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October 2002 to December 2002
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McCartney Tour Breaks Box-Office RecordsPaul McCartney wrapped his 50-date North American arena tour Oct. 29 at America West Arena in Phoenix, having grossed about $100 million, and left a trail of house records in his wake. A critical and financial winner, the tour will likely end up the top-grossing trek of 2002, averaging about $2 million per night. "Nobody goes out [on tour] to lose money, but the main thing is the audiences are having fun," McCartney tells Billboard in the Nov. 9, 2002, issue. "In some ways, [the response] has reminded me of the early Beatles tours."
The tour comprised two legs, in the spring and fall. The spring leg, under the Driving USA banner, grossed $53.2 million from 27 shows and drew 407,183 people. The top-grossing stop was a two-night stand at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas that took in $5.6 million. The 23-date fall run, called Back in the U.S., began Sept. 21 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee and primarily played markets that were missed during the spring leg.
"This tour [was] the ideal size," McCartney says. "After the first leg, we said, 'What we need is a nice holiday,' so we took some time off; I got married [to model/activist Heather Mills June 11] and had my honeymoon -- a wonderful time."
Ticket prices were mostly in the $50-$250 range, easily the highest the artist has ever charged; McCartney last toured in 1993, when his New World stadium tour grossed more than $35 million from 30 shows, drawing more than 1 million people. Tickets in 1993 were $16.50-$32.50 in most markets. "I suppose some people would balk at [ticket prices], but no one who has come to the show wants their money back," McCartney says.
McCartney's band for the tour included Paul "Wix" Wickens on keyboards, guitarist Rusty Anderson, guitarist/bassist Brian Ray, and drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. The 35-song sets tilted largely toward Beatles material but also included tunes by Wings and solo cuts. "I've played with most of these guys before, and we have a nice selection of songs," McCartney understates. "This band has really taken off."
While he has wrapped things up in North America, McCartney has not concluded his concert work for the year. The tour goes to Mexico City for concerts at Palacio de los Deportes Saturday (Nov. 2), Sunday, and Tuesday and then Japan for shows at the Tokyo Dome Nov. 11, 13, 14 and the Osaka Dome Nov. 17 and 18. McCartney is no stranger to Tokyo, the site of his notorious 1980 pot bust. "I'll be better prepared this time," he jokes. "I know how to pack now."
McCartney postponed what was to be his final concert of the year --and his only Australian show -- out of consideration for the victims of the recent terrorist attack in Bali. The Nov. 23 date in Melbourne was to be his first date in Australia in more than a decade. As previously reported, highlights from the tour will air Nov. 27 on the two-hour ABC special "Back in the U.S." A DVD and concert album of the same name will street the day before via Capitol.
There is also talk of more dates in 2003, including a run through Europe, a possible performance at Red Square in Moscow, and a tour of Australia
Paul has topped the Billboard Boxscore Chart again for top concert grosses reported the week ending November 2. In first place--Tacoma Dome, (Tacoma, WA) grossing $2,325,855 with a sellout crowd of 17,648. Second place--Schottenstein Center (Columbus, OH) grossing $2,132,005 with a sellout crowd of 15,124. Third place--Ford Center (Oklahoma City, OK) grossing 1,956,090 and a sellout crowd of 14,847. Fourth place--Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, IN) grossing $1,845,410 and a sellout crowd of 15,121. Fifth place--Savvis Center (St. Louis, MO) grossing $1,791,485 with a sellout crowd of 14,878.
A memorial garden has been opened near the Mull of Kintyre in tribute to the late Linda McCartney. The photographer and animal rights campaigner, who was married to former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, died from cancer in 1998 at the age of 57. The Mull of Kintyre was a favorite retreat for the celebrity couple and was immortalized by Sir Paul in a hit song in the 1970s. A bronze statue of Linda McCartney, commissioned and donated by Sir Paul, forms the centerpiece of the garden in Campbeltown - the main town on the Kintrye peninsula in the west of Scotland.
Mrs. McCartney's family paid tribute to the local community at the unveiling on Friday. Daughters Stella and Mary McCartney said the area had been an inspiration to their mother. In a statement they said, "Scotland was one of mum's favorite places and it is wonderful to have a permanent statue to remind us of the great times we spent with her there. "We would like to say thanks to the people of Campbeltown for honoring her in this way." Sir Paul, his daughters fashion designer Stella and photographer Mary, and Heather, Linda's daughter from her previous marriage, had been expected at the unveiling on Friday but were unable to attend.
The ex-Beatle and his son James were touring America this month, and the daughters were said to have work commitments. Sir Paul's second wife, model Heather Mills, had not been expected at the ceremony.
The Linda McCartney Kintyre Memorial Trust, which has been working on the project for four years, also hopes to open a gallery nearby where exhibits of her Kintyre photographs can be displayed. Trust chairman Alastair Cousin said, "I hope that the creation of this memorial garden will express to the McCartney family the gratitude that the community felt for all that they have done for Kintyre and its reputation at home and abroad. Much more importantly it will be recognized as an appreciation of Linda's generosity, always anonymous, to so many causes, her enthusiasms for Kintyre expressed in her photography and her determination to ensure that her family were exposed to its values whenever possible."The McCartneys owned a number of hill farms in Kintyre where they spent a significant amount of time raising their family. The scenic area of south west Scotland is also known as the inspiration for the Beatles' song "The Long and Winding Road," and for the Wings number one hit "Mull of Kintyre". A two-thirds life size clay statue of Linda holding a lamb is the focal point of the memorial garden. Local Councillor Alistair McKinlay said, "The development of this garden will encourage people from far and wide to visit Kintyre and experience the unique landscape and atmosphere of tranquillity which inspired one of the leading photographers of the twentieth century."
About the sculptor, Jane Robbins--
"Paul knew of my work, and approached me to create a sculpture of Linda. I suppose because I had known Linda all my life through the family connection, he felt I could sculpt her with empathy.. my vegetarianism was always well received in their house!I wanted to choose an image and age of Linda that most people would remember her by, so I chose to sculpt her in her 40's- an age in my opinion, that she was really at her most beautiful.
Paul and I discussed the pose of the piece, and I decided to place a lamb on her lap to represent her love of animals.. literally "protecting" the lamb as a vegetarian and animal rights campaigner. I was careful to get the reference right on the lamb too.. it was a black faced breed, the same a Paul rears on his farm!
The sculpture of Linda is seated on a piece of Scottish granite to represent her history with The Mull of Kintyre. I've depicted her in her very characteristic way of pointing her toes together complete with cowboy boots!
I also decided to sculpt the piece lifesize and not towering on a huge plinth, as I felt this was in keeping with the location and the woman herself - always approachable and "real".
The sculpture was modeled in clay and cast at Castle Fine Art Foundry in Llanrhaedr, North Wales.
The story behind Paul and Buddy Holly... In 1975, Paul McCartney's MPL Communications bought Holly's publishing catalog from a near-bankrupt Norman Petty. To some, the sale was Petty's final act of theft - having robbed Holly and his widow blind in settling the account of what was owed him as a performer, he was profiting one last time from his perfidy. The truth is that it was a godsend to Maria Elena Holly and the Holly family in Lubbock; amid the events of the years and decades that followed, MPL was able to sell and exploit those songs in ways that Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico, never could have, and earn hundreds of thousands of dollars for them that Petty never would have. And with McCartney - a Buddy Holly fan from the age of 15, and probably the most successful fan Holly ever had - as publisher, they were paid every cent they had coming.
Sir Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin have been honored as one of the greatest songwriting partnerships of all time. They received the Music Industry Trusts Award for a 35-year collaboration which has produced classics like "Candle In The Wind" and "Your Song." Actor Kevin Spacey flew in from the US to present them with the award at a star-studded charity dinner in London.
The pair watched a video tribute from some of the biggest names in music. Bono said, "How many partnerships can you put up there with Lennon and McCartney? Not many, maybe only a few. Certainly Elton John and Bernie Taupin."
Other stars who paid tribute in video included Sir Paul McCartney, George Michael, Sting, Lionel Richie, Brian Wilson and Carole King.
There is a kiss-and-tell moment involving Paul McCartney in Lulu's auto-biography, "I Don't Want to Fight."Paul, a fan of the wee Glasgow belter in the 1960s, was also a near neighbor in St John's Wood, London, and would pop in to Lulu's flat for a chat after he had been walking his dog.
That is where an attempt at seduction took place. Not between Paul and Lulu, for goodness sake. It was Lulu's muttley, aptly called Dog, who took a fancy to McCartney's canine companion, Martha.
Unfortunately, Dog was a tiny Yorkshire terrier and Martha was an English sheepdog. The big shaggy-haired Beatle dog wouldn't stoop so low. Dog wasn't up to it and his passion remained unrequited.
