1999
April: Paul becomes a first-time grandfather after the birth of Alistair and daughter Mary's 7 pound boy in a West London hospital. The baby is named Arthur.
Mid-June: In a surprise interview with Billboard magazine editor (and George friend) Timothy White, George reveals plans for a new album, called, in typical George humor, "Portrait of a Leg End." Song titles mentioned were "Valentine," "Pisces Fish," and "Brainwashed." He also says he's assembling a boxed set of unreleased material and has plans to re-release his now out-of-print CDs with bonus tracks. No dates for this are given.
July 18: "A Garland For Linda," a tribute concert for Linda McCartney at Royal Albert Hall, features the Pretenders, Tom Jones (who sings "She's a Woman"), John Tavener and others. The concert concludes with a performance by Paul.
Sept. 14: After being out of print for years, "Yellow Submarine" is reissued on video (and for the first time on DVD) with remastered picture and sound. A companion CD, "Yellow Submarine Soundtrack," featuring all Beatle tracks (no instrumentals) is also issued, also with remastered sound. Though the new issue is geared to video, the movie is screened in a series of short theatrical engagements around the country. The picture and sound look tremendous in the theater.
Sept. 20: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) holds a gala in Los Angeles where an award in Linda McCartney's name will be inaugurated. The first recipient is Pamela Anderson Lee. Paul performs six songs from "Run Devil Run" with a band that includes Pink Floyd's David Gilmour.
Oct. 5: Paul releases "Run Devil Run," an album in which he covers obscure vintage rock songs (along with premiering three new Macca rockers). In interviews, Paul says that before her death, Linda encouraged him to do the project. To promote the release, he appears at several "listening parties" where the CD is played. He also performs songs live on TV and at the PETA gala.
Oct. 19: Paul issues his third classical album, "Working Classical," containing short classical pieces and classical versions of McCartney songs. The album rises to the top spot on the Billboard classical charts.
Oct. 19: Ringo issues a Christmas album, "I Wanna Be Santa Claus," the first ever Christmas album released commercially by the Beatles. It includes a remake of "Christmastime Is Here Again."
November: As the millennium comes to a close, the Beatles are accorded numerous honors. In November, Billboard reported that the Beatles were the top-selling musical act of the century, according to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). Also, that month, Entertainment Weekly magazine named them the top "Entertainers of the Millennium." They placed 76th in A&E's "Biography of the Millennium: 100 People, 1,000 Years."
Dec. 14: Paul performs with his "Run Devil Run" band (David Gilmour, Pete Wingfield, Mick Green, Ian Paice) in an evening performance at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, his first performance there in over 30 years. Paul sings 13 songs, most from the album, but also including "Twenty Flight Rock" and "I Saw Her Standing There." Among those in attendance were Paul's family, John's half-sister Julia Baird, and one-time Cavern compere Bob Wooler.
Dec. 30: George Harrison narrowly escapes death after an intruder breaks into Friar Park in the middle of the night and stabs him in the chest. The one-inch wound misses vital arteries by inches, keeping the wounds from being life-threatening. His wife, Olivia, was also wounded slightly during the scuffle with the intruder. She reportedly saved his life by hitting the intruder on the head with a lamp, giving him a black eye and lacerations. George is discharged from the hospital late New Year's Day. The suspected intruder is charged with attempted murder of both George and Olivia and is held in a medium secure psychiatric unit.
Dec. 30: George Harrison and his wife Olivia are attacked by a knife-wielding intruder in their mansion. The incident occurred about 3:30 a.m. local time at their mansion in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. Harrison, 56, suffered knife wounds to his chest as they battled to detain their assailant as police arrived. The wounds narrowly missed his heart. The one-inch wound reportedly misses vital arteries by inches. His wife Olivia received lacerations to the head. It is later revealed that Olivia saved her husband's life by clubbing the assailant over the head with a lamp, giving him a black eye and lacerations. George showed signs of recovering from his injuries very quickly. While still in the hospital, a hospital spokesman told reporters, "The quote he gave me was that the man wasn't a burglar but that he certainly wasn't auditioning for the Travelling Wilburys." George also was quoted as saying, "I can see the headlines already -- George has had a hard day's night." George is discharged from the hospital late New Year's Day. The suspected intruder is charged with attempted murder of both George and Olivia and is held in a medium secure psychiatric unit. The assailant, Michael Abram of Liverpool, is later found innocent by reason of insanity. Abram later sent a letter of apology to the Harrisons. "I wish to say how sorry I am for the alarm, distress and injury that I have caused when I was ill. I thought my delusions were real and that everything that I was experiencing was some kind of witchcraft."