The Beatles

The former bassist for The Beatles -- yes there was someone other than Paul McCartney -- has died.

Chas Newby died Tuesday in London. Most people don't know his contribution to the most famous band in the world, so here it goes.

In the early '60s, The Beatles started making a name for themselves in Hamburg, Germany,  and upon their return from their second Hamburg residency, they regularly played at The Cavern Club in Liverpool.

At the time, the group consisted of John Lennon, Paul, Pete Best on drums and Stuart Sutcliffe on bass guitar. Sutcliffe stayed in Hamburg to focus on his art career, so the band needed a bassist.

Enter Chas Newby, who played with John and Paul's prior group, The Quarrymen. The guys asked Chas to step in, and he obliged. This was a critical time in The Beatles' upward trajectory ... they were becoming a thing in both Germany and Liverpool, which ultimately got them a recording contract, and the rest is history.

Chas had other interests -- namely, he wanted to attend university majoring in chemistry -- so he left the band, When he graduated, he took a job at a company that made windshields for trains and airplanes.

For Beatles aficionados who are wondering why they needed a bass player when Paul played bass, at the time Paul played rhythm guitar and piano and after some cajoling when Chas left, he grudgingly played it, and played it brilliantly.

As for Chas, he said he had no regrets about leaving the famous group ... "Music was never going to be a living for me. I wanted to do chemistry," adding, "People sometimes don't believe me when I say I've no regrets, but I really haven't."

Chas was 81.

Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton's duet is inappropriate for elementary school kids to sing ... at least according to a Wisconsin principal who's banning "Rainbowland" from a spring concert.

Here's the deal ... first-grade students at Heyer Elementary in Waukesha started the week preparing for their upcoming concert, with "Rainbowland" as part of the initial setlist.

The song was played in the first-grade class Monday, but by Tuesday the principal sent an email to the music teacher informing her Miley and Dolly's 2017 duet was no longer allowed.

Some parents say their children came home upset Wednesday after learning they couldn't sing it ... with the kids wondering why it was a big deal.

Superintendent Jim Sebert told multiple news outlets "Rainbowland" was dropped because it "could be perceived as controversial" according to recent school policies.

The song is from Miley's album "Younger Now" ... and she's said it was inspired by the paint in her recording studio. Dolly says the track is about "hope and positivity in dark times."

Some of the lyrics are, "Living in a Rainbowland/ The skies are blue and things are grand/ Wouldn't it be nice to live in paradise/ Where we're free to be exactly who we are."

While both singers have openly supported the LGTBQ community, neither has said the song has any intentional connection to it.

The superintendent told local news outlets, "The main question was is the song appropriate for the age level and maturity of the students."

Meghan Markle's looking real Yoko Ono-ish lately ... at least that's the harsh -- and kinda hilarious -- comparison France's former First Lady Carla Bruni is making.

Carla posted posting a photoshopped pic from Prince Harry and Meghan's engagement photo shoot ... but replaced the Duchess of Sussex with Yoko. Her caption is the real punchline ... lyrics from The Beatles' 1967 hit, "All You Need Is Love."

For those unaware, Carla's comparing Meghan's involvement in Harry's life to Yoko's relationship with John Lennon, which has widely been portrayed as the reason The Beatles broke up. So, yeah ... major shade!

Carla, who's married to former French Prez Nicolas Sarkozy, has her followers pretty split on the meme -- some found it hilarious, while others aren't singin' the same tune. One person even called out Carla, saying "Girlfriend have you looked in the mirror?"

As you know, it's been a tumultuous ride for Harry and Meghan as of late, and it seems more drama is coming to the surface with Harry's new memoir, "Spare" ... including his sharing of text messages between Meghan and Kate Middleton.

Turns out the answer to the $64,000 question is ... how much a Beatles fan or memorabilia collector will pay for the last letter John Lennon ever typed.

Lennon penned the missive to his accountant on December 8, 1980 -- just hours before the rock legend was gunned down in NYC -- and it just fetched $63,750 at auction, far exceeding expectations.

