Lennon And McCartney Return To The Big Apple

The Beatles were active for only a little over ten years including as their precursor The Quarrymen, but they were the most influential outfit in contemporary music since Chuck Berry, and like Berry their influence continues.

At the heart of The Beatles were the songwriting talents of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Although they shared the credits, mostly they wrote songs by themselves. Fans of the two can easily discern who wrote what. McCartney could never have written a song like I Am The Walrus, and Lennon could never have written a song like Yesterday – a simple melody and lyric that has been covered over three thousand times.

Lennon loved New York where he was murdered by a deranged “fan” in December 1980. McCartney who will be 81 this year is still going strong.  Although he has everything from massive wealth to a knighthood and fame that will endure long after he passes, the man can’t resist his vocation. This June he will be playing the famous Glastonbury Festival, but at the moment it doesn’t look like he will be at Carnegie Hall in person on March 15 when an array of artists including Natalie Merchant and Graham Nash will be performing The Music of Paul McCartney. Tickets range from $64 to $194.

The annual John Lennon Tribute Concert will be held later in the year at Theatre Within. There is no date set for the concert yet but at least unlike last year’s, the audience will not be required to wear masks.

It should not be forgotten that The Beatles were alluded to as The Fab Four; the other two were George Harrison and Ringo Starr. George died from lung cancer in 2001 too young at 58.  He was a smoker, which didn’t help, but on December 30, 1999, he was attacked by a deranged individual who had broken into his mansion; he suffered severe knife injuries that surely shortened his life.

After The Beatles, he continued his musical career. Although he wasn’t a great composer at the time, he did supply them with two of their finest songs: Here Comes The Sun and Something.

The fourth Beatle, Ringo Starr, is generally regarded as the least talented of The Fab Four, but  he has compiled an impressive post-Beatles discography and has also ventured into acting.

All four Beatles have their official websites and there are many fan sites, but one that deserves special mention is The Paul McCartney Project run by McCartney superfan Nicolas Leroy. Although French, he speaks fluent English and has created a magnificent resource.