Photographer Robert Whitaker, who is widely known for the controversial "butcher cover" of the Beatles album Yesterday And Tomorrow, has died. He was 71. more ›

In case you were confused by Google putting up their commemorative Lennon doodle a day early, today would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday. And there are tributes to the former Beatle going up all over the world: Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr, Brian Wilson, Run DMC and many, many others put up video tributes to Lennon on YouTube. There are official birthday events happening in diverse locations such as Cleveland, Liverpool, and Reykjavik. In NYC, you can see the Lennon documentary, “John Lennon: A Journey in the Life,” at the Paley Center for Media at w 52nd st, or gather at the Strawberry Fields memorial in Central Park near w 72nd st. Tonight, you can head to Central Park to attend a free screening of the new Lennon-in-NYC documentary, LENNONYC. more ›

Are you ready to hear 16 hours of Beatles tunes live... on the ukulele? Well, you have over a month to get ready. This December 5th and 6th, a two-day benefit for Yoko Ono will take place, featuring 185 Songs (the entire Beatles catalog), 60 Singers, 40 Musicians and 16 Yokos. more ›

Street naming became a point of controversy a couple of years ago; however, earlier this year Run-DMC got an intersection named after them in Queens, this week Where the Wild Things Are got a temporary street name... so now should the northeast corner of Central Park West and West 72nd Street be named for John Lennon? more ›

Saturday night Radio City Music Hall housed a lot of big names for a benefit concert for the David Lynch Foundation (which "provides funds to teach students how to meditate so they can change their world from within"). Lynch hosted the show, and although the evening was billed as Paul McCartney & Friends, USA Today reports that the Beatle didn't show up until three hours into the affair. Once he did, however, he played a lengthy set (watch "Can't Buy Me Love" below). more ›

The remaining Beatles will be regrouping for one night only this spring to headline a benefit concert in NYC. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will take their two-man act to Radio City Music Hall on April 4th in the name of the David Lynch (yes, that one) Foundation, which "provides funds to teach students how to meditate so they can change their world from within." Rolling Stone points out this is right up their alley, or at least it would have been decades ago when the Fab Four traveled to India to visit with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Discussing the benefit, McCartney touched on his meditation practices, saying “In moments of madness, it has helped me find moments of serenity." Joining them in the transcendentalfest are Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Moby and many more (including appearances by Russell Simmons and Laura Dern). Tickets on sale starting March 9th. more ›

In November, Charlie Rose sat down with rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z. The musician is originally from Brooklyn and late in the interview Rose queries about the expected success of the Nets once they move to Kings County. Jay-Z is very enthusiastic about the potential of the team and the virtues of the borough, as he prefaces every statement about Brooklyn with the words "we" and "ours." It is unintentionally comedic then when Rose immediately follows up with the question "And where do you live now?" The answer is a terse "In Manhattan, uh." The exchange begins around 48 minutes and 45 seconds into the interview and a quick transcript is available at the Atlantic Yards Report site here. It reminded us of the first time that we heard that director Spike Lee had moved to the Upper East Side. more ›