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Over 40 years after bringing fans along for the ride in Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party, Cameron Crowe has unearthed long-lost footage of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

The result is the filmmaker’s remastered documentary, Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party, now streaming on Paramount+. It features never-before-seen 16mm footage shot during the rock-and-roll band’s Long After Dark era from 1982 to 1983. Per the logline, the music documentary “is a fun, candid, fast-paced, and musically rich ride with America’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band, a time capsule of the dawn of the MTV era, and a rare and shining glimpse into Tom Petty’s lasting creative genius.”

At a Glance: How to Watch Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party Online

Premiere date: March 11 Run time: 1 hour, 33 minutes Stream online: Paramount+ Stream 'Heartbreakers Beach Party' on Paramount+

The film originally aired in 1983 on MTV, but was “deemed too experimental and abruptly pulled from the air,...

It’s always hilarious that the James Bond movies are part of the “spy” genre. Sure, that handsome devil is a secret agent who saves the world every couple of years, but he doesn’t do a whole lot of “spying,” does he? He doesn’t embed himself inside an enemy organization for years, insidiously gaining his co-workers’ trust and quietly feeding intelligence back to his handlers. He goes in guns a-blazing, not only giving out his real name but repeating it just for giggles. James Bond isn’t a spy. He’s a power fantasy with multiple product placement deals.

Steven Soderbergh’s new thriller “Black Bag” is a movie about actual spies. They’re probably not realistic either, but at least they’re putting in the damn work. They manipulate. They betray. And when they have sex with each other it’s not an unforgettable night on the Riviera with zero consequences.

Joey Molland, the Badfinger guitarist who later took on lead singer duties as he led the group into later decades, has died. He was 77.

Molland died on Saturday after a months long battle with multiple health issues, his social media manager announced.

Badfinger was a Welsh rock band known for hits “No Matter What You Do,” “Day After Day,” “Come and Get It” and “Baby Blue,” the latter also famous for its use in the final moments of Breaking Bad. Molland began as the group’s guitarist in the early 1970s, after the band changes its name from The Iveys.

In recent years, Molland led a touring edition of the band despite the fact that the rest of the group’s core members — Pete Ham, Mike Gibbins and Tom Evans — were already dead. Though originally only on guitar, Molland became the lead singer for these shows, billed as Joey Molland’s Badfinger,...

Joey Molland, guitarist for the legendary Welsh rock band Badfinger, died at the age of 77 on Saturday (March 1st). While no cause of death was announced, the veteran musician had been battling a number of health issues recently.

Molland’s passing was reported by his social media manager Paul (aka Pd), who wrote on Instagram, “It is with profound sadness to inform his fans here on Ig, and around the world that Joey (Joseph Charles) Molland passed away last night at 11:39pm Cst, after a 3+ months long battle with multiple health issues.”

Previously, Pd had posted about Molland’s health on January 18th, linking to a GoFundMe page and writing, “Joey has spent the past 2 months in the hospital due to a complicated list of health issues, which centers on complications from his 30+ years of managing diabetes. Not to mention, he’s now 77. He is under constant care…has good days & bad days.

Joey Molland, guitarist and last surviving core member of the rock group Badfinger, has died at the age of 77.

The band’s official Facebook page announced Molland’s death, noting that he died Saturday night surrounded by family. No cause of death was provided, but Molland had faced health issues including pneumonia in recent months.

“Thank you, Joey…for keeping the band’s music alive for so long and for being a friend to us all,” the band added.

Molland joined Badfinger — formerly the Iveys, and one of the first...

Anna Sawai, star of FX's award-winning historical drama Shōgun, has responded to rumors she's attached to play Yoko Ono in a series of four Beatles biopics directed by Sam Mendes. The actress told reporters at the Screen Actor's Guild Awards following her winning outstanding performance by an actress in a drama series, "I think a rumor is just a rumor." So we likely won't be seeing Sawai as Ono anytime soon.

As far as what her next project might be, Sawai says she is still looking. "I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do, so I'm reading a lot of scripts. I'm also doing a lot of meetings and I just want to make sure that what I’m choosing is the right thing. So it might take time for me to find the right project, but I'm trying to be selective so that I can...

