Latest news with #DoubleFantasy
Los Angeles Times
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Elvis Presley's watch and John Lennon's suit fetch big bucks at Goldin auction
Elvis Presley's worn Omega wristwatch, gifted to him by Johnny Cash, sold for $103,700 this week. Goldin, a leading sports and pop culture memorabilia auction house, sold the engraved timepiece as part of its inaugural music memorabilia auction, which closed Wednesday night. Other high-selling items included a D.A. Millings & Son custom suit worn by John Lennon in 1963 ($102,480), a signed copy of Led Zeppelin's album 'Presence' ($19,520) and George Harrison's sunglasses ($47,590). Goldin also set a new sale record for a type 1 photo — or photo developed from an original negative within two years of when the picture was taken— of rapper Tupac Shakur, which sold for $10,370, according to the auction house. Though sports and trading card auctions are Goldin's 'bread and butter,' the company is venturing more into pop culture, said head of revenue Dave Amerman. This transition is documented in Goldin's Netflix show, 'King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch,' which premiered in 2023 and was just renewed for a third season. 'We realized that we get so many music items and we build them into our pop culture sales, we just want to separate it and make its own event out of it,' Amerman told The Times. Many of the Beatles items belonged to music promoter Chris Agajanian, who's been building his collection for more than 40 years. Agajanian owns more than 2,000 pieces of Beatles memorabilia and signed letters of provenance for many of the items in the Goldin sale. The music auction also included more than 500 concert posters graded by the Certified Guaranty Company, the leader in comic book grading. Poster subjects ranged from the Grateful Dead and the Beatles to Sonic Youth and Blink-182. In 2020, Goldin sold one of the most expensive albums of all time: a copy of Lennon and Yoko Ono's 'Double Fantasy' that Lennon unwittingly signed for his assassin, Mark David Chapman, just before the Beatle was shot in 1980. It went for $900,000. Additionally, the auction house holds the record for most expensive toy sold at an auction: a 1979 prototype action figure of 'Star Wars' bounty hunter Boba Fett that went for more than $1 million in 2024. Goldin's Hollywood Props & Memorabilia auction, featuring Harrison Ford's 'Indiana Jones' whip, a 'Star Wars' Stormtrooper prototype helmet and George Reeves' 'Superman' suit, is currently live. The auction closes Aug. 6.
Geek Tyrant
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Steven Soderbergh Is Directing a Documentary on John Lennon's Final Interview — GeekTyrant
Steven Soderbergh isn't one to repeat himself. From Ocean's Eleven to Contagion to directing films shot entirely on iPhones, the Oscar-winning filmmaker always seems to find a new sandbox to play in. Now, he's diving into one of the most poignant and haunting moments in pop culture history… the final interview of John Lennon. Soderbergh is currently working on an untitled documentary centered around the last in-depth conversation Lennon gave, which was recorded on December 8, 1980, just hours before he was murdered outside his New York City home. The film is already in production and aiming for completion by the end of the year. A distributor has yet to be locked in. This marks Soderbergh's return to the documentary form after a long hiatus. His last one, And Everything Is Going Fine , was a portrait of monologist Spalding Gray, and it came out back in 2010. So what makes this interview so significant? It's the only radio interview Lennon and Yoko Ono gave around the release of their comeback album Double Fantasy . That afternoon, the RKO Radio team met the couple in their Dakota apartment. The vibe was intimate, the conversation raw and reflective. Lennon had just turned 40. He was coming off a five-year break from music to raise his son, Sean. There was a real sense of clarity and renewal in his voice, like the beginning of a new chapter. Just 12 hours later, Lennon was gone. Shot and killed by Mark David Chapman right outside his home. The weight of that interview is so heavy, especially when you hear Lennon say: 'I consider that my work won't be finished until I'm dead and buried, and I hope that's a long, long time.' The Beatles continue to cast a long shadow in film and pop culture. Sam Mendes is already working on a four-part biopic series, one for each band member, and it's slated to drop in 2028. But Soderbergh's approach is going to focus on a single moment, a conversation frozen in time, right before the world changed. Source: Deadline
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
John Lennon's son Sean Ono breaks his silence on 'feud' with half-brother Julian
