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February 2007

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February 28, 2007 - Message from Brian Ray

Sometimes you have to be patient...

Like now, for instance. I've been bouncing around from place to place while my new house is being finished. I will have moved 7 times by the time I move in. At this point it's funny... it's like my own tour of Santa Monica and Venice! Life in a suitcase... why does that sound familiar?

It's been a blast and a sweat... biking around digging on my new town... can't wait... 1 more week... and you can quote me.

News flash: I'll be filming my live set with Black Unicorn next Tuesday and you will be able to see us soon on rehearsals.com! This will be a blast.

Also, I just finished work on Chris Cornell's [Soundgarden/Audioslave] new solo record [coming May 1] and It's 'effin amazing! That guy is SO talented.

Right now I'm having coffee and listening to Lewis Taylor's "The Lost Album". Mindblower...

All good things to all of you. Be well and take good care of each other.

Brian

He's worth £825 million but Sir Paul McCartney was still in a filthy mood yesterday.

The ex-Beatle was asked for some change by a homeless guy in Tower Street, Central London, but flew into a foul-mouthed rage.

A local office worker said: "Paul totally lost it and told him to p*** off."

Click here to find out more!

Potty mouth.

Sir Paul McCartney's estranged wife Heather Mills is praying her prosthetic leg stays attached when she struts her stuff on US reality TV show Dancing With The Stars - because she doesn't want audience members to have a heart attack.

The one-legged model-turned-activist is an odd choice to hit the dancefloor for the upcoming series, but she hopes to prove that even amputees can waltz and tango like a professional. She'll join dancing champ Jonathan Roberts on the new series of the show, which debuts next month, and she's determined to make him proud and keep her false leg firmly strapped in place.

Mills, who lost her leg in a collision with a police motorcycle, tells US news show EXTRA, "I'm quite happy to be thrown around and hopefully my leg will stay on.

"It's very unlikely my leg is going to fly off, although it would be quite funny. I'll have a strap on, which I wouldn't normally in every day life. "I don't want to let Jonathan down or give anyone in the audience a heart attack."

And Mills, who is currently in the middle of a bitter divorce battle with McCartney, insists she won't be flashing too much flesh on the dancefloor: "I'm hitting 40, I think I'll keep my tummy covered."

Paul McCartney, picked up his 3-year-old daughter, Beatrice, who was dressed as a princess, from a party (Miller's 2nd birthday party) in London this week.

Heather Mills isn't wasting any time, jumping foot first into prepping for the upcoming season of "Dancing With the Stars."

The model and near-divorcee was spotted entering a dance studio yesterday in London, carrying the usual necessities, a bag of groceries, and a leg.

No word on who's footing the bill for her rehearsals.

Lady Heather McCartney has dropped her title as she launches a TV career in America.

Mucca, 39, signed up for Dancing With The Stars, the US version of Strictly Come Dancing - but insisted on appearing only under her former name Heather Mills.

ABC bosses were stunned when she told them she would not be called Lady, or use the name of estranged hubby Sir Paul McCartney.

Sir Paul, 64, is said to be against her making money out of him and fears she will make a fool of him on the show.

But that is not Heather's reason for using her own name. A source said: "Legally, Sir Paul can't stop Heather from using his name. She is entitled to call herself Lady until the day they divorce.

"But Heather is calculating. If she used Paul's name to earn money, he could claim that half of it was thanks to him."

The source added: "It was a bombshell for ABC. Getting a Lady who was married to a Beatle was almost like signing royalty to them.

"They are gutted they had to drop the title."

MILLS' DANCING APPEARANCE INFURIATES THE DISABLED

Sir Paul McCartney's estranged wife Heather Mills' forthcoming appearance on US TV show Dancing With The Stars has angered a disabled group in her native Britain, who claim her ability to dance means she is able-bodied.

Mills wears prosthetic limb after losing her left leg below the knee following a 1993 road accident in London.

After the charity campaigner confirmed she would be a contestant on the show next month, the Federation Of Disabled People claim she has no right to use the blue disabled badge on her Mercedes car, which gives users priority parking in public places and in car parks.

The Federation's spokesperson Kathy Gordon says, "Clearly she has mobility so she should refrain from using the badge. It's not fair on other disable people."

Heather Mills has always had a flair for self-publicity, but you have to admire her tenacity.

The Washington-born former model, currently in a bitter split with Sir Paul McCartney, has signed up for the American version of Strictly Come Dancing.

Quite how she will manage with a false leg is anyone's guess, but she gets full marks for giving it a go.

Heather has, in my view, always been a stroppy cow, but in this endeavour, if no other, she deserves to be congratulated.

However, I still hope she gets what she deserves in her divorce from McCartney . . . two fingers to go with the two-step.

Paul McCartney may be desperate to ditch Heather Mills, but his favourite look-a-like is looking for his own leading lady.

Neil Tudor is so successful at playing the ex-Beatle he was even booked by Sir Paul to go to a party the millionaire couldn't make.

Now the Wirral musician is looking for a "Heather" to act alongside him ­ but no one will take the job.

He has been performing as Sir Paul for two years and has even taken to going up to women in cafes who resemble the animal rights campaigner.

He said: "I don't think it's because she's unpopular that we can't find anyone.

"But we're seriously looking and she doesn't need to have a false leg.

"I went up to a girl recently in Birkenhead, but I never heard from her so I don't know whether she thought I was winding her up."

In April last year Neil, from Upton Road, Claughton, was asked to stand in for the McCartney at the party of his keyboard player Paul "Wix" Wickens. He said: "I think he couldn't go to the party because he was having trouble with Heather.

"I was told what to wear and to sing 'Yesterday' -- he got someone to video me too. I think Paul thought it would be funny; I had a great time."

Neil is also in a book by photographer Alison Jackson, who uses look-a-likes in her TV show Double Take.

And he thinks there could be even more work if he can find a Heather double, with the couple's divorce hitting the headlines every day.

He wears a name badge telling visitors he is from "Sunderland, England" and never misses a chance to tell people about his home city.

Paul McCartney is among the thousands of Disneyland guests who have witnessed Richard's talents.

He said: "I have played in other groups at Disneyland, and most notably, my debut in the 'Louisiana funk' band, The Riverboat Rascals, was witnessed by none other than Paul McCartney," he recalled.

"He was in the park visiting, and dropped by to check out this particular band. It was my first time out with these guys, so I was sight-reading ­ no rehearsal!

"He stayed for the first set, so I can't have sounded that bad."

Richard has his own website at www.coolcomposer.com.

Yoko Ono has granted permission for an unfinished track by her late husband John Lennon to be finished by his Beatles bandmates. The song, called "Now And Then", will be completed by Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr after Ono - who owns the rights to Lennon's solo material - gave the project a cautious green light. She says, "It's up to them. But no, I'm not against it."

McCartney and Starr previously tried to revive the track more than a decade ago (95) for inclusion in The Beatles Anthology. However, George Harrison vetoed the idea.

"We approached her," "Dancing" executive producer Conrad Green said yesterday after ABC officially confirmed Mills' participation, rumored for weeks. "The general intention was to try and expand the boundaries of the people taking part [in the show] . . . and Heather came up almost immediately.

"She's a really interesting personality . . . and is a woman of great vigor and determination."

She's also extremely media savvy, and knows that "Dancing," seen by over 20 million viewers a week, might help soften her negative public image in the wake of her divorce from billionaire ex-Beatle McCartney. It's won her few fans on either side of the Atlantic, some who see her as a golddigger.

"There really is no downside [for Mills doing the show]," says crisis expert Steve Aiello of Hill & Knowlton. "She appears to be a good sport and she can possibly win some folks over while this bitter divorce continues to go on."

The ex-model, who lost a leg in a motorcyle accident, has worked tirelessly on behalf of land-mine victims.

"I really don't know what her reasons are apart from what she stated to me," Green says, "to get across that people with disabilities like hers are still able-bodied."

