The Beatles

If Paul McCartney ever gets tired of selling out stadiums, he's got a career as a wedding singer, which he proved when he grabbed the mic over the weekend at his nephew's nuptials.

Macca did an impromptu performance for about 300 guests at Fresh Meadow Country Club in Long Island on Saturday with the 20-piece wedding band. The groom was from his wife Nancy's side of the family.

So, what track did Paul -- who turns 76 today BTW -- pick from The Beatles' catalog? "All You Need Is Love"? "In My Life"? "I Saw Her Standing There"? "Twist & Shout"?

Pierce Brosnan's Bob Dylan painting sold for more than $1 million, and TMZ's learned the new owner is none other than the woman who plunked down $17.8 mil on Kim and Kanye's Bel-Air mansion.

We're told Ukrainian billionaire Marina Acton snapped up 007's painting of Zimmy earlier this week at the 25th annual amFAR Cannes charity gala.

Pierce, who first took up painting back in the '80s, has gotten more serious about it, and the price tag on his work proves it -- Marina dropped $1.4 million.

As for Acton ... she's quickly building a rep for pricey Hollywood collectibles. You already know about the Bel-Air crib Kim and Kanye initially bought for $9 million back in 2013.

Not long after that purchase, Acton also shelled out another $2 million for some Beatles history.

John Lennon was not a saint. In fact, The Beatles legend is a "bad guy" ... so says NFL star Chris Long.

Long was responding to a Twitter challenge where he was supposed to state a "controversial yet unproblematic opinion" ... and he wrote, "John Lennon was a bad guy."

The Philadelphia Eagles stud doubled down in all caps -- "JOHN LENNON WAS A BAD GUY AND IF THIS MAKES YOU MAD UNFOLLOW ME."

When asked why he felt this way, Long responded, "It’s easier for me because I don’t care for the Beatles. I don’t feel a need to cape for an abuser."

Long is clearly referring to Lennon's admission that he physically abused women -- something he touched on during a 1980 Playboy interview.

"All that 'I used to be cruel to my woman, I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved' was me. I used to be cruel to my woman, and physically -- any woman."

"I was a hitter. I couldn't express myself and I hit. I fought men and I hit women. That is why I am always on about peace, you see. It is the most violent people who go for love and peace."

"Everything's the opposite. But I sincerely believe in love and peace. I am not violent man who has learned not to be violent and regrets his violence. I will have to be a lot older before I can face in public how I treated women as a youngster."

In fact, his first wife, Cynthia, wrote a book and said Lennon once slapped her in the face.

Sir Paul McCartney just topped his Beatles drummer ... and joined 'Harry Potter' author J.K. Rowling.

Queen Elizabeth made Sir Paul a Companion of Honour Friday morning when she placed the medal around his neck during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. As for what the honour means -- it's given to people who've made outstanding achievements. J.K., Dame Judi Dench and Sir Ian McKellen are among the other honourees.

The timing kinda sucks for Ringo Starr though. He juuuust caught up to Paul less than 2 months ago when HE got knighted.

You can officially put a "Sir" on it -- Ringo Starr took a knee Tuesday morning and received his Knighthood, a mere 21 years after Sir Paul McCartney ... but no one's counting, right?

The Beatles drummer was dubbed into the club, of royal knights by Prince William at Buckingham Palace. Aside from Paul ... he joins Elton John, Rod Stewart and Mick Jagger as the biggest rock stars to get the honor. Bono got an honorary knighthood ... that's why he doesn't get the Sir treatment.

Of course, it's debatable why it took so long for the 77-year-old Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer to get knighted.

John Lennon and George Harrison won't get it at all -- current rules require honorees to be living. Mostly everyone would agree Paul deserved it in 1997, and would also buy Ringo getting it AFTER Paul ... but TWO decades after???

Sure, Paul wrote the songs, but someone played the drums on those hits ... someone had to lay down the beat for The Beatles!

We're sure Ringo ain't complaining. Just peace and love, peace and love, baby.

Reese Witherspoon and Paul McCartney now have a special connection through their own flesh and blood, and the big question -- is it a case of love me do ... or hello, goodbye?

Reese and Ryan Phillippe's daughter, 18-year-old Ava Phillippe, was out strolling the streets of London earlier this week with Paul's eldest grandson, Arthur Donald McCartney, who's also 18.

Ava seemed pretty smitten with the dude, and we can't blame her ... Arthur's kind of a stud with Beatles-esque charm flowing through his veins. Ava and Arthur also stopped off for a drink at a bar. Chill, they're legal to booze in the UK.

BTW ... Arthur's mom is Mary McCartney -- Paul and Linda's first child together.

Hard to tell if Ava and Arthur are just in the friend zone or starting a romance.

Months before John Lennon told The Beatles he wanted out, he was so focused on Yoko Ono ... he hand wrote a Christmas card to her ex-husband, which is now available for wealthy collectors.

Lennon penned the card to music producer Tony Cox in December 1968. Cox and Ono were married from 1962-69 ... so they weren't officially divorced yet when Lennon wrote to him.

The card ain't exactly full of holiday cheer, instead it's all about Yoko moving out -- "We took most of the stuff I think - we're gradually going through it."

John also asks Tony to fork over 2 of Yoko's short films and master tapes from a February 1968 concert she'd performed. The card, and enclosed letter, is being sold on MomentsInTime.com. They're asking $15k for it ... which is kind of a steal considering a lock of John's hair went for $35k.

