andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

Paul McCartney will receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, reports CBC. The former Beatle, 67, is the third person to receive the honour for songwriting, administered by the U.S. Library of Congress.

“It is hard to think of another performer and composer who has had a more indelible and transformative effect on popular song and music of several different genres than Paul McCartney,” said James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress.

“As a great admirer of the Gershwins’ songs, I am highly honoured to be given the Gershwin Prize by such a great institution,” McCartney said.

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Ireland’s The Script were one of UK’s biggest breakout bands last year and now they’re on their way to becoming the next big thing in the U.S. The Irish trio consists of Danny O’Donoghue (keys and vocals), Mark Sheehan (guitar), and Glen Power (drums).

In case you haven’t heard their single “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved,” that’s burning up charts, The Script boasts a new brand of Celtic Soul with a blend of hip hop lyrical flow, rock dynamics, pop melodies and R&B production.

Their self-titled album was released in the U.S. on March 17, after debuting in the UK, selling more copies of their first album than any other debut group.

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Paul McCartney is set to share a day in the life of Stephen Colbert.

According to Comedy Central, the former Beatle will be a guest on the talk show host’s “The Colbert Report” today (Wednesday).

It is McCartney’s only scheduled U.S. late-night appearance in support of his latest album, “Electric Arguments,” which the musician recorded under the band name the Fireman alongside producer/musician Youth.

“The Colbert Report” airs on the Comedy Network and CTV in Canada.

And for more McCartney, check out his performance next weekend at the Grammy Awards with the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl on drums.

Sir Paul McCartney wants Britain to adopt the Australian practice of “Meat-free Mondays,” to help the environment.

He told The Grocer, “A lot of people go to the gym on a Monday. With meat-free Mondays, it’s a bit like going to the gym but with the added advantage of protecting the planet.”

Because of the huge environmental impact of cattle rearing and meat production, this would mean that less meat would be eaten, so less animals would be needed to feed the population. Thus, the impact of the industry would be reduced.

McCartney points out that though he is a vegetarian, it’s the UN who is encouraging this action.

“One of the most significant conclusions of the recent report on climate change was that we should eat less meat. This is not the Vegetarian Society that said that. It’s the UN,” he said.

Sir Paul McCartney is inviting you over for dinner – a virtual dinner, that is.

On Thursday, fans of the former Beatle can log onto his website to register for “Night of a Thousand Dinners,” which will feature recipes for an all-vegetarian menu put together by TV chef Jamie Oliver.

For a minimum donation of $25, “dinner” guests will also be rewarded with a download of a new McCartney song, “Lifelong Passion (Sail Away).”

The song is the result of a collaboration between influential producer Youth and McCartney, who recorded the track under the name The Fireman.

It’s all for a good cause: Proceeds from the event, which takes place in conjunction with World Environment Day, will go to the Adopt-a-Minefield campaign.

The charity, for which McCartney is an ambassador, focuses on raising funds to clear arable land of landmines so that farmers can grow food.

You don’t need to go to school to get a degree at Yale. You just need to be a Beatle.

Sir Paul McCartney received an honourary doctorate of music from the University on Monday.

McCartney was present, wearing a sash and all, and was serenaded with “Hey Jude” as he received the honour.

“You have played every chord, touched every emotion, here, there, and everywhere,” said Yale president Richard Levin. “You have pushed the boundaries of the familiar to create new classic.”

To watch a video of the ceremony, click here.

Paul McCartney will have to shell out about $48.6 million to ex-wife Heather Mills in their highly publicized divorce case.

The U.K. usually maintains privacy laws pertaining to divorce cases but a court document was leaked Monday and revealed that a British judge awarded Mills $33 million, plus $15.6 million in assets.

The former Beatle and his estranged wife split in 2006 and the bitter divorce battle ensued. Mills accused McCartney of abusive behaviour and attacked the media for portraying her in a negative light.

Both parties were present at London’s High Court when the decision was ruled on Monday.

After the ruling, Mills told reporters that she was “pleased it’s over.”

McCartney’s camp said the 61-year old singer will not make a public statement on the issue.

Fans of SIR PAUL McCARTNEY have started a campaign to boycott his estranged wife HEATHER MILLS’ new reality show DANCING WITH THE STARS.

The former model made her debut on the show last night, in what is though to be an attempt to repair her image during a damaging divorce battle with the former BEATLE.

But McCartney devotees are urging TV viewers to turn their backs on the show.

One internet posting, on a site dedicated to the show, reads, “The best thing fans could do is not to watch the show at all, and her offers will immediately dry up. Why reward ABC for hiring her? Bad ratings are the best revenge.”

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.

SIR PAUL McCARTNEY has been allowed to keep a wildlife-watching pavilion in the grounds of his East Sussex home, despite flouting strict planning permission laws.

Officials on England’s Rother District Council on Thursday gave their retrospective consent for the $1.9 million hut, which was built by the former BEATLE three years ago in the grounds of his 933-acre Peasmarsh estate and was often used as a hideaway by estranged wife HEATHER MILLS.

McCartney offered to remove the cabin – set on stone piers and featuring an outdoor observation deck – but councillors in Rother were keen to save the building, which officials have now deemed as “an acceptable design within the area of natural outstanding beauty”.

Woodlands Farm, where McCartney built the cabin, has been his family home for more than 25 years.

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.

SIR PAUL McCARTNEY is planning to lay bare his feelings about his bitter divorce battle with HEATHER MILLS on his next studio album.

The former BEATLE split from his second wife Mills in May last year after four years of marriage, and began divorce proceedings in July.

Now the 64-year-old is set to reveal all to his fans in the follow up to 2005 release CHAOS AND CREATION IN THE BACKYARD, which is scheduled for next year.

Speaking to British newspaper the Daily Express, a source says, “Paul never stops writing songs and they often reflect what’s going on in his life at the time, even during his days as a Beatle.

“It’s now understood that tracks on his next album will include some direct references to his recent difficulties. He’s also said to have written a song to his three-year-old daughter BEATRICE, explaining to her how things turned out the way they did.

“Paul has been through a lot in his life and songwriting has long been a cathartic process.”

(c) 2007 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All global rights reserved. No unauthorized copying or re-distributing permitted.