For decades, the Beatles have auctioned off pieces of their history. Last year, one of John Lennon’s guitars sold for nearly $2.9 million. Just three years before that, rare handwritten setlists from their early days made their way to the auction block. In 2015, the band’s first-ever record contract, signed in 1961, sold for $75,000. The latest Beatles memorabilia to be sold off isn’t just a piece of history — it’s a piece of toast.

George Harrison’s unfinished breakfast toast from 1963 was sold in a private sale to Joseph O’Donnell,...

Anna Sawai has responded to rumors that have her pegged to play Yoko Ono in the upcoming set of Beatles films from director Sam Mendes.

“I think a rumor is just a rumor,” the actress said backstage at the SAG Awards, following her latest big award win for her breakout role in FX’s Shōgun.

In discussing her next professional steps, Sawai told Deadline, “I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do, so I’m reading a lot of scripts. I’m also doing a lot of meetings and I just want to make sure that what I’m choosing is the right thing. So it might take time for me to find the right project, but I’m trying to be selective so that I can surprise everyone who’s going to watch it.”

We were first to report on the four Beatles movies Mendes...

Tune in to The Beatles Channel all week long starting February 24 as we celebrate George Harrison’s birthday.

Exclusive programming includes Guest DJ sets hosted by Beck, Billy Idol, Steve Perry, Mike Campbell, and Slim Jim Phantom; a “Living in the Material World” roundtable featuring Klaus Voormann, Jim Keltner, Mike Campbell, Jim James, and Paul Hicks; a guitar-themed roundtable with Ben Harper, Steve Lukather, Joe Bonamassa, Nancy Wilson, and Warren Haynes; and an episode of “Dark Horse Radio” with special guest Olivia Harrison.

The Fab Four, 24/8Everything dedicated to The BeatlesListen on the App

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See the full broadcast schedule below, and stream available episodes on the SiriusXM app anytime.

George Harrison Birthday Week Programming Guest DJs

Beck, Billy Idol, Steve Perry, Mike Campbell, and Slim Jim Phantom (The Stray Cats) pick some of their favorite George Harrison songs in honor of his birthday.

Broadcast Schedule Slim Jim Phantom Monday,...

Adam Scott is reflecting on a time he seriously bombed on TV — but luckily for the Severance actor, it didn’t air.

On Monday’s episode of Conan O’Brien’s podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, Scott was a guest and opened up about the time when he visited O’Brien’s show to promote Big Little Lies season two and explained a bit he loosely prepared — which included Scott comparing his fellow castmembers to an 80s supergroup — that turned out to be “one of the most deeply embarrassing moments” he’s had.

“The way I saw it going is like us talking and you being like, ‘Wow, Big Little [Lies] the cast is amazing. It’s all legendary actresses. It’s like the Traveling Wilburys of legendary actresses,'” Scott recalled. “So, what I had done is, I thought that saying the Traveling Wilburys of actresses and equating Big Little Lies...

Paul McCartney closed out Saturday Night Live‘s 50th anniversary show by performing a medley of the final three songs on the Beatles’ 1969 album Abbey Road.

McCartney began on piano with “Golden Slumbers,” singing about getting “back homeward”–a fitting conclusion to a show that began with Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter performing “Homeward Bound,” which Simon and George Harrison played on SNL in 1976.

As is the case on Abbey Road, “Golden Slumbers” segued into “Carry That Weight,” and then “The End,” with McCartney hopping up from the bench during...

Saturday Night Live is celebrating a milestone birthday… and a whole bunch of big names showed up for the party.

In honor of the sketch comedy institution’s 50th season, NBC aired a live three-hour event on Sunday — titled SNL50: The Anniversary Special — with dozens of cast members, hosts and musical guests from decades past returning to Studio 8H for a night of comedy, music and mayhem.

More from TVLine<em>SNL50: The Homecoming Concert</em>: Every Revived Character, Every Musical Guest and Every Song Performed — Grade It!<em>SNL</em>: 25 Times a Celebrity Confronted Their Impression on Air — WatchWait, Paradise's [Spoiler] Is Actually Alive?...

It’s hard to believe that Saturday Night Live is almost old enough to qualify for AARP benefits. Yet the groundbreaking sketch comedy series is indeed celebrating five decades on the air, commemorated the SNL50 special live on … Sunday night.

