Beatles Letter To Be Auctioned Off

Here's an auction item you might not see on eBay, it's and authentic handwritten letter by The Beatles inviting a drummer to audition for the band. Paul McCartney wrote the letter on August 12th, 1960. Pete Best was still the band's drummer at the time and it was not known if The Beatles were seriously looking for a replacement, or to whom the letter was addressed. It reads, quote: "We would like to offer you an audition for the position of drummer in the group. You will, however, need to be free soon for a trip to Hamburg (expenses paid £18 per week (approx) for two months). If interested ring Jacaranda club and ask for a member of The Beatles." Three days later, The Beatles travelled as a five-piece, with Pete Best on drums and Stuart Sutcliffe on bass, to Germany. Ringo Starr, who knew the band from English and German dates, eventually replaced Pete Best as The Beatles drummer in 1962.

Hall of Fame Live

Cashing in on its legendary members, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is getting set to release some live music from its archives. The first collection titled 'The Best of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live' is due to go on sale November 1s. It will be three-CD set featuring performances by Billy Joel, Jimmy Page, Lynryd Skynryd, Al Green, Aerosmith, The Who and James Brown, among others. Part 2 of 'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live' will showcase performances from 1986 to 2009 and include live recordings of George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and John Fogerty. One track features Billy Joel performing The Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There," and another pairs Mick Jagger with Tina Turner to cover the Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Woman." The songs will be available for sale on iTunes beginning on November 15th.

Sunday Night Blues on CJIM

CJIM is proud to welcome Kevin Beale and Blues On The Marsh to our radio family. Blues on The Marsh is a truly international show direct from New Romney, England, featuring blues musicians from around the world. Kevin brings his extensive knowledge and pure passion for the blues in selecting songs and artists that are sure to please die-hard fans. Blues on The Marsh premiers this Sunday from 8-10 PM (ET) on CJIM.

Rod The Mod To Tell All

A new biography is due out from Scot-rocker Rod Stewart. The raspy-voiced blond crooner signed a deal with Random House to publish his memoirs. Don't be rushing off to the bookstores anytime soon, the book is not set for release until next year. That didn't stop Stewart from offering future readers a bit of titillation, saying: "Forget skeletons in the closet; this one's going to be socks and knickers under the bed." The singer is celebrating 50 years in the music business.

Queen Courting Gaga

Queen guitarist Brian May and Lady Gaga have been discussing the possibility of the chanteuse taking on the role of lead singer for the band. May recently approached Gaga, whose stage name is inspired by the song Radio Ga Ga. He told Britain's Daily Express: "We talk about going out on the road all the time but there’s a bit of a singer problem to put it mildly. We get a lot of offers to work with other people. I worked with Lady Gaga and she’s very creative and is someone we’ve talked about singing, fronting the band with. She’s not just a singer, she writes her own material."

Surviving Beatles Celebrate New Harrison Doc

The surviving Beatles were on hand at the London premiere of Martin Scorsese's new documentary on the life of George Harrison. Sir Paul McCartney called his former band mate "a great man" and "an all-round good boy." Scorsese told reporters that he had always been drawn to the late guitarist's work, that often featured messages of spirituality and hope. The director admitted he was fascinated by the artist. The documentary is titled "George Harrison: Living In The Material World" and will be shown in selected theaters as well as HBO in the U.S. The doc is made in two parts, the first detailing the rise to fame of the Beatles and the second on Harrison's solo music, philanthropic work and forays into film making. Harrison's wife Olivia provided a considerable part of her archival film to the documentary, even though she was at first hesitant because it was so personal. Ringo Starr said he felt touched that the story of George could still resonate so many years after his untimely death, telling reporters "It's far out. It's like the Beatles go on forever."

Yule Love STP Frontman's Latest Project

As the days grow shorter and colder it's that time once again when we look forward to the holidays. Just in time to put you in that magical state of mind comes news that well-known Yuletide musical icon Scott Weiland? Yes it's true, the Stone Temple Pilots frontman is releasing his very own Christmas album titled "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." Listeners will be treated to a broad array of styles, from big band swing to reggae to bossa nova versions of many traditional Christmas tunes, including “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “What Child Is This?” and “Silent Night.” This isn’t Weiland’s first sleigh ride. He previously released a cover version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” back in 2006. The release is set for Oct. 24th on Rhino Records.

Vintage Lemmy

Just a day after reporting Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley revealed their latest joint venture KISS wine and KISS beer, comes word that Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister has just launched a line of wines. The Ace of Spades crooner launched a Shiraz in Sweden last year, selling over 120,000 bottles of the fermented grape. The wine will soon be available in his native UK. Kilmister claims the wine has been, "hitting Scandinavia like a Lancaster bomber," and goes on to warn potential sommoliers: "approach it with caution. I mean, wine is deceptive, anything could happen." In addition to KISS, you can add Lemmy to a list of rockers come wine producers including Whitesnake, AC/DC and Queensrÿche's Geoff Tate.