LENNON REMEMBERED AT THE ECHO ARENA LIVERPOOL

Chas Cole for CMP Entertainment in association with The Cavern Club

Celebrating the Life and Works of John Lennon
9/10/40 – 9/12/80



Liverpool’s favourite son John Lennon is remembered in his hometown at the Official 30th Anniversary Memorial Concert.



Musical stars of all eras will unite on stage when the ‘John Lennon Tribute Season’ closes with a unique and emotional charity concert finale LENNON REMEMBERED, on Thursday 9th December 2010, at the Liverpool Echo Arena. All proceeds from the concert will go to the Alder Hey ‘Imagine’ Appeal, Radio City’s Cash For Kids and The Mathew Street Festival.


LENNON REMEMBERED will take place in John’s birthplace 30 years on from his tragic, early death which shocked the world, and will commemorate what would have been his 70th birthday. The Memorial Concert, organised by The Cavern Club in association with Chas Cole, of CMP Entertainment, will form the climax of two months of celebrations of John Lennon’s unique contribution to the cultural landscape, not only of the city of his birth, but also his immortal position in global popular music.

John Lennon’s significance and appeal continues to span the generations, and musicians from every era will congregate on stage to remember, celebrate and perform unique versions of Lennon’s most famous songs – and, no doubt, one or two forgotten gems alongside them as well.

Performers confirmed to appear will be announced in the weeks to come, as this event unfolds and undoubtedly builds momentum and becomes a highly-charged, long-awaited tribute to one of the City’s, best loved sons.

John’s half sister, Julia Baird, has whole-heartedly backed the Concert – along with the whole John Lennon Tribute Season.



Julia Baird said “This will be a very emotional evening, not only for our family, but I’m sure it will be a very special night for the other performers on stage and for the audience, as we all unite in our love for John and his wonderful, immortal music.”

Bill Heckle, Director of The Cavern Club said “We have enjoyed many great musical nights in this City over the years, but an evening dedicated to John, attended by those who knew and loved him, as well as those who worked with him, plus the thousands of fans who, purely and simply, have been touched and moved by his music throughout our lives, will really make it into something special.”



A Liverpool and worldwide occasion not to be missed and a celebration and emotional evening of the musical legend himself, LENNON REMEMBERED.



PERFORMANCE DETAILS

LENNON REMEMBERED

Liverpool Echo Arena

Thursday 9 December, 7.30pm

Tickets: £27.50, £19.50 (plus a limited number of higher priced gold circle tickets)



How to Book: In person at The Echo Arena box office, Monarchs Key, Kings Dock
Liverpool, L1 4BX or alternatively call 0844 8000 400 or click www.echoarena.com

Pope Forgives the Beatles for their sins

At the height of their fame, The Beatles enraged the Roman Catholic Church when John Lennon famously declared that they were bigger than Jesus.

Their enthusiastic pursuit of the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll life also did little to convince the Vatican that they were anything other than a thoroughly bad influence.

But now, in a move sanctioned by Pope Benedict XVI, the Catholic Church has forgiven the Fab Four for their various excesses and even gone so far as to laud them as a "precious jewel."

In a front-page article, L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's official newspaper, offers a glowing assessment of The Beatles' achievements 40 years after they split up, heralding their "beautiful melodies" and asking "what would pop music have been like without the Beatles?"

In an astonishing turnaround, the Church dismisses previous moral outrages, including blasphemous remarks, drug taking and even what it claims could have been Satanic messages contained in their music.

While recognizing that John, Paul, George and Ringo were no saints during their time in The Beatles, the Vatican assures followers that they were by no means the worst-behaved of their generation.

Offering the band complete absolution, the article, Seven Years That Shook Music, L'Osservatore Romano said: "It's true they took drugs, lived life to excess because of their success, even said they were bigger than Jesus and put out mysterious messages, that were possibly even Satanic.

"They may not have been the best example for the youth of the day, but they were by no means the worst. Their beautiful melodies changed music and continue to give pleasure."

The glowing praise may come as a surprise to many Catholics, given the band's very public attacks on organized religion.

John Lennon sparked international condemnation from Christians of all denominations when he famously declared in an interview in 1966 that The Beatles were bigger than Jesus, saying, "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that; I'm right and I'll be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first, rock 'n' roll or Christianity."

At the time, the Catholic Church was at the forefront of attacks on the remarks, but two years ago forgave Lennon for his comments, insisting it had merely been the "boasting of an English working-class lad struggling to cope with unexpected success."

Sir Paul McCartney and George Harrison were baptized as Catholics, but neither followed the faith.

In the late 1960s, all four members of the band became fascinated with Eastern mysticism.

Earlier this year, Ringo Starr, who will be 70 this year, admitted he had finally found religion, saying: "For me, God is in my life. I don't hide from that. I think the search has been on since the 1960s."