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It was 52 years ago Sunday (April 10th, 1970) that Paul McCartney's departure from the Beatles was made public, in effect announcing to the world what many fans had suspected over the past six months -- the Beatles had broken up. McCartney's statements regarding the end of his songwriting partnership with John Lennon, along with his wish to record apart from Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, came as part of a question-and-answer sheet included with press copies of his debut solo album, which was simply titled McCartney.

The news had first leaked out three days prior to that. McCartney's brother in-law and attorney John Eastman let McCartney's break with the band slip while announcing plans for McCartney's plans for an animated film of the British animated character Rupert the Bear and the upcoming release of McCartney's debut album.

In the Q&A for the press, which was actually written entirely by McCartney, he asked himself several pointed questions about the future of the group. McCartney explained his reasons for going solo, citing "business and musical differences, but most of all because I have a better time with my family." McCartney went on to issue what most fans read as the ultimate death knell to the Beatles: "I do not foresee a time when the Lennon & McCartney partnership will be active again in songwriting."

In truth, the group had been dormant since Lennon privately announced his split to McCartney and Starr during a business meeting the previous September. By all accounts, George Harrison was not present for the announcement. Lennon ended the meeting by revealing to the pair that he wanted "a divorce" from the group. Tensions had been building between the Beatles since their return from India in the spring of 1968. And a year later, when Lennon, Harrison and Starr out-voted McCartney into hiring manager Allen Klein to run their company Apple Corps, the rift began to deepen.

True to his decision, Lennon didn't attend what turned out to be the group's final recording session on January 3rd, 1970, when the Beatles taped Harrison's song "I Me Mine."

In the months that followed Lennon's private announcement, the Beatles gave interviews in which they all deliberately refrained from announcing the split. That February, nearly five months after quitting the group, Lennon told Rolling Stone that, "We still might make Beatles product. We just need more room. The Beatles are just too limited."

That next month, both Starr and Harrison spoke to Britain's New Musical Express, with Starr stating that, "I've got things to do, George has things to do, and Paul has his solo album to come, and John has his peace thing. We can't do everything at once. Time will tell." Harrison added that, "Say we've got unity through diversity. . . We had to find ourselves individually, one day."

George Harrison told us in 1995 that the Beatles' split in 1970 was a completely liberating experience for him as an artist: "The situation at that time, the Beatles had, y'know, gone past the 'sell by' date or whatever you call it. Y'know, it's kinda like the Beatles had sort of finished, y'know? Everybody was. . . We were all tired of that, and so it was kind of exciting, the fact that I had all these songs -- been collecting for over a period of time, and I was gonna be able to get an album out and release all this stuff so I can get on with my life, basically. Most of these songs were written over a couple of years prior to, actually, '70."

Shortly after the split, John Lennon explained that apart from the music, the Beatles shared an intense and deep relationship with one another: "It takes a lot to live with for four people over and over for years and years, which is what we did. And we called each other every name under the sun, we got to blows, we've been through the whole damn show. We know where we're at -- we still do. We've been through the mill together for more than 10 years, y'know? We've been through our therapy together many times, y'know?"

Ringo Starr shed light on the slow build-up to the Beatles break-up: "Y'know, I think it shows as an absolute fact that we were going different places, y'know? The energy for the Beatles was waning. We put in a thousand percent, and then it was dwindling now, to 'Oh dear, do we have to turn up? We have to do that thing again? I wanna do this, and John wants to do that, and George was off. . .' Y'know people were -- We had families."

Paul McCartney says that both fans and the press have incorrectly pegged him as the villain in the "Fab Four" breakup: "Wrong, wrong, sorry. It wasn't me. It was John. What actually happened was: The group was getting very tense; it was looking like we were breaking up. One day we had a meeting, I came in and it was all Apple and business and Allen Klein and it was getting very hairy and no one was really enjoying themselves. It was. . . we'd forgotten the music bit -- it was just business. I came in one day, and I said, 'I think we should get back on the road -- small band, go and do the clubs, sod it, let's get back to square one, let's remember what we're all about. Let's get back.' And John's actual words were, 'I think you're daft. And I wasn't gonna tell ya, I'm breaking the group up.' He said, 'It feels good -- it feels like a divorce.' And he just sat there and our jaws just dropped."

Ringo Starr believes that no band can expect to carry on indefinitely as a thriving artistic unit: "The lifespan of any band, really, is, like eight years, because by then, y'know, you were 20 when you started. Early-‘20s, you're energized and suddenly you're 30 and, ‘Y'know, I wanna play the blues!'"

In December 1970, Lennon spoke about McCartney's announcement, telling Rolling Stone that "We were all hurt that he didn't tell us what he was going to do. . . A lot of people knew I left. I was a fool not to do what Paul did, which was use it to sell a record. I wasn't angry. He's a good PR man, I mean he's about the best in the world . . . he really knows how to do a job."

McCartney says that the split from the group sent him into a huge depression for several months: "I was quite broken up by the end of the Beatles. I'd been trying to hold them together, but it was something that wasn't to be. So, y'know, I went into a bit of a depression after that. And I'm normally quite optimistic, but, y'know, I'd just lost the best job in the world, and anyone who's just even ever lost a job knows how that feels."