The letter was expected to go for somewhere between $30K and $50K -- but there was a flurry of bidders at the end of the 17-day online auction, pushing the final price up early Saturday morning for auction house, Gotta Have Rock and Roll.

As for the purchaser's identity ... they're opting to remain anonymous for now.

As we reported ... Lennon signed the letter -- which is the last known legal doc with his autograph -- before sending it to his accountant, Barry Nichols. It listed the names of 3 proxies Lennon chose to vote at an annual meeting for the Beatles corporation, which was to be held 9 days later in London.

Hours before John Lennon's murder he put pen to paper, for perhaps the final time in his life, and now that document is up for grabs ... to any collector with deep pockets.

The typed letter was personally signed by JL on December 8, 1980 -- the day he was shot and killed outside his NYC home -- and it's believed to be the last legal doc with his autograph.

John sent it to his accountant, Barry Nichols, and it lists 3 people to whom John gave his proxy to vote at an annual meeting for the Beatles corporations ... which was happening 9 days later in London.

This particular memorabilia is expected to fetch between $30k and $50k ... and if it does, that would be a sweet deal considering his last autograph sold for $100k!

As you know ... the Beatles legend was infamously murdered by Mark David Chapman as he was walking into The Dakota -- John and Yoko Ono's apartment building on Central Park.

Ironically, Lennon put his signature on something else that day ... a copy of his "Double Fantasy" album, which Chapman had asked him to sign hours before the shooting. That was auctioned back in 2020, and sold for $900k.

Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band did not hit the stage Saturday night, because the famed drummer has fallen ill.

The plug was pulled at the Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Michigan after the 82-year-old former Beatle realized he could not perform. Whatever he has, it affected his voice, so just a few hours before the scheduled show ... it was canceled.

The band spokesperson said Ringo does not have COVID, but did not say what was ailing him.

There seems to be some hope the concert could be rescheduled, which is good news on the health front. Promoters did say people could get a refund if they wanted.

The fans who showed up for the concert did not get a reason for the cancelation ... just that it wasn't gonna happen.

One of the concertgoers tells TMZ, he went to the Four Winds Casino management and pressed them as to why the show was a no-go, and was told Ringo was ill but would not go further.

It seems Tommy Lee has inspired rockers of old to get risqué with their personal pics -- and Ringo Starr's stepping up to the plate next ... barefoot, mind you.

The former Beatles member took to Twitter Saturday with a shot for the ages ... one that got a bit of a mixed reaction online. Frankly, some were grossed about by it -- but RS didn't seem to mind. It was a photo of his naked ass feet, toes exposed and all in some sandals.

He writes, "YES peace and love," accompanied by a bunch of emojis. It wasn't just a footsie photo he was going for here -- Ringo was trying to plug the release of 'Get Back' on Blu-ray.

Ringo's always been sort of a hippy at heart, so you could argue this free-spirited post is right up his alley. But for the conspiracy theorists out there -- this might also be in response to what the Motley Crue drummer threw up this week ... aka, a full-frontal nude on IG.

TL showed off his legendary penis, reminding the new generation that he's still that dude -- even if they've never heard of him. At least that seems to have been the motive ... maybe.

Bert Fields, one of the most powerful lawyers in the United States who, among many other things, who waged legal war on behalf of Michael Jackson and Tom Cruise, has died.

Sources close to Fields, including one of his famous clients, tell TMZ ... the attorney has indeed passed.

Fields' client list included James Cameron, Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Mike Nichols, Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Geffen, Jerry Bruckheimer, The Beatles and Madonna ... among many others.

Among his notable cases ... in 1993, Bert was involved in defending Michael Jackson against molestation allegations, and famously held a news conference acknowledging MJ was so profoundly addicted to pain meds, he could barely function on an intellectual level.

He also filed a $50 million lawsuit against a magazine publisher on behalf of Tom Cruise after the mag claimed Cruise was gay. He sued another outlet for claiming Cruise had abandoned Suri after his divorce from Katie Holmes.

Fields taught entertainment law at both Stanford and Harvard law schools. He was an accomplished author and wrote several novels and even lectured on Shakespeare.