"To be honest, I expected a 'no' more than a 'yes,' " he says about asking Mills to do the show. "There was no reason [for her] to say yes but, then again, when she said yes I wasn't that surprised.

"She's not afraid to put herself above the parapet."

And just how will Mills ballroom dance with her prosthetic leg?

"She's an enormously athletic woman who runs regularly and dances [in clubs] regularly," Green says. "It's important to remember that her prosthetic is below the knee, so she's still enormously flexible."

Mills will be joined by Laila Ali, Ian Ziering, Billy Ray Cyrus, ex-NBAer Clyde Drexler, Joey Fatone, Leeza Gibbons, speedskater Apolo Ohno, Vinny "Big Pussy" Pastore, Paulina Poriskova and Shandi Finnessey.

Tata Young sings a McCartney song on new album

She is Asia's answer to Britney Spears and she stole the thunder in India with her vocals in Dhoom.

Thai singing sensation Tata Young speaks to HT City on her latest album, Temperature Rising (Sony BMG) and her plans on doing more with Indian music.

Q: You have done a version of Paul McCartney's "Come Rain Come Shine" (reworded "Silly Love Songs" dance mix). How was it working with him?

Tata: It was simply great. Though it has been sung by many, this song is remembered as McCartney's. We recorded the song in NY after Paul's approval. He appreciated my version and was there all through the recording.

The pledged motivation for Heather Mills' appearance on Dancing With The Stars is simple:
Her spokesman Phil Hall told the BBC News website: "She's doing it because she loves dancing, always has, enjoys a challenge and sees this as a combination of both.

Her participation was "nothing to do with the money", he added. "It's just to do with the challenge and fun of it."

Well, that, we imagine, and the desperate hope that it'll make people like her a little bit more. And the money.

Let's hope it's not as terrible as her last major appearance on US TV, when she sat in for Larry King. There are still an estimated five thousand Americans still hiding from that programme behind their sofas.

Mills will be the first contestant with an artificial limb to compete on the series, which returns for its fourth season March 19. She lost the leg in a motorcycle accident in 1993.

Olympian Apolo Anton Ohno, boxer Laila Ali, former basketball star Clyde Drexler and actor Vincent Pastore, who played gangster Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on "The Sopranos," are also in the cast.

Jerry Springer, one of last season's competitors, teased ABC's "Good Morning America" audience before tossing out Mills' name.

"She may be a sentimental favorite," said Springer, even though Mills has Yoko Ono-like favorability ratings among many Beatles fans. Her selection delivers a message that whatever challenges people face in life, they can dance, he said.

Mills is an activist for animal rights and elimination of the use of land mines.

"Dancing With the Stars" has proved to be a substantial hit for ABC, although this is the first time it will air when a season of Fox's "American Idol" is under way. ABC will air its dancing competition on Monday and Tuesday nights to avoid going head-to-head with "American Idol."

Actor and former country star Billy Ray Cyrus, former 'N Sync member Joey Fatone, Miss USA 2004 Shandi Finnessey, former "Entertainment Tonight" host Leeza Gibbons, model Paulina Porizkova and former "Beverly Hills, 90210" star Ian Ziering round out the cast.

Eleven Celebrities, Comprising the Most Diverse Cast to Date, Were Announced on Good Morning America

In a Dancing with the Stars first, three athletes will dance to the finish in the fourth season of the hugely popular series, returning MONDAY, MARCH 19 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on ABC. Among the athletes are a current Olympic Gold Medalist, a member of the 1992 Men's U.S. Olympic Basketball Dream Team, and an undefeated female boxer - the first female athlete to compete on the series. Celebrities joining them include a singer/actor who stars alongside his daughter in one of the Disney Channel's most popular programs, a former member of one of the biggest selling music groups of all-time, and a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and activist for Adopt-A-Minefield.

As announced on Good Morning America, the eleven stars making their ballroom dancing debut and their professional dance partners are:

HEATHER MILLS - United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, activist for Adopt-A-Minefield and advocate for animal rights, Heather Mills will be the first contestant to compete with an artificial limb. She will be partnered with JONATHAN ROBERTS who returns for his third season.

MILLS MULLS UGLY NEW CHARGE

Paul McCartney's divorce from Heather Mills McCartney is getting so nasty, she's now threatening to make unsubstantiated claims that McCartney's poor parenting in the past led two of his children to contemplate suicide.

"Paul is asking for full custody of their child, Beatrice," a friend of Mills told us. "Heather is furious. There is no way she would ever, ever agree to that."

Mills is so desperate to keep Beatrice that she is prepared to make the outrageous and unsubstantiated claim to a London divorce court that Paul was such "a bad father" to two of his children with Linda McCartney that they considered taking their own lives. McCartney has four adult children from his happy marriage to Linda - Heather, Mary, Stella and James.

There is no evidence that any McCartney child has ever considered committing suicide. All of his adult children have always said how much they love and admire their father - and come out against Mills.

In her desperation, Mills is asking for full custody of 3-year-old Beatrice. She is also acting as her own lawyer - having fired her divorce attorneys because "she felt she could do a better job herself," her friend said.

Meanwhile, the financial settlement is still far from being completed.

"Paul gave Heather a gorgeous London home, but now she wants a home in L.A., too," Mills' pal said. The friend added, "At first, she told Paul she would walk away for just $100 million - which is very cheap. He is worth billions. But now that [the divorce] has gotten so nasty, she wants more."

Allegations on both sides of the case have gotten gnarly. McCartney's friends claim Mills, who had to suffer through nude porno shots of her published by London papers last year, is an unstable liar and may have worked as an escort in her youth.

Mills claims that McCartney is not the sweet, cuddly figure his millions of fans think he is.

A spokesman for McCartney declined to discuss the matter: "We have not and will not perpetuate tabloid fodder."

Paul wins Cinema Audio Award

The Cinema Audio Society's 43rd annual awards show in Los Angeles tapped "Dreamgirls" for the best sound-mixing in a motion picture.

Also during the Saturday night ceremony "Paul McCartney: The Space Within Us" won the television non-fiction category.

Cindy Adams

Heather Mills (soon-to-no-longer- be) McCartney is actually actually actually to be a contestant this coming season on "Dancing With the Stars." Not a judge. Not a guest star. An actual contestant. It has been rumored this might be.

Not a rumor. It'll be.

The bizarre animation show will portray Sir Paul as a crude Homer Simpson-like slob who spends all day smoking pot and breaking wind.

His children Stella, James and Mary are also ridiculed - while Heather paints herself as a supermum juggling her business and family life.

In one episode she also plans to feature Sir Paul's late wife Linda - who died from breast cancer in 1998 - as a ghost. Heather believes she will be able to get away with outrageous storylines as long as the McCartneys' names are changed slightly.

"This shows the lengths Heather Mills will go to in her attempts to blacken Paul's name," a source told the Sunday Mirror last night.

"She wants it to be a cross between The Simpsons and South Park and reckons it will get cult status. She'll clearly be sadly mistaken.

"She's saying the series will expose everything that has gone on and goes on in the McCartney family, all under the guise of the cartoon characters. But most of it has been dreamed up and cast from her skewed imagination."

It is the latest unbelievable twist in Sir Paul and Heather's explosive divorce battle over his £800 million ($1.5 billion) fortune.

Even the name of the company Heather has set up to produce the series, Raspberry Fields, is a petty swipe at Macca - mocking The Beatles' 1967 hit Strawberry Fields. It was set up on July 3 last year - two months after Heather and Macca split. Heather is listed as the company director and her sister, Fiona Mills, 36, is secretary.

The same company that owns Heather's personal website registered the domain names mcfartneys.co.uk, mcfartneys.com and several variations on June 28.

Heather has been speaking to several TV companies in the US and has been looking at the show reels of a number of animators. She has been desperately trying to keep the idea secret while she hunts for the right person to bring the characters to life. The source added: "She has spoken to Sex and The City creator Darren Star and Hollywood director Dennis Erdman about which networks to approach and who may be interested in the series.

