McCartney, Joel, Madonna: Local Music Legends Make News

Amagansett resident Paul McCartney will appear in at least one scene with Johnny Depp in the upcoming film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Currently in post-production and set for release in the summer of 2017, the fifth film in the series is making a tradition of famous musicians appearing in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The inspiration for Depp’s Jack Sparrow character, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones has played the role of Sparrow’s father, Captain Teague, in the last two movies—and he may make an appearance alongside McCartney in the next one.

McCartney has also announced the release date of his new collection, Pure McCartney, for Friday June 10. The album will showcase 67 highlights of his musical career, from his solo work and as part of Wings and Fireman. The album is available for preorder and will be released in 2CD, 4CD, 4LP and digital format.

In other local music legend news, Sag Harbor’s Billy Joel has had his most popular and beloved song, “Piano Man,” selected by the Library of Congress for inclusion in their National Recording Registry. Only 25 recordings are chosen for preservation in the national collection each year, and Joel’s famous work was honored alongside John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme,” Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” and a few others.

This isn’t Joel’s first encounter with the Library of Congress. On July 22, 2014, the Piano Man received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song—an annual award given by the Library of Congress to a composer or performer whose lifetime contributions have profound and positive effects on the popular music of the world’s culture.

The conclusion of Bridgehampton resident Madonna’s Rebel Heart tour marked her as having the third highest-grossing solo tour act ever, following the Rolling Stones and U2. Having earn $1.31 billion from the various stops on her tour, Madge became the highest-grossing solo touring act in the history of Billboard Boxscore.