Beatles News

Derek Cunnington gazed out over the low-slung London skyline from atop an eight-story apartment building and liked what he saw. “When you’re up here, you can see lots of opportunities,” said Mr. Cunnington, owner of U.K. property developer Dekra Developments. The flat roof of Grove End Gardens, which overlooks the crosswalk on the Beatles’ famous Abbey Road album cover, is a construction site.

In 18 months, Dekra will have built six luxury penthouses on top of the 1935 brick building. Some developers are taking a novel approach to finding new building sites in crowded central London, where period homes are prized: They are adding penthouses on top of existing buildings. London faces a housing crisis defined by the lack of centrally located homes. Its growing population requires 42,000 new homes built each year for the next 20 years, according to the office of Mayor Boris Johnson. Demand pushed the average London house price up 13.2% in January compared with the same month in 2012, the U.K.’s national statistics agency sa details

Upon my insistence, my cousins Gina Furman and Carmencita Purugganan brought me to The Grammy Museum in downtown Los Angeles. I had read of the exhibit of Ringo Starr’s memorabilia at the Grammy and, being a Beatles fan, I knew this was something I shouldn’t miss on my US visit.

Instead of a couple of hours. We ended up staying the whole afternoon. How could we not? Titled “Peace and Love,” the exhibit showcases the life and times of Ringo Starr, the charming, inimitable drummer of The Beatles and my avowed favorite among the Fab Four. Here are all the details of his life, from his childhood in Liverpool, to his early days as musician, to the raucous days of the rock band that changed music history, and later to his solo career as singer, actor, artist, songwriter, winner of seven Grammy awards, and leader of his own All-Starr Band. Indeed, viewing the artifacts, letters, photographs and videos is like discovering Ringo all over again—and learning things about him not generally details

Hofner has redesignated the model names of its famous Violin Bass to reflect the iconic bass's Beatles lineage. The three German-made models have been the cause of some confusion among McCartney connoisseurs due to the order in which they were issued. The new model names should put any debate to bed, and instead of having years associated with them have new 'evocative' titles that reflect the era they are associated with.

To that end, the Vintage '61 Re-issue, based on the first Violin Bass Macca picked up in Hamburg, becomes the 500/1 'Cavern'. The Vintage '62 Re-issue becomes the 500/1 'Liverpool', inspired by the bass Hofner built for McCartney August 1963, and finally the Vintage '64 Re-issue becomes the standard 500/1 Violin Bass model. All clear now? Good! The three German built 500/1 Violin Beatle Basses on the current Höfner catalogue have received changes to the model names in order to more closely associate them with historical events. The construction and fittings remain, however, exactly the same. Due to the sequence that re-i details

The cast and producers of Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles - the long-awaited play about the legendary music manager Brian Epstein - visited London's Leicester Square Theatre last week to officially launch the show's initial 6-week run at the venue this Summer.

2014 also sees Brian Epstein posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of fame after a campaign from fans and also the unveiling of a commemorative blue plaque at the London offices of Epstein's company NEMS. Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles is the untold story and window into the private world of the music entrepreneur whose stellar career as Beatles Manager made him a household name yet whose controversial personal life remained very much in the closet. Brian died in 1967 of an accidental overdose at the age of 32. Acclaimed stage and TV star Andrew Lancel (Coronation Street, The Bill) and actor Will Finlason will return to the roles of Brian Epstein and the fictional character 'This Boy' respectively, for which they each received rave reviews during the initial run of Epstein: The Man W details

Paul McCartney and John Lennon are among 40 paintings of rock heroes by graphic designer Paul Terence Madden going on display in Liverpool on Friday. He said, "This endless exhibition is a true homage, a reflection of my life connected to the world of music. The paintings are of people I love and admire."

They have been created by graphic designer Paul Terence Madden, who spent his nights away from the office watching bands such as the Sex Pistols. Madden grew up in Ellesmere Port before studying at Chester Art School, where he became life-long friends with Steve Lindsey, bassist from Liverpool Art School cult band Deaf School.   He then attended London College of Printing before working in a Soho graphic art studio. A decade ago, Madden began painting his musical heroes in acrylic paint. His works on canvas feature stencilled lyrics and touches of semi-legible graffiti.  He says: “This endless exhibition is a true homage, a reflection of my life connected to the world of music.

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Every once in a long while, the members of Yesterday and Today get a request they can’t bring themselves to play. It’s not for lack of knowledge or enthusiasm. The six members of the Beatles cover band that’s set to hit the Lone Tree Arts Center this week have a working knowledge of the Fab Four’s entire catalogue.

The group based out of Nebraska have mastered tunes off of early records like “A Hard Day’s Night,” the Beatles’ final songs on albums like “Abbey Road” and everything in between. But the group has had to draw the line on rare occasions since they launched as an all-request cover band. “‘Revolution 9’ on the White Album; people request that to be a smartass,” said Billy McGuigan, a founding member of Yesterday and Today, as well as its guitarist, keyboard player and vocalist. That tune, an eight-minute sound experiment on the Beatles’ 1968 album that features Ringo Starr repeatedly droning the words “number nine,” would hardly make for a crowd-pleasi details

John Leszczynski is a 5-year-old coping with a level of autism that has delayed his verbal and sensory processing skills. That means he doesn't talk. He isn't ready to read. His idea of play is a little different than others.