Beatles' tapes owner told to get psych care
AP, Jul 14, 2006 2:21 pm PDTA London judge ruled Friday that a schizophrenic who was found in possession of 504 Beatles tapes should be placed under mental health supervision for two years.
Nigel Oliver, 55, sat silently as judge Jeremy McMullen delivered his sentence, calling Oliver "the driving force" behind the missing Beatles memorabilia, which included tapes recorded during the historic "Get Back" sessions_ precursors to the final hit 1970's album "Let It Be."
Oliver's haul included more than 80 hours of long-lost footage, which he attempted to sell in Jan. 2003 to undercover police officers Amsterdam, Holland for 250,000 pounds ($460,000, or 362,000 euros).
Though he was found by a jury to have handled the stolen tapes and also Beatles guitarist George Harrison's 1960 passport on Thursday, the jury could not find Oliver "guilty" because he had been declared him unfit to plead at a previous hearing.
Documents giving out instructions for the sale and the passport were found during a police search of Oliver's home.
Cover versions of songs such as Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart were included on the tapes which held more than 200 one-time versions of Beatles songs, Neil Aspinall, the band's original road manager told the jury earlier in the trial.
It is not clear who stole the tapes that disappered between 1969-1973.
More Artist News
Paul McCartney takes Meat-Free Mondays to EU
Dec 3, 2009 8:00 am PST
Paul McCartney took his "Meat-Free Mondays" campaign to the European Parliament on Thursday, saying the power to halt global warming lies as much with individuals as with their governments. McCartney met in Brussels with Rajendra K. Pacha...
McCartney pens song for DeNiro film about widower
Dec 3, 2009 4:00 am PST
There are only so many songwriting suggestions an outsider is allowed to offer Paul McCartney. Kirk Jones, director of the new Robert DeNiro movie, "Everybody's Fine," found the limit. McCartney, who has written only a handful of songs sp...
Ringo, McCartney duet on Starr's latest solo album
Nov 19, 2009 2:00 pm PST
Ringo Starr is joined by his former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney for a duet on "Y Not," the drummer's forthcoming solo album due out Jan 12, 2010. The Universal Music release also includes vocal turns by Joss Stone, Ben Harper and ...
2 sites selling Beatles songs to remain shut down
Nov 18, 2009 9:00 pm PST
Two Web sites that sold songs by The Beatles for 25 cents apiece should remain shut down indefinitely, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. U.S. District Judge John F. Walter issued a preliminary injunction against BlueBeat.com and Basebeat.c...
US Library of Congress to honor Paul McCartney
Nov 16, 2009 8:00 am PST
The U.S. Library of Congress is awarding Paul McCartney its third Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Librarian of Congress James Billington announced the prize Monday. An all-star tribute concert is planned for early 2010, though the librar...
Loading...