What started as a scrappy replacement for reruns of The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson morphed into a comedic institution, built upon youthful rebellion and an anarchic sense of humor. The brainchild of Lorne Michaels has been a breeding ground for comedic talent far too vast to list off, and some of its best known characters, sketches, and catchphrases have entered the cultural lexicon. To celebrate SNL‘s golden jubilee, here are the best moments from the 50th anniversary event.

Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter’s opening performance

Saturday Night Live is nothing if not famous for its musical performances, and in a show of its intergenerational appeal, SNL50 kicked...

SNL50: The Anniversary Special is billed to be a star-studded affair, and it opened on Sunday with some big guns: Sabrina Carpenter joined Paul Simon to perform a tender rendition of Simon and Garfunkel’s 1966 classic, “Homeward Bound.”

Before launching into the song that appears on the duo’s third studio album — Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme — Simon told Carpenter, “I sang this song with George Harrison on SNL in 1976.” Carpenter cheekily responded with, “I was not born then… and neither were my parents.” That didn’t hold her...

Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon kicked off Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary special with a touching duet.

The Grammy winners introduced each other before they opened the NBC broadcast by performing Simon & Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound.” Simon pointed out that he performed the same track on SNL in 1976 with George Harrison, while Carpenter joked that neither she nor her parents were born at the time.

After they concluded their performance, Carpenter and Simon kicked off the special by reciting SNL‘s signature catchphrase, “Live From New York, it’s Saturday night,” despite the special airing on Sunday. From there, Steve Martin appeared to deliver the monologue.

Carpenter took the stage later Sunday night for a bridesmaid skit inspired by SNL‘s viral Domingo skit with Ariana Grande, which featured music from her track “Espresso.” There, Marcello Hernández reprised his role of Domingo once more, while Pedro Pascal and Bad Bunny...

If you thought all the big musical SNL50 moments had already happened at the Radio City Music Hall Homecoming Concert on Friday, were you wrong. The proper Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special kicked off with the iconic Paul Simon duetting with Sabrina Carpenter on Simon & Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound.” Watch the performance below.

Get Sabrina Carpenter Tickets Here

Simon noted he’d last song the song on SNL with George Harrison in 1976. “I was not born then,” joked Carpenter. “And neither were my parents.”

Simon may largely be retired from live performances, but it makes sense that he’d pick up the guitar for SNL50. He’s a close friend of creator Lorne Michaels, and has served as musical guest 13 times in addition to hosting on four occasions. Pairing him with a Carpenter, who performed on SNL last spring, shows how the 50th anniversary special seeks to celebrate the...

The Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special has kicked off! After a live red carpet, the live special has officially begun on NBC and Peacock. After a red carpet that featured guests, hosts, and cast members both longtime and new, the special began live. The 3-hour-long special is supposed to run from 8 Pm Et to 11 Pm Et. SNL first premiered on October 11, 1975. Tonight, the special opened with a performance of the song "Homeward Bound" by Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter. Simon sang the song with George Harrison on SNL in 1976. The song "Homeward Bound" by Simon & Garfunkel was released in 1966 as a single, written by Simon.

“SNL50” was anything but an ordinary show on Sunday night, and as such, it kicked off in an extraordinary way, with a musical performance from Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter.

Yes, the show opted to forgo its usual cold open, though there was still some humor in it. As the camera went straight to Carpenter and Simon, Simon recalled performing “Homeward Bound” with George Harrison back in 1976.

“I was not born then, and neither were my parents,” Carpenter joked.

Homeward Bound – Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter #SNL50 pic.twitter.com/IjXx62slKH

— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) February 17, 2025

Simon didn’t miss a beat, though, replying, “Well, I’m glad they’re getting the chance to hear it tonight.”

From there, the two launched into a gorgeous acoustic performance of the song, which ended with Carpenter declaring the standard “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”

Granted, it was Sunday night,...

The star-studded “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” opened with a moving duet from Sabrina Carpenter and Paul Simon.

The pair performed “Homeward Bound” to start the Sunday night special, which Simon played on the show in 1976 with George Harrison. Carpenter quipped that she wasn’t born then — and neither were her parents.