An important piece of Beatles history is up for grabs -- John Lennon's nasty response to a Paul McCartney interview, and it provides tons of insight into the writing duo's complicated relationship.

John fired off a letter to Paul days after an interview critical of him and The Beatles appeared in a November 1971 issue of British music magazine Melody Maker, and John's reply is mostly scathing ... but also thoughtful and pleading.

From the jump, John's frustration with Paul is clear ... telling Paul he's ungrateful for all the money he's getting from The Beatles. As the 3-page letter rambles on, John takes issue with Paul dismissing his song "Imagine" and berates Paul for being indecisive over the band's breakup.

The Beatles had been broken up for more than a year at that point, and were haggling over money. In the letter, John pleads with Paul to meet him without any lawyers ... then turns around and accuses Paul of buying up shares of another record company behind his back.

George Harrison and Ringo Starr also get roped in, as John rips Paul for telling the magazine George and Ringo would break him -- and also accuses Paul of threatening Ringo and his wife, Maureen.

The typed letter, which includes some of John's handwritten additions and signature, is being auctioned off by Gotta Have Rock and Roll ... and it's expected to fetch at least $30,000.

John also sent the letter to Melody Maker magazine editor Richard Williams, scribbling a plea for him to publish it ... and it appeared in the magazine a few weeks after Paul's interview ran.

There's also a fascinating postscript. John says he's puzzled Paul's interview mentioned leaving their wives, Linda and Yoko Ono, out of the dispute ... to which John replies, "I thought you'd have understood BY NOW, that I'm JOHNANDYOKO."

John Lennon allegedly had an affair with an assistant who was 10 years his junior and it was all Yoko Ono's idea ... according to a new documentary.

According to "The Lost Weekend: A Love Story," a doc that just premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival ... John had an affair in the 1970s with his assistant, May Pang.

The film, narrated by May and from her point of view, claims May initially met John and his wife Yoko when she was 19 years old and starting a job at The Beatles' music company in New York, Apple Records.

The story goes ... John and Yoko liked May so much they asked her to become their personal assistant, working for them for a few years until one morning in 1973 when Yoko allegedly insisted May go out with John.

The doc claims Yoko told May she was not getting along with her husband and feared John would start seeing other people ... with Yoko suggesting May get involved.

May was 22 and John was 32 when the alleged affair began ... and she claims John had previously told Yoko he found her sexually attractive, though she didn't have romantic feelings toward him when he first pursued her.

The alleged affair lasted 18 months, beginning with John kissing May in an elevator ... and saw John and May move across the country to Los Angeles, where Lennon started making music again with Paul McCartney.

Things even got to the point where John and May were sending joint Christmas cards ... according to the doc ... though they are said to have kept their alleged affair secret from everyone outside their tight friend circle.

Johnny Depp now has something in common with The Beatles -- they have both played the famed Royal Albert Hall in England.

Johnny hit the stage Monday for the second night in a row with Jeff Beck ... this, as he awaits a verdict in his defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard.

Beck and Johnny have a years-long connection. In introducing his bud, Beck said, "He came knocking on my dressing room door about five years ago and we haven't stopped laughing since."

They repeated the songs they sang together the night before in Sheffield ... John Lennon's "Isolation," Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing," Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," and The Beatles' "A Day In The Life."

As for whether the crowd loved it ... well, there were several standing O's.

Bill Maher had one of his best guests EVER on "Real Time" Friday night ... Rod Stewart, and the timing of the sit-down is crazy.

Rod kicked off his world tour Friday night, performing at Caesars Palace in Vegas, but there he was on Bill's L.A. set just hours before his performance.

Rod is one of the coolest cats in the music biz, and that was on full display with BM. He talked about not ever wanting to be late for his concerts ... unusual for rock stars.

He also said he and the Queen have something in common, and gotta say, he's not wrong.

A couple of surprising things ... did you know Rod wrote "Maggie May," "Tonight's The Night," "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" "Hot Legs," and "You Wear It Well."

