Former Major League Baseball player Jose DeLeon has passed away after a battle with cancer.

The 63-year-old is remembered for a storied career in the Majors, which began with his 1983 debut with the Pirates that put him firmly in the public eye.

Jose DeLeon MLB

That season he finished seventh in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. During that season, he posted a record of seven wins and three losses in a total of 15 starts on the mound, including three complete games.

He further distinguished himself by leading the National League in strikeouts in 1989 with a total of 201, which at the time was a blistering number.

How did DeLeon’s career drop off?

Two years later, however, DeLeon’s career took an unexpected turn when he led the league in losses, accumulating an unfavorable record of 2 wins and 19 losses before being traded to the White Sox in exchange for Bobby Bonilla during the 1986 season.

During that same year, he starred in a thrilling showdown at Fenway Park against Red Sox standout pitcher Roger Clemens, earning a 1-0 victory in a nationally televised game as part of ABC’s “Monday Night Baseball” program.

He was subsequently traded to the Cardinals prior to the 1988 season, where he posted a record of 13 wins and 10 losses. It was in 1989, however, that DeLeon regained his form and shone brightest, enjoying the best year of his career with a record of 16 wins and 12 losses, accompanied by an impressive 3.05 ERA in 36 starts, including five complete games.

His 201 strikeouts led the National League, surpassing Dodgers right-hander Tim Belcher, who was second with 200. DeLeon also became only the second Cardinals pitcher to reach the 200-strikeout mark in back-to-back seasons.

Despite these accomplishments, however, he struggled again in 1990, leading the league in losses with an unfavorable record of 7 wins and 19 losses. Consistency had always been a significant problem throughout his time in the Majors.

Throughout his career, he experienced ups and downs, struggling not only with his effectiveness on the mound, but also with bad fortune on several occasions. One example was a memorable 1989 start, where he pitched 11 shutout innings without getting a win. Likewise, in a standout performance in 1985, he struck out 14 Mets players in a game in which he failed to secure a personal victory.

DeLeon, who also pitched for the Phillies and Expos, finished his career with a record of 86 wins and 119 losses, but a respectable 3.76 ERA. He also appeared in the 1993 postseason with the White Sox.

Feud Explodes: Reba McEntire Is ‘Pressing Dolly Parton’s Buttons Big Time & Always Trying To One-Up’ Her, Insider Spills

SOURCE: MEGA

Two of the biggest country stars at at war! Reba McEntire wants to get back into the sitcom world, but it seems like her pal Dolly Parton is not letting that happen, causing friction between the two.

“There’s always been a friendly rivalry there, only now Reba’s pressing Dolly’s buttons big-time,” spills an insider. “Reba’s always trying to one-up Dolly in everything she does.”

SOURCE: MEGA

“She’s not bitter or b**chy about it, but there’s a ruthless and kind of restless streak there, for sure, and a part of Reba would love to get one over on her old pal!” the source continues.

Recently, the red-headed beauty admitted that she would be on board with reviving her hit show Reba.

“We’ve really been trying hard to do a reboot of the Reba show. I really want to work with the people that I got to work with during that six and a half years,” she previously shared.

SOURCE: MEGA

But the “Jolene” singer is allegedly getting in the way of McEntire’s acting career.

“Dolly loves Reba, but she can find her a little intense at times,” the source dishes. “Everyone knows Dolly’s the undisputed queen of country. Everything she touches turns to gold. She’s got her music, her producing, her amusement park and many other endeavors. But Reba’s telling all their mutual friends she’s going to be bigger than Dolly. In the past, Dolly’s just said, ‘Ah, shucks’ and looked away. So, it’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out!”

SOURCE: MEGA

Apparently, this is not the first time the country stars have bickered. In 2020, they butted heads about how they would honor late pal Kenny Rogers at a tribute concert. “Each thought they meant more to Kenny than the other, and it sparked a little rift and caused awkwardness for everyone around them!” the insider reveals.

The source spoke with The National Enquirer.

Reba McEntire Reveals Her Secret to Feeling Joyful and Reflects on Her First-Ever Season on

McEntire caught up with PEOPLE at ‘The Voice,’ where two Team Reba contestants are in the finale

Reba McEntire. Photo:Casey Durkin/NBC via Getty

Reba McEntire has a whole lot to smile about these days.

Speaking to PEOPLE ahead of Monday night’s episode of The Voice, the country superstar opened up about the things in her life that bring her joy.