Simon wrote the song during his time in Simon & Garfunkel; it debuted on the duo’s 1966 album “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.”

After the performance, Simon and Carpenter said the iconic show-opening line, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”

Carpenter made her “Saturday Night Live” debut on the Season 49 finale on May 18, 2024, where she performed her hit “Espresso” and both “Feather” and “Nonsense.” Additionally, she appeared in a “Scooby-Doo” sketch. She also appeared later in “SNL50” in the night’s Domingo sketch.

Simon has had a long history with “Saturday Night Live,” hosting the show four times and performing music 13 times.

Roy Orbison, the five-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and musician behind classic hits like “Oh, Pretty Woman” and “Only the Lonely” is the latest artist to have their life turned into a movie. Per Variety, Denis O’Sullivan, the producer behind the Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody, the 2018 biopic on Queen frontman, Freddie Mercury, is set to produce the Orbison film.

Orbison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, a year before he died of a heart attack at the age of 52 in December of 1988. The musician’s family is partnering with Compelling Pictures, an independent production and financing company, to develop both the biopic as well as a long-form documentary on Orbison’s life.

The theatrical feature is tentatively titled You Got It,after Orbison’s hit single from 1988 of the same name. The film reportedly will be “a romance more than a traditional biopic,” per the announcement,...

The family of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Roy Orbison — known for hits like “Oh, Pretty Woman,” “Crying,” “Only the Lonely” and “In Dreams” — has partnered with the independent production and financing company Compelling Pictures to develop both a theatrical feature film and long-form documentary based on singer-songwriter’s life and career.

Tentatively titled “You Got It,” after Orbison’s 1988 hit single, the film will be “a romance more than a traditional biopic,” according to the announcement, focusing on Orbison’s relationship with his wife Barbara, who became his manager and played a key role in his comeback, which took place in the years just before his death at the age of just 52 December of 1988. Barbara Orbison died in 2011.

Denis O’Sullivan (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) and Jeff Kalligheri (“I Wanna Dance With Somebody”) will produce for Compelling Pictures. Alex Orbison, Roy Orbison Jr., and Wesley Orbison will executive-produce via their production company Roy’s Boys,...

Joseph Quinn, who is set to burn up the summer box office as Johnny Storm in Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps, seems to have teased his potential return to the A Quiet Place franchise. Quinn appeared in last year's hit prequel A Quiet Place: Day One, and the fate of his character is left unknown at the end of the film, leaving the plot open for Quinn to return for a sequel.

When asked by Collider if he discussed his open-ended fate with the filmmakers and about the possibility of a return to the franchise, Quinn said, "It was, yes. I said I got to stop dying. So please don't kill me... But, no, it's been left very much unanswered. Who knows? Who knows? We'll find out."

Given the success of A Quiet Place: Day One — which grossed a reported $241.4 million worldwide against a budget of $67 million — it...

We’re less than a week away from Saturday Night Live’s highly-publicized 50th anniversary celebration, and a lot of major media organizations have been conducting interviews with pretty much every former cast member not named “Joe Piscopo.”

Today just spoke with one of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players, Laraine Newman, who shared a number of behind-the-scenes details about her time on the show, including that the wardrobe area was just “one room with a bedsheet that separated the women from the men.” She also confirmed that there was indeed a “must wear underwear” sign backstage, but claimed that it was intended for Dan Aykroyd, not John Belushi, as costume designer Franne Lee had previously stated.

Newman noted that she “had no idea who was watching” the show at the time, and was shocked when a former Beatle recognized her while she was crossing through the lobby...

Record Store Day has revealed its extensive list of limited edition vinyl, box sets, and other speciality releases that will be available as part of its 2025 edition taking place on Saturday, April 12th, 2025.

This year promises exclusive releases from Post Malone (who serves as the 2025 Rsd Ambassador), Rage Against the Machine, Wu-Tang Clan, Gorillaz, Taylor Swift, Charli Xcx, The Killers, Tom Waits, and more.

You can find specifics on some of the most notable releases below, and find many more detailed at the Record Store Day website.

Post Malone’s epic Nirvana covers set from April 2020 is being released on vinyl for the first time, with proceeds benefiting MusiCares’ Addiction Recovery/Mental Health division.

