaction on set was like when he began to sing.

Elle Fanning shared how people reacted to Timothée Chalamet singing in ‘A Complete Unknown’

In his preparation for A Complete Unknown, Chalamet worked with a vocal coach, guitar teacher, and harmonica teacher. He played and sang live in the film, insisting that recordings would not have the same effect.

“You can’t re-create it in the studio,” he told Rolling Stone. “If I was singing to a prerecorded guitar, then all of a sudden I could hear the lack of an arm movement in my voice.

Yoko Ono has now happily reclaimed one of the last gifts she bought her beloved Beatles husband, John Lennon, for the last birthday he celebrated.

Months before John Lennon would be assassinated, Yoko Ono gifted him one of the loveliest gifts for his milestone 40th birthday. The yellow gold Patek Philippe 2499 wristwatch would turn out to be one of the last gifts that the “All You Need Is Love” hitmaker would receive.

Through an unfortunate turn of events, the special watch became lost to its owner and got sold at an auction.

Court Deprives Auction Buyer Of Rare John Lennon Watch With Beautiful Message

On Thursday, Nov. 14, a Swiss court ruled that the yellow gold Patek Philippe 2499 wristwatch the 91-year-old Japanese artist bought for her husband for his 40th birthday does not belong to the person who purchased it at an auction.

Ono originally bought the gift in 1980, months before...

Ask the Golden Globe-winning actor, and husband of Sam, about his drama (Nocturnal Animals), action (Kick-Ass), spoof action (The Fall Guy), horror (Chat Room) or perfect snogging (Angus …) roles

At 34, Aaron Taylor-Johnson has built up one of the best CVs in the business – in part because he started so young: he was 10 when he appeared in All My Sons at the National Theatre, and just 12 when he played the lead in family film Tom & Thomas.

Then came two key breakthroughs: in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, and as the young John Lennon in biopic Nowhere Boy, directed by his future wife, Sam Taylor-Johnson.

Cat Stevens has released some breathtakingly beautiful classic rock songs. However, one of his most popular ballads feels hypocritical in retrospect. It’s a shame because the song has a timeless message.

1 Cat Stevens song from the Vietnam War era didn’t age well

The Vietnam War deeply impacted the rock music of the late 1960s and 1970s. Tunes like John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance,” The Monkees’ “Last Train to Clarksville,” and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” dealt with the war.

One of the most moving of these songs was Stevens’ folk ditty “Peace Train.” It spoke to the times, but also had a message about harmony that will be relevant until the end of time.

Sadly, “Peace Train” has become hypocritical. Stevens, a Muslim, condemned Salman Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses, which commits blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad. Stevens said that anyone who insults the...

Paul McCartney wrapped his headlining set at the Corona Capital festival in Mexico City over the weekend with a rendition of his always apt show-closer — the Beatles’ “The End” — featuring guest appearances from Jack White and St. Vincent.

A fan-shot video captured the thrilling performance, which began with an extended intro jam featuring five (yes, five) guitarists: White, St. Vincent, McCartney’s bandmates Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray, and McCartney himself, who swapped his bass for a six-string for the big finale. McCartney cajoled solos out of everyone, pointing at...

“Got a lotta talk in my brain right now/Sorry, gotta do it, gotta let you down,” Shawn Mendes sings on the pointedly titled “Who I Am,” the acoustic opening track from his fifth studio album. The meditative Shawn comes two years after Mendes canceled his 2022 world tour due to mental health issues, and the singer’s new music is emblematic of a newfound self-reflection. The result is his most candid work to date.

With nothing but time on his hands to take stock of his life, Mendes sounds at peace with not knowing life’s big questions. “I stepped off the stage with nothing left/All the lights were fuckin’ with my head,” he sings on lead single “Why Why Why.” “But here I am, singing songs again.”

On “The Mountain,” Mendes evokes John Lennon’s “Imagine” as he looks both inward and outward in an attempt to reconnect with his higher self.

For a brief period, over 1982-86, the U.K. enjoyed a remarkable film renaissance. Four films – “Chariots of Fire,” (1982) “Gandhi,” (1983) “The Killing Fields” (1985) and “The Mission” (1986) – won a total 19 Academy Awards, including Best Picture two years running. All of those films, save “Gandhi,” were produced by David Puttnam.

To this day, few figures are more associated with a national film revival. “The British are coming,” “The Chariots of Fire” screenwriter Colin Welland famously said in his Oscar speech. The main Brit Hollywood had on their radar was Puttnam. He was appointed CEO of Columbia Pictures in 1986, becoming the first and only foreigner ever, he notes, to serve on the board of the MPA.

Knighted in 1995, Puttman ended his film career in 1997, at 56, when he was appointed a life peer. “When I finished ‘Memphis Belle,’ I kind of knew that I was never going to make better films than the ones I’d already produced,...

In 1971, John Lennon released “Imagine,” a song his ex-wife, Cynthia, felt was incongruous with the way he truly lived his life. After Lennon and Cynthia divorced, he married Yoko Ono and began to put his son, Julian, at a distance. Cynthia didn’t think that Lennon actually stood for what he promoted in the song.