"Her back-up, if no one will take it, is to produce it for the internet, because she knows that even if the networks are too afraid to go up against Paul, people will tune in to it. She's looking at the work of different animators. The companies she's been looking at don't know it's for her at the moment, or what the project is.

"The trouble she's already finding is that people are reluctant to be in a show which sends up a legend like Paul McCartney."

The source added: "The McFartneys will all get names similar to the McCartneys. So Heather will be given another flower name. This way the viewer will be able to work out who is meant to be who."

The cartoon will infuriate Sir Paul. The source said: "If there's one thing that will upset Paul, it's having Linda and his family brought into their divorce battle. He's very close to all his children and won't like this one bit.

"Most people are already saying they don't want to be associated with the project - but with Heather's money after the settlement it will definitely be made."

The couple announced their divorce in May last year after Sir Paul changed the locks at their home. In a joint statement, they claimed constant media attention had damaged their relationship, but Sir Paul later blamed Heather for the split, describing her as "rude and argumentative".

She responded by describing him as controlling and manipulative, claiming he was violent towards her.

During their separation it was claimed she had once worked as a £5,000-a-night ($9,744) escort, which she vehemently denies, and posed for pictures in smutty sex books.

She is believed to want £32 million ($62 million) from the divorce, which has still not been settled. The Sunday Mirror revealed how she had demanded four of McCartney's homes. Since then she has called in police after receiving death threats.

We revealed last month how she is setting up her own beauty website, called I Do Care.

And Heather has been recording a video diary of her experiences and plans to release it as a documentary.

The source added: "It seems like Heather's whole life is geared towards getting revenge on Paul and getting as much money out of him as she can."

JAMES McCARTNEY

THE 29-year-old musician is very close to his dad and is very protective of him - but has not become publicly involved in any spats with Heather. He played drums on one of Macca's albums and has been seen with him on tour. However, Heather will depict him as the son who hates his father and can't stand the sight of him so avoids him at all costs.

STELLA McCARTNEY

THE 35-year-old fashion designer is renowned for her constant fights with Heather. So it's no surprise her character is portrayed as a spoiled brat, who runs to daddy every time someone upsets her. She's jealous of her dad's new wife and tries to undermine her - and always complains about her step-mum eating into her inheritance.

SIR PAUL McCARTNEY

Heather wants to destroy Macca's reputation as a peace-loving pop legend. His character will be seen smoking cannabis, picking his nose and farting all the time. He will also be depicted as a total miser - and be jealous and possessive. He'll not allow his wife out of his sight, demanding her full attention at all times.

HEATHER MILLS

Her own character is also a million miles from the real thing - but in a very different way. She will be a put-upon, sweet little homemaker who desperately tries to fix the family's problems while juggling a career. Her own daughter, based on three-year-old Beatrice, will be blissful and intelligent - thanks to having such a level-headed mother.

MARY McCARTNEY

Photographer Mary, 37, only agreed to take the pics for anti-fur charity PETA's latest campaign after she was assured Heather was no longer involved with the organisation. Her character will be seen as someone who pretends she's afraid of her own shadow but in fact is out to destroy her stepmother and is seen plotting behind her back.

In an "Extra" exclusive interview, Heather Mills is speaking for the first time since taking a staggering new blow in her bitter divorce battle with Sir Paul McCartney.

From her London home, Heather revealed only "Extra" that she is stunned to hear reports that she has been dumped by PETA, the animal rights group for which both she and Sir Paul have been prominent celebrity warriors for years.

"I was just shocked," Mills admitted. "I thought, 'Oh God, what is this?' My girlfriend called me, that's how I first heard, and said, 'I am really, really sorry to hear the bad news.'"

Heather's campaigns and protests convinced the J Crew company to stop selling fur, got a proposed ban on trading fur from dogs and cats and even got Paris Hilton to stop wearing fur.

So why would PETA drop her?

Newspaper reports claim it happened after Sir Paul's photographer daughter Mary allegedly declined to shoot a new ad campaign while Heather was working for the organization.

Mary and her designer sister Stella's relationship with Heather has reportedly been strained for quite a while. Mills told us she's hurt and disturbed that PETA hasn't officially informed her of the decision.

"I feel really, really sad about it," she admitted. "They didn't send me a letter or call me saying we don't wish to work with you anymore."

PETA wouldn't comment, but Heather told us her mission will continue with or without them.

Paul shops around

Paul was photographed visiting local shops on a rainy Valentine's Day in London yesterday.

The walls of his house are like a museum of sports memorabilia and original Beatles movie posters. In the crown jewel of his home, the Beatles room, are four rare, original photographs taken by a fan at The Beatles' first U.S. appearance, on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Roy bought them at an antique store for only $100.

Q: What is your rarest autograph?

A: The rarest thing I own is an Imagine album cover signed by John Lennon. He didn't sign many albums. He started signing on the plastic wrapper, and then signed underneath it. So his autograph is on the top and on the bottom. He's one of the most influential figures in my life"

Q: Paul McCartney is your favorite Beatle. Why?

A: There are a couple of reasons. John was the rough, tough rebel artist. George was the more metaphysical, intellectual thinker. Ringo was the silly one. But Paul had a little of everything. He came up with the idea of an alternative band, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. He could write songs that were more intricate, like "Eleanor Rigby." One of its great lines is "All the lonely people, where do they all come from? All the lonely people, where do they all belong?" He's more a performer than an artist these days. He loves the connection to the public. I don't want to sound too indulgent here, but I find a lot that I relate too. As a kid, I found him the most engaging. He had a wink and a thumbs-up playfulness. He was like a puppy dog.

Q: Do you feel like a puppy dog?

A: Yeah, I do. I hope this doesn't come out wrong. I think I have a lot of Paul McCartney in me. He's been one of the most inspirational figures in my life. When I was in Liverpool in 1999, I saw his concert at the Cavern Club, where it all started for The Beatles. After the show, we went to the reception and Paul wasn't there. Finally, at about two o'clock in the morning, Paul arrived. He looked at me and he pointed to me, as if he were saying, "Where do I know you from?" Then he does it again. I had no idea what he was trying to say. [Roy assumes a Liverpool accent] "Oh yeah, Jerry Maguire. You're the 'Don't make me cry' one." For 35 seconds Paul McCartney is talking to me about me! It's not like getting an autograph and him say, "What's your name? I'll sign it." He knew that I existed."

The model was driven to her local police station by her personal trainer Ben Amigoni yesterday to discuss the threats made against her and her daughter Beatrice, three.

They spent more than an hour talking to police in Hove, East Sussex, in a pre-arranged meeting.

Legal sources suggested Miss Mills, 39, is using the threats and concerns over her protection to try to win ground as her divorce battle with Sir Paul McCartney - increasingly one of attrition - continues.

The threats were reportedly made from Merseyside, home of the Beatles. Police have made no arrests, but Miss Mills's sister Fiona complained police were not doing enough and said Miss Mills was terrified.

The Mail recently revealed, that on her official website, Miss Mills apparently allowed Fiona to accuse Sir Paul of putting the lives of both Heather and their daughter at risk by refusing to pay for bodyguards to counter death threats she had received.

But the words were later redrafted for fear they might damage Miss Mills's divorce settlement.

A source close to Sir Paul, 64, said last night: "Paul would obviously do anything to protect Beatrice. His opinion is that if Heather feels Beatrice is ever in danger, then he is more than happy for her to come and stay with him, where she will be afforded all the protection he can afford.

"Sir Paul is not happy to pay out for protection for Heather just for her to have a vast retinue of staff to do everything for her from posting letters to joining her at the gym."

Sir Paul McCartney's estranged wife Heather Mills has slammed reports she has signed up for US reality TV show Dancing With The Stars. Reports that broke yesterday suggested the former model would be a contestant and donate her earnings to an animal welfare charity. Mills' attorney has rubbished the reports, telling American publication US Weekly they are "not true."

Heather Mills McCartney has attended a police station to speak to officers about "a number of issues".