Rage Against the Machine will collect completely untouched and unmixed live recordings from their first world tour on Live on Tour 1993.

Wu-Tang Clan has teamed up with producer Mathematics for a brand new album called Black Samson,...

The Beatles‘ unearthed 2023 single “Now And Then” marked their first new song since 1996, and now, it’s led to the Fab Four’s first Grammy win in 28 years.

At the Premiere Ceremony for the 2025 Grammy Awards, The Beatles won the award for Best Rock Performance for “Now And Then,” beating out songs from Pearl Jam, Idles, The Black Keys, St. Vincent, and Green Day.

Neither surviving members of The Beatles (Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr) were present at the ceremony, so John Lennon’s son Sean Ono Lennon — who won earlier in the evening for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package for the expanded reissue of his father’s 1973 LP Mind Games — accepted the award on The Beatles’ behalf.

“It’s really incredible… The Beatles have done so much incredible work and they’re still in the culture and people still listen to the music,” Ono Lennon said. “As far as I’m concerned,...

Anna Sawai may have just found her next big role. After standing out as a fan favorite in the TV shows Shogun and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Sawai may next be playing the widow of music legend John Lennon.

Per film scooper Jeff Sneider of The InSneider, Sawai is currently being eyed to play Yoko Ono in the upcoming Beatles biopics from filmmaker Sam Mendes. Each member of The Beatles will be given his own biopic, though all four will be connected, essentially forming their own cinematic universe. Sawai's casting hasn't been officially announced, though she's not the only person whose name has come up in the rumor mill as being attached to a major role in the quadrilogy.

RelatedScorsese's Beatles Movie Sets Disney+ Release Date 3 Years After Peter Jackson's Emmy-Winning Series

Three years after the success of Peter Jackson's Beatles docuseries, Martin Scorsese brings a doc of his own to Disney+.

Monty Python is commonly referred to as the “Beatles of comedy” — or are The Beatles the Monty Python of music? In any case, the two groups did overlap to some extent, thanks to Python fan George Harrison, who famously befriended the comedians and financed Monty Python’s Life of Brian when no other studio would.

The Python member who was most tight with Harrison was Eric Idle. Idle even credited the former Beatle for saving his life and lifting him out of a depression.

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Recently, a fan asked Idle on social media whether or not he ever considered working on a musical project with Harrison. Idle noted that, in addition to collaborating on Life of Brian, he also directed two music videos for Harrison, including the distinctly Python-esque video for the 1977 song “Crackerjack Palace.”

Idle also pointed out that he did co-write a song with the music legend: “The Pirate Song.

Back in the Eighties and Nineties, the release of a major rock star memoir was a fairly uncommon event. Noteworthy ones like George Harrison’s I, Me, Mine (1980), Iggy Pop’s I Need More (1982), and David Lee Roth’s Crazy From the Heat (1997) popped up every once in a while, but it wasn’t until the 2000s that this genre started making regular appearances on The New York Times bestseller list, thanks to landmark works like Anthony Kiedis’ Scar Tissue, Bob Dylan’s Chronicles: Volume One, Eric Clapton’s The Autobiography,...

Cameras are set to roll this year on Sam Mendes’ films about The Beatles. A delay is being predicted even at this stage, though.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan of The Beatles or not, the sheer ambition and audacity of Sam Mendes’ undertaking is undeniably impressive. He’s assembling an impressive raft of talent, tackling the lives and careers of perhaps the biggest band of the 20th Century and planning to release four films at the same time.

Before a frame of film has even been shot, however, Life & Style is claiming to have insider knowledge which states that Mendes’ four films have no chance of making their publicised release in 2027. As it stands, 2028 is supposedly the year that has already been decided internally, even though the official public messaging is still maintaining that we will see the films the year after next (possibly even on the same day...

The advent of streaming has made it harder than ever for musicians to make the big bucks. But there appears to be at least one way for songwriters to keep cashing them checks — compose the theme song for endlessly repeating basic-cable shows.

That’s the success formula for Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh, who’s made way more money from “Uncontrollable Urge,” the theme song for Rob Dyrdek’s Ridiculousness, than he ever earned from the group’s biggest hit, “Whip It.” Despite the song never getting anywhere near the Billboard Hot 100, it airs around the clock on MTV where Ridiculousness can run up to 14 hours a day. Ka-ching!