No one's bigger than The Beatles, not even Justin Bieber ... according to Ringo Starr himself.

The legendary drummer did dinner Tuesday night at Il Segreto in Bel Air with ex-Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh, who once played in Ringo's All-Starr Band.

So the question ... if The Beatles and Bieber had both been around at the same time, who'd open for who?

If Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Tom Hanks and Dave Grohl go out for dinner -- as they did Wednesday night in Santa Monica -- who picks up the tab?

The legends came together with their wives at Giorgio Baldi for what has to be the most hall of fameiest meal ever. Think about it -- Beatles, Eagles, Nirvana ... plus Forrest freakin' Gump!

BTW ... it's a trick question. No one in their right mind would charge such a legendary table, we're guessing.

And for good measure ... Martin Short with Maya Rudolph were also in the the restaurant. Basically, it was a tourist's wet dream.

The Beatles fans could own a very cool piece of the iconic band's history -- the drum kit used for the recording of their first American single, which was played by the "Fifth Beatle."

Unless you're a total fanatic, you probably don't know Andy White replaced Ringo Starr on drums during the recording of "Love Me Do" ... their first #1 song in the U.S.

Nate D. Saunders Auctions has the set on the auction block until January 26, but you're gonna need Beatle-esque cash to score it. Bidding begins at $75,000.

Money can't buy you love, but it'll get you the legendary 4-piece that launched Beatlemania.

Paul McCartney is putting Sony Music on notice ... he's going to reclaim his copyright on a bunch of The Beatles hits in the very near future whether the label likes it or not.

Sony currently holds the copyright on the songs, but in legal docs Sir Paul says they will become his property again in 2018. The tracks -- including "Love Me Do," "All You Need Is Love" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" -- are part of the Sony ATV catalog.

It's the same group of songs Michael Jackson once controlled. His estate sold it to Sony outright last year ... for $750 million.

According to docs, McCartney's tried numerous times to get confirmation Sony will transfer the rights without a fight, but says he kept getting the run around.

Macca says he's being proactive by filing this lawsuit to get a little help from his friends -- in the court -- to declare the songs will be his again by next year.

George Harrison thought Christina Applegate was so adorable, he just wanted to eat her up ... at least according to David Faustino.

Faustino claims Harrison was infatuated with Kelly Bundy back in the "Married with Children" days ... and what he allegedly said will shock every Beatles fan on earth.

David's revelation went down on Matt Weiss and Theo Von's "Allegedly" podcast.

You'll never hear "Come Together" the same way ever again.

George Martin, the incredibly brilliant producer of The Beatles who was such an influence on the group he was known as "the 5th Beatle" -- has died.

Martin passed away Wednesday at his home in London.

His influence cannot be understated. When Martin met the Beatles in 1962 he was not impressed ... he felt their music was all over the place, but, as he put it, "They were like plants in a hothouse. They grew incredibly fast."

Martin got initial resistance from John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who wrote the songs for the group, but they quickly grew to trust Martin like a partner. When they were recording "Yesterday," it was Martin who wanted to add a string quartet. Paul didn't get it at first, saying "We're a rock 'n' roll band!" Paul relented, and an empowered Martin added a cello and violin.

Martin's knowledge of technology was inspiration for the group ... best shown in songs like "Penny Lane," "Strawberry Fields Forever" and the crown jewel -- the album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

Paul called Martin "a second father," but all 4 guys revered him.

Several locks of John Lennon's hair are on the auction block, and even though it's already going for five figures ... it's a steal as Lennon memorabilia goes.

Heritage Auction out of Dallas is hawking a 4-inch chunk of John's hair -- a hairdresser cut it off before his role in a 1967 movie called, "How I Won The War" -- and the current bid is at $12k.

Past Lennon items have gone for way more than that: his '65 Rolls Royce Phantom V sold for $2.23 MILLION, and Lennon's handwritten lyrics to "All You Need is Love" fetched $1.25 million.

So chances are the price on Lennon's locks will go through the roof too. Get your bids in now!

The bubbly '60s pop tune "Hippy Hippy Shake" is still making money -- 50 years after The Beatles grooved to it -- now there's a fight brewing over who gets to keep the cash.

At least 5 different people or businesses are claiming they're entitled to royalties from the song -- including the original writer ... according to court docs obtained by TMZ.

Universal Music -- which pays out the royalties -- filed the docs because it's not sure who rightfully deserves the dough ... and wants a judge to figure it out.

It's a nice chunk of change, too ... the song has been recorded by several different artists (including The Swinging Blue Jeans in this 1963 vid) and still gets airplay. In the last 6 months of 2013 the diddy earned $5,368 ... and Universal expects it to rake in at least another $20K in the future.

There are dozens of things that don't make sense in Lady Gaga's "G.U.Y." music video ... but TMZ has solved ... The Mystery of the Empty Coffin.

In the video, which has over 13 million views on YouTube already, there's a part where Gaga resurrects Michael Jackson, Gandhi and Jesus from the dead ... and they emerge from smoke-filled coffins. But if you watched closely, you would have noticed 4 coffins ... but only 3 resurrections.

TMZ has learned the fourth dead celeb was supposed to be John Lennon. We spoke with Alexander Karavay, who was cast for the part after submitting the photo below. He shot his scenes, but was cut from the final version.

Karavay says he's bummed he got the ax -- he'd told his family and friends he was in the video -- but he understands Gaga is an artist and perhaps it was her vision to cut him out.

We're all at the mercy of Gaga.