“I’m at a really good place in my life,” McEntire, 68, says.

“I’m happy, I’m in love. My kids are all healthy. My family’s healthy. So I’m happy,” adds the “I’m a Survivor” singer, who’s dating actor Rex Linn.

Rex Linn and Reba McEntire.Bruce Glikas/WireImage

As for The Voice, McEntire has two contestants heading into Tuesday night’s finale: Jacquie Roar and Ruby Leigh. On Monday night, they each put on two stunning performances. For Roar, it was covers of “Nights in White Satin” and “More Than a Feeling,” while Leigh sang “Desperado” and “Suspicious Minds.”

Win or lose on Tuesday night, McEntire — who is a first-time coach this season — says Team Reba will “go eat pizza and have fun.”

Niall Horan, Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani and John Legend.Tyler Golden/NBC via Getty

Looking forward, the “Fancy” performer is currently prepping her contestants for this season’s finale.

“They’re nervous. Absolutely. And I’m just telling ’em, get out there and have fun. You’re prepared, you’re ready to go. You know what you’re doing. Focus. Get out there and have fun,” she says.

Reflecting on the past several weeks, McEntire’s favorite part about joining fellow coaches Gwen Stefani, John Legend and Niall Horan for season 24 was making new friends.

“Working with the contestants, hanging out with the coaches. I’ve had so much fun. And the crew is wonderful. I’ve gotten to meet so many people that I’ll never forget,” she says.

Reba McEntire. Tyler Golden/NBC via Getty Images
Niall Horan Wants a Winning Streak on ‘The Voice’: ‘If Anyone Wants to Take Me on, Try It’ (Exclusive)

And as the end of the year approaches, McEntire has already planned her personal and professional New Years resolutions.

“Professional would be to continue doing what I love to do. Say no to the things that won’t be fun. Say yes to the things that will be,” she says. “Personal is to have fun — just continue being happy and healthy. That’s what I pray for daily.”

The Voice finale airs Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET on NBC with Roar, Leigh, Huntley (Team Niall), Mara Justine (Team Niall) and Lila Forde (Team Legend) vying for the winning title.

Zayn Malik Reveals the Real Reason He Left One Direction

Eight years after Zayn Malik left One Direction, he shared the true reason why he decided to go solo.

Zayn Malik was simply ready to live while he was still young.

In fact, as the One Direction alum—who formed the group with bandmates Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson in 2010—recently revealed, he knew the exact moment he needed to step away from the band five years after their debut.

“There was a lot of—look I don’t want to go into too much detail, but there was a lot of politics going on,” he said during the July 12 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast. “Certain people were doing certain things, certain people didn’t want to sign contracts, so I knew something was happening, so I just got ahead of the curve. I was like, ‘I’m just going to get out of here. I think this is done.’”

As the 30-year-old explained, he was more than ready to take charge of his own career.

“I completely selfishly wanted to be the first person to go and make my own record, if I’m being completely honest with you,” the dad to daughter Khai, 2, (with ex Gigi Hadid) said. “I was like, ‘I’m going to jump the gun here for the first time.’”

And though he would usually describe himself as “passive,” the “Pillowtalk” singer said he’s the opposite when it comes to his music.

“I’m serious about it and I’m competitive, so I wanted to be the first to go and do my own thing,” he added. “That was the reason—and then there was obviously underlying issues, like within our friendships too.”

But that’s not all the X Factor alum had to share. Keep reading for all the bombshells from Zayn’s rare interview.

Instagram

Zayn Malik Addresses 2021 Incident With Yolanda Hadid

Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid, who share 2-year-old daughter Khai, broke up in late 2021 amid reports he’d gotten into an argument with her mom Yolanda Hadid at the Pennsylvania home he shared with the model. According to a police report obtained by E! News that year, Zayn was accused of acting with “intent to harass, annoy or alarm” Gigi (who was not present) and Yolanda, while allegedly communicating “lewd, lascivious, threatening or obscene words.” At the time, Zayn denied the accusations and issued a statement, saying in part that he remained “vigilant” in protecting their daughter by giving her “the privacy she deserves.”

Nearly two years later, the singer stands by his statement.