During his last TV interview in April 1975, John Lennon told Tomorrow Show host Tom Snyder that the Beatles broke up simply because they had grown stale: "We didn't breakup because we weren't friends, we just broke up out of sheer boredom, y'know? And boredom creates tension. It was not going anywhere. We'd stopped touring, and we just said 'time to make an album.' Y'know, the same four of us, we'd be looking at each other and playing the same licks. We were very good friends and we'd known each other since we were 15, y'know? And we got over all the actual fighting."

Although the split cemented the fact that the Beatles would no longer record as a single unified group, in December 1970 McCartney sued Lennon, Harrison and Starr to formally dissolve their business partnership. His suit ultimately put all the monies earned by the group in escrow for the next five years. The Beatles formal partnership stretched on until early 1975.

Their business problems carried on through the next 20 years before all their interpersonal lawsuits were settled. Today, the group's company, Apple Corps, is jointly owned by McCartney, Starr and the estates of Lennon and Harrison, and handles all past and future Beatles business.

In 1999 McCartney recalled the split for his Wingspan project, saying that, "It doesn't matter who broke the Beatles up -- the Beatles were ready to break up. We'd come full circle and now we had to get on with something new, all of us."

In the years following the group's split, McCartney went on to become the most commercially successful of the four ex-Beatles. Since 1970, McCartney has scored 22 Top Ten hits, including nine Number Ones, seven Number One albums, nine Grammy Awards, and two Oscar nominations.

McCartney returned to the stage in 1972 with Wings. Although his initial solo tours excluded any Beatles material from the concert setlists, by Wings' final tours he was including a handful of Beatles songs in his shows.

Since his return to the road in 1989 after a decade of only a handful of performances, McCartney's live shows have been dominated by Beatles material, most of which the band had never performed live.

Beginning in 2010, to the delight of many fans, McCartney began delving deeper into his classic Wings catalogue.

Happy Birthday to Julian Lennon, who turns 59-years-old today (April 8th). Julian, who is John Lennon's first son with college sweetheart, the late-Cynthia Powell Lennon, holds the distinction of being the first natural child of any the Beatles, being born on April 8th, 1963. Julian is also the first of the next generation to pursue a recording career, and released his critically acclaimed debut set, Valotte -- which was produced by the late-Phil Ramone -- in October 1984.

Over the years, he's released a total of six albums -- The Secret Value Of Daydreaming (1986); Mr. Jordan (1989); Help Yourself (1991); Photograph Smile (1998); and Everything Changes (2011). Since 1984, Julian has scored four Top 40 hits -- including the Top Ten hits "Valotte" and "Too Late For Goodbyes."

Julian has signed a new global recordings agreement with BMG ahead of his new album, titled Jude, set to be released later this year. He said in statement, "After working on new music for the past few years, I am happy to have found the perfect partner in BMG, to help me bring this work to light." No release date is set for the new album.

In 2020, Julian Lennon appeared on and provided the album cover photo for Be True To Yourself, the latest solo set by Badfinger guitarist Joey Molland. Around the same time, Julian teamed up with Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt for a new cover of Radiohead's "Karma Police." The clip was featured on AXS TV's At Home And Social With Nuno Bettencourt & Friends special.

Also in 2020, Julian joined forces with Styx-co-founder Dennis DeYoung on the track, "To The Good Old Days," which was featured on DeYoung's latest album 26 East: Volume 1. Back in 2012, Julian appeared on the Aerosmith track, "Love XXX," from their Music From Another Dimension album.

In January 2020, Julian Lennon revealed he had a cancerous mole successfully removed from his scalp.

In 2018, Julian inked a deal with Gaumont for his animated book trilogy Touch The Earth to be made into a children's TV series. The second book in the trilogy, Heal The Earth, by Lennon and Bart Davis, was released in 2018. Julian said in a statement announcing the Gaumont deal: "It is an exciting time as we engage in the process of connecting the right creatives to the project who will share the passion for the show's messages and themes. I am truly enthusiastic about working with Gaumont and appreciate the sensitive energy and insight given the entire Touch The Earth series."

Julian Lennon helped inspire two of John Lennon and Paul McCartney's most popular Beatles songs -- Lennon's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," which was the title of one of his drawings done in kindergarten; and McCartney's "Hey Jude," which was originally called "Hey Jules" and written to cheer up Julian after his parents' 1968 separation. Julian appeared only once on one of his dad's recordings, playing drums on "Ya Ya" -- the final track off 1974's Walls And Bridges.

Back in February 2014, Julian happily didn't attend the CBS TV special The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute To The Beatles -- which aired 50 years to the date and hour that group first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. Julian, who's focusing primarily on a photographic career these days, explained to Fox411 why he chose to pass on the festivities, explaining, "Listen, I appreciate the Beatles as much as everybody else, but the last thing I wanted to do -- because it didn't look like there was going to be an opportunity to perform, really -- was stand in the audience clapping along to other people singing Beatles songs. For me, it would be like a Beatles karaoke night. I'd just feel like a bit of an idiot, and I've never been a major fan of awards shows. It's just not my cup of tea."

