THE BEATLES are planning a comeback with Happy Mondays vocalist Shaun Ryder taking the place of the late JOHN LENNON, nme.com can reveal.
The plan was apparently hatched at February’s NME Premier Awards, after Sir Paul McCartney picked up the gong on behalf of The Beatles for Best Band Ever and Shaun Ryder received the Godlike Genius Award.
The pair, something of a mutual admiration club, posed for photos together and afterwards Ryder offered his services as a stand-in Lennon.
Later during the awards party, McCartney and Ryder approached Glastonbury Festival organiser Michael Eavis to play the event. Eavis told nme.com that nothing had been confirmed yet, but that he was “very interested” in the proposition.
Since then, McCartney has contacted the other remaining Beatles, Harrison and Starr; both are said to be interested in a reunion.
This amazing story came to light over the weekend when Ryder rang nme.com to announce the plans.
He said: “I’d do fookin’ anything for money me, but this ain’t about that. It’s about a meeting of minds. I always fancied being in The Beatles too, they were top.”
See nme.com later today for more updates on this story.