“I’ve written so many other songs for films and television shows,” Mothersbaugh told Rolling Stone about his compositions for Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Rugrats and multiple Wes Anderson films. At an earlier age, “I would’ve been shocked if you told me...

Now that the box-office success of A Complete Unknown has achieved the seemingly impossible feat of turning at least a few Gen-z viewers into Bob Dylan stans, Hollywood’s biopic wave is about to turn into a tsunami. Next up is the Bruce Springsteen movie Deliver Me From Nowhere, starring Jeremy Allen White, and four separate Beatles movies from director Sam Mendes. (To hear the whole episode, go here for the podcast provider of your choice, listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or just press play below).

In the new...

In the earliest days of MTV, few songs were more inescapable than Devo’s fractured New Wave classic “Whip It.” With hardly any bands making music videos when MTV launched in 1981, the fledgling network, desperate for content, played the song nearly every hour, turning “Whip It” into one of the most recognizable hits of the Eighties and catapulting the band into ubiquitous, if unlikely, visual icons.

Today, another Devo track dominates MTV’s airwaves.

While “Whip It” is Devo’s best-known song, it’s far from lead singer and primary...

Perfume Genius will return this spring with an album that he’s describing as one of the boldest artistic statements of his 15-year career. Glory, out March 28 on his longtime label Matador Records, is the seventh studio album from Mike Hadreas’ long-running art-rock project.

Lead single “It’s a Mirror” features a propulsive folk-rock arrangement under Hadreas’ voice as he sings about internal conflicts and longing for freedom: “What do I get out of being established?/I still run and hide when a man’s at the door.”

“I wake...

With a career that’s lasted over 60 years, Bob Dylan has had plenty of ups and downs and, after a period of creative struggles, managed to release one of his greatest albums more than three decades into it. While many new listeners will discover Dylan for the first time through Timothée Chalamet's excellent performance in the biopic A Complete Unknown, longtime fans know that there’s a lot more to the singer-songwriter than his hectic days in the 1960s. Even though Bob has had several artistic downturns, what’s impressive is that he has always found a way to renew himself creatively.

From Dylan’s country crooning on divisive albums like Nashville Skyline to the mixed response toward Self Portrait in the early 1970s, even this future Nobel Prize winner's heyday alienated some of his listeners. This willingness to experiment with his style and sound was also part of...

Quick Links One of the Most Important Counter-Cultural Films Was a Complete Joke How The Beatles Became Unlikely Cultural Ambassadors The Beatle Bump and the Sitar's Complicated Legacy

Debuting on Disney+, director David Tedeschi and producer Martin Scorsese return to ground zero of the British Invasion in Beatles '64. Chronicling the pre-hippie days of The Beatles, the behind-the-scenes film explores a time when The Beatles were a far more conventional, safe group. It's the year 1965 that was secretly a turning point for the band. It would take two years and a handful of transitional albums for their shift to be fully realized, but the ramifications were profound.

The catalyst for many of the hits of The Beatles and their contemporaries was a single instrument, discovered by fluke by their lead guitarist. More influential than even snarling Fender feedback, the defining (and arguably most overused) sound of the '60s counter-cultural scene was the sitar.

As fans are well aware, a number of famous rock stars contributed to Monty Python projects — Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd all helped to finance Monty Python and the Holy Grail, George Harrison mortgaged his home to pay for Life of Brian and, more recently, Mick Jagger introduced the troupe’s reunion show press conference while implicitly poking fun at his own career.

Despite this cozy relationship, few musicians took any direct artistic inspiration from the sketch comedians — although Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson did name-check Monty Python while attempting to explain the album Thick as a Brick.

But in 1988, one of the biggest rock supergroups in music history, The Traveling Wilburys, included more than one shout-out to the Pythons in their debut album.

The group’s stacked lineup included George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Electric Light Orchestra’s Jeff Lynne and the legendary Roy Orbison. According to Orbison’s son,...