He went on to explain that the Beatles were barely a part of his life while growing up: "I mean, (during the height of Beatlemania) I was three, four, five (years-old). Anyone must remember that dad left when I was three-years-old. Mom and I lived out of the limelight. We lived a totally different life. People seem to forget that. In many respects, as much as I'm tied in (with Beatles history), I am also quite distant from it."

Julian recently appeared in the new documentary, John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky, which chronicled the sessions for his father's 1971 Imagine album.

Julian Lennon admitted the fact that he never truly became close with his father still weighs heavily on his mind: "We saw each other on and off. . . I saw him, probably, maybe 10 times before he was killed, y'know? And I think it would have been nice to find some resolve between us eventually, but unfortunately that was never going to be, y'know? So, there will always be that unresolved point in my life, whether I like it or not. Yes, there is forgiveness, but there is still bitterness, and still anger there as well. But, it's not something I think about on a day-to-day basis."

Just prior to his 1980 death, John Lennon shed light onto his strained relationship with Julian: "With Julian, my first child, I would just tour the world -- I'd come home and there'd be a 12-year-old boy (sic) there (who) I had no relationship (with) whatsoever. Now he's 17. I'm gettin' a relationship now, 'cause I can talk about music and whatever he's into and girlfriends and that kind of stuff. But it was a strange child in the house. I'd come back from Australia and he'd be a different size. I wouldn't even recognize the way he looked half the time."

Although Lennon was missing for most of son Julian life, he was able to provide him with some of the basic skills he would build upon during his own musical career: "He taught me how to play guitar a little bit. Yeah, Dad taught me some of the early, more basic chords of rock n' roll. One thing I would have to say is that I absolutely love and respect him. Not necessarily as a father, but for the work he did and his humanitarian work."

Julian Lennon hasn't toured since 1999 and told us that he has very specific ideas as to how he wants to make his stage return: "Believe you me, I wanna do live dates but I also wanna make sure the show's right and I also wanna do it in the right way, the way I wanna do it. I wanna work with partial orchestras -- y'know, so even though it'll be rock n' roll, a lot of the material that I do do, or have written is very thematic (with a lot of) great orchestration. And I did one show in Hong Kong with a full orchestra and it was the most amazing experience."

Shortly before her 2015 death at age 75, Cynthia Lennon spoke to us about feeling John's presence through Julian: "The essence of the man is still within my psyche -- even though he's not here anymore. And I have a son, who is not the image of his father, but I always joke about the fact that he's me for five days of the week and his father at the weekends. But every time there is an anniversary of John's birthday or his death, Julian and I raise a glass to him.'

In celebration of John Lennon's 80th birthday on October 9th, 2020 his sons, Julian and Sean Lennon, appeared on the BBC Radio special Lennon At 80, and apart from discussing their dad's music, they spoke candidly about their own relationship: "(Julian): Listen, more than anything, I'm just glad that we're here. That you and I love each other and are able to connect and talk so openly about any of this stuff. (Sean): Yeah, me too. (Julian): Um, um, this is, y'know -- you are my family. (Sean): I know. The only brother I've got. (Julian): Don't get me cryin' over here (laughter). Next. . . Next subject, please! (Sean): I know. I honestly. . . I, I do worry about crying because sometime when I talk about songs that dad wrote. . . (Julian): Yeah. (Sean): They're just so emotional. They're hard for me to even think about -- let alone listen to, some of them. Especially, y'know, the later stuff, just 'cause I have so many memories of them making Double Fantasy and some of that stuff just breaks my heart, because it just. . . it's like a time machine. It takes me right back to those moments. . . (Julian): Yeah. (Sean): . . . which were pretty tough."

Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford doesn't foresee the band returning to the studio any time soon. Aerosmith resumes its Las Vegas "Deuces Are Wild" residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM, beginning June 17th, with a total of 24 dates played before the end of 2022.

During a chat with Classic Rock magazine, Whitford was asked if there were plans to record a followup to 2012's Music From Another Dimension: "Unfortunately, no. I've made some efforts to get the band back into the studio, and for whatever reason it just doesn't work out. In Las Vegas there was a studio right across the street, but (the creative process) can't be forced. The light switch has to come on. I'd like to think it could still happen, but right now it just hasn't."

With Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Joey Kramer all having published memoirs about their time in Aerosmith, Brad Whitford was asked if he's ever thought about doing the same, and admitted, "I've given that subject a lot of thought, but how do I tell the same story in a different way? I won't just regurgitate what people have already read. I do have a concept in mind, a more personal approach that would involve my growing up and also talking to some of the people who helped with our success."

Whitford was pressed about Joey Kramer's involvement in the band after the drummer announced he was taking a hiatus from the band during its 2022 dates: "(After a long silence) "I'm not sure how to answer that. I don't know how it will play out. It's been almost two years since we played last, (a residency) in Las Vegas, and we had a very difficult time then. All of us are getting older, and health issues make things difficult."

Brad Whitford told us he's comfortable with the numbers that Aerosmith are hitting with its recent releases, especially since they're no longer reaching the same demographic they were during their '90s heyday: "A majority of young people that buy records -- which is the people that buy records, really -- are so heavily influenced by so many other genres of music and stuff. And I think we're moving out of that a little bit -- probably not as bad as the Stones had it, because they were never huge album sellers anyway. You start to move into a time where there's just no way you're going to catch certain younger kids just because of how old you are. You can't do it."