John Lennon’s ex-wife felt he was being hypocritical when he released ‘Imagine’

In 1971, Cynthia read in the newspaper that her ex-husband had moved to New York. He’d left without any warning to her or their son.

“I had no idea whether he planned to see Julian again or how we would make contact,” Cynthia wrote in her book, John. “Until now arrangements had been made through Peter Brown in the office, but when I spoke to him he said he, too, had no idea what was going on. It seemed that John was...

The Beatles invaded America in early 1964, and the nation was never the same. Even as their plane was landing in New York, mobs of screaming fans stormed the airport. The night they played The Ed Sullivan Show, on February 9, they blew the minds of 73 million viewers. Beatlemania gripped the whole country. That moment is captured in Beatles ’64, a new documentary produced by Martin Scorsese. It’s directed by David Tedeschi, who has worked on many Scorsese docs, include the great George Harrison bio Living in the Material World.

Beatles ’64...

Sometimes, life doesn’t ask us if we’re ready before it throws us a curveball. Indeed, life can change in an instant, but we don’t always grasp how true that is until something unexpected shakes our world. One moment, everything is normal, and the next, you’re dealing with a health scare you never saw coming. That’s exactly what happened to TV presenter Davina McCall.

Recently, she shared some tough news with her followers: she’s undergoing surgery to remove a rare brain tumor. And while the tumor is non-cancerous, it’s still serious, and it has left many wondering, what exactly is a colloid cyst?

Davina McCall in Doctor Who | Credit: BBC

From her iconic stint as the host of Big Brother to her role as a judge on The Masked Singer, she’s kept us entertained with her infectious energy, sharp wit, and down-to-earth vibe.

In 1980, two months before his assassination outside the Dakota Apartments in New York, John Lennon was gifted a Patek Philippe watch by his wife Yoko Ono for his 40th birthday.

Ono purchased the timepiece for $25,000, an amount that would equal $95,500 today, and holds an estimated value of 4 million Swiss Francs ($4.51 million) due to the former Beatles’ enduring presence in the culture. Ono engraved the watch with the message: “(Just Like)/Starting Over/Love Yoko/ 10·9·1980/N.Y.C.” At the time, Lennon had been working on his first album in five years,...

Martin Scorsese is expanding his music documentary empire to include The Beatles.

Disney+ feature “Beatles ’64” is directed by David Tedeschi, with Scorsese producing. The film centers on the iconic British band’s first visit to America, which began the stateside phenomenon of Beatlemania.

The official synopsis reads: “On February 7, 1964, The Beatles arrived in New York City to unprecedented excitement and hysteria. From the instant they landed at Kennedy Airport, met by thousands of fans, Beatlemania swept New York and the entire country. Their thrilling debut performance on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ captivated more than 73 million viewers, the most watched television event of its time. ‘Beatles ’64’ presents the spectacle, but also tells a more intimate behind the scenes story, capturing the camaraderie of John, Paul, George, and Ringo as they experienced unimaginable fame.”

“Beatles ’64” includes never-before-seen footage, which was filmed by pioneering documentarians Albert and David Maysles. The clips were restored...

On Nov. 2, CBS and CMT simulcast a one-hour prerecorded benefit on behalf of the United Way for relief following hurricanes Helene and Milton, which caused $50 billion-plus in damages across Appalachia and the broader Southeast. Blake Shelton, the Zac Brown Band, J.B. Smoove and others made appearances and performed. While the effort raised $6.2 million, it was also indicative of the shrinking footprint of linear television.

In the past, such endeavors were mostly live events, and media conglomerates at times made extraordinary shows of “roadblocking” their air to command the public’s attention and pocketbooks. Veteran TV producer Joel Gallen recalls hearing from the heads of the major networks immediately after Sept. 11 to give them two hours of primetime to orchestrate what became America: A Tribute to Heroes, which raised more than $200 million for the United Way. “It’s unique to receive a call from ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox where they’re coming together like that,...

The period when Beatlemania reached America for the first time is captured in a new Disney+ documentary produced by Martin Scorsese.

Beatles ’64, arriving on the streaming service on Nov. 29, features never-before-seen footage of the Beatles as they arrived in America to unprecedented fanfare in February 1964, as well as new interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

“It was like being in the eye of a hurricane,” John Lennon says of Beatlemania in an archival interview featured in the trailer. “It was happening to us, but it was hard to see.

The piano heard on Derek & The Dominoes’ “Layla” and other classic rock staples is set to hit the auction block this week.

Eaton & Brennan Auctions’ Hit Factory Collection auction, starting today, features items and memorabilia from the famed New York studio, most notably the Baldwin grand piano that featured on the 1970 hit “Layla.”

“Steeped in music history, the piano bears copious markings from its use by legendary musicians, including unique scratches beneath its ‘Baldwin’ nameplate,” Eaton & Brennan Auctions said of the instrument.

“It is featured in a documentary about legendary music producer Tom Dowd,...