Paul McCartney revealed to Sky News that he has one regret. Out of all the singers that have covered his songs, both he and John Lennon only really wanted one star to do a cover. And that was Frank Sinatra.Paul said, "He loved Yesterday and we offered him "The Long and Winding Road." But at that time, it was difficult as some people did still want him to sing ballads and not pop music."
In a way, he did do a Beatles tune. But it was George Harrison who bagged him when Frank covered his track "Something."
Paul also said, "Keep a look out for my tour in the UK next year. I will be playing smaller venues - and not all in the big cities."
(Note: Sinatra did record "Yesterday" for his 1969 album titled "My Way.")
She is one of the world's best-known ambassadors for the disabled, Sir Paul McCartney's bride Heather has never shied away from talking about her missing left leg. But her astonishing frankness broke new boundaries on a TV chatshow when she whipped off her artificial limb and handed it to the host. American interviewer Larry King was lost for words at the dramatic gesture, seen by millions of viewers world wide on the CNN network.
The 34-year-old ex-model, who styles herself Heather Mills McCartney, had just described how she lost the limb in a collision with a London policeman's motorbike in 1993. "So I designed this leg, which I'll pop off actually if you don't mind," she said. "Just to show you - this is just basically, not to be dramatic, but just to show people."
Clearly shocked, King tried to regain his composure before responding. "Where does your leg end?" "It ends just below the knee. So this is to show people the quality of the leg that you can actually get," said Mills.
The veteran presenter tried in vain to get her to put the leg back on, but the bizarre conversation continued as he held the prosthetic limb.KING: It feels like a leg.
MILLS MCCARTNEY: Yes. But in America you don't have that quality here.
KING: Now -- pick your leg up again. What do you...
MILLS MCCARTNEY: There's a screw on the end of it.
KING: Do you have any feeling there?
MILLS MCCARTNEY: Yes, yes, yes. Full feeling. Completely.
KING: Full feeling?
MILLS MCCARTNEY: Full feeling. If you touch it, it makes me feel like my toes are completely opening and -- Paul's going to get upset you're touching my leg, Larry.
KING: Now this was amazing. This did not turn Paul off?
MILLS MCCARTNEY: No, not at all.
KING: Because you can imagine many men...
MILLS MCCARTNEY: Or any boyfriends before that. Every guy I've been out with has asked me to marry them within a week, so, not at all.
Despite earlier reports to the contrary, Heather told King that she and 60-year-old Sir Paul might be unable to have children and might consider adopting. "I'd love to have kids, but after my two ectopic pregnancies I don't know if I can. And I don't want to go through any more operations ... "
KING: And Paul loves kids, right?MILLS MCCARTNEY: Yes. He's great.
KING: So you may well adopt?
MILLS MCCARTNEY: Maybe.
She also admitted to bossing the former Beatle around - a habit which was leading to rows. "I am bossy, yes. But in a nice way," she said. "But I've also learned that my husband quite appreciates it because I'm very kind of sort of organized." (Daily Mail)
Pop diva Madonna is top of the pops when it comes to Britain's biggest music earners, according to a teaser of the latest Sunday Times Pay List, which ranks the 500 highest-paid people in the country.The newspaper's third annual list, which will be fully revealed in the newspaper's forthcoming edition, estimated that the Material Girl beat rockers Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Mick Jagger to lead the list of music earners.
Michigan-born Madonna, who raked in more than $56 million in the year to September 30, 2002, qualified for the second annual list after she became a British resident.
Nearly an estimated half of Madonna's earnings -- about $24 million -- came from the deal she signed with Microsoft Corp to use her "Ray of Light" song to launch Windows XP.
The annual take-home pay of the only woman in music's top 10 jumped $9 million to put her in 15th place in the overall list of 500, down four places from a year ago.
In second place on the list of top music earners was McCartney, who earned $51 million, well ahead of Jagger, who generated $36 million.
Melbourne, it seems, just can't work it out. After this week's news that Paul McCartney would not be, as advertised, performing in Melbourne on November 23, key figures in persuading the former Beatle to bring his present tour to the Telstra Dome said fans had to accept his explanation that the Bali bombings changed everything - that a "celebratory" rock concert seemed inappropriate.
Among those figures was Victorian Major Events Committee chairman Steve Vizard. By yesterday, Mr Vizard was less conciliatory. If Sir Paul was so affected by the murder of innocent holidaying Australians, perhaps he could have performed a benefit show, he said. "If you're committed to that, come and do a concert and turn some of the proceeds over, or dedicate something to those people (victims)," he said. Mr Vizard also said he was disappointed Sir Paul had not consulted the organizers of the Melbourne event before deciding to postpone it. "I'm disappointed because I didn't understand the decision, and because they made the decision without getting the full information (from) the people they are supposed to be working with - the promoter, us, and the stadium," he said. "It's incredibly disappointing, given the work we did."Sir Paul's decision is said to have been made after he spoke to relatives in Adelaide and Sydney. The musician, who was in Los Angeles with his band, said he was horrified at reports of the carnage in Bali and, say those close to him, his heart went out to the families who were desperately trying to identify and retrieve their loved ones' bodies. His relatives had told him that the mood in Australia was one of deep loss and grieving, but they did not advise him to call off his concert. According to confidants, that was a decision he made after talking to his wife, Heather Mills, and advisers, including long-time spokesman Geoff Baker.
In a series of late-night phone calls to co-promoter Paul Dainty, one of Sir Paul's business advisers explained the musician's sentiments. Mr. Baker also had numerous conversations with senior figures in the Paul Dainty Corporation, to explain Sir Paul's position. "The only reason, the entire reason why the concert was postponed is that Paul thought it would be inappropriate, highly insensitive, to stage what is a very joyous, happy rock show at a time when there as so much grief in Australia," Mr Baker told The Age.
But as the week unfolded, the sudden postponement triggered speculation that the Bali tragedy was not the only explanation for Sir Paul's decision. He commands $6 million a show and sources told The Age that promoters would have covered their costs only if they sold out two concerts at Telstra Dome. They said tickets for the first show had not sold quickly enough to warrant a second. But a spokesman for the Dainty Corporation had earlier confirmed that 30,000 of the 38,000 available tickets had been sold, 6000 to interstate buyers.
As for another theory - that Sir Paul and his entourage were spooked by the terrorist threat so close to Australia - Mr Baker was emphatic, "That is the biggest load of bollocks of all. If that were the case, do you think he would be playing to crowds of 60,000 in the States?" Mr Baker said Sir Paul understood his decision would rankle with fans in Australia. "But Paul would much rather be in this situation than to be seen as in any way being insensitive towards people who are suffering so much grief," he said. Furthermore, he said, the concert had not been cancelled, just postponed.
Premier Steve Bracks said he believed "fans are quite rightly disappointed" but he still hoped, that Sir Paul would perform a Melbourne concert.
British rock legend Sir Paul McCartney has postponed a planned Australian performance next month.In a statement from the US, where he is on tour, the former Beatle said sympathy for the families and friends of those who were killed or injured in the October 12 Bali bombing prompted him to postpone the concert indefinitely. He was due to perform just one Australian show at Melbourne's Telstra Dome on November 23.
"Like many who have a deep fondness for Australia, I have been shocked and saddened by the recent terrible events in Bali," Sir Paul said in a statement issued to AAP by his tour publicist. "My heart goes out to all who have been affected by this tragedy. "As a mark of respect to both the families who have lost loved ones and to the families of the injured, I have decided to postpone my planned concert in Melbourne as this is not the appropriate time for a rock show."Music industry icon Molly Meldrum, who interviewed Sir Paul by satellite at an elaborate launch for the show earlier this month, said fear of a terrorist attack at the concert may have contributed to the decision.
"This may sound over-dramatic but if this had happened in the month of September with the AFL or NRL grand finals you would think twice about (holding them)," he said. "I mean 91,000 people at the MCG...if the reality is there and Australia is on a threat list you have to think twice."
Sir Paul's decision came on the same day as some of Australia's best-known entertainers announced they would take part in a memorial concert for the Bali bombing victims this week. John Farnham, Vanessa Amorosi and Mark Seymour were among artists who agreed to appear at the memorial. Several big acts, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers - who play Telstra Dome on December 1 - Kiss and Jamiroquai, are still set to tour Australia in coming months. Sir Paul was scheduled to finish his US tour on October 29 then move on to Mexico City and Japan, before ending his world tour in Melbourne.
"In time, that (Melbourne) show will hopefully come to be. But for now, my sympathies and those of all of us on this tour are with you all in your grief," he said.
A spokeswoman for Victorian Premier Steve Bracks said the government respected Sir Paul's decision to cancel the show, and Victorian Major Events staff were seeking talks with his management team to reschedule the event. "It's a matter for Paul McCartney," she said. "We respect any decision he makes, and look forward to when he does come to Melbourne."