John Lennon 's youngest son Sean Ono Lennon is speaking out in the face of rumors of a feud with his half-brother Julian Lennon that have circulated for decades. The 49-year-old guitarist and singer — who is the late Beatle's son with his second wife, 92-year-old Yoko Ono — has long been rumored on social media to be estranged from his older brother, who Lennon shared with his first wife, Cynthia Lennon. But Sean — who recently delivered a bizarre rant about Disney's latest live-action flop — cleared things up on Monday when he reposted a fan's post about his relationship with his 62-year-old sibling, who is also a singer and songwriter. 'Here, we do not accept comparisons and erroneous creations of fights about two people that john lennon loved the most: his children :),' wrote a John Lennon fan account, which Sean reposted to his Instagram Stories, who added, 'Peace and much love.' The post featured a sweet black-and-white image of Julian, who was around 23 at the time, as he rested his hands on Sean's shoulder affectionately at the 1986 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where both joined in a celebration for the induction of Elvis Presley. Sean, who would have been around 11 at the time the photo, has been dogged by rumors that he and Julian have been estranged for years, but much of it seems to be driven by social media users expressing distaste for one — or both — of his famous parents. But Sean cleared things up on Monday when he reposted a fan's post about his relationship with his 62-year-old sibling, making it clear that they were on good terms Earlier this month, a user on X (formerly Twitter) collected a sampling of TikTok videos in which users suggested a rift between Lennon's lookalike sons because their father wrote the moving ballad Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) for Sean. The song was featured on Lennon's 1980 collaborative LP Double Fantasy, which alternated between songs written and performed by himself and Yoko. It was released less than a month before Lennon was shot and killed outside his apartment building on December 8, 1980. Many of the posters seemed to think that Lennon had abandoned his first son, with the tribute to Sean as evidence, but they ignore the fact that Lennon was reported to have written the 1968 Beatles song Good Night for Julian. The song, which closed out the band's double LP known as the White Album, was sung by Ringo Starr at Lennon's request. Other TikTok users have highlighted Julian's past statements criticizing his stepmother as evidence of a family split. One user posted an excerpt from a talk show appearance in which the singer said he had had to buy back family items that were auctioned off by Yoko, whom he witheringly referred to as 'her highness.' He noted that the two had a rocky relationship, as she was the executor of his father's estate, so he feared any criticisms he made about the enforcement of Lennon's will could result in him being cut out completely. Earlier this month, a user on X (formerly Twitter) collected a sampling of TikTok videos in which users suggested a rift between Sean and Julian because their father wrote the moving ballad Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) for his youngest son Lennon was gunned down in NYC on December 8, 1980, at the age of 40. He was shot and killed outside the Dakota, the apartment building where he, Yoko and Sean had lived for years; seen with Yoko in August 1980 in NYC But in the same interview, Julian made it clear that he had only warm feelings toward Sean, and he claimed his younger brother was only caught in the middle of a difficult situation. Another TikTok post alleging a family feud featured an excerpt of Yoko's speech at the Beatles' 1988 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Julian could be seen making a strained face when she said that her late husband 'would have come' to the induction, which was widely interpreted as a jab at Paul McCartney, who opted not to attend the induction, though she attended with former Beatles George Harrison and Ringo. But Julian has steadfastly made it clear that he and Sean are loving siblings, even if Sean has been less vocal about their relationship over the years. In December, Julian shared some sweet black-and-white photos of the two catching up at The Dakota, the building in Manhattan where his father lived for years with Yoko and Sean before he was shot down in front of it. 'A Goodnight kiss for my brother, after spending the evening with him, having a lil dinner & chatting the night away, at The Dakota,' he wrote. Something we rarely get to do… Thankful.' Sean smiled warmly in one picture as Julian gave him a kiss on the cheek while an oddly placed photo of Yoko looked directly into the camera with a stern expression. In another photo the bearded guitarist comically held up strands of noodles as he and Julian enjoyed a takeout feast. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Julian Lennon (@julespicturepalace) The post concluded with an image of the apartment's imposing wooden double doors. In 2022, Julian bragged that Sean was his 'best mate' while chatting with People. 'We're brothers and we love each other deeply on that level,' he added. 'We just talk daily, same as anybody would.' With Sean's latest repost, he has made it clear that he and his brother are on the same page.