She attended Hove police station, near Brighton, East Sussex, by appointment.

"It was a pre-planned meeting for her to discuss a number of issues," a spokeswoman for Sussex Police said.

"The meeting did not relate to anything specific and she was not arrested."

Former model Ms Mills McCartney, 38, and Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney, 64, announced in May they were ending their four-year marriage.

Their upcoming divorce is expected to be one of the most bitter in recent showbiz history.

Last month, Heather's sister Fiona Mills made an internet appeal for an end to media "harassment" of her family.

Fiona said she was "deeply concerned" for the safety of Ms Mills McCartney and her daughter Beatrice, claiming they were receiving death threats.

Her spokesman, Phil Hall, said he had not spoken to Ms Mills McCartney but said she had been having ongoing discussions with police about the death threats.

He said: "She doesn't want to talk about it. She has been subject to death threats and there has been ongoing communication with Sussex Police about that.

"I imagine it's to do with that."

February 14, 2007 -- Daily Mail

No going back now for Mary - McCartney's daughter finds new love after marriage split

Confirmation that Sir Paul McCartney's eldest daughter Mary will not be reconciled with her estranged husband has come at last, with the effervescent photographer proudly unveiling the new love of her life.

By declaring her burgeoning relationship with 41-year-old filmmaker Simon Aboud, Mary has emphatically ended speculation that she will get back together with the father of her two children, TV producer Alistair Donald.

The pretty brunette made a public appearance with her new love the other evening at London's Royal College of Art, where Mary, 37, hosted a glittering reception to unveil her latest work at an exhibition to raise money for Unifem, the United Nations' charity for women.

While her Beatle father remains at loggerheads with soon-to-be ex-wife Heather Mills, Mary has been telling friends how blissfully happy she is with Simon.

It has been two years since she split from Alistair, who found it difficult living in the shadow of the McCartney name.

As Mary's photography career began to take off - it was given extra impetus when Tony and Cherie Blair chose her to take the first portrait of them with baby Leo in 2000 - her relationship with Alistair began to suffer.

However, at the Royal College event, organised by upmarket watchmaker Tag Heuer, Mary was all smiles as she pointed out Simon to me across the crowded room, saying: 'That's my new boyfriend over there.'

Mary, who prefers to stay out of the limelight, unlike her sister, fashion designer Stella, started work as a picture researcher for a West End publisher after leaving school, then went on to train as a photographer with her mother, Sir Paul's first wife Linda, who died from breast cancer in 1998.

That same year, five months later, Mary married Alistair at the 12th-century local parish church near the McCartney home in Peasmarsh, East Sussex. The pair had been introduced by her younger brother, Jamie, and went out together for three years before naming the day.

Now, it seems, there is little hope of a reconciliation.

Sir Paul McCartney's eldest daughter Mary understands why people wear fur.

The 37-year-old photographer is a life-long vegetarian and animal rights campaigner, like her father, late mother Linda, and fashion designer sister Stella.

However, Mary can appreciate why people enjoy wearing animal pelts.

She is quoted by Britain's Daily Express newspaper as saying: "I don't wear fur because I feel that it's completely unjustified and unnecessary, though I understand why people enjoy fur because it's beautiful, soft and the colours are amazing. I just can't justify it. I don't think something should be bred and killed for me to wear."

Mary recently photographed British singer Jamelia naked with a rabbit sitting on her butt for animal rights organisation PETA.

Stella is also an ardent supporter of PETA and refuses to use fur or leather in her collections.

Their mother Linda - who died in 1998 after losing her battle with breast cancer - had her own range of vegetarian meals and taught her children to respect animals.

Mary added: "My mum and dad were vegetarians and we were all brought up to be aware of animals and the fact that they are lives in their own right.

"So I've never thought of animals as something I would wear, something I can consume and eat."

New accounts for the ex-Beatle's firm MPL Communications show a £9 million ($17.4 million) turnover for the year ending March 31, 2006 - down from £16 million ($31 million) in 2004/5.

Macca, 64, is facing a battle by his ex Heather Mills, 39, for a massive divorce pay-off. A source said: "The amount going in to his coffers is shrinking."

HEATHER MILLS TO DO REALITY TV DANCE SHOW IN U.S.

Heather Mills is set to do some fancy footwork on TV screens stateside after agreeing to appear in Dancing With The Stars. The anti-landmines campaigner will donate her earnings from the show, which is the US equivalent of Strictly Come Dancing, to the animal welfare charity Viva!.

The mum-of-one lost the lower part her left leg after being hit by a police motorcycle in 1993, but she has never let the disability hold her back. Indeed the 39-year-old, who likes to keep in top physical condition, is often seen cycling and jogging near her home.

Meanwhile Heather's divorce from estranged husband Sir Paul McCartney continues. There have been widespread media reports of an out-of-court settlement, but so far none has been confirmed and formal court proceedings are expected to go ahead in July.

A fellow shopper said: "You'd think with her divorce to Paul McCartney she'd be able to buy the latest music system.

"She's obviously keeping an eye on her finances."

Heather Mills could be prosecuted for allegedly kicking a photographer.

The incident happened outside her sister's flat (February 10), it was claimed.

The 39-year-old estranged wife of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney was being photographed as she arrived in a taxi when the mood turned nasty.

Mills was said to have leaned into a car window and tried to grab a photographer. As he got out to take her picture she shouted and swore at him, called him 'scum of the Earth', knocked his hat off and kicked him, it was claimed.

'She was acting like a little kid having a tantrum,' said a photographer who witnessed the incident in Hove, East Sussex.

'I've never seen her snap like that before. We were not doing anything wrong.'

Sussex Police said they may act if the photographer lodges a complaint.

She knows she was born lucky but Stella McCartney has learned to make the most of her opportunities. She talks to Samantha Lane about family, fashion and designing clothes for "Tarjay".

'I'm full of contradictions," Stella McCartney says. "Which is good." Likewise, contradictions have surrounded her, many beyond her control. Like the fact that she was born to a couple of international superstars who were determined to put their children through a state school.

Now 35, the daughter of Paul and Linda is discussing how she tries to keep normal working hours, like a normal working mother, so she can live a normal kind of existence. And yet this fashion designer has always had at her fingertips means and opportunities to do things the majority can only dream of.

McCartney, who was heavily pregnant with her second child, daughter Bailey, at the time of the interview, acknowledges that she's been given an access-all-opportunities pass in life.

"How many people do you know that can create an organic skincare range? That can have access to do that? And how many people do you know that would love to? I have this friend who's a make-up artist and it would be her dream to do that. So I'm not just going to sit and say I can't be bothered and go and live on a beach. I'm a worker, you know, it's what I've done."

But she immediately adds: "I would have spent my last three months of pregnancy in bed, you know, and nurturing my child and talking to it every day because I'm an animal, really, and I'm pregnant. So I'd rather be in the country connecting with that, but I also enjoy my job. I do enjoy it."

McCartney's haute couture pieces have been worn by the rich and very famous (she designed the wedding dress of friend Madonna when she married Guy Ritchie), yet, in 2005, she agreed to create a limited edition range for European clothing chain store H&M.

Recently, McCartney agreed to do the same thing in Australia. On March 12, Target will unveil an exclusive, 24-piece Stella McCartney range: chunky cardies, tailored jackets, swing coats, dresses and blouses.

Apparently, McCartney's mates Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss and Cate Blanchett have already requested copies of the range for their wardrobes.

McCartney hopes her antipodean collaboration proves as successful as her first chain-store designs, although she doesn't sound too familiar with Target's work.

"I know that it's kind of quite good, hopefully," she says. "I gather it's not far off H&M. That's what I'm hoping." She's heard of the store's fashionista alias, at least: "Is it Tarjay or something like that?"

Call it the "shop-up" effect: chain-store collaborations have proved the salvation of McCartney's five-year-old eponymous label, which she established after leaving the French house Chloe. McCartney was trading at a multi-million-dollar loss in 2004, when the Gucci Group gave her three years to become profitable. Now, after designing a sportswear line for Adidas and making headlines when women rioted over her clothes at H&M, she is on course to turn a profit.