Victorian Major Events Company chairman Steve Vizard said he respected Sir Paul's decision and would work to reschedule the concert. "I know he has been deeply and personally moved by these events and this has not been an easy decision," he said. "It is particularly understandable as this concert features freedom as a theme." Promoter Paul Dainty said the nearly 30,000 people who had already bought tickets for the show would be refunded.
Paul McCartney wanted $12 million for two shows at Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.According to respected concert industry sources, McCartney's asking price for his now-aborted "Driving Oz" tour was $6 million with a guarantee of two concerts in Melbourne.
"Paul McCartney wanted a figure in excess of $6 million US for coming down here, and getting those numbers was impossible without doing two shows," an industry insider said.
That asking price, not uncommon on the superstar tour circuit, has been corroborated by two leading concert promoters.A source, who has explicit knowledge of the business side of Sir Paul's world tour, said McCartney asked for a guarantee of two shows, on November 23 and 24. Victorian Major Events boss Steve Vizard confirmed "discussions about a second concert".
But McCartney pre-empted those moves last Sunday with a shock announcement to postpone the Australian leg of his Driving tour. In a full-page statement, McCartney said he was postponing his show as a mark of respect for the Bali bombing victims. "This is not the appropriate time for a rock show," Sir Paul said.
A reputable industry figure, with more than 20 years' experience as a promoter and fluent with the McCartney touring machine, said Sir Paul also expected to perform to capacity-filled houses. "Paul McCartney goes crazy every time he doesn't sell out a show. He throws a fit," the source said. "Two or three shows on the current American tour were 'soft' (not a capacity crowd) and they went to great lengths to cover up seats and make it look like a sell-out.
"There are a great deal of positives if a promoter gets McCartney. It's a 35-song set list, he does the work and he's got a great work ethic. But it is negative in terms of his obsessive personality."
Sir Paul announced his Telstra Dome show on October 10. Tickets went on sale last Tuesday, 10 days after the Bali bombings. McCartney postponed his tour last Sunday after selling a reported 30,000 tickets (out of 36,000), with no official announcement of a second show. Sources say Ticketmaster had a second McCartney show ready to sell through its various outlets. But, by late last Friday, the last business day before McCartney's call to postpone, ticket sales for the first concert did not warrant a spill to November 24.
Concert promoters say McCartney's reason for postponing is insulting. "And not only for people genuinely affected by the tragedy in Bali, but the wider implication is acts like John Farnham, who will play nine shows at Rod Laver Arena soon, should return all tickets because it's not the right time," one promoter said. "What has been exhibited is nervousness that Bali may have had an effect on business. The reality is, the deal was for two shows and they didn't have the numbers to sell out one show." (Melbourne Herald Sun)
Former rock star turned DJ, Greg Kihn of 98.5 FM KFOX radio in San Jose interviewed Paul on his limo cell phone driving to the show. Click to hear with or with RealPlayer. (click to download a free copy of RealPlayer)
If you missed Heather Mills on the "Today Show," Monday, October 28, you can watch the video of the entire interview on the "Today Show" Web page.
The revival of fur on the catwalks for winter 2002 shows that animal rights activists are having difficulty converting the fashion industry. But they have a strong advocate in British designer Stella McCartney.McCartney opened her first store in Manhattan's meatpacking district -- an odd choice for such a well-known animal rights campaigner. Her compassion towards animals is reflected in her work, which avoids not only fur, but all animal products.
"Everything in [my] store and every single garment and accessories that you see is cruelty free in the sense no animal has died to make anything in here," she said. "I just think that a lot of people out there don't want products that an animal has had to die for."
While she appreciates the beauty of fur, she prefers "to feel it on a living creature than as a dead piece of fabric." McCartney's late mother, Linda, was also an animal activist, and produced a vegetarian food range.
Karl Lagerfeld, who used fur extensively in his winter 2002 collection defends the practice, "It should be handled in the nicest way but as long as we eat meat and wear leather, I don't even think there is a subject to discuss."
But fur's revival this season demonstrates that the animal right message is facing difficulty getting through to fashion industry.
Even McCartney's impact is limited. Her label is 50 percent owned by Gucci which profits from selling leather handbag -- a fabric McCartney is against. Yet she sees her stance as a positive step for activists. "I'm a firm believer in infiltrating from within really," McCartney said. (CNN)
Heather and Paul were on 20/20 Friday, October 25 10pm ET. Click here to read the partial transcript.
Heather Mills, was once nearly killed by a lovesick lesbian she'd been living with. The strange incident is one of many that Mills, who has often been accused of exaggeration, recounts in her memoir "A Single Step" (Warner Books). She writes that it wasn't until she decided to move out of the flat they were sharing that she realized the woman, Gloria, "a short Joan Collins lookalike," was a lesbian and in love with her. Gloria, a topless model who had tried to get Mills to pose topless as well, threatened her with a knife but she managed to escape.
Mills had a hard time even before she lost her leg when a police motorbike ran her over at age 25. Her father was a con artist and so bad at it that she had to steal clothes and food, and she was an "old hand' at shoplifting by the age of 10. "I only got caught twice," she said. "It didn't stop me."
When she was 8, she and a friend were kept captive by a pedophile who molested them for three days until cops broke down the door. Her ordeal paled in comparison to the "internal examination" administered by the police doctor. "For me at least that was a worse experience than what [the pedophile] had done to me," she recalls.
After her mother left her abusive father, he started to beat Mills, age 9, and her siblings instead. The worst time was when they broke a brand-new washing machine. "Dad went absolutely nuts and belted all three of us that time," she writes, "grabbing us by the hair and punching us in the chest until we begged for mercy."
Another time he threw her sister through the glass panel of their front door.
When she started at Usworth Comprehensive School, Mills' large breasts began to be a problem. After a boy remarked on her "watermelon t- -s," she resorted to taping them down. "Until I was 13, I only had one bra so I used to scrub the straps clean every night and dry it over my bedroom radiator," she writes.
When her father was finally arrested for fraud, Mills took off on her own and dropped out of school, tried booze for the first time, and joined a traveling fair cleaning vomit off the rides, then lived like a bum in a cardboard box under London's Waterloo Bridge.
She became addicted to hot tubs after she got a sexual thrill courtesy of the bubble jets, and lost her virginity soon after when she picked up a man at a disco. But of all the things that have happened to her, Mills says being thrust into the public eye because of her relationship with McCartney was the worst. "I'd say one of the most horrible ordeals I'd ever been through was the media harassment." (from the NY Post 10/29/02)
Paul McCartney could be collaring crooks - after being made a detective with the New York Police Department. The honorary award for the ex-Beatle - which includes power of arrest - salutes his concert fund-raising efforts for the families of Twin Towers victims. A pal confirmed, "Paul really can carry out busts now. His badge is not just for show and he's so proud." Top NYPD cop Ken Cardona, who made the presentation, said, "We put him in our ranks as a thank-you for helping us in our despair. He was very pleased - but taken aback." Sir Paul, 60, is on a six-month US tour. His inauguration can be seen be on his forthcoming "Back In The U.S." DVD
Music great Paul McCartney, in town for his concert at the Tacoma Dome (Oct. 19), left two Seattleites on Cloud Nine. Mike West of the "Fisher and West Mountain Morning Show" still can't believe his producer Lee Calahan was able to arrange for him to meet McCartney before the concert.West says, "I assumed it was a group meeting. But, when I got there, an aide said, 'No, man, you're it.' I walked into the dressing room and found candles, a bottle of Merlot and two chairs."
McCartney put West at ease and they chatted for 15 minutes. West mentioned that his 16-year-old son, Michael, plays drums and wants to study at McCartney's Liverpool School of Performing Arts. As West was leaving, McCartney told an aide, "Make sure we've got Michael's number."
Also telling McCartney stories is Chai Mann of Fox's Gem Shop. A fellow walked into the Fifth Avenue store Saturday and told Mann that "someone famous" wanted to buy a watch. Two problems: Mr. Famous had to have the watch engraved by 4 p.m. and he needed a private room where he could wait.
Mann says, "I told him we could do it. But I couldn't imagine why he had to have a private room." A car pulled up and, to Mann's surprise, who should appear but McCartney. The musician waited in Mann's office while the watch, gift for a band member, was inscribed: "Happy Birthday, Barry. Love, Paul and Heather."
In a recent interview with the Radio Times, Phil Collins takes a swipe at Sir Paul McCartney. He says he is "mystified" as to why the ex-Beatle landed a knighthood.Collins said, "I never quite got over the idea of McCartney being knighted when George (Harrison) and Ringo (Starr) weren't. What makes him so special?"