BBC News
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Beatle John Lennon's last piano played for first time in decades
The last piano ever used by John Lennon before he died is set to be played for the first time in 30 years. The New England Piano Company upright has been at the Beatles Story museum in Liverpool since 2015. The former Beatle used it at the Record Plant studios in New York for his last album, Double Fantasy, released shortly before his death in Kella, winner of Channel 4's The Piano, will be at the museum to play his own arrangement of the famous Lennon hit Imagine later. Kella, 24, told the BBC he had been a Beatles fan since childhood, growing up in the Merseyside town of Bootle and later Fazakerley in north said: "It's just something that's embedded into anyone that's in the city. It's just an honour to be able to say I've touched the same instrument. "I think it's the last instrument he touched before he died, as well, so it's just an honour to be able to follow in those footsteps." The piano was given a distinctive 'honky-tonk' sound by the attachment of tacks to its hammers. It was used by artists including Bob Dylan, Pete Townsend, and Don McLean for his American Pie sessions. Lennon used it on several songs on his album Walls and Bridges, including his duet with Elton John, Whatever Gets You Thru The also played the piano on a session on 8 December, 1980, while working on Yoko Ono's song Walking On Thin later he was shot dead by Mark Chapman as he and Ono returned to their Dakota Building home in New York. The piano has been on display at The Beatles Story, in the city's Albert Dock, since 2015, where it was installed to mark what would have been Lennon's 75th has been reported that the instrument has not been used for any performance or recording since the mid-1990s. Kella had been a scholarship student at Paul McCartney's performing arts school LIPA, and was spotted playing piano in the Liverpool One shopping centre by producers for The Piano, hosted by Claudia was invited to audition for the show and went on to win it, dedicating his first single, Eve and Frank, to his foster parents. Kella said the changes of the last couple of years had been remarkable. He added: "I was saying to my girlfriend's uncle, I was working on the roofs with him two years ago on my birthday, and so two years later - also on my birthday - to be playing John Lennon's piano... it's all changed very quickly." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
The Guardian
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Andy Peebles obituary
Andy Peebles, who has died suddenly aged 76, was for 14 years a disc jockey on BBC Radio 1, where he presented shows across the schedule, switching between mornings, afternoons and evenings. In 1981, three years after joining Radio 1, he settled into a Friday evening spot with a programme combining music and a preview of the weekend's sporting action. 'I never dreamed that I'd get to talk to all those incredible people,' he said in a 2017 Radio Today podcast to mark the station's 50th anniversary. 'Ian Botham was about to become a worldwide star, Billy Beaumont was just about to lead his English rugby team to a grand slam, Kevin Keegan – great character – was at the forefront, captaining the England football side.' But the interview with which Peebles had made his name, in December 1980, was with John Lennon, and was the last given by the former Beatle, who had just released Double Fantasy, his first album in five years. With his second wife, Yoko Ono, Lennon spent more than three hours talking to Peebles at the Hit Factory recording studio in New York, before they and the BBC team spent several more hours eating at a Mr Chow restaurant. The star spoke about the break-up of the Beatles a decade earlier (once they gave up touring, the occasional session in a recording studio 'had [just] become a job'), acknowledged for the first time that Yoko was co-writer of his solo hit Imagine, and enthused about making future LPs. Asked about his privacy and why he had settled in New York, Lennon said: 'I can go right out this door