"I'm not really hugely into the elitist side of fashion," she says, which seems an odd comment for a catwalk designer.

"And, while I do get disappointed that my clothes can be on the expensive side, on the other hand, I do want to work with the best fabrics, the best craftsmen. It does come with a price tag sometimes.

"Most of the time ... That's a very unfortunate side to my job. You want to be elitist and fabulous, but you also want to be approachable."

Elitist and approachable? It's quite a combination. Positively contradictory.

Like her late mother Linda - photographer, vegetarian food purveyor and animal liberationist - McCartney has stood out for speaking out. In an industry that uses animal products at will, she produced a bamboo shoe. She refuses to work with fur and leather.

But the contradictions keep coming. In the minimalist foyer of her Notting Hill atelier, a tall, dark and classically fashionable man meets and greets. He is wearing a leather belt and leather shoes. He is also the company's managing director. The studio itself - a double-storey, sign-less, completely white building - is an anomaly on Notting Hill's shabby-chic Golborne Road, lined with op shops and Moroccan take-aways.

McCartney's flagship shop in the far ritzier postcode Mayfair is nothing short of beautiful. Sparkling beads and pretty random objects are sewn onto the walls. The change rooms are like art galleries.

"The shops are key. I worked hard on those shops. I'm glad (they are) a reflection of me," she says. "The thing is, I'm the brand so I do get very personal about everything."

Except in interviews. The message from McCartney's PR manager, communicated via email, was that discussion "... can't be too personal with questions related to her family/baby/pregnancy/husband/father ... can't be about her favourite colour or flower, her latest holidays or the last time she had dinner with her famous friends ..."

There was no mention of Heather Mills on the banned list - Paul McCartney's former wife whom Stella apparently disliked - but that, presumably, went without saying.

But, as it happens, McCartney is unashamedly personal about the way she approaches business.

"With everything I do, I have to see the need in order for me to do it. Like when I did my perfume."

Surely this is a little rich?

"I know there's a million perfumes on the market," McCartney says, without prompting. "I felt that perfumes were really offensive to customers - and I still think they are now. I felt they were really cheap, with really ugly packaging. Disposable. Like there was no love behind them, no emotion ...

"I worked effing hard on creating a perfume that I think is a beautiful perfume, that I think your mum will wear, that you'll wear and that, I don't know if you have kids, but if you have kids, they'll wear it one day and it will remind them of you.

"To me, that's what perfume is. It's directly linked to your memory gland and it's important."

Her collaboration with sportswear giant Adidas is another pet project.

"Because it's real and it's an absolutely valid product," she says. "Sportswear was being designed by men for women. Sporting apparel was always in offensive baby pinks and crappy colours."

How did the birth of her son Miller Alasdhair James, now two, affect the way she operates?

"Well, I'm going to have a breakdown on Wednesday, I've decided," McCartney says. "It's harder work than having a job. It's affected me in that I prioritise my family (her husband is publisher Alasdhair Willis), but I always have. It's affected me in that I leave the office - I have to be home at 5.30 now in the evenings to relieve my nanny.

"One of the first things when I got pregnant with Miller, the sort of negative press I got was like, 'Oh, she'll give up fashion now'. It was like, 'Oh, how f---ing male chauvinistic is that?

"But how has it changed the way I work and stuff? I don't know. It hasn't really. I'm just more efficient. Everyone's more efficient with my time."

McCartney's personal assistant promptly announces that the 20-minute sitting is up.

"You have to move on," he says.

To which McCartney responds: "So I can get home, so that I can prioritise my child."

Home time is one thing, at least, that McCartney wants to keep consistent.

Saw him grocery shopping at local Whole Foods

I was at my local grocery store in West L.A., and who should be pushing a shopping basket up and down the aisles, but Paul McCartney. I asked the checkout lady and she confirmed that was him doing his own grocery shopping.

The divorce battle between Heather Mills and Paul McCartney is proving so expensive she has been driven into debt.

As well as dipping into her overdraft, the former model has also sold a cottage she has had for years to pay mounting legal bills and interest on the loan.

Miss Mills is now telling friends that Sir Paul is deliberately stretching out the legal battle to weaken her financially and force her to take a smaller amount of his fortune.

In recent months, Miss Mills has also been representing herself in court to deal with minor matters arising from the split to reduce legal costs.

She has dispensed with barristers charging as much as £15,000 ($27,000) a day in certain hearings.

The decision to go it alone in some aspects of the divorce has raised eyebrows among the legal profession.

Though it has also been seen by others as just another desperate attempt by Miss Mills to garner much-needed publicity in this increasingly acrimonious split.

There is speculation that Miss Mills's legal bill may now have reached as much as £750,000 ($1.47 million).

However, it is reckoned that she also stands to take some £25 million ($49 million) away from the four-year marriage in a final settlement.

Both sides appear to be entrenched in a complex tussle for McCartney's £750 million ($1.5 billion) fortune which currently looks set to continue for many months to come.

A friend of Miss Mills' said last night: "Initially Heather would have probably settled for £10 million ($19 million), but when negotiations came to a complete deadlock, and Mischon De Reya got involved the settlement was never going to be for that sum - simply because their fees were so large.

"Since then, the least they would have settled for is about £25 million. That sounds reasonable, knowing what he (Sir Paul) is worth and what he has made in the last four years himself."

Aides on both sides were last night adamant that reports that the couple were within days of a settlement - where Heather would indeed get £25 million - were wide of the mark.

However, a friend of Heather's added: "It sounds like a likely scenario eventually, but it just seems much, much too soon. Both sides seem to be rather entrenched and I would say an end to it is a long way off.

"Of course, McCartney may be worried about the possibility of some rather unsavoury detail coming out from her divorce petition. He cannot want this to go to court. So one might think he would want to settle as soon as possible.

"But Heather told me only two weeks ago that she anticipated that it would all be settled around this time next year.

"Her thinking is that he has two years to get this all done, and that he wants her to suffer as much as possible.

"She is on an overdraft now, and she had to sell her cottage because of legal fees.

"She is in a pretty bad place and she feels that he is trying to weaken and further weaken her position so that she settles for a quick lower price."

Spokesmen for Miss Miss and McCartney refused to comment on legal issues last night.

Lawyers for both parties have been locked in "intense and heightened" talks.

A source close to the case said: "This is the closest we've been to an agreement."

It is hoped that the warring couple will formally settle within the month.

Macca, 64, ordered his legal team to act to avoid a humiliating and messy court case.

In leaked documents, Heather alleged he had stabbed her with a glass and shoved her while she was pregnant.

It is the first time the former Beatle has voluntarily agreed to open negotiations.

One close pal revealed: "He is absolutely determined to keep his private life hidden from public scrutiny.

"The divorce has been dragging on nine months.

There's war weariness creeping in."

Heather, 39, is expected to receive a lump sum. Their daughter Beatrice, three, is likely to have her own trust fund. A legal insider confirmed there had been "feverish" discussions between lawyers for both sides over the past 10 days.

The insider said: "It isn't simply a matter of him making an offer and it being accepted. There are other issues at stake.

"But they are almost there. The channels of communication have opened up significantly in the last week or so. There have been intense and heightened conversations.

"It is the first time a deal has been mentioned and both sides hope a settlement will be formally reached in the next month.

"Unless there is a major hiccup, this will not be going to court."

Terms will be drawn up by the same lawyers who thrashed out Charles and Diana's divorce - Anthony Julius from Mishcon de Reya and Fiona Shackleton from Payne Hicks Beach.

Their teams have been holding "detailed" discussions since Macca made his offer.

He is thought to have acted after Heather's sister, Fiona Mills, accused him of putting the life of his wife and daughter at risk by failing to pay for bodyguards to protect them from death threats. The date for the official divorce hearing, pencilled in for spring, is also drawing closer.