Newlywed Sir Paul McCartney will snub the unveiling of a statue of his late wife, Linda - even though he commissioned it. The former Beatle says he will be too busy in Mexico to attend Friday's ceremony in Campbeltown. Yet, ahead of Linda's memorial, Sir Paul has already unveiled a tribute to his new wife, the ex- model Heather Mills, 34. In May, he showed off his painting of a female nude and dedicated it to her. An angry Campbeltown local said: "For someone who is supposed to have been so devoted to Linda, and to have loved Kintyre, it is shameful. There is a lot of speculation Heather has put pressure on him not to go." A spokesman for Sir Paul, 59, said the memorial was "a Campbeltown thing - not a McCartney family thing". Yet it was Sir Paul, 59, who approved the £20,000 ($35,000) bronze effigy of Linda - who died in 1998 after battling cancer. Sir Paul has admitted that late wife "adored" High Park Farm, where they fled after the break-up of the Beatles. His marriage in June to the former model is said to have caused deep rifts with his children, Mary, Stella, James and step- daughter Heather. (story)
Paul McCartney has endorsed a ballot measure in Oregon state that would require labeling of genetically modified foods. McCartney's 30-second radio ad in support of Measure 27, which would require all foods made with or derived from genetically modified ingredients to be labeled as such, began airing Thursday.
"If it's labeled, then people have a choice as to what to buy,'' the former Beatle says in the ad. "'Yes on 27,' so let it be labeled.''
McCartney, who's a vegetarian, heard about the ballot measure when he was in Portland for a recent concert. He contacted Mel Bankoff, founder of organic food maker Emerald Valley Kitchens, who said McCartney's endorsement would help the campaign. "I think Sir Paul is someone who is very respected in the minds and hearts of people throughout the world,'' he said. Pat McCormick, spokesman for the campaign opposing Measure 27, said, "Other than getting (the Yes campaign) some news stories, I don't think the ad itself will do anything to change people's minds on Measure 27.''
Paul McCartney's plectrum from the "Driving USA" tour features the word "Driving" on one side with the phrase "I'm gonna miss her..." on the back. A subtle tribute to Linda McCartney?
Rock legend Sir Paul McCartney is considering a series of gigs in North Wales next year. As his current world tour continues to attract rave reviews and capacity crowds the ex-Beatle is planning a European tour of offbeat venues.Last night his publicist Geoff Baker told the Daily Post places in North Wales were being looked at.
Speaking from Los Angeles ahead of the (October 25) sell-out gig at The Arrowhead Pond, in Anaheim, California, Mr Baker said, "We are looking all over the place for venues and Wales would be fab but we don't just want to do the accepted places like Cardiff. We are also looking at smaller places, including some in North Wales. One of the greatest things about this tour has been playing new places - we played in Oklahoma and the welcome from the crowd was amazing. We played a gig in Cornwall a few years ago and they went bananas down there and had a great time because they don't usually get to see this kind of thing."
McCartney's Driving US tour in April and May was so popular - tickets sold out within 15 minutes for Boston, Chicago, New York and Washington - he went back for the Back in the US tour, which is still running.Mr Baker said, "We started in America in April and we were meant to just do two to three weeks and that would be it but it went so well we came back for a second leg. We have just done the 16th show and broken our 16th house record. After America we are off to Mexico, Japan and Australia, all before Christmas."
Mr Baker added, "We are looking at all sorts of places in Europe and have been offered a gig at Red Square in front of 500,000 people. But we haven't signed anything yet or put anything down on paper. We want to look at the unexpected places and obviously North Wales fits into that kind of tour. We want to play off the beaten track and have a good party in places we don't usually go."
Paul and Heather attended a private screening of the "Back in the US" film Wednesday October 23 at the Archlight Cinema in Los Angeles. The audience consisted of tour personnel, pre-show performers, Paul's band with Abe bringing his wife and Brian bringing his mother, Cameron Crowe, David Kahne, friends and Capitol Records executives. There was a reception prior to the screening with vegetarian h'ors d'oeuvres. For more of what is in the film, check the Macca Report's sneak preview.
Click here to read Paul's recent letter to the fans about the tour, the DVD and the secret Web site!
Photographer, Mark Seliger's photo of Paul jumping out of the red T-bird is on the cover of this month's "Studio Photography & Design" magazine.
The photo was shot at Pier 59 studio in New York, and the car theme was Paul's idea. Seliger's team located a car collector on Long Island who had a vintage 1960 Thunderbird in mint condition. It turns out Linda McCartney had owned a red T-bird when Paul met her. Paul actually jumped out of the car some 45 times!
After the recent discovery of 71 unpublished images from The Beatles' 1964 American debut, HP experts and Designjet 5000ps inkjet printing technologies produced a dramatic set of large, high-quality prints for "The Beatles! Backstage and Behind the Scenes" worldwide tour.Already a sensation in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe, The Beatles made their U.S. debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in February 1964, a major event in both pop music and television history. CBS photographers were there, backstage and behind the scenes, but for decades their rare photos lay unpublished in the CBS Photo Archive.
Now, 38 years later, the traveling collection of 35mm (and a few 2-inch black-and-white images is finally being displayed in cities around the United States and internationally. The images in the exhibition, "The Beatles! Backstage and Behind the Scenes," were printed at HP Labs using state-of-the-art six-color inkjet printing technology on the HP Designjet 5000ps.
The exhibit made its world debut at the Canadian Provincial Museum of Alberta, in Edmonton, which planned a major exhibit to open last November that focused on the 1960s and the lasting effects that era has had on the lives and culture of North Americans.
A centerpiece of that exhibit was the striking group of 71 unpublished CBS photographs, some as large as 52 x 35 inches, showing a candid and unstaged view of four young men rehearsing and relaxing before their moment of making television history.
After an overwhelmingly positive response from Canadian audiences, The Beatles are now back where all the excitement started, at least in the United States. The much-anticipated photo exhibit made its American debut at the Radisson Deauville Resort, Miami Beach - precisely where The Beatles performed live on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964. From there, the exhibit headed to Asia Pacific. The rest of the schedule runs as follows:
Rome, Italy (November 5-20, 2002)
Pasadena, CA, U.S. (December 7-8, 2002)
Tom Nakashima from KSEG-The Eagle 96.9 fm Classic Rock in Sacramento did a backstage interview with Paul. Click here to hear the interview. (mp3 player needed)
Check out Portland's KINK fm 102 interview with Paul in Portland. Paul talked to DJ's Les Sarnoff and Dennis Constantine backstage at the Rose Garden Arena, October 18. You will need an mp3 player to hear the interview.
Paul's Aston Martin DB6 that he bought in 1966 and sold 1972 will be on display in Birmingham, England during the International Classic Motor Show at the NEC on November 9th and 10th. The car is now owned by Aston Martin.
Pouty Stella McCartney has become the new face of an Absolut vodka cocktail. The Absolut Stella cocktail is a mojito (containing vodka, rum and mint) and the drink was launched at a party in LA last Thursday (October 17). Fellow-celebs Steve Martin, Josh Hartnett, recovering alcoholic Matthew Perry, Geoffrey Rush and Val Kilmer were also at the bash. Stella, notoriously contrary, seemed unimpressed with the party saying, "Absolut were going to have a big, flash launch party but that's not me. Don't want it. Can't stand the idea of VIP rooms." Absolut appeared to have got their way, only Stella remained steadfastly un-star-struck by the VIPs on show, saying, "I'd be much more impressed meeting a surgeon." When your best pal is Madonna, you can afford to be choosy. Clothes designed by Tom Ford, Gianni Versace and Helmut Lang have also been featured in Absolut's ads in the past. (more on party) Click to see the Absolut Web page for Stella.
Paul and Heather McCartney are to settle in Brighton they have bought their first marital home there. The couple have bought their new house off the former Radio 2 DJ Derek Jameson, who said of the newlyweds, "When Paul and Heather came to look round, I thought that they were lovely people, but it was clear that she wears the trousers. Heather is the one who has lived in the area, and she was the one who wanted a place there. Paul just followed us around the house with his hand in his pockets quietly looking around." The house has a very hip address, being in the same road as Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim and Zoe Ball. A spokesperson for Paul McCartney said that the couple will me moving in over Christmas. (story)More from Hello Magazine:
They could have chosen to buy their new home in any of the world's most exotic locations, but newlyweds Paul McCartney and Heather Mills have plumped for an art deco pad on the seafront at Brighton.The new £1 million ($1.5 million), six-bedroom house is one of a row of art deco homes dubbed Hollywood-on-Sea, for its high level of celebrity neighbors. Fatboy Slim and Zoe Ball own three units in the row, two of which they have converting into a single living area, the third into a recording studio. Other neighbors include In Deep actor Nick Berry, Chris Eubank and Spice Girl Emma Bunton.
In addition to the East Sussex farmhouse he shared with his late wife Linda, the former Beatle already has a home in north-west London, a flat in New York, a ranch in Arizona and a farm in Scotland.