Ed Sheeran has won a copyright lawsuit over his hit single, "Shape of You."

A U.K. High Court ruled on Wednesday (4-6) that Sheeran had not plagiarized the 2015 song, "Oh Why" by Sami Chokri.

According to the Judge, Sheeran had neither deliberately nor subconsciously copied Chokri's work. He added that there were similarities between the one-bar phrase in "Shape of You" and "Oh Why," but said that such similarities are only a starting point for a possible infringement" of copyright.

Sheeran issued a video statement after the verdict and said that claims like this can be really damaging to the songwriting industry. He also pointed out that… with 60,000 songs being released every day on Spotify, and only 12 notes available, a coincidence is bound to happen.

TL;DR:

A 1980 Paul McCartney demo for Ringo Starr is set for auction later this month, according to The Independent. The cassette features McCartney on a vocal and piano run-through of the song "Attention," which the two former-Beatles recorded together that July in France for Ringo's 1981 Stop And Smell The Roses album.

The Maxell C-60 audio cassette lists "Attention," and two possible cover tunes pitched to Ringo for McCartney to produce -- Chuck Berry's version of "Route 66" and Carl Perkins' "Sure To Fall" -- which McCartney and Ringo went on to record.

The tape comes from the collection of Wings touring saxophonist and Liverpool and Hamburg intimate Howie Casey, who performed on the tracks. The cassette is expected to fetch over $13,000 when it goes under the hammer on April 26th via Omega Auctions.

Back in 2020, McCartney's 1991 demo for a song Ringo rejected, titled, "Angel In Disguise," sold below expectations, taking in less than $10,000.

Paul McCartney explained that the Beatles came into their own due to the perfect combination of talent, time, and sweat: "The thing, I think, made us what we were was doin' it a lot. 'Never had a day off. Hamburg -- we just work, work, work, worked. Y'know, and that's what I think made us so tight as a band. I mean, the bottom line for me is that we were a great little band. If I went (sings) 'Well, one for the money (claps)'; They'd never got (adapts think Liverpudlian accent) -- 'What's that?' (laughter, McCartney makes drum noises), Everybody would just be in, like, bang! We just knew each other that well, y'know."

Jack Harlow will release a new single, "First Class" on Friday (4-8). The song features a sampling of Fergie's 2006 hit "Glamorous." As a teaser, he posted a short clip from the studio. He's seen dancing and singing along, just after recording it.

The Louisville native, along with Lil Nas X, performed on the Grammy Awards on Sunday. Their song, "Industry Baby" was up for best melodic rap performance, but was beat out by Kanye West's "Hurricane."

Harlow's second album, Come Home The Kids Miss You, will be out on May 6.

TL;DR:

• Jack Harlow will release "First Class" on Friday (4-8).
• It features a sampling of Fergie's 2006 hit "Glamorous."
• Harlow's second album, Come Home The Kids Miss You, will be out on May 6.

While being interviewed by Kelly Clarkson, Backstreet Boys laughed about the time Machine Gun Kelly threw up at one of their concerts.

They were quick to point out that it wasn't their music that made him nauseous. Instead, Machine Gun Kelly said it was because it was so intense and the girls were screaming so loud, that he just suddenly threw up. It happened as the boys band made their grand entrance on their Millennium Tour.

Member, AJ McLean said, "It's a different kind of energy, and we thrive on that energy, you know? I mean, don't get me wrong, our kids were so happy that we were home for this last two years, but … our wives were like, ‘You have to go back to work. Please go back to work.'"

Backstreet Boys DNA World Tour continues April 8 in Las Vegas.

Machine Gun Kelly's next show is June 8 in Austin, Texas.

TL;DR:

• While being interviewed by Kelly Clarkson, Backstreet Boys laughed about the time Machine Gun Kelly threw up at one of their concerts.
• Kelly said it was because it was so intense and the girls were screaming so loud.
• It happened as the boys band made their grand entrance on their Millennium Tour.

Wolfgang Van Halen has been forced to scrap the remaining shows on Mammoth WVH's tour with Dirty Honey, after members of the band's team tested positive for Covid. The next scrapped dates on the itinerary are -- April 8th in Nashville, Tennessee; April 9th in Dothan, Alabama; and April 10th and 12th in Orlando, Florida.

GuitarWorld.com posted: "Despite Mammoth WVH's cancelation of their shows, Dirty Honey will still perform as scheduled on these dates. For fans who bought tickets chiefly to see Mammoth WVH, refunds are available at point of purchase."

Mammoth WVH will be back on the road later this month for a string of dates -- including four shows in support of Halestorm.

Wolfgang Van Halen's message reads in full:

After an incredible weekend in Las Vegas with my family for the Grammys, I flew back yesterday to meet up with my band and crew in North Carolina to continue the Young Guns tour. This morning as everyone took Covid tests to re-establish the bubble that has served us on the tour, we came to find that members of our band and crew who didn't travel with me were positive.

