Events - Event View

Instructor: John Mitchell
Course open to non-members, see registration details below.

The end of The Beatles marked the end of an era. There was a complex list of reasons for the break-up, and perhaps it was inevitable. They shot to fame so quickly and rode the wave so high. Over time, naturally, The Beatles began to develop artistically in different directions. Burgeoning desires for solo careers as a way to express their creative impulses only increased. We’ll look at the reasons for the break-up and life after the Beatles.

Week 1
The breakup of The Beatles was multifaceted: money problems, Brian Epstein's death, John's relationship with Yoko, not to mention creative divergences, internal power struggles, and the evolving artistic impulses of all four Beatles. The end came as a shock to their fans, but they had seen it coming for a few years.

Week 2
Paul just wanted to continue like nothing had happened; John wanted to run as far away as possible from the Beatles; George was no longer the “Third” Beatle,” he could be his own man; and Ringo just had to figure out what to do. As individuals they never again reached the critical and commercial heights that they had been able to achieve as a group.

Week 3
In 1970 each Beatle put out a debut solo album, proving that the fractures had begun long before the split was announced. The film “Get Back”, meant to chronicle a renewed musical focus for the group, merely showed a slow and painful end, even though their last album, “Let it Be” wasn’t released until April 1970.

Week 4
For nearly a decade, rumours of a possible Beatles reunion persisted and both fans and critics alike dreamed of what might be, but each Beatle rejected any idea of a reunion that would interfere with their own personal careers. Then in 1980 John Lennon was horribly gunned down in New York and any possibility of a reunion died with him.

Week 5
In his time since The Beatles, Paul has released 26 studio records, with 22 number one hits. John’s work was not a commercial success, but his raw emotion was acclaimed by the critics. George’s work used songs that he wrote that were rejected by the Beatles, which now were regarded with critical acclaim and much commercial success.

Week 6
Then George died in 2001 and there were just two. Both Paul and Ringo have continued releasing new material and touring well into their 80s, but the legacy of the Beatles is so much more than any of its parts. “They crossed the road and changed the world!”