Heather, however, relocated to Brighton five years ago and was apparently keen to maintain her ties with the coastal resort. The couple have already spent a few weekends in their new hideaway and will be spending more time there after the 60-year-old rocker winds up his current tour in December.
From the Daily Mail:
Newlyweds Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills will soon be settling into married life on the Brighton seafront. They have paid £1million for a six-bedroom home in an exclusive row of white art deco homes overlooking a private beach. Its attraction to the stars has earned it the nickname Hollywood-on-Sea.
The McCartneys bought the property, called Angel's Rest, from broadcaster and former Fleet Street editor Derek Jameson, beating Oasis star Noel Gallagher to the purchase. They have had £100,000 ($155,000) of refurbishment work carried out, replacing the 1970s decor with a more modern feel. The whole of the ground floor has been knocked into one enormous room and the roof terrace has been extended. The couple have spent some weekends there already and will be moving in properly when Sir Paul, 60, ends his world tour in December.
The move will mean the former Beatle, who married 34-year-old Heather in June, loosening his ties with the East Sussex farmhouse at Peasmarsh where he spent close to 30 years with his late wife Linda and their family. He will, however, be retaining the property, along with his house in North-West London, flat in New York, ranch in Arizona, and farm in Scotland.
An original copy of the Beach Boys' seminal "Pet Sounds" album autographed by Paul McCartney and a copy of the Beatles's "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" signed by Brian Wilson represent one of three lots offered in an online auction on Wilson's Web site.At rehearsals for a recent benefit concert, both Wilson and McCartney, longtime fans of each other's work, performed the other's songs for the very first time. McCartney joined Wilson on "God Only Knows" and Wilson lent vocals to "Let It Be." The two then signed each other's album covers--McCartney's inscription acknowledges that "Pet Sounds" is his favorite album of all time, while Wilson signed "Sgt. Pepper's" with an inscription indicating his everlasting love for that record.
To some music enthusiasts, 1966's "Pet Sounds" and 1967's "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" are two of the greatest albums ever recorded. The two autographed album covers, set in a glass case with a picture of Wilson and McCartney with arms around one another, was up for grabs to the highest bidder.
The auction lots also included two individual McCartney solo albums, "Ram" and "McCartney," each autographed by McCartney.
The online auction closed Sunday (October 13), with the top bids for each of the items qualifying for a final live auction. At press time, the high bid for the autographed set of "Pet Sounds" and "Sgt. Pepper's" albums was $8,500, while "Ram" was at $850 and "McCartney" at $750.
The money from the auction will be donated to the Curtis School in Los Angeles, where Brian and Melinda Wilson's daughter Daria, 5, is a student.
The arrival of the world's most famous pop group in a Westcountry seaside town 35 years ago has been marked by a weekend of celebrations. John, Paul, George and Ringo disembarked from their Magical Mystery Tour bus in Newquay, Cornwall, on September 12, 1967.On Saturday, October 19, a replica of their psychedelic bus pulled into the Killacourt, a grassy area which looks out towards the Atlantic Hotel, where the band members spent three nights before continuing their tour.
Among the onlookers for a plaque unveiling ceremony in the afternoon were two Newquay residents who had fond memories of the days the group spent in the town. Doris Freeth, 77, who danced with Paul McCartney in the Atlantic Hotel ballroom, said that it had all been like a dream - even though he was not the best dancer in the world. Mrs. Freeth said that she knew the owner of the hotel, and he had telephoned her to ask if she would like to meet the Fab Four. She said, "My friend put us at a table next to them, and when the music started my husband asked Paul McCartney if he would dance with me. But he said that he couldn't dance. Those were the days when it was all rock and roll and jiving, but this was ballroom dancing instead. I had brown suede shoes on and he kept treading on my feet. I didn't brush them for a week afterwards."
Chris Parkin, 55, said that he sneaked into the hotel with a friend by pretending to be a waiter. They met Paul and Ringo in the hotel cocktail bar. And Chris ended up playing billiards with Ringo for much of the evening. He said, "They were really down to earth. They were really friendly and easy to talk to. I remember coming out of the hotel at 11.30pm and the crowd which had been waiting outside had gone. John Lennon came out of the hotel and, realizing that everyone had gone, he put his hands up to the air, looked up to the sky and said, 'save me' as a joke because he was so used to having crowds around him."
The Magical Mystery Tour is said to have been Paul McCartney's idea. He wanted the Beatles to produce their own television spectacular, writing and producing it themselves, using the knowledge they had gleaned while making their first two feature films. The tour bus set out from London on September 11, 1967, and travelled through Teignmouth and Plymouth, in Devon, before arriving in Newquay the following afternoon. The band even picked up extra passengers along the way, including Spencer Davis - of the Spencer Davis Group - who had been holidaying with his wife and children near Newquay.Restormel Mayor Andrew Waters marked the arrival of the coach by unveiling a commemorative plaque. He said that it was important to remember the fact that one of the most influential pop groups of all time had stayed in Newquay.
The Beatles filmed in and around Newquay, including Fistral beach and Watergate Bay. One of the photographs taken on the steps of the Atlantic Hotel was used for a Magical Mystery Tour EP.
The Beatles spent six weeks editing the 60-minute film, which included the hit "I Am The Walrus." It was badly received by critics after its initial screening in black-and-white on BBC 2 on Boxing Day (Dec. 26, 1967). However, it has since been reappraised, and continues to be a favorite among Beatles fans around the world. (story)
Liverpool has been named as Britain's top musical city in a new survey. Liverpool edged out its North West rival Manchester which is home to a plethora of influential bands.
Paul Jackson of Virgin Radio - which organized the poll - said Liverpool's "rich history of creative music" had won it the title. The station's program director said: "It was a close run thing between Manchester and Liverpool and this is bound to spark debate up and down the country. Everyone will have their own opinion but The Beatles edged it for Liverpool this time."
In her lifetime, Linda McCartney's reputation had a rollercoaster ride - initially condemned as an up-market groupie and latterly worshipped for her ecological and moral stances.Her own work is the best way to find out what this woman was really like and the exhibition at the Richard Goodall Gallery in Manchester, England gives the lie to those people who sneered at her photography.
In a series of pictures collected from her book of the same name, "Light From Within," Linda - who was married to ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, until her death from breast cancer in 1998 - captures on film both intimate family scenes and some of the biggest stars of the rock world.
She had an extraordinary life. Born into a wealthy Amercian family, she became a photographer and plunged herself into the rock scene as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were becoming the biggest things popular music had ever seen.
A spokesman for the Richard Goodall Gallery said, "This will change people's perceptions of Linda McCartney, including proving that she was a good photographer."
Linda McCartney: Light From Within is at the Richard Goodall Gallery from Friday, October 25 until Sunday, November 23. Open Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 6pm
59 Thomas Street
Northern Quarter
Manchester, England
Tel: 0161-832 3435
Fax: 0161 832 3266
Lite Rock 96.9 recently welcomed Paul McCartney to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City! Marlene Aqua had a very rare and special chance to interview Paul McCartney before his show! Click here to listen to the exclusive interview. You will need RealPlayer.
SEATTLE - A fashion show on the second floor of the Bon Marche in downtown Seattle is a world a way from a hospital in Vietnam for amputees and land mine victims. But a woman in the front row at that fashion show Saturday is bringing them both together."Today's a bit easier. It's two cities in one day," Heather Mills told KOMO 4 News about her current whirlwind tour. "The other day was four cities."
Mills is Gooodwill Ambassador for the Adopt-a-Minefield Campaign, a program aimed at resolving the global land mine crisis. It is the fundraising campaign of the United Nations Association USA.
Mills' personal campaign includes raising funds to provide prosthetic limbs for amputees and land mine victims. She is also the wife of Sir Paul McCartney and the two closely coordinate their schedules and appearances so they can be together. Sir Paul performed at the Tacoma Dome Saturday night.
A fashion show of Mills' clothing line brings money to the campaign. Mills is the model and spokesperson for INC International Concepts, a women's clothing line. Saturday the Bon Marche presented Mills with a check for $10,000 for the Adopt-a-Minefield Campaign.
"We've fitted over 27,000 people since I've been an amputee, which is fantastic," said Mills.
In 1993 she was involved in a road accident with a police motorcycle. She suffered crushed ribs, a punctured lung, multiples fractures of the pelvis and the loss of her left leg below the knee. Years before she met McCartney she'd begun using her experience with prosthetic limbs to help other accident and land mine victims.
"I don't ever see myself not doing this. This is lifelong work and will have to continue long past my days."
And she has partnered with local organizations like Clear Path International of Bainbridge Island who have helped hundreds in Vietnam in the last two years.
"And with this kind of support and the funding from Adopt-a-Minefield we hope to do a lot more, " said Imbert Matthee of Clear Path. Adopt-a-Minefield will raise money on behalf of Clear Path International to support the Seattle area's programs in Quang Tri Province just south of the former DMZ in Vietnam.
