Paul: John responsible for breakup
Paul McCartney has revisited the breakup of the Beatles, flatly disputing the suggestion that he was responsible for the group’s demise.
Speaking on an episode of BBC Radio 4’s “This Cultural Life’’ scheduled to air Saturday, McCartney said it was John Lennon who wanted to disband the Beatles. “I didn’t instigate the split,” he said. “That was our Johnny.”
Fans have long debated who was responsible for the breakup, with many blaming McCartney. But McCartney said Lennon’s desire to “break loose” was the main driver behind the split. Confusion about the breakup was allowed to fester because their manager asked the band members to keep quiet until he concluded a number of business deals, McCartney said.
When asked by interviewer John Wilson about the decision to strike out on his own, McCartney retorted: “Stop right there. I am not the person who instigated the split. Oh no, no, no. John walked into a room one day and said, ‘I am leaving the Beatles.’ Is that instigating the split or not?”
McCartney expressed sadness over the breakup, saying the group was still making “pretty good stuff.”
“This was my band, this was my job, this was my life. So I wanted it to continue,” McCartney said.
Clooney nixes political career:
George Clooney on Sunday ruled out having a second career in politics, saying he would rather have a “nice life” and is looking to reduce his workload.
The actor and director, 60, waded into politics during an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Marr. Clooney, a supporter of President Joe Biden, described America as a
country that is still recovering from the damage caused by Donald Trump.
When asked whether he had any intentions of running for office, Clooney was quick to dismiss the idea. “No, because I would actually like to have a nice life,” said Clooney, who appeared on the show to promote his new movie, “The Tender Bar.”
Clooney said he planned to take on fewer projects while he is healthy and can still “play basketball and do the things I love.”
Crosby’s heirs sell stake in estate:
In a deal that was set to be announced Monday, the Crosby family is selling an equal stake in the rights to singer and actor Bing Crosby’s estate to Primary Wave Music. The deal is estimated in excess of $50 million.
A younger generation knows Crosby best through “White Christmas” and a duet with
David Bowie on “The Little Drummer Boy.” Fewer people alive remember his days as a major recording artist and movie star.
Primary Wave’s first
priority is to increase Crosby’s digital footprint, to boost his profile on Spotify and get his music added to playlists for a generation unfamiliar with it, said Larry Mestel, the company’s founder and CEO.
Actor Adams dies: Granville Adams, 58, who starred as inmate Zahir Arif on HBO’s “Oz,” has died, 10 months after announcing he had been diagnosed with cancer. “After a long hard-fought battle with cancer, Granny has ascended to the heavens,” his family wrote on Instagram Monday.
Before “Oz,” Adams also had roles in “Homicide: Life on the Street” and the subsequent movie and the 2002 movie “Empire.”
Oct. 12 birthdays: Singer Sam Moore is 86. Journalist Chris Wallace is 74. Actor Hiroyuki Sanada is 61. Actor Carlos Bernard is 59. Musician Chris Botti is 59. Actor Hugh Jackman is 53. Fiddler Martie Maguire is 52. Actor Kirk Cameron is 51. Actor Brian J. Smith is 40. Actor Marcus T. Paulk is 35. Actor Josh Hutcherson is 29.