The deal is less than expected and a fraction of Macca's £825 million ($1.6 billion) fortune. But the couple were only married for four years and Sir Paul claimed to have lost £2 million ($3.9 million) in a year with his Back In The World tour.

While Macca is keen to avoid his private life becoming public property in court, a deal also means Heather will not run the risk of having her case demolished by his legal team.

Friends of the former model said she was feeling "very depressed" at the moment. She is currently in the US.

Meanwhile Fiona has posted a fresh outburst on Heather's website. She disputed claims her sister once drew £1million from Macca's bank, saying: "How ridiculous. Are they saying that someone as money-savvy as Paul keeps one million pounds in his current account? I don't think so."

Both Heather's lawyers, Mishcon de Reya, and Sir Paul's spokesman last night declined to comment.

Grammies: UB there or be square!

Legendary Brum reggae band UB40 are flying the flag for British music Stateside after being nominated for a Grammy Award.

They will be joining U2, Sir Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Justin Timberlake, The Police and Gnarls Barkley at the 49th Grammies on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Driving home through a snowstorm this weekend, we listened to NPR's calming voices. One commentator, a man whose name I didn't catch, talked about the failure of past Super Bowl halftime shows. First, "breastgate," as he called it. Then, Paul McCartney, whom he described as "not exactly hip."

I howled: "Not exactly hip?! Not exactly hip?! " How did Paul McCartney go from being the sexiest man alive -- the one every guy wanted to be and every girl wanted to bed -- to being "not exactly hip?"

Answer: He got older. Much older.

Prince, who won rave reviews as the half-time star, is 16 years younger than McCartney. Soon, I predict, he too will be "not exactly hip."

My questions:

What's the cutoff age for hip?

If it's possible to sneak into old age while remaining hip, what's the secret? What must you do?

Isn't "hip" itself a not-so-hip word for what we're talking about?

READER'S COMMENTS:

Anonymous

Paul McCartney will be hip even when he's old enough to fall off stage and break his hip. Whatever kids today find currently cool is just a tired nineth generation rehash of what McCartney did already.

Anonymous

Paul McCartney is not only the biggest act or name ever to grace the Super Bowl half time show, he's also the world's most successful songwriter and a quarter of the world's greatest band.

Love me do, these readers tell Sir Paul

The good news: All the girls want to hold your hand, Paul.

The bad news? Well, you can't possibly meet them all. Which isn't so bad, if you think about it.

The background: A Cue cover story on Jan. 22 ("Help! He needs somebody"), asked the good women of Wisconsin if there was anyone out there who could bring Sir Paul McCartney some happiness, as he sorts through his divorce from his much-maligned soon-to-be ex-wife, Heather Mills McCartney. (The unhappy couple are due in court later this month.)

We pointed out a few attributes that seemed necessary for Beatle Paul: Someone with legible handwriting, so it could be clearly read on a prenuptial agreement, someone who loves rummage sales (gee, is there a Milwaukee lady out there who likes to rummage? Hmmm . . .), and someone who is a few years north of age 40.

More than 60 "Personals for Paul" were submitted. Despite heavy campaigning for some entrants (we hear you, fans of WKLH-FM deejay Marilyn Mee) we chose the following Fab Four winners. They ranged from the pragmatic to the poetic and everything in between.

Each of the four will receive a copy of McCartney's latest CD, "Ecce cor Meum" ("Behold My Heart").

Barb Behlke, Wauwatosa

Behlke's 11-year-old son, Frank Schmitt, wrote this to-the-point letter to Paul. "She brought it up, and she said she wasn't going to write it," her son said in explaining why he crafted the ad.

"Dear Paul,

Hi, I'm Frank Schmitt. I'm 11 years old. I am writing to you because I hope you would (be) interested (in) dating my Mom. Her name is Barb Behlke. She is 48 years old, she has very good handwriting and she owns her own business. Her first 45 record was called 'Twist and Shout' by the Beatles. I think my mom needs a trusting and loving mate."

Fibbi Zorro, St. Francis

At 37, Zorro notes that she is younger than Heather Mills. (OK, so Zorro's not over 40; nobody's perfect). Besides, we like the sound of what would be her married name, should Paul link up with her for life: Lady Fibbi Zorro McCartney. Nice.

Her pointed plea for Paul:

" I am a vegetarian, you are a vegetarian. I love the Beatles. You ARE a Beatle. Plus, you are one of the two people my boyfriend said I can leave him for (Brett Favre being the other)."

Melba Frey Zanoni, Milwaukee

She's got the format down cold, and she demonstrates that she knows how to turn a phrase. "I just kind of took a chance with it," said Zanoni, 55, after being notified she was a winner. "I grew up with the Beatles. I loved them. I still love them."

"Tea Party Time! Tasty crumpet (appropriately aged) seeks 'a little bit of all right' with musical Brit lad. No taxes, tariffs or baggage included!"
Kathy Wade, Eagle

She recalls seeing the Beatles on "Ed Sullivan" for the first time, and how everyone at school talked about nothing but that the next day.

"I was always a John Lennon fan myself, but Paul is a class act and deserves nothing less than a real class act," Wade, 55, says. And look, Paul - she's got your lines down:

"I'm not Lady Madonna or Eleanor Rigby. I'm just a girl who wants to hold your hand down the long and winding road and come together."

Some other notable entries:

· "Love, love me do, you know I love you Paul, forevermore. I still need you 'n' I'll still feed you, now you're 64!" Janice Nelson sent this in, along with some old photos from her Beatlemania days (see them at www.jsonline.com/links).

· From Deborah Chamberlain: "Single, over 40/under 64, valid passport, comprehensive cursive, rummage-worthy, willing to call you 'Sir' under the right conditions."

· For Michele Cascarano, it was love from the moment she heard the song "Michelle" when she was 3 or 4 years old. She used its tune in her ad (and she got lots of lobbying help from friends): "Michele, the belle, she's the one who'd go with Paul so well, Milwaukee's Michele. It's time to get to her somehow, your Michele."

· Ah yes, Marilyn Mee. She says she's willing to bet that if she and Paul filled out profiles at eHarmony.com, they'd be an immediate match.

Her ad: "Paul and Me(e) - we both represent classic rock. We love animals, kids, nature and Les Paul guitars. And I'd be happy to wear Stella's designs!"

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's what all the girls say.

To read more Personals for Paul, or to write your own, go to our readers' forum

Update on the Paul sighting at Trader Joe's in CA (it wasn't Paul)

Our extraordinarily flimsy report on the recent sighting of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney has finally been anti-verified, pretty much to death.

Turns out the Paul guy wasn't actually in Trader Joe's, but "barely outside" the store in Bixby Knolls.

Additionally, the initial sighting reporter used someone else's e-mail account (we attributed the sighting to that someone else, because that someone else's name was on the e-mail) and accidentally forgot to change someone else's name to her name. It's complicated and regrettable, which is why we regret it.

Meanwhile, Our Man in BeatleLand, Bob Brissae, who says he used to work for McCartney and still has friends who work for him, writes, "It was a funny column, but I am sorry to report that Mr. McCartney was at home in England on the date in question."

Judy Davis, of the Davis Girls from Downey comes up with a couple of explanations for the Paul Incident:

"1.) It may've been a friend of ours, Tom Dustman, who teaches the totally awesome vocal jazz program at LBCC. We have said for years that he `kinda' looks like Paul.

"2.) It could've been Elvis dressed up in a disguise as Paul."

We were unable to get ahold of Dustman by the time we finished this column, and Elvis Presley reports that he was at an Elvis Impersonation Contest in Sapulpa, Okla., on the night in question. He says, somewhat disappointedly, that he finished in third place. SEE ORIGINAL STORY

Paul McCartney ordering mock-duck pancakes in veggie restaurant Eat 'n' Two Veg in Marylebone, London...

The Beatles are set for a £500 million ($984 million) a-year bonanza after settling a long dispute with computer giant Apple.