Svay Ngoy also attended the Bon Marche event. He is from Cambodia and lost both of his legs in war.
His organization is called Cambodian Mine Victims Assistance Association. It helps land mine victims in that country by helping them reclaim and re-plant their land. Saturday he thanked Heather Mills McCartney for her work.
"Her work is a very great activity. I wish I can do like her," said Ngoy.
And as she always does, Mills issued an invitation for others to join her campaign.
"Many people sit at home and go 'I'd love to go to Afghanistan and save all these children.' But you can actually start from home and make a huge difference." (story)
For More Information:
www.adoptaminefield.org
www.heathermills.org
www.clearpathinternational.org
On December 5th, 2002, people from around the world will again sit with family, friends, & colleagues and share in one of the oldest rituals: breaking bread together for a cause that is one of the most urgent problems of our time. Join this worldwide community of caring people and enjoy your own involvement in the Night of 1000 Dinners! Funds raised this year will go to assist demining and survivor assistance projects in some of the most heavily mined countries in the world (Afghanistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia, Mozambique, & Vietnam). The Night of a Thousand Dinners raises funds in aid of the Adopt-A-Minefield program. Last year on November 30, tens of thousands of individuals in over 30 countries took park in the first annual Night of Thousand Dinners campaign.
The invitations promised a night of Absolut Voyeurism and there was plenty to look at as Hollywood's fabled Chateau Marmont hotel threw open its doors to 300 carefully selected guests for the launch of Stella McCartney's new ad campaign "Absolut Stella," on October 17.Steve Martin, Josh Hartnett, Matthew Perry, Roger Daltry, Tom Ford, Courtney Love and Cristina Ricci were among the A-listers sipping Absolut Stella Mojitos and mingling in the lobby, garden and exotically themed guest rooms--many of which were strategically strewn with panties, gowns and bomber jackets from Stella's collection--as the lavish marketing campaign got under way. The four-page insert, which features watercolors and drawings of a sultry woman half-clad in Stella's clothes, by British figurative painter David Remfry, debuts this month.
"Absolut has a long history of collaborating with fashion designers, photographers, painters and other visual artists and I'm excited to join their ranks," said Stella. "I'm particularly excited because this marks the first time that drawings have been used in the campaign."
The star-studded bash also marked Stella's debut on Los Angeles' hip social scene where the designer clearly has a loyal fan-base.
"I'm obsessed with her jeans," enthused actress and singer Monet Mazur. "They give anybody a great ass and telephone poles for legs."
"I really love Stella, especially because she's a vegetarian," raved Shiva Rose, while Shannen Doherty effused, "She makes it sexy without being too obvious."
Capitol Records, whose inaugural batch of 78 rpm shellac records was released by its founding partners Johnny Mercer, Glenn Wallichs and Buddy DeSylva in the summer of 1942, will celebrate its 60th anniversary with the release of "CAPITOL RECORDS: 1942-2002," hitting stores in October. The exquisitely designed, digitally-remastered 96-track, 6-CD boxed set pays tribute to the defining artists of popular music history -- from Stan Kenton, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra to Peggy Lee, the Kingston Trio and the Beach Boys; from the Beatles (the first time their music has ever been included on a multi-artist compilation), the solo careers of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, the Band and Pink Floyd to Merle Haggard and Duran Duran; from Bonnie Raitt, Everclear and Garth Brooks to Kylie Minogue, Radiohead, Coldplay and The Vines.
The boxed set will be released in two versions: the "Deluxe" version will be packaged in a 10"x10" box, with a full-size 144-page clothbound "coffee table" collector's volume of classic artist photographs by the world's greatest photographers. The "Special" version will be packaged in a "brick" format, with a smaller 72-page photograph booklet. Both boxed set versions will contain the same CDs, along with booklets containing extensive discography information, including many track annotations that have been compiled for the very first time. The Deluxe package will be released in early October, followed by the Special package on October 22nd.
Paul has topped the Billboard "Boxscore Concert Grosses Chart" for the week of October 26, with the two Boston Fleet Center shows taking in $4,050,530 followed by $2,258,000 for the Atlantic City, NJ show, $2,183,430 for the Xcel Energy Center, MN and $1,686,275 for the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Raleigh, NC.
Dear, departed Linda McCartney used to occupy herself by playing keyboards and singing with the band when her husband hit the road. The second Mrs. Paul McCartney, Heather Mills McCartney, does things differently. Her husband will appear on a Tacoma Dome stage later today. She, for her part, will make a 1 p.m. appearance at the downtown Seattle Bon Marché, at the I.N.C. International Concepts Department on the second floor. Mills, you see, is the face of I.N.C., promoting the line, but more importantly, working to raise awareness for Adopt-a-Minefield, which raises funds for mine clearance and survivor assistance. Her appearance will earn $10,000 from the Bon for the cause. And the cause has a local component: The Adopt-a-Minefield campaign has chosen Bainbridge Island-based Clear Path International as its partner for its work in Vietnam, and will raise money to support it. (story)
A bronze statue of Sir Paul McCartney's late wife, Linda, is to be erected at a council-owned site in Argyll later this month. But mystery surrounds the reason why a multi-million-pound memorial garden which a trust group had been planning in Kintyre - and which was the original destination of the statue - is not going ahead.
Argyll and Bute Council's head of economic development Seamus Lalor confirmed yesterday that the £20,000 ($31,000) sculpture, showing Linda sitting on a boulder with a lamb, will be sited on council-owned land in Campbeltown. He said, "We are absolutely delighted that the organizers of the location of the statue have agreed to choose the Burnet Museum building courtyard as the location for the Linda McCartney statue. We have already carried out some upgrading work on the courtyard area in preparation for the statue coming. The statue is in Campbeltown now." He added that it would be erected later this month with the date for an official opening ceremony, probably next month, still to be decided.
The sculpture, commissioned by Sir Paul, has been completed by Jane Robbins, who is the daughter of one of his cousins. It was originally destined to be erected in the Kintyre countryside, on a site overlooking the sea, about five miles from McCartney's High Park Farm which Linda, who died in 1998, loved so much. The plan was for the statue to be given pride of place in a multi-million-pound memorial garden and visitor center, complete with a Linda McCartney photo gallery, all planned in her honor. And it remains a mystery why the larger project, which a local trust group had been working on with representatives of the McCartney family, has not gone ahead.
Ron Roberts, a member of the trust, refused to answer questions on the matter yesterday. He said, "I can't comment on it. I am not even suggesting that there is another project, I am in the middle of a meeting, we will just leave it at that."
But a source in Campbeltown, who has seen details of the original plans, confirmed, "He (Paul McCartney) was going to make a memorial garden and it was pretty well tied up. The Forestry Commission was going to give the land, the enterprise company were putting money in, and there was going to be a gallery where he was going to show his ex-wife's pictures. That was before he got married again. Now the whole concept has been scaled down very considerably. It was to be a visitor centre, memorial garden and a studio and he was going to give to this trust a certain amount of Linda's photographs to give the thing a kick-start. We all thought it was a super idea because we thought it would bring in loads of people.The statue was never going to be at the McCartney farm, the site was on the main road between Campbeltown and Carradale. It was right on the roadside, overlooking the land, into the sea. It was in the countryside about five miles from the farm. It was a site that was selected after looking at eight or nine sites. The idea has been on the go for about two years, it's been a lot of work."
Our source, who did not want to be named, claimed, "Ninety-nine, point ,nine-percent of the people in Campbeltown don't even know who is on this trust. It's all kept very secret."
George McMillan, chairman of the Kintyre Initiative group which aims to strengthen the area's economy, confirmed that he had heard of the larger project. Mr McMillan, who is a former chairman of the old Argyll and Bute District Council, said, "Yes, it is a scaled-down project now and I am disappointed that the original concept didn't go ahead. The cut-down, shortened concept is good, but not as good." Mr Lalor, however, is confident that the statue will still attract the crowds when it is located in Campbeltown and will provide an economic boost to the area. And he revealed that the council was hopeful that it may be possible to exhibit some of Linda McCartney's photos in the Burnet museum building, after it has undergone a renovation project. He said, "We have had discussions about photographs. There is nothing agreed yet, but we would like to think that the museum could hold exhibitions of Lady Linda McCartney's photographs. We are cautiously optimistic that we might get that." He, too, was aware of the larger original plan and said, "The other project that was being considered was a multi-million-pound project which would require a lot of investment to be able to do it and maintain it. We were asked if it was possible for the council to be part of the project but we didn't have the funding to do more than I have indicated."
Paul McCartney's publicity agent was in the United States yesterday and could not be contacted. (story)
Age Concern is calling on people to donate the £95 million ($1.47 million) of foreign currency they have lying around at home to help elderly people this winter.Research for the group found that on average people return from holiday with an average of £11.47 ($17.75) in local currencies, and 40%do not bother converting this back into sterling.