I have tested negative via rapid and PCR tests for the last five days in preparation for the Grammys and still continue to do so. With only six shows left in the tour, it breaks my heart that we unfortunately won't be able to continue. Mammoth WVH will do our very best to make up the dates that we missed to the fans in those markets in the future.

The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia will replace Kanye West as headliners at this month's Coachella. They'll perform in the closing Sunday night slot alongside fellow headliners Harry Styles and Billie Eilish. Earlier this week, it was rumored that Red Hot Chili Peppers were one of the contenders for the spot, which didn't seem to pan out. Kanye West pulled out of the tour on Monday April 4^th. The two-weekend event begins April 15^th.

In other Weeknd news… his singles "Blinding Lights" and "Starboy" have officially been certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America. Diamond means a song moved 10 million units.

Megan Thee Stallion says she's gonna try to give up makeup until Coachella. She posted makeup-free photos on Instagram and Normani with support and said, "You're so beautiful sisterrrrr." Just a few hours after posting, she already had over 2 million likes.

Happy Birthday to John Oates of Hall & Oates, who turns 74 today (April 7th)!!! Oates, who just wrapped a seven-date acoustic run, played a sold out joint tour last summer, which once again billed Hall & Oates with Squeeze.

Out now is John Oates With The Good Road Band - Live. The set features live tracks from his 2018 shows in support of his critically acclaimed Americana album, Arkansas. 2020 saw the release of Live From Nashville, which features his touring ensemble, the Good Road Band.

In 2017, Oates published his autobiography, Change Of Seasons, via St. Martin's Press. In addition to his legendary work with Hall & Oates, the memoir discusses all aspects of Oates personal and professional life.

Back in 2015 John Oates, who juggles acoustic solo dates between Hall & Oates shows, issued his latest live DVD, the Nashville-based Another Good Road. In April 2014, Hall & Oates were finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the annual ceremonies held at Brooklyn's Barclays Center -- a full 17 years after they first became eligible.

John Oates co-wrote such Hall & Oates classics as "Sara Smile," "She's Gone," "Adult Education," "Maneater," "Delayed Reaction, " "You Make My Dreams," and "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)."

Born in New York City in 1948, John Oates met Daryl Hall in 1967 and the pair released their first album, Whole Oates, in 1972. With 19 gold and platinum records, they're the most successful duo in rock history. John Oates says that he has his doubts whether Hall & Oates would have been as successful in today's musical climate: "Fortunately for Daryl and I, in the days when we started we were allowed to make mistakes -- we made three or four albums before we had any success. But in today's climate, if a Hall & Oates were to appear, who knows if you'd ever hear them? Not to say that what we've contributed to the music world is that great but, y'know, we have a legacy of pop music that we've created over 25 albums that would never exist in today's climate. And who knows how many amazing, talented people are out there with the potential to do who knows what, who may never get a chance to express themselves."

John Oates says that although he and Hall are officially the most successful duo in the rock era, they always considered themselves part of a larger entity: "We're two musicians, we're both self-sufficient, we can work on our own. We enjoy working with other people, it brings a breath of fresh air to the creative process, from the very beginning. We never saw ourselves as a classic 'duo.' We always had a band, the band was always a major part of our sound and our creative process. So even though we're two guys, kind of, on our album covers, there was always a cast of very important people working in the background."

John Oates told us that regardless of the genre -- like everything he's ever recorded -- its all starts acoustically with the song: "Daryl (Hall) and I have always been song purists. I mean, if you look at our early stuff, it is much more singer-songwriter oriented. Y'know, and then, of course, we went in a lot of different directions, y'know, experimental rock, and obviously the '80s were all about this pop thing that we got into. But the truth of the matter is, even during all of that; in my musical soul was this music. And I always returned to it -- it's just that no one ever knew about it and the massive popularity of what I was doing with Daryl, of course, overshadows everything."

It was 58 years ago today (April 7th, 1964) that the Supremes recorded their first chart topper, "Where Did Our Love Go." As with many Supremes hits, "Where Did Our Love Go" was penned by the songwriting team of Eddie Holland, Brian Holland, and Lamont Dozier -- but the song was not originally slated to be cut by the group. It was intended for the Marvelettes, who were having a lot more chart success at the time than the Supremes -- or the "No-hit Supremes," as they were jokingly referred to in the early days of Motown.

"Where Did Our Love Go" was originally written for Mary Wells, who had just left Motown in a contract dispute, and was partially recorded in a lower vocal register by the Marvelettes. Lead singer Gladys Horton didn't care for "Where Did Our Love Go" and rejected it outright. It was then offered to the Supremes who had no choice but to accept the tune and record it.

The recently-departed Mary Wilson told us that the Supremes were such a low priority at Motown in the early days that their material was entirely decided by label chief Berry Gordy Jr. and the songwriters. Wilson recalled how anxious the Supremes were to have a hit: "Y'know, we were still very young and we wanted hit records like Martha & the Vandellas and the Marvelettes because they were the ones having the hits. And I must add that we were the Supremes -- we're the first female group there -- so by these other girl groups coming in and getting hits, y'know, we were really desperate in terms of wanting one."