The settlement means the Fab Four's entire back catalogue will be available on iTunes at 79p ($1.55) a song.

Bookies are predicting that Beatles songs will occupy every slot in the top 40 within a year.

It could mean earnings of £500 million-a-year for five years, split between surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and the heirs of John Lennon and George Harrison.

Apple chiefs are also expected to launch a Beatles iPod.

The dispute centred on the rights to the name Apple, which The Beatles chose for their record label.

The deal which has been done involves the computer firm owning all trademarks of the company b u t licensing them back to The Beatles' Apple Corps.

Apple boss Steve Jobs said: "We love the Beatles and it has been very painful to be at odds with them over these trademarks. It feels wonderful to have resolved this in a positive manner."

Bookies say the new download rules could spark Beatlemania all over again.

They are offering odds of 8-1 for Hey Jude becoming the Beatles' first digital No1, with Yesterday at 9-1 and She Loves You at 10-1.

On August 11, 2007, EarthOne Productions will deliver "World Peace One," the largest humanitarian event ever experienced. The event is currently planned to be broadcast "live" from 15 primary host cities with the support of secondary host cities spanning 24 time-and span 24 time-zones across the world.

Throughout the event's 24-hour broadcast, "World Peace One" will unite the world with music, inspiration, and responsibility. This event will reach more than 3.5 billion people in more than 180 countries through a global distribution grid that includes television and radio networks, Internet and mobile distribution networks, and a humanitarian awareness campaign that can help bring an end to war in our lifetime.

World Peace One is attracting a line-up of international recording artists, actors, athletes, Nobel Laureates, doctors, scientists, diplomats, inspirational leaders, and concerned global citizens who are contributing their time, status and resources to the important cause of Peace in our complex and perilous global environment.

Recording artists that will be invited to participate in the "World Peace One" Event include:

U2, Madonna, Pink Floyd, Carlos Santana, Yes, Shakira, the Rolling Stones, Earth Wind & Fire, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Sting, David Bowie, Lionel Ritchie, the Goo Goo Dolls, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Tina Turner, The Eagles, Pearl Jam, Moby, Alanis Morissette, Phil Collins, Eminem, Wyclef Jean, Will Smith, Usher, Mary J. Blige, JZ, Beyonce, Pink, Peter Gabriel, Eric Clapton, Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz, Janet Jackson, Baby Face, Greenday, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Bon Jovi, Outkast, Sarah McLachlan, Enya, Paul Simon, The Dixie Chicks, Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, Garth Brooks, Rascal Flatts, Tricia Yearwood, Keith Urban, Shania Twain, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Ricky Martin, Mark Antony, David Bisbal, Juanes, Luis Miguel, Olga Tanon, Alejandro Sanz, Gilberto Gil, Ivan Lins, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Tony Bennett, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Autograph, Jane Zhang, David Lee, Prince Ali; and regional talent popular in many parts of the world.

He set up Phil Hall Associates in 2005 after leaving Trinity Mirror, which had put him in charge of its magazine division and then got cold feet. "It became quite clear that they had changed their minds and didn't want to take the risk because their business was shrinking. A magazine division would have been a gamble. I asked them if it was going to happen and, in the end, the answer was 'no'."

So he quit print journalism altogether. Fatefully, his first PR client was Mills McCartney, then apparently happily married to the former Beatle and merely looking for opportunities to promote her charity. "I thought 'great'. She had a nice peaceful life at that time," Hall says. "Within seven days I'd made her a very large sum from a magazine deal and I was off and running."

It's not the Mills that we often read about in our papers, despite Hall's efforts. She is unfairly maligned, he says, just as a PR should say of a much-maligned client. It was actually Sir Paul who inadvertently persuaded him to advise his wife during the long-running break-up. "Paul McCartney rang me up and said: 'I hear you're going to be looking after Heather's PR. I'm not very happy about that'. I thought, 'hold on a minute, what are you talking about?' I though it was wrong for this man to try and stop Heather being advised when she was clearly going to face an absolute onslaught from the press.

"The Heather situation is so, so difficult. Her life has been an utter misery in the last year as a result of this. People have said, 'Are you winning the PR battle?' but we don't see it as a battle. They say it's Paul McCartney's team versus Heather Mills's team, but it's just not like that."

According to the battlefield scenario, Hall is squared up against Macca's PR, Stuart Bell, of the Outside Organisation. Hall is friendly with the Outside boss Alan Edwards, who he describes as "very good, very straight".

But he is less complimentary about the reporters revelling in the acrimony of the break-up. "I just think it's naivety. There are people who I've spoke to laughing down the phone. They think it's absolutely hilarious that she has been driven out of her home by a paparazzi photographer. They see it almost as a movie rather than real life, but there's a woman here with a daughter and no protection at all. It's an impossible situation."

At her husband's side, Heather Mills became one of the most famous faces of a worldwide animal rights organisation.

As her divorce from Sir Paul McCartney heads towards the law courts, however, she has been dropped by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), after being upstaged by his eldest daughter. Mary McCartney, 37, agreed to work on Peta's latest campaign only after she was assured that her stepmother was no longer involved with the organisation.

Along with her younger siblings, Stella, the 35-year-old fashion designer, and James, a 29-year-old sculptor, Mary is protective of her father but almost never speaks out on his second marriage.

"Mary was keen to take photographs for Peta, which she has done in the past, but wanted reassurances that Heather no longer represented the group," one of her closest friends said.

Mary took pictures of the pop singer Jamelia posing nude with a rabbit, in Kentish Town, north London, last week. The pictures will be published to coincide with the Brit Awards on February 14, for which Jamelia has been nominated. They are part of Peta's "I Would Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign, a cause close to Mills's heart.

Before her separation from Sir Paul last May, after nearly four years of marriage, Heather, 39, and her 64-year-old husband took part in a successful Peta campaign to ban the trade in cat and dog fur across the European Union. They also travelled to Canada to protest against the culling of seals.

Only last summer Mills posed nude to promote Peta's aims. It was at that time Sir Paul, worth an estimated $1.6 billion, sued for divorce. Reports that a settlement of £32 million ($63 million) in cash and property has been reached with Mills remain unconfirmed.

The photographs, taken at Sir Paul's Peasmarsh estate in East Sussex, were originally intended for Peta's 2007 calendar but the project was put on hold during the acrimonious divorce proceedings. Since then Mills has carried out no further engagements for the group, whose spokesman confirmed: "We have no plans to work with Heather Mills." He declined to comment further on her position but said: "We are very grateful for Mary McCartney's involvement in the new campaign. Her previous photographs [of Sophie Ellis Bextor, the pop singer, and Tommy Lee, the drummer of rock band Mötley Crüe and ex-husband of Pamela Anderson] have proved highly effective."

Mills was not available for comment yesterday.

The McCartney family has been associated with Peta for nearly 20 years, born of the passion for vegetarianism and animal rights held by Linda McCartney, Sir Paul's first wife, who died in 1998.

Mills remains committed to animal rights. She is studying nutrition at University College London, with a view to launching a vegan range, and she has also held talks with the fast food giant McDonald's on producing vegan burgers, although the company decided against a relationship.

But of course, he doesn't downplay his work with others, either. Working with Paul McCartney on 1975's Venus and Mars was "Monumental. He truly is all of what you'd perceive him to be in terms of talent. There's a lot of talent, love and care in that man. No frills. He knows how to get to what he wants and he knows when he arrives."

Hey Everybody,

So, I got a call from a good friend... an invitation to Las Vegas for the opening of the new "Revolution Lounge" at the Mirage - as you might guess, a Beatles themed nightclub to go along with the Cirque "Love" show. Hmmmm, let's see... the NAMM convention in Anaheim or a penthouse suite, air fare, Donovan and friends in Vegas..... hmmmm.. I'll take Vegas, please.

