It looks like Sir Paul McCartney will have some company when he hits the road for his next tour. Macca had such a great time with girlfriend Nancy Shevell that he has invited her to accompany him on his tour of the UK, America, Canada, and Australia later this year or early next year. A source told Britain’s Daily Express newspaper:

“Paul is excited about going on tour. Initially he wanted to go it alone with just his band and road crew with family flying out every now and again but now he wants Nancy to be with him all the way.”

“He says he had the time of his life on the road trip with Nancy. I think it really sealed things for him. He enjoys her company so much.”

This should come as no surprise, as Paul is known for having the need for female companionship in a big way. And now that he has Nancy, that need is fulfilled, and he will have her by his side on his upcoming tour. Good for Paul! he deserves to be happy after what that ex-wife bitch put him through.

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Mojo Magazine recently got its hands on some never before seen clips of John Lennon, writing some pretty strange lyrics to songs on The White Album.  If you wanna see the clip, go here.   This is so friggin cool!

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A portrait of George Harrison, painted by artist Tony Brown, will go on display at St. George’s in Liverpool from August 20 until the 28.  The portrait of George, which is the last one painted of The Beatles, will appear alongside portraits of the other three lads, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr, as part of an exhibition featuring 100 Merseysiders who had made a great contribution  to life in Liverpool.

Tony chose to add the Beatles to the collection because they had the biggest influence on his life.  He was a huge fan of George, and he wanted to express what he felt about him through the portrait.

“I would like people to see that he was the equal of Paul and John the other two, though in The Beatles he was often overshadowed and presented as the quiet one or the shy one,” he says.

“But I think he had every inch of the talent of Paul and John. You have to remember that, after The Beatles, he had his own life as a solo artist, a gardener, a husband and a father. There was also his spiritual side – his quest for inner peace.

Tony also goes on to say that he was reading George’s book “I, Me, Mine” during the painting process and that while reading it, he gained appreciation for how witty and eccentric George was.

This BlogMeanie will be in Liverpool for this exhibition and I’m hoping to visit it.  Watch this space for my review in a few weeks!

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Ben and Jerry’s honors John Lennon with a new ice cream flavor - Imagine Whirled Peace. They are also asking people to go to their site and upload your peace message.

It looks good, I can’t wait to try it!

The last piano that John Lennon played in his life will be on display starting this November.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is set to open a museum in New York City and the “John Lennon Piano”, as it has been dubbed by the staff at The Record Plant, will be one of the items housed there.

On the last day of John’s life, he was in the mix room of The Record Plant recording studio with sound engineer Jack Douglas, working on “Walking On Thin Ice”.  John was playing that same piano shortly before he left the studio that horrible night back in December, 1980.

Among the other items that will be on display in the new museum will be Bruce Springsteen’s first car, Elvis’ biker jacket and, I love this one, a phone booth from the iconic punk NYC nightclub CBGB.  I love this little bit of trivia too…did you know that the “John Lennon Piano” was also used during the recording of Don McLean’s “American Pie”?  I’ll bet you didn’t!  See what happens when you read BlogMeanies?  Good things!

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Yet another piece of Beatles memorabilia is scheduled to go up for auction. This time it’s the first management contract between The Beatles and Brian Epstein, and it’s expected to fetch $500,000. The document, billed as the most important music contract of all time, belonged to Epstein. He became the band’s manager in 1961, but the contract wasn’t signed until 1962 because Epstein wanted to give the boys the option to walk away if he didn’t make good on his promise to get them a record deal and a number one hit. The contract also features the names of Harold Hargreaves Harrison and James McCartney, giving consent on behalf of their sons who were under 21. It is being sold on September 4 at The Fame Bureau’s It’s More Than Rock and Roll auction at the Idea Generation Gallery in London.

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Zak Starkey has reportedly formed a new band with his girlfriend Sharna Liguz and his daughter Tatia Starkey, just three months after leaving Oasis. Apparently, Starkey walked away from Noel and Liam Gallagher after an argument and has put together a new group called Penguins. Starkey told NME:

“Penguins is about having a good time, and that’s what we’re doing.”

Sharna will do vocals and Tatia will play bass with Ringo Starr’s son. It would be great to see the former Beatle join in on the family fun too.

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Sir Paul McCartney played the harmonica for a boy named after one of his songs.

Paul was in Amarillo, Texas, during his US road trip along the iconic Route 66 with girlfriend Nancy Shevell, when a male fan approached him with his four-month-old son Jude.

When the Beatles legend was introduced to the baby he took out his harmonica and played ‘Hey Jude’, which he wrote in 1968.

Record store owner Don Dunavin told Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper:

“I was holding Jude and Paul walked right in front of us. I took two steps forward and shook his hand. He went to Jude, grabbed his hand and started talking to him. After we told him his name he said, ‘I’ve got something for him. Jude was smiling at him. I told my wife to get the camera out and he stopped. He said, ‘Please, no pictures.’ But then started playing some more.”

What a cute story!

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For the fifth straight time, Mark David Chapman, the man who took the life of John Lennon in 1980, has been denied parole once again….thank God.  Parole officers at his hearing today, August 8, put to rest fears that the creep would be set free.  Even though authorities have said that he has maintained a clean disciplinary record since 1994, they said if Chapman were set free…

“it would not be in the best interest of the community,”

He was originally sentenced to 20 years at Attica State Prison in New York State.  Now 53 years old, Chapman must serve two more years before he becomes eligible for parole again.  Good.  Let’s hope he rots there.  As cited in my earlier post today, I’m sure Yoko Ono is satisfied with this outcome too.

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Later this week, that creep of all creeps, Mark David Chapman’s (you all know who he is and what he did, I cannot bring myself to type it) case will be brought up with parole officers at Attica State Prison.  This is the fifth time he’s requesting parole, can you believe him?? Yoko Ono is asking officials there not to release Chapman, telling the New York Daily News…

“It’s dangerous for him to come out. Not only for us, but for himself. There are so many people out there who dislike him. It’s safer for him to stay in jail.”

She is absolutely right on with this one.  If he were released,  I believe somebody would try to take him out on his first day of freedom.

UPDATE: it was just reported that his parole was denied. Yay!

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