Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will perform together at VetsAid, the benefit concert founded by Joe Walsh, in what has been described as a rare reunion of two former Beatles. The organizers announced the appearance on a Monday, and only one show featuring the pair has been confirmed. The concert is held in January, and the announcement drew attention from fans and the wider music press because joint appearances by the two musicians have remained infrequent.
The reunion arrives as McCartney's business profile also draws notice. Forbes puts his net worth at $1.4 billion, ranking him third among the wealthiest musicians behind Taylor Swift and Jay-Z. Much of that fortune is tied to music ownership. His share of the Beatles catalogue is valued near $350 million, and he also controls MPL Communications, the publishing company that holds the Holly and Christmas standards catalogues. McCartney has not publicly responded to the Forbes figure.
McCartney's most recent solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, was released in May and again features Starr. The record earned McCartney his first Mercury Prize shortlisting, a milestone for a solo project that reflects a sustained creative run beyond his Beatles years. The collaboration with Starr on that album gives the upcoming VetsAid appearance additional context, since the two have continued to work together in recent releases.
Looking further ahead, Sam Mendes is directing a set of Beatles biopics scheduled for April 2028. The four films, each focused on a different member of the band, cast Paul Mescal, Dickinson, Quinn and Keoghan. They have been approved by Apple Corps and the surviving members, a detail that signals the cooperation of the band's estate and remaining members in the project.
Elsewhere in music news, Tom A. Smith has announced his debut album, The Golden Gates. Smith, 22, was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and had undergone five surgeries by the age of four. The lead single, Carry That Weight, was co-written with Hugo White, and the album was co-produced by Barry Hyde of The Futureheads. Smith has said that his future health remains uncertain. The record moves across three chapters that explore frustration, love and acceptance, and its personal backdrop gives the songs a direct and candid frame.