KILLER suite at the Mirage! It looked like an English country home.. really well done, not cheesy like you would think. I dropped my carry-ons in the room and went straight down to the club because Donovan was playing at 9. Said hello to other invited guests, [I'll refrain from name drops, ok?] and had a beverage... We all played with this amazing glowing table, designed by some wizard at M.I.T. or something... you could 'finger paint' on, making psychedelic ever changing designs, then you can save and "throw" your creation across the room to a screen by the dance floor for all to see. Genius.

Donovan was great.. a fun performance, totally unassuming. He asked Perry Farrell and me onstage to join him on Mellow Yellow.. We partied 'til late and the next night went to see "LOVE".. Even better the second time, for me. After some tasty Chinese food we went to see Prince play the 3121 Club at the Rio Hotel, midnight. Ok, that guy is on fire. He was unreal.. the best band he's had in years. Great drummer [who just happens to be a female] just KILLIN' it all night. THEN, he invites us to a little restaurant for a gig after the gig... starting at 4 a.m. I want whatever he's on! Totally inspiring. Plus... he looks exactly the same as he did 20 years ago... [Calling the devil... HELLO O O O?]

Ok, so here's where it gets trippy.. I was given a book before the flight to Vegas.. a very cool book on meditation, creativity and education of same, right? Shoot forward 2 days, hanging with Donovan, his lovely wife, Linda and others. He invites me to come to a show he's doing at the Kodak theater back in LA, an evening with David Lynch [Q&A with the audience] and Donovan doing a set afterwards.. Donovan tells me it's for a new book David Lynch just wrote, "Catching The Big Fish"...

... the SAME book I was given before Vegas!

Whoa, talk about catching big fish! Sometimes you just know you're at the right place, right time..

AND, all this other cool stuff has happened since then, including an impromptu jam and guest set at a pub, with some inspiring mischief makers.. but that's a story for another day. Plus some news and announcements re: me, coming soon!

Stay tuned and sleep tight,

Brian

Or, perhaps not. We're saying yes, but that could just be because we like a good story better than a non-story.

Reader Bobby Brennan was at the scene at the popular Bixby Knolls store on Atlantic Avenue.

"It was about 7 p.m. Friday," reports Brennan. "Multiple people recognized him. He had a few security guards near him. People said `Paul,' and he looked like he was ignoring them. It all happened very fast, and he seemed like he just wanted to get away from all the minor mayhem."

We saw George Harrison once at the old Bogart's, and, of course, Harrison used to hang out with his pal John Morris, then of Mum's. But we never got close to a Paul sighting in Long Beach.

Like an idiot, we went and tried to verify a perfectly good story, which only serves to turn the reported Paul incident into something a bit more mysterious.

According to our man at T. Joe's, Victor, Paul was apparently in Long Beach at a Trader Joe's, but Victor (we wonder if anyone calls him Trader Vic, because we're going to start doing that now) says it wasn't the Knolls store.

"I heard it reported on (KLOS's) 'Breakfast With the Beatles' that he was at Trader Joe's," says Trader Vic.

"I asked around, and it would've been the talk of the store if he had been here, but nobody says they saw him here. I called my friend at the Trader Joe's on PCH (in the MarketPlace) and they said he hadn't been there, and I called my friend at the Los Altos Trader Joe's and, again, he wasn't there, either."

Tucker has worked on what she calls the "crown chakras" of Paul and Linda McCartney, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, members of Def Leppard and Van Halen, and when the B-52's came to town, she put every curl and tease in their beautiful beehives.

She gave in to her fate of becoming a stylist when, after one night playing around cutting a friend's hair, a local beautician saw her work and invited her to bring her license by the shop.

Tucker had just graduated high school, was 17, and figured she better go to beauty school to get that license.

She only worked a year after beauty school, bouncing around different shops, until she gave it up for waiting tables.

"I guess I just had this wall up against (cutting hair)," she said.

But fate would bring her right back around.

One day, she was in McDonald's on Bellevue, and across the street they were shooting "Great Balls of Fire!" A makeup artist from the set walked in, saw Tucker standing in line, and asked her if she cut hair.

"I was like, 'Aw, man!' I was trying so hard to get away from all that," Tucker said.

The crew was looking for someone who could cut '50s styles.

"That's my favorite thing to do," she said.

The success of that adventure took her to New York to work on other movie sets, including "Hairspray" and "Cry-Baby."

"It was so fast. I spent three days hanging out in a limo with Robert Downey Jr. I was like, 'I've got to go home or I'm gonna die!'" she said.

She told herself that whatever she could do in the rest of the world she could do at home.

And she was right.

A long-time friend, Susan Green, worked with Mid-South Concerts, a local concert promotional company that brought the big names to perform in the Bluff City.

She called Tucker to come in and work on a certain artist's hair and makeup.

It was none other than the Beatle himself, Sir Paul McCartney.

"Susan called me and asked, 'Do you want to make history?'" Tucker said.

"I had had major ear surgery and couldn't hear or see out of one eye. I had no business being out of bed, but that's how I am."

Tucker describes the experience as unforgettable.

"He asked me, 'Robin, do you like Elvis?' and, of course, I love Elvis, so he started singing 'Blue Suede Shoes,'" she said.

"I was so nervous, I didn't know if I was putting under-eye cream all over his face."

She was by his side during the whole shoot for an MTV special.

Tucker continued to work with Green and on other movie sets including "The Firm," "The Client," "Elvis and Me," and "The Rainmaker," doing mostly hair and makeup for the extras and production company, all the while continuing to work on her other love, photography.

Heather Mills is turning to Catholicism to help her overcome the pain of her split from estranged husband Sir Paul McCartney, according to British media reports.

Priest to the stars Father Michael Seed, who is thought to be a religious advisor to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, reportedly expressed his desire to convert the former model to Catholicism at a recent London party.

Basia Briggs, who organised the Hyde Park Appeal fundraiser, says, "He said, 'I must go and convert her.' They were then talking together for quite a long time."

Mills, who was raised an Anglican, has been left hurt and angered by the treatment she has received at the hands of the British media since her split from McCartney last year.

Father Seed refuses to confirm his intentions, saying, "She is a very nice young lady but I am not going to tell you what we talked about."

He was all of 15 years old when he started performing with Herman's Hermits, and he still hadn't reached 20 when he was rubbing elbows with the Beatles and appearing on the cover of Tiger Beat.

In fact, one of his first lessons on dealing with fame would come from one of those young mentors who is now on the verge of legal retirement age: Paul McCartney. Peter Noone recalled that, at the height of the Beatles' early fame, he once asked McCartney how he could dare go out in crowds.

"Paul McCartney would go shopping on Oxford Street," he said, referring to London's version of Michigan Avenue or Times Square. "And I'd say, 'You can't just walk around here,' and he said, 'Watch this.'

"So he goes into a store and says to the girl behind the counter, 'Can I have one of those toothbrushes there?' And she goes, 'Oh, my God, you're Paul McCartney, can I have your autograph?' And he goes, 'Sure, sure -- and can I have a little of that toothpaste, there?'

"Then he said to me, 'You see? It takes me exactly as long to be nice as it does to be a (jerk).'"

Yet another lesson, Noone said, came from yet another Beatle, this time about how to reach an audience.

"John Lennon told me once, 'You're wasting your time playing to the fans in the front. You've got to play to the people in back -- they're the ones who don't care about you,'" Noone said. "It was like we were all kind of in the same union. Everyone kind of watched out for one another."

More than 40 years after "I'm Into Something Good" and "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" crossed the Atlantic, Noone said he still enjoys touring, primarly because travel is so much more convenient than the days spent driving from gig to gig. His band, known formally as "Herman's Hermits Starring Peter Noone" -- original drummer Barry Whitwam also tours under the Herman's Hermits flag -- will fly to dates in Waukegan, Indiana, Arizona, California and Florida in February alone. In between stops, he heads for home.

"The worst thing we can ever do is disappoint people," he said, comparing life on stage to an athlete staying in the game while the home runs are still coming. "(You) have to be semi-athletic to be a performer. No one wants to see you go up there with a walker."

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