The musical biopic market has been seeing a lot of action lately. With the domestic box office success of the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown starring Timothée Chalamet as well as the impressive casting announcements for the upcoming biopics for each member of The Beatles. Barry Keoghan, Paul Mescal, and Joseph Quinn have all been nabbed to play Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison respectively. If all that news has you in the mood for another biopic, you're in luck! Bohemian Rhapsody, the biopic of Queen's late-great frontman Freddie Mercury, starring Rami Malek as Mercury, is now streaming on Prime Video as of January 1.

"The Simpsons" has no shortage of memorable characters, but many of them are voiced by the same stable of actors who voice the main cast. Harry Shearer, Hank Azaria, and Dan Castellaneta are immensely talented voice actors, but sometimes, a role comes along that needs someone else to take the wheel.

There are some common reasons why celebrities agree to guest star on "The Simpsons." But even if they're only doing it because their kids made them, they can still make an impact, even if their character is never seen again after a single appearance. Whether they were simply funny or profoundly affected a member of the main cast, these celebrity cameos weren't just gimmicks. They helped change the DNA of the sitcom.

/Film has already gone through the worst celebrity cameos "The Simpsons" has ever had. Now, let's look through the best of the best, ranking the greatest celebrity...

Sam Mendes' four Beatles biopics have spawned the strangest casting press cycle in recent memory. The cast was already rumored with some accuracy over the summer, but Mendes and Sony Pictures have been reticent to actually confirm their Fab Four. And so the news has come from other random, semi-affiliated sources.

Richard Perry, a hitmaking record producer with a flair for both standards and contemporary sounds whose many successes included Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” Rod Stewart’s “The Great American Songbook” series and a Ringo Starr album featuring all four Beatles, died Tuesday. He was 82.

Perry, a recipient of a Grammys Trustee Award in 2015, died at a Los Angeles hospital after suffering cardiac arrest, friend Daphna Kastner said.

“He maximized his time here,” said Kastner, who called him a “father friend” and said he was godfather to her son. “He was generous, fun, sweet and made the world a better place. The world is a little less sweeter without him here. But it’s a little bit sweeter in heaven.”

Perry was a onetime drummer, oboist and doo-wop singer who proved at home with a wide variety of musical styles, the rare producer to have No. 1 hits on the pop,...

Sean Ono Lennon, the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, has embarked on a remarkable journey of preserving and redefining his late father’s legacy. At 49, he has not only delved into the stewardship of John Lennon’s works but has also made a name for himself as a creative force.

This year, Sean earned an Academy Award for a short film inspired by the 1971 classic “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” and received his first Grammy nomination for producing the deluxe box set of Mind Games (1973).

“It feels overwhelming and surreal,” Sean shared, reflecting on these milestones. His recent accolades include a Webby Award alongside his mother for her interactive art project, “Wish Tree.”

A Connection Through Creativity

Losing his father at the age of five, Sean views his work as more than preservation—it’s a personal bridge to understanding John Lennon.

On the Mind Games project, Sean reimagined his father’s recordings,...

Paul McCartney has set a New Year’s resolution for himself: Finish his next album.

In a short Q&a with fans on his website, McCartney confirmed that he’s “been working on a lot of songs,” but had to put the album “to the side” because of his Got Back Tour (which launched in 2022 and finally wrapped this month with a special London show featuring Ringo Starr and Ronnie Wood).

“I’m hoping to get back into that and finish up a lot of these songs,” McCartney wrote. “So,...

Paul McCartney had to get Ringo Starr back into his life this week, bringing out his former Beatles bandmate for a mini reunion during the final show of McCartney’s Got Back Tour.

McCartney concluded his tour at London’s 02 Arena after nearly 60 performances across the globe. After leading off the encore with “I Got a Feeling”, McCartney introduced former Beatles drummer Starr to just about as much love as you’d expect from the crowd. Greeting the audience with peace and love, Starr said, “It’s fantastic, playing with me old mate, but there comes a time when we’ve got to go home. All that remains to be said….I’ve had a great night and I love you all.”

Starr played drums for a reprise of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, followed up by “Helter Skelter” before McCartney closed out the set with the Abbey...

Paul McCartney has been enjoying rave reviews for his latest concerts – pleasing thousands of fans with an energetic set that encompasses songs from his entire career, including his time with The Beatles, Wings and his own solo material.