Also, his Vegas concert runs for 1 and a half hours, and Rod normally goes over 2 hours but that's Caesar's rule. And, Bill mentioned something that was shocking ... when The Beatles performed, it lasted only 25 minutes.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon's relationship is often seen as bitter, but this week ... Macca seems to have made it clear ... him and John can still come together, even now.

The Beatles frontman was performing this week in Spokane, WA ... and toward the end of the show, during an encore performance, PMC started strumming to his band's song "I've Got a Feeling" -- which appears on The Beatles' last album, "Let It Be."

The song is also featured in their new 'Get Back' documentary ... featured as one of the songs Paul and co. performed on the rooftop of Apple Corps HQ in London.

Of course, he was also side by side with his then-bandmates -- including the late Lennon -- which is what this moment all the more cool ... Paul beamed in JL's video performance of the song live and worked it into the set.

As soon as John's face appeared on the screen behind Paul, the audience went crazy ... and it seems his vocals were coming through quite nicely through the sound system in the building.

Paul weaved in and out of John's singing seamlessly with his own, and at one point ... they were in a full-blown duet together, just like old times. Before John faded out, it appears Paul even turned to face the screen to give a thank you wave.

It was seriously awesome, and kinda puts to bed the idea that there's any bad blood between the pair -- despite the fact Paul recently cast blame on John for breaking up the band.

The Beatles' childhood homes helped shape the artists that would take over the world ... and they're now in perfect condition for vacationers who want to visit or even stay.

George Harrison's Liverpool home has been recently renovated ... it's now an Airbnb thanks to superfan Ken Lambert. He snagged the property at auction back in November with a $250k bid.

The house doubles as a museum for weekly tours. The band rehearsed there in the late '50s -- back when they called themselves The Quarrymen.

Other band members' childhood homes have been preserved for tours as well ... including Paul McCartney's place in Allerton, a suburb of Liverpool. The house is owned by the National Trust and takes guests back in time to the way it looked when the bandmates were kids.

Paul and John Lennon birthed some classics at that house ... "I Saw Her Standing There" was written in the front room.

John's place on Menlove Ave. was the inspiration for "Please Please Me."

There's a quizzical piece of Beatles memorabilia hitting the market ... and these handwritten lyrics from Paul McCartney are worth way more than silver.

The working lyric sheet for the Beatles' 1969 hit, "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," is going up for sale ... and the folks at Moments in Time are putting the price tag at a whopping $450,000.

Paul wrote the first page of lyrics on a sheet of paper with letterhead for Apple Corps Limited, the multimedia corporation Beatles members founded way back in 1968 in London.

There are three pages total, and the other two were written by Mal Evans ... the band's former road manager and personal assistant.

The "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" lyrics are a hell of a treasure ... they were last put on the open market back in 2006, selling for $192,000. Now, a private collector is looking to unload them for more than double the price.

The track is Paul's first song on the Beatles' famous "Abbey Road" album ... Paul wrote the lyrics after the band's trip to India in 1968, and he initially wanted to record it for the 'White Album.'

Universal Studios has pissed off some moviegoers whose jam is clearly Ana de Armas ... and they're outraged she was advertised as a star of the film, "Yesterday," but ended up on the cutting room floor.

Two consumers say they plunked down $3.99 to watch the movie about the dude who hits his head and wakes up to discover he's the only person in the world who knows the entire Beatles catalog.

Ana was originally cast to co-star in the film. According to the suit, although Ana appeared in the trailer and various advertisements, she was not in the flick. It's unclear why she ended up on the cutting room floor.

The 2 named plaintiffs are particularly pissed off ... in the trailer, the main character sings the song, "Something" to Ana, but it's nowhere to be seen on screen.

Well, now there's a class-action lawsuit for those who rented the movie in California or Maryland. The class is defined as everyone who purchased the movie, but fact is ... there are probably a lot of people who don't care one way or the other if Ana is in the flick.

What's more ... we're assuming each consumer would get a maximum of $3.99 -- the cost to rent the movie. The lawsuit is for $5 million, so the ones who will make out like a bandit -- the lawyers!

BTW ... the movie was a hit, grossing $150 million.