While the Beatles appeared to be on top of the music industry, selling over 600 million albums, the group shocked fans and the world when they decided to disband. Over the following years, the band continued to receive high praise for their contributions to the industry. Helping inspire countless artists, the Beatles landed a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 1988. And in November, the band received nominations for the hit song “Now and Then” from the GRAMMY Awards. But although the Beatles received nominations, only the two remaining members would walk away with the award if the band won.
With the GRAMMY Awards announcing the nominations, many seemed surprised when the Beatles gained the nominations. Although gaining nominations in 2024, “Now and Then” was written back in the late 1970s. Originally written by John Lennon, he recorded parts of the song on a five minute demo. Sadly, in December 1980, Lennon lost his life when he was shot several times. Considered to be the “Last Beatles Song”, “Now and Then” hit the airwaves on November 2, 2023.
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Although a crucial part to the fame of the Beatles, both Lennon and George Harrison didn’t meet the requirements for the GRAMMY Awards due to them being dead for more than five years. While not part of the nominations, the band is up for record of the year and best rock performances. If the remaining members do win in one of the categories, they are sure to take a moment and honor the Beatles and the friends they lost.
[RELATED: 5 Iconic Audio Engineering Moments From the Beatles]
Ringo Starr Goes Country After The Beatles
While the Beatles explored a career in rock music, Ringo Starr went on to produce a promising solo career with albums like Give More Love, Goodnight Vienna, and Choose Love. He also dabbled in country music.
Discussing how much he enjoyed country music, the musician explained, “Country music has always been good for me. I just love the emotion of country music. It was quiet big in Liverpool, because Liverpool is a port, and a lot of the lads who where in the merchant navy would go to America and they´d bring records back. So we were listening to a lot of stuff. That was the first time it had been heard by English people.”
Noting the importance of country music in places like Liverpool, Starr promised, “Sister Rosetta Thorpe, the only gig she did in Britain was at The Cabin [one of the city’s historic music venues]. I was there, you know, and she blew me away.”
(Photo by Reg Lewis/Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
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