McCartney, now 82, showed no sign of flagging during a set-list that kept him on stage for three hours, but Thursday evening brought an even more special moment for the audience at London’s O2 arena.

The singer-songwriter, behind some of the world’s most famous tunes including Let It Be, Bond theme Live and Let Die and his own Maybe I’m Amazed, was a couple of hours into his concert when he told the audience, “I have another surprise for you.”

He continued: “Bringing to the stage the mighty, the one and only, the almighty, Mr Ringo Starr.”

Starr, now aged 84, appeared as a drum kit was wheeled onto stage, and without further ado,...

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were reunited on stage at London’s O2 Arena on Thursday night.

McCartney brought his Beatles bandmate on to raucous applause before the pair played hits such as “Helter Skelter” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” in what was McCartney’s final show on his “Got Back” tour, which kicked off in April 2022. “Should we rock? Get on your kit la,” McCartney said to Starr as he came on.

It was an emotional moment for the last two surviving members of the Beatles and their audience: “It’s fantastic, playing with me old mate, but there comes a time when we’ve got to go home. All that remains to be said…. I’ve had a great night and I love you all,” Starr said as he departed the stage. The duo have performed several times together since the band broke up in...

Surviving Beatles members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr reunited for a rare on-stage performance at the O2 Arena in London on Thursday, as the two teamed up to play “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” and “Helter Skelter.”

The surprise reunion came during the encore of McCartney’s concert. “Should we rock?” McCartney asked Starr after welcoming him to the stage. “Get on your kit lah!”

Following their two-song performance, Starr remarked, “I’m off now but I’ve had a great night, love you all – especially this man.” McCartney added, “It’s fantastic, playing with me old mate, but there comes a time when we’ve got to go home.”

Thursday’s show also featured an appearance from The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, who joined McCartney for a performance of “Get Back.”

McCartney and Starr, along with late Beatles members John Lennon and George Harrison will soon...

As another year draws to a close, we must ask ourselves the age-old question: What’s been your favourite movie of the year? Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan already has his pick, as he sang the praises of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II while speaking with Variety.

“In Ridley Scott’s first ‘Gladiator,’ Maximus asks us, ‘Are you not entertained?’ and we’re confronted with the truth of why we’d visit the Colosseum through a movie. Scott knows we’re not there for insights into Roman culture; we’re there to see our own dark desires at a comfortable remove,” Nolan wrote. “But he’s far too experienced a director to get caught making parallels with our time. He lets the world of ‘Gladiator II’ speak for itself, once again showing us who we are simply by inviting us to enjoy the crazy inflationary ride. Why are there sharks in the Colosseum?...

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With four Sam Mendes biopics in the works, a new Martin Scorsese-produced documentary, and blockbuster auctions of gear, it’s clear that Beatlemania never went away. If there’s a Beatles fanatic in your life, or you’re just looking to treat yourself to a Fab Four-themed gift, we’ve rounded up the best Beatles merch and gifts for fans and collectors.

From CDs and socks to books and guitar picks,...

In Islamic tradition, the father of a newborn is expected to recite the adhan, or call to prayer, in his child’s right ear, so that the first sounds the baby hears upon entering this world are exaltations of God’s supremacy, setting them on a path of grace and virtue. It should come as no surprise, then, that the first sounds Zakir Hussain heard when he was born, one distant March in Bombay, were not words of faith, but tabla rhythms whispered by his father, Ustad Alla Rakha, himself a master of the instrument.

Little Big Town likes to do things in fours, as the ensemble’s vocal-quartet configuration would indicate. So the country-pop group wasn’t about to let its 25th anniversary pass with just one commemoration when four would do: a national tour with their longtime friends in Sugarland; a greatest hits album; a Christmas record; and the quartet’s first two-hour prime-time special, “Little Big Town’s Christmas at the Opry,” airing tonight on NBC. They couldn’t have picked better ways to celebrate one-fourth of a century together.

As a cherry on top, members Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook get to revel in this milestone while most would agree they’re looking and sounding pretty much as they did at their inception point at the end of the 1990s. Their secret? “Smoke and mirrors,” says Westbrook. “I was gonna lie and say we get into cryogenic...