now and go in a restaurant. Do you want to know how great that is? Or go to the movies. I mean, people come up and ask for an autograph or say 'hi', but they won't bug you.' Two days later, on 8 December 1980 – as Peebles flew home – Lennon was fatally shot by Mark Chapman outside his apartment at the Dakota building next to Central Park. The DJ said he turned down offers of 'grubby money' from tabloid newspapers to discuss his meeting with Lennon, but he broadcast a tribute on Radio 1 with John Peel alongside him. The interview then ran in the five-part series John Lennon: 1940-80, which began a month later and was followed by a full transcription in the book The Lennon Tapes. Another highlight of Peebles's time at Radio 1 was travelling to Moscow in 1979 to present the station's exclusive live broadcast of a concert by Elton John, one of the first staged by a pop act in the Soviet Union during the cold war. The broadcaster described the visit as 'terrifying', with the BBC team constantly followed by KGB officers. 'We are talking about walking around a city which in architectural grandeur terms was extraordinary to behold,' he recalled, 'but in reality I spent the whole time, as did most of our party, looking over our shoulders.' Peebles was born in London, to Mary (nee Simmonds) and Robert Peebles. His father, a head postmaster, died when Andy was 11. On leaving Bishop's Stortford college, a private school, he trained in hotel management and catering at Bournemouth College of Technology (now Bournemouth University) – starting in 1967, just weeks before Radio 1 was launched, sounding the death knell for the offshore pirate stations of which Peebles said he was 'a massive devotee'. After showing his own talents as a DJ at a college dance, Peebles was hired to work at the town's Samantha's and Chelsea Village discos, then in London, at the Scotch of St James nightclub, and Manchester, at the Hardrock. This led in 1973 to a job at BBC Radio Manchester. A year later, he moved across the city to one of Britain's first commercial stations, Piccadilly Radio. Peebles was among Piccadilly's founding broadcasters and, while there, started presenting Soul Train, a show that he took through his career to different stations. When he came to the attention of Radio 1, Peebles began at the BBC in London with a weekday evening show in 1978. The following year, after a short run on the breakfast show, he switched between afternoons and mornings over the next few years until his daily shows ended in 1981 and he began his long-running Friday evening programme. At Radio 1, he also presented the weekly magazine show Stayin' Alive (1979-82), as well as My Top 12 (1981-83) and its successor, My Top Ten (1984-92), with rock stars picking their favourite music. He also revived Soul Train at weekends (1987-92) and made special programmes on Paul McCartney, Elton John and David Bowie (an interview recorded in New York during the weekend of his Lennon meeting). Like most Radio 1 DJs, he also hosted Top of the Pops on BBC One, but only intermittently over five years (1979-84). 'They were mad enough to employ the man who was 'the perfect face for radio',' he said, self-effacingly 'I was never comfortable with television.' When he was dropped from Radio 1 in 1992, Peebles moved to BBC Radio Lancashire (1992-99) as its morning show presenter, but was back in London at Radio 2 to host The Andy Peebles Soul Show on Wednesday evenings (1997-2002). At the same time, he presented the late show on BBC GMR in Manchester (1999-2002). He was then heard on Jazz FM (2002-04) before a long stint on its successor, Smooth Radio (2004-13), then Gold Radio (2013-14), where Soul Train ended its on-and-off 40-year run. Peebles also worked for the British Forces network BFBS and the BBC World Service, as well as reporting and commentating on cricket for the BBC nationally and Lancashire cricket regionally for 27 years. He is survived by his wife, Anne (nee Swarbrick), whom he married in 2001, his stepdaughter, Sarah, and his sister, Jenny. Robert Andrew Peebles, radio presenter, born 13 December 1948; died 22 March 2025