Wilson admitted that the group's first impression of "Where Did Our Love Go" was that it was a stiff: "We hated the record, okay? So we didn't know very much about what made a hit. All we knew was we had had 10 records out prior to that, most of them written by Smokey Robinson -- which were adorable songs -- but when Berry Gordy put us with the writing team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, that's when our hits started."

Eddie Holland told us that the key to all of the trio's greatest Motown hits came straight from the piano: "That was always the key to trigger off something; A riff on the piano, melody and ideas flowing. (And they'd say) 'Oh I like this. Ed go cut it, here's the idea, here's the track -- write this."

On August 22nd, 1964 the Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go" knocked Dean Martin's "Everybody Loves Somebody" out of the Number One spot, and went on to top the charts for two weeks.

The song became their first of five consecutive Number One hits which went on to include "Baby Love," "Come See About Me," "Stop! In The Name Of Love," and "Back In My Arms Again."

Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, Jon Bon Jovi, Madonna, U2, Pearl Jam, Elton John, and Steve Nicks are among those set to participate on Friday, April 8th for the Global Citizen's social media rally in support of the Ukraine and other nations in desperate need of aid.

Rolling Stone reported the online Stand Up for Ukraine event takes place a day before "a pledging summit organized by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen. The aim of the summit will be to garner money to help those displaced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Funds will also be directed to helping those in other conflict zones around the world, such as Yemen, South Sudan, and Afghanistan.

Other artists expected to perform are Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Green Day, Ozzy Osbourne, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Fall Out Boy, Kesha, Padma Lakshmi, Panic! At The Disco, Rufus Wainwright, Weezer, Rita Ora, K.D. Lang, Ellen DeGeneres, Ellie Goulding, Arlo Parks, Celine Dion, Hugh Jackman, Juanes, Garth Brooks, the Jonas Brothers, Kacey Musgraves, Pharrell, Tame Impala, Chris Rock, Jon Batiste, Alejandro Sanz, and Demi Lovato, among others.

President Zelenskyy called on the international community on behalf of his citizens who have been displaced and injured by the war, saying, "On April 9, the biggest online event 'Social Media Rally' will support people who were forced to flee Ukraine. I'm inviting everybody: musicians, actors, athletes, businessmen, politicians, everybody. Everyone who wants to join this movement and 'Stand Up for Ukraine.'"

Bruce Springsteen has long felt that the job he does is one that's existed through the ages -- long before arenas, albums, and MTV: "If you look at the role of storytellers in communities, y'know, going back to the beginning of time, y'know, they played a sort of. . . you played a very functional role in assisting the community in making sense of its experience, sense of the world around them, charting parts of their lives, getting through parts of their lives. I was interested in sort of the eternal role of storyteller-songwriter and how I was going to perform that function best."

For more information about "Stand Up for Ukraine," log on to: www.forukraine.com.

Coachella is still scrambling to find a replacement for Kanye West's headlining Sunday (April 17th and 24th) spot at the festival.

TMZ reports that organizers were eager to get Silk Sonic but were shot down because the Grammy-winning duo wouldn't have enough time to put a show together.

According to the outlet, The Weeknd and The Red Hot Chili Peppers are currently the top contenders.

Ye pulled out of the tour Monday (April 4th), with Variety reporting that he had not rehearsed or prepared for the show.

The Backstreet Boys announced Tuesday (April 5th) that they will be making additional tour stops on their DNA World Tour.

The group will now visit Nashville, Portland and Memphis in the US and kick off a European leg of the tour in Portugal on October 3rd.

The DNA World Tour starts this weekend with four shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on April 8th, 9th, 15th, and 16th.

Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, and Kanye West were among the artists whose YouTube channels were hacked on Tuesday (April 5th) morning.

According to the Daily Mail, multiple accounts had bizarre videos uploaded, including one called, "Justin beber - Free Paco Sanz (ft. Will Smith, Chris Rock, Skinny flex & Los Pelaos)".

Paco Sanz is a Spanish criminal currently in prison for defrauding thousands of people by pretending to have a terminal illness.

The outlet reports that it is unclear if it was YouTube that fell victim to the hacker or a third-party social media management service.

Additional celebrities affected include Justin Bieber, Drake, Eminem, Harry Styles, Travis Scott, Taylor Swift, Lil Nas X and Michael Jackson.

Hailey Bieber is shutting down pregnancy rumors following her Grammy red carpet appearance alongside husband, Justin Bieber.

The model responded directly to an April 4th Instagram post from Radar that said, "Is a little #Belieber on the way? Fans are speculating that #HaileyBaldwin is pregnant after seeing what appeared to be a "baby bump" during her appearance at the 2022 #GrammyAwards this weekend."

She commented on Tuesday (April 5th), "I'm not pregnant leave me alone."

Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott told us that the genesis of the band's new single, "Kick," is not that far off from how the band stumbled upon its classic "Pour Some Sugar On Me" from 1987's Hysteria.

