Astrid Kirchherr, friend and photographer of The Beatles, passed away on May 12, 2020 at the age of 81. She was the first photographer to take professional quality photos of the Beatles. Her famous black and white portraits taken in Hamburg, Germany in October 1960 show The Beatles dressed in leather jackets and slicked-back hair – quite different from the moptop hairstyle and Edwardian suits they would adopt two years later.
The new Beatles Singles Collection is due out on November 22, 2019. From 1962 to 1970, The Beatles released 22 UK singles; of those 44 A and B-side tracks, 29 were not included on the group’s British albums at that time. These singles, plus an exclusive new double A-side single for the mid-1990s-issued tracks “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love,” are newly cut for vinyl from their original mono and stereo master tapes by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios for a new limited edition boxed set.
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)
by Shelley Germeaux
Fans of the Beatles know that all four lads were from Liverpool, England, but not as many are aware of the deep Irish heritage that three of them — John, Paul, and George — share. As the world celebrates St. Patrick’s Day, if you get misty-eyed over Ireland while singing along to “Oh Danny Boy”, you might enjoy a bit of Beatles Irish history.
Liverpool has been called the “Capital of Ireland” because an estimated three-quarters of its people have Irish roots. Irish immigrants poured into Liverpool after the 1798 rebellion as well as the Great Famine of the 1840s, greatly impacting its demographic make-up. Three-quarters of the Beatles also have Irish roots– Ringo Starr is the only Beatle with no trace of Irish background.
By Shelley Germeaux
Note: This article originally appeared in the Spring 2002 (No. 18) issue of Daytrippin’ – just a few months after George Harrison’s death.
Psychic phenomenon – precognitive dreams, strange coincidences, and intuitive hunches about people we care for – is always an interesting topic of discussion. It usually happens with relatives and close friends, but in this case I am talking about George Harrison. A few Beatle friends have shared with me some “strange” experiences they had between the hours preceding his death on November 29, 2001 and before we heard the news on November 30. Maybe some of you had similar experiences.