The group urged people to donate this cash to its "Fight the Freeze Foreign Coin Appeal." The campaign is backed by Paul McCartney and his wife Heather. He says, "We must all value older people and make sure they don't suffer during our miserable winter months. Age Concern is doing an excellent job with a campaign which everybody should support. Let's turn up the heat!"
It said just £2 ($3.10) will pay for a hot meal for someone, while £5 ($7.75) will buy an extra blanket and £10 ($15.50) will pay for a winter clothes pack.
The group added that £20 ($31.00) would pay for 20 visits to an elderly person at home.
Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern England, said that 22,700 more pensioners die in the winter in the UK than in the summer.
"Many older people are isolated and at risk during the winter. Your foreign coins could raise much needed cash to help us provide them with practical support and advice on how best to keep safe during the cold winter months.
"Research shows that older people tend to live in the coldest homes and on the lowest incomes, often without enough money to pay for adequate heating.
"Older people frequently are at special risk of social isolation due to poor social networks and lack of transport."
People can donate their left over foreign currency to Age Concern through collection boxes in Halifax and Bank of Scotland branches.
Paul and Heather were shopping at Ralphs food mart in Beverly Hills, CA (Wednesday October 16). He saw a young man wearing a Beatles hat and struck up a conversation with him saying how much he liked the hat. The lucky man wound up with VIP tickets and backstage passes to see Macca at the Staples Center on October 22. By the way, Paul asked that his groceries be doubled bagged because the last time his eggs were smashed and he had an omelet in a bag!
Paul and Heather checked out the Ritz Carlton's French Quarter Bar while in New Orleans the night before his October 12 concert at the New Orleans Arena. Band leader, Jeremy Davenport said that halfway through his set he noticed Paul sitting at the bar with Heather. When Davenport took his break, Paul summoned him to his table and said, "Do you mind?" and picked up a trumpet and played "When the Saints Go Marching In." Then he asked Davenport if he knew, "The Very Thought of You," Paul and Heather's song. The band leader said he did and Paul joined him on stage to sing it together. The bar crowd went wild. Davenport said his experience with Paul was "such an inspiration" and it was the most impromptu and incredible experience he ever had.
Sir Paul McCartney has faxed a strong letter to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Chairman Willian Reilly asking that they immediately stop promoting a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program that would kill tens of millions of wild and domestic animals in painful tests of chemicals already on the market and previously tested. Sir Paul's letter on behalf of PETA, with which he has had a long affiliation, urges WWF to accept PETA's alternate proposal, to use more sophisticated and efficient test methods that do not involve animals and to change the focus of the program to push for restrictions on contaminants known to be harmful.Sir Paul writes, "I was appalled to learn . . . that the US office of WWF has been a driving force behind the design and development" (of the testing regime). "Please, find your heart and use your head," and Paul includes a quote from Dr. Joshua Lederberg, Nobel Laureate in Medicine, who condemned such test programs as "blind" and "impossible" more than 20 years ago.
WWF Vice President Richard N. Mott responded that only thousands of animals are being exposed to industrial pollutants "so that many millions of animals around the world don't have to suffer through the uncontrolled chemical 'testing' that is already taking place. . . . We welcome the chance to have a dialogue with Sir Paul." (click to read Paul's letter)
Paul added "Midnight Special" to the setlist in Houston (Oct. 13) because of the mention of Houston in the lyrics.
The tiniest mascara smudge can be deadly for Vivian Martins' career. But the fashion model said she was moved to tears when she heard Heather Mills McCartney talk about losing her leg.''She's so pretty I would never think she suffered so much,'' Martins, 21, said while posing for International Concepts at Burdines in Dadeland Mall October 7.
About 100 people visited Burdines to hear how 34-year-old Mills McCartney, an author, Nobel Prize nominee, wife of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and now an INC model, turned tragedy into triumph by dedicating the past several years to land mine victims.
At the event, Mills McCartney accepted a $10,000 check from Burdines to be used on behalf of the Adopt-A-Minefield campaign, a program committed to eradicating minefields worldwide. Last year, Mills McCartney, goodwill ambassador for the campaign, entered a modeling partnership with INC to promote women's fashion in exchange for anti-land-mine publicity.
International Concepts advertises its clothes as ``real fashion for real women.''
There are an estimated 50 million land mines in the ground in at least 70 countries, according to Adopt-a-Minefield.
Mills McCartney was a swimwear model before she lost her leg in 1993, after she was run over by a police motorcyclist. Her story has helped to sensitize many Americans to amputees while giving hope to land mine victims.
''People from Cambodia, Vietnam and the former Yugoslavia seem to relate to me,'' Mills McCartney said. 'They don't feel like it's a patronizing person saying, `There, there.' It gives them hope that life goes on as long as there's prosthetics.''' (Miami Herald)
Tickets for the Royal Albert Hall George Harrison tribute concert sold out in one hour and fifteen minutes.
The wife of Beatles legend Paul McCartney made an appearance on Tuesday (October 8) in Miami to raise money for the global land mine crisis. Heather Mills McCartney greeted fans at the Burdines Department Store at the Dadeland Mall, and accepted a $10 thousand check from the clothing company INC International Concepts for the "Adopt-a-Minefield" charity. Mills is a model for INC, and is on a worldwide tour to raise awareness for the charity. With a $50 or more purchase at Burdines, customers can buy a T-shirt designed by Mills, with all proceeds going to the "Adopt-a-Minefield" charity.
Actor, Victor Spinetti who is currently promoting the new "A Hard Day's Night" DVD says he has remained in touch with Paul McCartney.McCartney rang up Spinetti before the former Beatle's June wedding to see if he could stop by and have tea with his old friend.
"He came over and we reminisced and we talked about John, about Linda, and Grahams, a great, great friend of mine who died of cancer at the same time," Spinetti recalled. "We also talked about how life goes on, and later on, he invited me over to meet his new lady, Heather (Mills). She's going to be fine with him."
Unfortunately, Spinetti couldn't attend McCartney and Mills' wedding, but his old Beatle bud didn't forget about him.
"I was on tour in South Hampton and he sent me a huge bunch of flowers because he knew I couldn't go," Spinetti said. "I also sent him a note congratulating him on his tour of the U.S."
Victor caught up with Paul at his September 24 concert in Chicago. The two talked about the good ole days and Paul fondly called his former movie mate, "Vicky."
Paul McCartney's official fan Web site at http://www.paulmccartney.com has gotten a facelift with new animated graphics and content.
Andre Gardner of 102.9 FM-WMGK Classic Rock Philadelphia got an exclusive interview with Paul McCartney backstage at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on September 28. Click this link to hear the interview.
Paul and Heather attended Thursday (October 3), night's preview of "The Incredible Rise of Arturo Ui" staring Al Pacino at Pace College's auditorium near City Hall in New York. They went backstage to congratulate the star who received a five-minute standing ovation.
Paul did a video promo that was shown in Japan this week with footage from the Boston concert. His live CD "Back in the US" will be released in Japan on November 11, a few weeks before the US release.
The statue that Paul commissioned in bronze of his late wife, Linda, sitting on a boulder holding a lamb, may be unveiled and dedicated on November 1, in Campbeltown, near Linda's beloved home on the Mull of Kintyre in Argyll, Scotland. Paul will be in the US resting up for his Mexico City concerts at that time so it is more likely his children will be present for the dedication.
Stella McCartney had her bi-yearly fashion show Monday, October 7 in Paris. This is the first show her father did not attend. Paul is performing tonight in Raleigh, NC.
Boston's Classic Rock station morning host, Carter Alan 100.7 did an interview with Paul McCartney in September. Click here to hear. You will need RealPlayer.
A handwritten note by Paul McCartney that includes a two-line quotation from a Beatles song has fetched £1,350 ($2,100) at auction. McCartney quoted the opening lines of "Penny Lane,'' the song he penned about a street in his hometown of Liverpool, in a note to an old family friend. Richard Westwood-Brookes of Swindon's Dominic Winter Book Auctions said Saturday that such quotations are "extremely rare.'' The note was sold Friday, Oct. 4.
Five hundred photographs of the Beatles, many of them unpublished, have been found in the archives of a Scottish university, where they have been gathering dust for more than 30 years. The photos, discovered in Dundee University's archives, show the British pop group on the brink of international stardom in the early 1960s, the Times newspaper reported on Monday. The pictures are part of an archive of 130,000 negatives taken by Hungarian-born photo-journalist Michael Peto and given to the university after his death in 1970, the newspaper said. Many show band members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr relaxing between takes while shooting their second feature film "Help." The university was aware of "one or two" pictures of the band among the negatives, but only discovered the extent of the collection during a project to digitise its archives. "He was a people's photographer and his photographs reflect the backstage nature of his work and are quite unique in this respect," said Pat Whatley, the head of the university's archives who discovered the collection. Peto is best known for his photographs of ballet stars Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn, and of actors Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
Paul has been asked to appear on Mexico's reality show "OPERACION TRIUNFO MEXICO." The interview will be taped backstage at Paul's first concert, November 2 in Mexico City and it will be aired a few days later.
