The Beatles

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George Harrison: A Look Back at His Career on His 72nd Birthday (video)

George Harrison was unquestionably the Beatle I really wanted to meet. Who could forget his early songs like “Taxman” and “Blue Jay Way,” or his lasting contribution to human rights. He would have been 72 today had he survive lung cancer that took his life in 2001 at the age of 58. I met John Lennon, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, but Harrison eluded me. He was full of intrigue and complexity and almost dared you to like him. His brilliant 1970 Concert For Bangladesh set the standard for charity shows. Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Jim Keltner, Jesse Ed Davis, Klaus Vorman, half-of Badfinger, Ringo, Billy Preston and horn-men Tom Scott and Jim Horn were there, led by George....
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Miley Cyrus Fires Up Flaming Lips Beatles Cover on Conan (watch!)

Miley Cyrus Miley Cyrus continues her odd collaboration with ’80s psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips. On Conan O’Brien, Thursday, she emerged from beneath singer Mark Coyne’s gossamer robe for a chorus to Beatles song, “A Day In The Life.” The band, known for its elaborate stage production and lush, multi-layered sound is undergoing a resurgence thanks largely to Cyrus. The song is included on the Lips’ new album With a Little Help From My Fwends,...
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John Lennon’s Doodles, Cartoons, Poems Heading for Auction in NYC

John Lennon best known as a world-class musician with The Beatles. was also a world-class doodler and writer. Now some of his non-musical works, including nonsense poems, doodles and comic drawings, are heading for auction in New York City. Lennon produced the material during the 1960s at the height of the band’s fame, when “Beatlemania” was sweeping the world. Publisher Tom Maschler saw Lennon’s drawings and writings in 1962 and convinced him to write and illustrate a book....
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Ed Sheeran Leaps From Taylor Swift Opener to Major Star (watch!)

Before last night, Ed Sheeran was mostly known as Taylor Swift’s opening act, but his moving acoustic performance of The Beatles’ “In My Life,” on last night’s (Feb. 9) CBS’s tribute show, was nothing less than magical. The show included Stevie Wonder, a reunited Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, E.L.O.’s Jeff Lynne with Dave Grohl, Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh, Katy Perry, John Legend, Alicia Keys, John Mayer and Keith Urban. Pharrell Williams, Brad Paisley, Imagine Dragons and Maroon 5 also covered classic Beatles songs....
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Monkee Micky Dolenz Releases B. B. King Show on New Album (video)

Monkee Micky Dolenz has just released a new album based on his performance last October at the famed B.B. King Bar & Grill in New York City. Micky and his band deliver a solid, 23-song set to the sold-out crowd that included celebrities like Tony Danza. While Micky was performing solo, most of the songs were from the Monkee’s catalog of hits from the ’60s and ’70s....
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Paul McCartney Ever Young at 71 With New Single ‘New’ (listen!)

As soon as the new Paul McCartney single, “New,” broke, I listened to it straight away. At 71, McCartney is pushing it more than ever: world tours, videos, re-mastered early works; rather amazing I’d say. As big as The Beatles became, they are just a chapter in his long storied career. The new song is miraculously more ’70s and ’80s than anything else–think “Penny Lane” or “My Brave Face.” “We can do as we want; we can live as we choose” is the one lyric that will jump out at you, and rather charming at that. ...
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Pete Bennett, Legendary '60s, '70s Rock Promoter, Dies Suddenly at 77

Pete Bennett, one of the top promotion men in rock music during its Golden era, died suddenly of a heart attack on Thanksgiving day at his home in Connecticut. He was 77. Bennett, named “World’s Top Promotion Man,” by Billboard magazine, is credited for propelling the careers of The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, The Who, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor and many artists and bands. Bennett, born in the Bronx, NY was described by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney as “the promotion man responsible for getting the Beatles on the radio,” according to his company Peter Bennett Enterprises....
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Behind the Media Frenzy Following Davy Jones' Death

Famed Monkee Davy Jones unexpectedly passed away last week, touching off a media frenzy for bandmates like Micky Dolenz. “Micky was in New York to rehearse for a projected new play Garage Band,” when he heard the news, according to spokesman David Salidor. In the next 24 hours, Dolenz appeared on CNN’s Piers Morgan, followed up by The Today Show, Access Hollywood, ABC's "Good Morning America" and Good Day New York, with Roseanne Scotto and Greg Kelly....
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Monkee Davy Jones, Singer, TV Actor, Dies Suddenly at 66

UK singer Davy Jones, who with three bandmates parlayed an American television comedy show into a major music career as The Monkees, died suddenly this morning (Feb. 29) of a massive heart attack at his Florida Home. He was 66. Jones’ death came as a shock to almost everyone. Publicist Helen Kensick confirmed that he died unexpectedly in sleep, leaving behind four children all adults....
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Dissecting the Best of Apple Records Compilation

When The Beatles started their own record label Apple Records in 1968, it represented just how important the group was and how big they had become. Sure, the Moody Blues had Threshold Records, but Apple really set the standard and every artist-startup had that label as their template....
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Lon Van Eaton: Life With The Beatles at Apple Records

Back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, The Beatles had such a wealth of money and influence that they decided to launch their own record label, Apple Records. Some 40 years later this month, a new album, Come and Get It: The Best of Apple Records, will be released, including a lot of material that has never been available on CD, or digital download....