Besides the Ed Sullivan Theatre, one of the sites in New York City most associated with The Beatles’ first American visit in February 1964 is the Plaza Hotel, which was surrounded by thousands of screaming, chanting teenagers during John, Paul ..read more

Here’s an angle on The Beatles we hadn’t seen before: Shane O’ Donoghue decided to reimagine four of the Fab Four’s songs as bottles of booze, inspired by the staging of the rehearsal space featured in Peter Jackson’s “Get Back” miniseries. We ..read more

Longtime Beatlefan contributor Dave Hinchberger wrote the prologue for Bill King’s new book “LARGE TIME: On the Southern Music Beat, 1976-1986.” Here is an excerpt from it. … When I was 14 in 1976, my family of seven moved into ..read more

It was early fall 1969, my senior year of high school, and the guy sitting in front of me turned around and asked whether I’d heard “Abbey Road” yet. I’d known Charles for two years, but not well. I was ..read more

Beatlefan Executive Editor Al Sussman offers a counterpoint to some fans who’ve been whining about various aspects of the reissue of “Let It Be.” Here’s his more evenhanded impression of the 1970 film’s restoration. …   Well, I watched the new, spiffed-up “Let It Be” a day or so after its Disney+ debut and, most immediately, the sound is a major upgrade. Also, although I’m not the best judge of picture quality since I’m legally blind, it looked great to me. I first saw “Let It Be” in mid-May 1970, and I didn’t find it depressing then or now, especially after it ended with the Jan. 31 fil ..read more

I’m still working on the manuscript, but I just got the proof for the cover for my upcoming book about Southern music, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out. The book, “LARGE TIME: On the Southern Music Beat, 1976-1986,” includes stories about Elvis, the Allman Brothers, James Brown, R.E.M., Dolly Parton, Isaac Hayes, Atlanta Rhythm Section, the Commodores, Jimmy Buffett, Willie Nelson, Joe South, Roy Orbison, the Brains, Chet Atkins, Charlie Daniels, the B-52’s, Jerry Lee Lewis, Lionel Richie, Chet Atkins, Kenny Rogers, Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, the Dregs ..read more

As many of you know, I spent a good portion of my career covering entertainment, and during that time I was fortunate enough to interview many talented performers, including three Beatles (George, Paul and Ringo), a bunch of movie and TV stars and just about a generation’s worth of the top performers in various popular music genres. I have told many of the Beatles-related stories in Beatlefan magazine through the years. But I have a lot of other tales from my years on the entertainment beat. Some of the stories about Southern music stars I interviewed (ranging from rock and new wave ..read more

Sixty years ago today, Capitol Records issued the “Meet The Beatles!” album, which was the American version of the “With The Beatles” LP that had been issued the previous November in the U.K. I actually didn’t get to listen to “Meet The Beatles!” until I received it as a gift from my parents that Easter, which was on March 29 that year. (Yes, my brothers and I actually got Easter presents from our parents!) I was impressed right away with the cover, which was a moody, magnificent masterpiece, with that unforgettable portrait of the Fab Four printed in a bluish black ink. I remember my brother ..read more

A review of Philip Norman’s “George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle” by Senior Editor Brad Hundt appears in Beatlefan #265. Hundt found the book to be “eminently readable,” but also a “by-the-numbers biography” and concluded: “Everyone who already is familiar with Harrison safely can take a pass on it.” Below is a mixed — but somewhat more enthusiastic — appraisal of Norman’s book. … How swell at last to have a major biography of that most aloof of all rock stars, George Harrison, by respected pop music historian Philip Norman, and how sobering to learn that the reclusive rocker’s feet were al ..read more

Beatlefan first was published just before Christmas in 1978, so we’re marking its 45th anniversary. Through various landmark anniversaries in the past, Executive Editor Al Sussman, our original New York correspondent, has interviewed Bill and Leslie King about how the publication came to be and their adventures through the years. Here’s a new conversation to mark the magazine’s 45th birthday. … The first issue of Beatlefan had an interview with former Wings drummer Joe English. Did the interviews in those very early days come about through your “day job” covering music at The Atlanta Constit ..read more