Paul has made November's Q Magazine's top ten list of the "50 Most Powerful People in Music for 2002." He ties for 9th place with Yoko Ono. First place goes to U2's lead singer, Bono. The results are from a survey of music industry leaders asked to pick the most influential and powerful people in music.
November 2002
Friends of George and Olivia Harrison who were involved in the tribute concert at the Royal Albert Hall, November 29 were invited to Friar Park for a Thanksgiving dinner on November 28. Paul and Heather were there as well as Ringo, Barbara Bach, May Pang, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, members of Monty Python and others.
Heather Mills is set to be the latest subject of Channel 4's "The Real" documentary series in Britain. The program seeks to separate the facts from the PR fiction surrounding public figures from Michael Barrymore to Princess Anne. But the former model is not co-operating with Diverse, the independent production company working on the show.Producers have drawn up a hit list of people they want to interview for the show, without Heather's consent. It is expected to air in the first half of next year.
"We are looking to speak to a wide range of people from across her whole life," a Channel 4 spokeswoman told Media Guardian. "We have approached Heather but she said no. It will be a compelling look at her life, going back further than when she first met Sir Paul and tracing how she ended up where she is today."
Mills, who is known for her campaigning work on behalf of the victims of landmines and people who have lost limbs, married Sir Paul McCartney in a lavish £2 million ($3.2 million) ceremony at a 17th century Irish castle, last June. (Full story)
If you are looking for a great vacation spot endorsed by Paul McCartney and described by him as "God's own country", a billing used by the region's tourist authorities, check out Kerala in southern India. Kerala is renowned for its white sandy beaches, temples and a lush interior dotted with wildlife parks and tea plantations.
Kerala boasts endless beaches, tranquil backwaters, exotic wildlife and small, relaxed cities. And you don't have to be rich to live like a king here. Or a Beatle, for that matter. In fact, from under £700 ($1,100) a week including flights, you can stay at the hotel where Paul McCartney recently took his new wife Heather Mills to celebrate her birthday. The Marari Beach Resort is the perfect antidote to a long-haul flight. It is a new hotel built in the style of a traditional fishing village. Individual thatched villas sit in 25 acres of coconut palm groves and exotic plants leading to a deserted beach.
The Marari is a true get-away-from-it-all retreat. In its guest book, Heather Mills gushed, "This has been the best birthday I have ever had... I was mesmerized by the incredible display of jasmine, marigolds, roses and carnations. The view under the stars was breathtaking. We saw four shooting stars. I have travelled the world but never have I experienced anything quite like India..."
Paul was a little more reserved, "A magical experience and a birthday we will never forget."
Hear Heather Mill's interview with NPR's (National Public Radio) Scott Simon about the new edition of her autobiography, "A Single Step." You will need RealPlayer.
Designer Vision, a UK company that specializes in customizing celebrity cars, recently removed the leather seats in Heather Mill's luxury Mercedes and replaced them with vinyl covered seats.
Paul McCartney's Scottish home has become his lull of Kintyre, with locals saying he has not set foot there for over two years. (Sunday Herald)Few places are more special to the ex-Beatle than High Park Farm near Campbeltown where he discovered vegetarianism and where he fled with his wife Linda to rebuild his shattered confidence following the break-up of The Beatles. It is also where he was busted for growing cannabis, for which he was fined £100 ($157.00).
Great songs flowed out of Kintyre, such as "The Long And Winding Road," "Maybe I'm Amazed" and, of course, "Mull Of Kintyre," one of the biggest-selling singles ever. Scottish critical opinion remains divided over the song, although it helped to put Kintyre on the world map.
But since starting his relationship with former model Heather Mills, whom he married in June, Sir Paul has not been seen in Kintyre. Last month newspapers and some residents accused him of snubbing Linda's memory by not attending the unveiling in Campbeltown of a sculpture he had commissioned. The £20,000 statue of Linda holding a lamb was commissioned from his cousin, Jane Robbins.
Linda, who died of breast cancer in 1998, was known to have loved the farm, and photographed the area extensively because she particularly loved the light. But when the statue was unveiled there was no Sir Paul and only a brief statement from two of her daughters -- Mary and Stella -- saying how much their mother had loved the place.
Sir Paul was said to be too busy touring in Mexico to attend, but fashion designer Stella, who is known to have been especially uncomfortable over her father's remarriage, did come secretly.
"She came up the same day but did not see the statue until the next. It was a private visit. She liked the statue, she felt it captured her mother's personality," said Alistair Cousin, chairman of the Lady Linda McCartney Kintyre Memorial Trust. Mr. Cousin, a much respected local vet who has cared for the McCartneys' animals for 30 years, admitted he does not know when the ex-Beatle was last on Kintyre. Paul employs just a farm manager to look after his 200 or so sheep on the farm, where he has also planted hundreds of trees. "The family used to come up for two or three weeks in August. I think it is a place where they got peace and quiet -- it was a family holiday," said Mr. Cousin. "You rarely see them in town -- the farm is very much their place. But people here hold them in great affection."
He said he thought it unlikely Sir Paul would ever sell the farm. Another local said the former Beatle had not visited the farm for around two years.
"When he comes he flies in by private jet and disappears into the farm. There are guards posted at the bottom of the road. He really loves the place but he does not mix with locals anymore," he said.
Sir Paul's spokesman, Geoff Baker, denied he had turned his back on Kintyre since his relationship with Heather. "If it was anything to do with Heather he wouldn't have taken her to his other homes," he said. "People forget he bought High Park before he met Linda, when he was with Jane Asher. Paul has not been to Australia for nine years either. This has all come about from the imaginings of local news papers. Kintyre remains a special place for him and he has no plans to sell it -- it is not even under consideration. Paul has been touring hard and is working on a secret musical project, which may be unveiled before Christmas."
Sir Paul revealed last year that he returned to Scotland again to write an inspirational song for his last album, "Driving Rain," his first new set of songs for four years. He took time out at his farm to score the song "Tiny Bubble." He is reported to be so pleased with the results of the demo recording at his small studio at High Park that he used much of it when he recorded it fully on the album. "I have always found inspiration in the calm beauty of Scotland," he said at the time. The album also included love songs to both his wives.
"High Park was really loved by Linda. It was one of her favorite places. I think it is really associated with her more in a way than the other homes. That may be hard for Heather, who is far more sensitive to Paul and his children's feelings than is known," said a friend of Linda. "When you see the place you can understand why. It is not luxurious -- but it has Linda's character. In a way, she still haunts the place. It has her touch. Paul and Linda did it up together." Sir Paul bought the run-down farm as an investment after viewing it with Jane Asher.
In a Channel 4 film Paul revealed he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown when he fled to High Park, which he has added to over the years by buying two neighboring farms. "We went up to Scotland. I just had to get out of London and get in the mist and the mountains -- just to try to walk around and get some air and get away from this trauma," said Paul in the film.
He wasn't keen on its remoteness at first, but that became an advantage. Linda came to appreciate the place too. "She adored it. Maybe it was Linda being American. But she could see the whole romance of it all -- and then I started to see it through her eyes. Sure it was run-down, she said, but we could fix it up. And she was right. You could run anywhere up there -- you could just walk for ever, and over the weeks that passed I just fell in love with the place."
It was at High Park that Paul and Linda became vegetarians after watching a lamb gambolling on the farm while a roast dinner was cooking. Linda went on to found a multi-million pound vegetarian food empire.
Sir Paul wrote "Mull Of Kintyre" as a thank-you to Scotland but had no idea how loud the bagpipes were. A member of Campbeltown Pipe Band summoned to High Park to help make a demo of the track had to tell him to go into the garden before he would play them.
Ringo Starr loves Liam Lynch's debut single which has made it into the top 10 in the UK. He has had a collaboration offer from Ringo Starr. The ex-Beatles drummer loves Liam Lynch's single, "United States of Whatever," so much he phoned him directly.Lynch, who was one of the first students to study at Sir Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts (LIPA), said he "fell out of his chair" when he heard Starr's voice.
Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Lynch has already been a TV producer, writer and director, following his studies at LIPA. He told BBC Radio Merseyside of the offer from the ex-Beatle, "He loved the song and that's why he got in touch. He had no idea I've lived in Liverpool. It was really funny, he had no clue as to any of that."
Some of the current students at LIPA said Lynch's success with the single gives them encouragement. One said, "It proves to the outside world that you really can get something out of studying at LIPA."
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