When the Beatles split it was one of the lowest points in the life of Paul McCartney. A new TV documentary called "Wingspan" is to be shown on British TV (Channel 4) this Saturday, May 19th. Wingspan shows how, with the help and support of Linda, he soared back to find success with Wings. To coincide with the Channel 4 documentary, the band which Paul formed with Linda, is to have a double CD released. The programme which has taken more than 3 years to put together, was approved by Linda after she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995. Wingspan tells the story of the famous couple from the time they met, their marriage, the children and Wings. Sounds like a must to watch, especially for all McCartney fans. 18/05/01

Sir Paul McCartney's old Aston Martin was expected to fetch £50,000 when it was auctioned last week. The former Beatle took the classic car on a trip to Europe and Africa 35 years ago.

He bought the car for £4,500 in 1966 when the Beatles released the album Revolver. It was sold to an estate agent in 1972. The DB6 was originally registered to Brian Epstein before McCartney's name was added to the log book. Paul sold the car to Nicholas Defries, who restored it to its original condition in 1984 and has kept it in a heated garage at his home in Surrey. The car was auctioned at the Aston Martin Headquarters at Newport Pagnell.18/05/01

Beatles Songs not for sale.

On 9th May, it was reported in America that most of the fab four's Northern Songs catalogue was up for sale. Michael Jackson who owns most of the catalogue was reported to have fallen out with McCartney after he purchased the rights to the songs which McCartney had wanted to purchase himself. Sir Paul was reported to be interested in buying back the rights to many classics he wrote with John Lennon.

The next day 10th May, Michael Jackson denied he was selling the rights to Beatles songs. His statement reads: "I want to clarify a silly rumour: the Beatles catalogue is not for sale; has not been for sale and will never be for sale."

Jackson bought the publishing rights to 250 of the classic songs almost 16 years ago. He shocked the world by outbidding Sir Paul McCartney and paying a reported $47 million for them, reports dotmusic.11/05/01

George Harrison has undergone surgery in a United States clinic to remove a cancerous growth from one of his lungs. A statement from his solicitor stated that the operation had been a complete success and that he had made an excellent recovery.
Harrison was first treated for throat cancer in the late nineties after he found a lump on his neck. He had been gardening at his Oxfordshire home when he first noticed there was something wrong in July 1997. An operation the following month preceded two courses of radiation therapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital, Britain's leading cancer treatment centre.
Harrison attributes the development of his disease to smoking: "I got it purely from smoking. I gave up cigarettes many years ago, but had started again for a while and then stopped in 1997.
"Luckily for me they found that this nodule was more of a warning than anything else. There are many different types of cancerous cells and this was a very basic type." 04/05/01

Two decades to the day he was shot dead, John Lennon's childhood home Mendips, 251 Menlove Avenue has found a place in history. He grew up here in the care of his Aunt Mimi and it was here that he taught himself to play the guitar. Last Friday a group comprising of John's surviving family and childhood friends, gathered to unveil an English Heritage blue plaque marking the house where John grew up. This is only the fifth ever outside London. The plaque, which has been placed in the centre of the front of the house, reads: "John Lennon, Musician and Songwriter, lived here 1945-1963." 11/12/2000

Olivia Harrison wife of George Harrison, fought back her tears in court as she described how she fought with an intruder who was attacking her husband. She told the court how they had gone to bed in the early hours after watching the TV but they were woken by a noise. They went to investigate and she described how she saw Michael Abram run up the stairs and stab her husband. 52 year old Mrs Harrison dialled 999 and looked for a weapon. After grabbing a brass poker from another room she ran on to the landing to find George and Abram struggling with each other. She added that she had never seen her husband looking like that and she raised her hand and hit the man on the back of the head many times as hard as she could. George then shouted "Get him, get him." Abram then knocked Mrs Harrison backwards and she landed at his feet. Her husband jumped on top of the intruder and they all fell in a heap on the floor with Abram landing on top of her husband. Mrs Harrison then said "At that point I didn't have any (weapon) in my hands. There was blood on the walls, blood on my hands, and I realised that we were going to be murdered and this man was succeeding in murdering us and there was absolutely nobody else there to help." Mrs Harrison then hit Abram with a lamp.

The court had been told earlier that Abram thought he was "possessed" by the ex-Beatle and was "on a mission from God" to murder him. Prosecutor Simon Mayo told Oxford crown court that the defendant's mental condition at the time of the alleged attack was the central issue in the case. Abram had already denied two charges of attempted murder on 30th December last year. Mr Mayo told the jury that this was an usual case, as they didn't expect any dispute about the evidence, which will probably be unchallenged. "The trial will focus upon the mental condition of this defendant at the time of the offence." "Although the defendant undoubtedly intended to kill George Harrison, he did not in their opinion realise that to do so was wrong because of his deluded beliefs.

The jury returned a verdict of not guilty based on the results of Abram's mental reports. He is to be placed in a secure hospital for the rest of his days.

Interviewed on National Television after the trial, Abram's mother stated that she had tried to get something done for her son as he was demented, but nobody listened. He had removed all the furniture from his flat and only had an upturned plant pot to sit on.20/11/2000