"Kick" -- the lead single from the band's upcoming album, Diamond Star Halo, which drops on May 27th -- came about in nearly the same exact way the band's signature Top Two hit did 35 years ago: "Phil (Collen) rang me up and said, 'I've got this other song -- but we're done.' Well, it's open-ended; there's no delivery date, there's no record deal. And we better go band-wide with this and I think Sav (Rick Savage) was the first to comment: 'OMG -- 'Sugar' anyone?' (Laughs) What that was, was he wasn't comparing the song to the song -- he was comparing the situation to the situation. Back in 1986, '(Pour Some) Sugar (On Me)' was the last song written for Hysteria. We were done. It was an 11-track record -- finished. And then the idea of '. . . Sugar' came along and it became, arguably, the most important songs on the record -- if not our entire career."

Def Leppard hits the road with Motley Crue, Poison, and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts on June 16th at Atlanta's SunTrust Park

Bassist Timothy B. Schmit is pretty impressed with the changes found in the Eagles' current stage show, where band performs its 1976 Hotel California album in its entirety.

Although the Eagles have never been one of those bands to feature a laser-filled live show or pyrotechnics, Schmit maintains that the recent concerts are leaving the band and fans breathless: "It's great on a lot of levels because it's a little more theatrical and it involves a 40-piece orchestra -- and at one point a choir comes out. And we do, top to bottom (Hotel California in) the set. What makes it really great is the audience reaction. They are just gobbling it up. It's really great."

Coming on May 6th is Timothy B. Schmit's latest solo album, Day By Day, which features such heavyweights as Lindsey Buckingham, Jackson Browne, John Fogerty, Benmont Tench, solo Beatles drummer of choice Jim Keltner, the Doobie Brothers' John McFee, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Justin Bieber has teamed up with BetterHelp to offer his fans up to $3 million in free therapy.

Through the partnership, his 250-person touring crew will have access to the service for 18 months, and fans who register will get one month of free therapy.

The singer told Billboard Tuesday (April 5th), "The one thing I've learned over the years is that we all go through our ups and downs and we all need help sometimes. Being able to offer access to free therapy to my fans and tour family is a real blessing, and I'm humbled to be able to do it."

Paul McCartney's younger brother, Mike "McGear" McCartney, is heading up "The Forthlin Sessions" initiative that will see budding songwriters creating new music in the McCartney family's old Liverpool home at 20 Forthlin Road.

Britain's National Trust, which owns and oversees the McCartney home, will work with Mike McCartney, Pete Paphides, and consult with the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA), in choosing the artists. The opportunity is open to "any unsigned, UK-based music artist aged over 18." "The Forthlin Sessions" will be recorded and publicized, offering vital opportunities for new musical talent to reach audiences.

According to the official press release:

"The Forthlin Sessions" will see unsigned music artists given the chance to visit, write, and perform at 20 Forthlin Road, sitting in the very same spots where around 30 of the world's most famous songs, including "Love Me Do," "I Saw Her Standing There," "Hold Me Tight," "I'll Follow The Sun," and "When I'm Sixty-Four" were written and rehearsed. It is also where Paul wrote his first-ever song, "I Lost My Little Girl."

To celebrate a year of the Beatles' anniversaries, including Sir Paul McCartney's 80th birthday in June, and the 60th anniversary of the Beatles' debut single "Love Me Do" in October, the charity will be celebrating the creativity sparked from the rooms of 20 Forthlin Road ("the birthplace of the Beatles"), by supporting a new generation of talent and bringing a place rich in popular music history, to a wider audience.

Mike McCartney told Sky News: "This house to me, is a house of hope. And I hope it will be for the young people that come through the doors. I would be in the other room learning photography, but whilst I'm doing all that I could hear guitar noises coming from this room. In there were what turned out to be two of the world's greatest songwriters, (Paul) McCartney and (John) Lennon. They were rehearsing from a school book on the floor, that's why this house is so unique."

He added: "I think it's a brilliant idea. Inviting young people to this house and giving them the opportunity of doing the same as us, coming from nothing and seeing where it takes them. . . All this is to me is a lovely little home where love came from."

Paul McCartney says that throughout the years, he's always used music as a way to celebrate his life and get him through his darker moments: "I know for me it often is a way -- that's why I say 'therapy.' Y'know, you're feeling bad, you skulk off into a corner with your guitar and you write something and somehow you seem to take yourself through it, and somehow you work through it with your music. So, I thank heaven for that."

The former-Beatle explained that for him, songwriting is an extremely personal and often therapeutic process: "One thing with me, I don't really want to have anyone hear me writing a song. And I don't like the idea, 'cause I'm going to make mistakes. I'm gonna put words in I hate and then I'm gonna realize I hate them, I'm gonna change it. It's good to go away somewhere that, pretty much, people aren't gonna hear you. It's good if it's got a little bit of an acoustic, so little cupboards and cellars, bathrooms and little areas like that are good. Yeah, I like to just go and hide, hide away."

For more info, log on to: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/the-forthlin-sessions or @nationaltrust #TheForthlinSessions.

It was 57 years ago today (April 6th, 1965) that the Beach Boys began recording "California Girls." The song, which was the group's most ambitious recording up until then, featured a soaring orchestral production by the group's leader and producer Brian Wilson, alongside lyrics co-written by singer Mike Love.

