The Beatles released what has been billed their very last song this week, with the aid of filmmaker Peter Jackson, but now the Lord of the Rings director has hinted there may be one or two more gems in the vault.
19.10.2023 - 22:37 / ok.co.uk
The late, great Paul O’Grady spent his final few moments smoking a spliff, his widower Andre Portasio has revealed.
The surprising admission came as Andre and Paul’s loved ones gathered together in a memorial service on Wednesday, 18 October, to commemorate his life, as he told guests in attendance: “We’d had a very ordinary day, just watching TV together at home, when Paul said he wanted to make a ‘cup of tea,’ and that was our little code for rolling a spliff. “So Paul went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, brought it back, lit it and started smoking it – and that was our last time together, the last thing we did.
He passed away there in his chair.” Looking back at his life in the moving service, Andre also shared a string of anecdotes — some outrageous — as guests laughed affectionately about Paul and his lasting legacy for always making people smile. Andre’s admission comes just seven months on since the much loved TV star died back in March 2023, in a death that devastated fans not only in the UK but around the world.
Paul died of a sudden cardiac arrhythmia earlier this year, at the end of a gruelling seven month long work schedule that had left him feeling more than a little exhausted. Although unexpected, Paul’s death was described as “peaceful” as it took place at his home in Kent, where he and Andre resided together.
The star was famously laid to rest with a private funeral service at St Rumwold’s Church in the village of Bonnington in Kent, before mourners went to a special wake at Port Lympne Safari Park.
The service featured a series of personal tributes to the entertainer, including a bronze statue of his beloved late dog Buster that had been placed on a leopard-print throw. A photograph of a smiling
The Beatles released what has been billed their very last song this week, with the aid of filmmaker Peter Jackson, but now the Lord of the Rings director has hinted there may be one or two more gems in the vault.
The death of Princess Diana back in 1997 shook the nation and the rest of the world. The fatal car crash, which also killed her partner Dodi Fayed and the driver of the vehicle, happened 26 years ago, when the car crashed into the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris.
told The Sunday Times of London.“Paul was going to write, I was going to open a hairdresser’s, George would get a garage,” he continued. “But it went on and then it ended.
Priscilla Presley opened up in an interview with Piers Morgan.
Paul McCartney has said the deaths of John Lennon and George Harrison is still a “bitter pill to swallow” in a new interview.Speaking to The Times, McCartney reflected on the passing of Lennon and Harrison and the grief he still feels after the loss of both.McCartney explained: “I like the idea of not letting go of each other…You know, when you have somebody you love so much. In many cases it’s a relative, and even though they go, you don’t want to let go — that’s what people say when somebody dies. They’re in your memory, always in your heart.
Quiz Lady director Jessica Yu is opening up about Paul Reubens‘ cameo in the film, which marks the late actor’s final film role.
The Beatles’ “final” song, ‘Now And Then’ has been shared – directed by Peter Jackson and featuring newly unearthed footage of the members.
Paul McCartney has revealed that he kept The Beatles‘ ‘Now And Then’ a secret from the extra musicians who played on the track in the studio.The song, dubbed the “final” single from the Fab Four, came out today (November 2) following the release of an accompanying short film titled Now And Then – The Last Beatles Song.‘Now And Then’ stemmed from a demo tape recorded by the late John Lennon, and was completed with the help of AI technology – which lifted the songwriter’s vocals off the initial recording.McCartney and his former bandmate Ringo Starr built on the demo in the studio along with producers Jeff Lynne and Giles Martin, the latter of whom is the son of late Beatles producer George Martin.At one point in the short film, McCartney recalled the process of adding a string arrangement to the single during a session at the famous Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California.“Giles worked up an arrangement like Giles’ dad would have done in the old days,” he explained.“We had to put the music out on the stands for the musicians, but we couldn’t tell them it was a new Beatles song. It was all a bit hush-hush.
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have shared ‘Now And Then’ – the last track from The Beatles to feature all four original members.The highly-anticipated project was first teased by McCartney back in June when he confirmed that he was working on a new track with the drummer, which would come together as the “final” song of the band’s discography.Titled ‘Now And Then’, the release stems from a demo tape recorded by late bandmate John Lennon and was completed with the help of AI – which lifted the songwriter’s vocals off the initial recording and allowed the surviving members to work with them.Since first sharing details of the song, both McCartney and Starr have continued to tease the upcoming project for months. This included the latter revealing that he thought the project was “beautiful”, and later admitting that working on the single was “like having John Lennon back”.They also hinted that the project was set to arrive imminently last week when they posted images of a cassette tape across social media and internet as well as projections across the Fab Four’s native Liverpool.Last night (November 1), a short film was broadcast on The One Show and the band’s YouTube Channel, which documented the history behind the track and how it came together.Check out the song below.The aforementioned poignant 12-minute film, which you can view here, was also broadcast as part of a series of programmes on the BBC to celebrate the legacy of The Beatles.In the video, McCartney recalls how Lennon first wrote and recorded a demo of ‘Now And Then’ in his New York City home in the late ’70s – featuring just his piano and vocals.
Liam Gallagher has shared his verdict on the long-awaited “final” song by The Beatles – revealing that he finds it “heartwarming”.The track in question is the song that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have been working on over recent months, which stemmed from a demo tape recorded by late bandmate John Lennon.Titled ‘Now And Then’, the project was completed with the help of AI – which helped to lift Lennon’s vocals off the demo recording – and is being described by the band as being the “final” ever song to feature all members of the Fab Four.Both McCartney and Starr have been teasing the upcoming project for months and also shared a short film last night (November 1), which documented the history behind the track and how it came together. It is set for a worldwide release today at 2pm GMT / 10am EDT / 7am – marketed as a double A-side with their 1962 debut UK single, ‘Love Me Do’ – combining their first single with their last.Now, ahead of its official release, former Oasis frontman and Britpop icon Liam Gallagher has taken to X/Twitter to share his thoughts on the song, and told his followers that he found it to be an emotional listen.“Now n Then [is] absolutely incredible biblical celestial heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time,” he wrote in an initial post this morning.
When surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr heard John Lennon singing anew on “Now and Then” — a brand new Beatles song that will be released on Thursday — it was like their former bandmate had miraculously come back to life four decades after he was murdered.“And there it was — John’s voice, crystal clear,” says McCartney, 81, in the new short film “Now and — The Last Beatles Song,” which premiered on the Fab Four’s YouTube channel on Wednesday.“It’s like John’s there,” adds Starr, 83.“Now and Then” — the first new Beatles tune since “Real Love” in 1996 — was written and first recorded by Lennon in the ’70s when he was living in the Dakota building on New York’s Central Park West — where he was murdered 43 years ago on Dec. 8, 1980.“I do remember living at the Dakota with Dad and Mom,” recalls Sean Ono Lennon, 48, in “Now and Then.” “There’s this impression that my dad stopped doing music for a while to raise me, which I think is partially true in terms of him not touring and not fulfilling any major record-label obligations.“But he was always playing music around the house.
Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic In advance of Thursday’s release of the recently completed “Now and Then,” which is being billed as the final new track that will ever be finished and released under the Beatles‘ name, fans are hearing portions of the song — and more of the story behind it — in a 12-minute mini-documentary, “Now And Then – The Last Beatles Song,” that premiered on Disney+ Wednesday afternoon. The doc includes footage from the 1995 recording session in which Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison first had a quickly aborted go at adding parts to a John Lennon demo that had been supplied to them for Yoko Ono.
Paul Foreman (played by Peter Ash) was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) earlier this year on Coronation Street and has slowly been coming to terms with his symptoms. After initially keeping his diagnosis a secret from his family, he has since received plenty of love and support as everyone has rallied around him.
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The Finals has announced another beta for the upcoming free-to-play shooter and players will be able to earn in-game extras and keep them for launch.Held from October 26 to November 5, this will be available for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players and it will an open beta allowing for cross-platform play.Two maps from the closed beta will return, Monaco and Seoul, and a new map titled Skyway Stadium will be introduced.Players can get to grips with The Finals mechanics and movements in the practice range before entering one of the four game modes.Cashout involves teams of three players who will compete to find cashboxes, secure them and then deposit them in vaults.
Ricky Gervais has revealed he turned down an offer to host a new version of ITV’s For The Love Of Dogs.The documentary series was previously hosted by Paul O’Grady, who died aged 67 in March earlier this year. The show’s eleventh season, which aired posthumously, came to an end in August.According to The Sun, a remake of the show is currently in pre-production, with Gervais, Amanda Holden and Martin Clunes touted as frontrunners to take over hosting duties.Following the reports, Gervais has since taken his name out of the running, confirming on X that he turned down an offer by ITV bosses.In response to a fan who shared the rumours, Gervais wrote: “It’s true that I was asked but I said no I’m afraid.
The new musical Here We Are, which is the final show from legendary composer Stephen Sondheim, has officially debuted off-Broadway.
Paul McCartney, Aurora, The Chemical Brothers and more will feature on ‘War Child Presents Secret 7”’ – a collection of seven songs by seven musicians on 700 records with each featuring unique artwork.Celeste, Hozier, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Specials will also feature on the new project, with all records set to be exhibited and free to view at NOW Gallery from March 2 to 17, 2024.The concept of the charity initiative, which initially ran from 2012-2021, takes seven tracks by seven musicians, pressing each one to seven inch vinyl 100 times, creating 700 records.The sleeves for each are then designed by 700 creatives, ranging from renowned artists to newcomers. All sleeves will then be available to purchase via auction after the exhibition. However, the designer’s identity is only revealed after the record is sold.Previous sleeve designers include the likes of Ai Weiwei, Sir Peter Blake, Yoko Ono, David Shrigley, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Martin Parr and more.Check out the ‘War Child Presents Secret 7”’ tracklist below.1. Aurora – ‘A Different Kind of Human’2. Celeste – ‘Stop This Flame’3. Hozier – ‘Swan Upon Leda’4. Siouxsie & The Banshees – ‘Lullaby’5. Paul McCartney – ‘Pipes of Peace’6. The Chemical Brothers feat. Beck – ‘Skipping Like A Stone’7. The Specials – ‘We Sell Hope’“We are delighted to announce the return of the iconic Secret 7” project, which will help raise funds to support War Child’s crucial work in conflict zones around the world,” Head of War Child Records, Rich Clarke, said in a press statement.“War Child operates in some of the most challenging, hard-to-reach places to help children and families who are most severely affected by war.
Paul McCartney has spoken about his relief that he was able to mend his broken friendship with John Lennon before he was killed.Tensions were high between the two Beatles after Lennon left the band in 1969 and they became embroiled in legal disputes over the group’s back catalogue.Throughout the ‘70s, they maintained a strained relationship. However, McCartney has revealed they were able to become closer again before Lennon was shot dead in 1980 by Mark David Chapman outside his home in New York City, aged 40.Speaking on his new 12-part podcast series McCartney: A Life in Lyrics, he said, “In the end, it was something I was very glad of, when he got murdered, that I’d had some really good times with him before that happened.”“It would have been the worst thing in the world had he just been killed and we still had a bad relationship.