Wilson wrote the music to the chorus during a dinner party in early 1965, and then enlisted the help of Los Angeles' top session players rather than use the band on the recording, as he was becoming accustomed to doing. Although the Beach Boys' vocals wouldn't be added until June 4th, on April 6th, he led the "California Girls" session at Hollywood's Western Recorders. Wilson has stated numerous times over the years that the backing track to "California Girls" is his favorite of all his Beach Boys productions.

The track itself was a far cry from the group's first single, 1961's "Surfin'," which only featured a double bass, an acoustic guitar, and a trash can as percussion. "California Girls" utilized drums, piano, vibes, assorted percussion, three guitars, both an electric and a double bass, three saxophones, a trumpet, and an organ, not to mention six-part harmony vocals -- all arranged by Wilson.

Shortly before his death in 2017, longtime fan Tom Petty explained that especially during his '60s heyday, Brian Wilson's musical vision in the studio was unparalleled in rock: "You really have to admire him as an artist for just having that kind of vision. 'Cause, it's y'know, anyone that makes records knows it's very hard to think that far ahead. Y'know, just to book all those guys for the session! Right? You're thinking pretty far ahead. You're really visualizing sound long before it's actually appeared if you call 19 guys down to the room."

There is some debate as to whether Wilson composed the song's signature introduction, or its main melody, during his first LSD trip earlier that year. "California Girls" was Wilson's first major production since quitting the road the previous December, after he suffered a nervous breakdown while on tour.

Beach Boys historian Jon Stebbins who authored the definitive biographies on the group's Dennis Wilson and David Marks says that while on tour, the farther Brian Wilson was away from home and the recording studio, the more miserable he became: "Brian pouted the whole time. He didn't wanna be out there. Y'know Brian was really depressed when he was out on the road, and he was basically on the phone talking to his girlfriend back home all the time. While the rest of them were out having fun."

The song marked the first vocal appearance of the group's newest member, Wilson's permanent on-stage replacement Bruce Johnston.

Mike Love told us that although the Beach Boys are frequently saluted for their progressive work on such studio albums as Pet Sounds, Smile, Sunflower, and Holland, it's their early pop hits that's remained their bread and butter: "Those are the pillars of our success. That's the basis of our popularity to today, because even if their parents hadn't met yet in the '60s, they'll still have the Beach Boys on their iPods. Groups like the Beatles and the Beach Boys -- and maybe the Motown groups -- I mean, that's some seriously great music."

Nearly 20 years later, Wilson talked about "California Girls" in a 1993 interview with Capitol Records, recalling, "Everybody was up. The whole gang was there. It became my favorite session. The intro to this song is the greatest piece of music that I've ever written. I was looking for an introduction that would be totally different to the rest of the song, but would lead into it. The song was a big record for us, but I really never liked anything but the intro."

"California Girls" was originally issued on the group's Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) album on July 5th, 1965, and was released as single on July 12th. "California Girls" eventually peaked at Number Three, kept from the Top spot by the other massive hits from the Summer of '65, Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" at Number Two, and the Beatles' Number One "Help!"

"California Girls" went on to become the Beach Boys' signature song. Starting in the early '70s, the group regularly used it as their opening number at concerts. Both Brian Wilson's band -- featuring Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin -- and the touring version of the Beach Boys featuring Mike Love and Bruce Johnston still include the song in every performance.

Nearly 20 years later, Wilson talked about "California Girls" in a 1993 interview with Capitol Records, recalling, "Everybody was up. The whole gang was there. It became my favorite session. The intro to this song is the greatest piece of music that I've ever written. I was looking for an introduction that would be totally different to the rest of the song, but would lead into it. The song was a big record for us, but I really never liked anything but the intro."

"California Girls" was originally issued on the group's Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) album on July 5th, 1965, and was released as single on July 12th. "California Girls" eventually peaked at Number Three, kept from the Top spot by the other massive hits from the Summer of '65, Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" at Number Two, and the Beatles' Number One "Help!"

"California Girls" went on to become the Beach Boys' signature song. Starting in the early '70s, the group regularly used it as their opening number at concerts. Both Brian Wilson's band -- featuring Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin -- and the touring version of the Beach Boys featuring Mike Love and Bruce Johnston still include the song in every performance.

Early-1960s's pop sensation Bobby Rydell has died at the age of 79 of pneumonia, according to TMZ. Rydell, who also appeared in 1963's Bye Bye Birdie, will forever be remembered for his string of 19 Top 40 hits -- including his 1960 Top Two signature smash "Wild One" and such Top Ten favorites as "We Got Love," "Swingin' School," "Volare," "The Cha-Cha," and "Forget Him."

In later years, he often toured with fellow Philly icons Fabian and Frankie Avalon as "The Golden Boys Of Bandstand." Rydell, who was born Robert Louis Ridarelli on April 26th, 1942 in Philadelphia, is survived by a son and a daughter. He was saluted in the musical Grease, with its high school -- Rydell High -- named in his honor

Not too long ago, we asked Bobby Rydell when he knew that music would be his calling in life: "I guess it was from the downbeat, to tell you the truth. Honestly, this has never been a job for me. Y'know it's a lot of fun to get up onstage and do what you do and try to please an audience. So if it ever becomes a job, I think that's when I would, y'know, think about it, get second thoughts, and y'know, hang it up."