“I knew what the situation was, I knew what happened and the people involved knew what happened too,” he told Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper. “And that’s all I really cared about. If anybody of the same mind would look at the situation, I believe that you could respect that I just didn’t want to bring attention to anything. I just wasn’t trying to get into a negative back and forth with her—any sort of narrative online where my daughter was going to look back and be able to read into it and it would just be something, there was no point.”

As Zayn explained, he believes he dealt with the situation “in an amicable, respectful way.”

“And that’s all that needs to be said,” he continued. “I just I feel like it’s a lot of negativity.”

Instagram

Zayn Malik Discusses Co-Parenting With Gigi Hadid

The One Direction alum also discussed the importance of keeping personal issues private. “If something happens in the family, like I’d rather keep that between the family,” he shared. “You don’t need a whole audience of people and opinions because it’s hard enough to manage between two.”

As for his co-parenting relationship with his ex, Zayn noted that he and Gigi have a “really good” bond, confirming that he has 50 percent custody.

“I’m super full on, hands on with my child every chance I can be,” he explained. “If I could get 60 percent, I would have it.”

Ken McKay/Talkback Thames/Shutterstock

Zayn Malik Details One Direction Taking Off to Superstardom

To say One Direction was huge when they debuted as a group in 2010 would be a bit of an understatement. In fact, as Zayn recalled, everything for him and fellow bandmates Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson changed within an instant.

“It was kind of strange, the visual evidence of life changing like people being outside of the studio and stuff,” he said. “When we were in the live shows, we started to get a fan base and an audience, you could see that people paying interest in us. From that point on, it was kind of a bit crazy.”

So much so that Zayn now realizes that he didn’t take it all in at first.

“I don’t I comprehended it at all,” he said of the sudden fame. “It was a rush, it was fun and then repetitive fun over and over again and eventually it’s going to take its toll.”

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Zayn Malik Reveals Why He Left One Direction

When Zayn left One Direction in 2015, he felt it was simply time for a change in direction.

“There was a lot of—look I don’t want to go into too much detail, but there was a lot of politics going on,” he said of the group. “Certain people were doing certain things, certain people didn’t want to sign contracts, so I knew something was happening, so I just got ahead of the curve. I was like, ‘I’m just going to get out of here. I think this is done.’…I completely selfishly wanted to be the first person to go and make my own record, if I’m being completely honest with you. I was like, ‘I’m going to jump the gun here for the first time.’”

Noting that he usually thinks of himself as a “passive dude,” Zayn admitted he takes a different approach when it comes to music.

“I’m serious about it and I’m competitive, so I wanted to be the first to go and do my own thing,” he continued. “That was the reason—and then there was obviously underlying issues, like within our friendships too.”

Getty Images

Zayn Malik Explains How He Views One Direction Now

As Zayn explained, it was just a matter of growing pains.

“We’ve been together every day for five years and we’ve got sick of each other, if I’m being completely honest,” he added. “We were close. We done crazy things with each other that nobody else in the world will ever understand or have those experiences that we’ve shared with each other, and I look back on it now in a much fonder light than I would’ve as I just left. There were great experiences, I had great times with them, but yeah, we just run our course.”

Raymond Hall/GC Images

Zayn Malik Shares Why He Took a Break From The Spotlight

Zayn’s recent interview marks his first major sit-down in six years, and as the “Flames” performer revealed, his step back was a much-need break after being part of such a well-known group.

“I think that’s why I’ve took the time I have to not even necessarily do interviews and do too much press exposure because I feel like we were so overexposed in the band that it takes a bit of time for you naturally to progress as a human,” he said, “and give something else that is interesting that you have to say.”

As he put it, “You don’t want to be sat there just saying the same s–t on repeat, you know? I mean day in, day out, like, I think this should be a good healthy break in between—and that was my approach to it. I feel like in terms of figuring out what your identity is as an artist, the only way you’re going to do that is by living.”

Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

Zayn Malik Shares How He Deals With Anxiety

Zayn shared that he suffers from anxiety, especially when it comes to performing in front of thousands of fans. But he’s found a new sense of bravery since being becoming a dad.

“For me, since I’ve had my daughter, since she was born, the main thing in my mind is trying to be a good example to her, in terms of—I can do things,” he shared. “I can achieve things and I can overcome things and you could do this too. And to let things like a feeling stop you from doing that, after having a child, feels like a really small thing.”

As he noted, “I used to get a lot of anxiety around having a conversation and I want her to be able to look at me be like, ‘My dad’s doing this, he’s the man. He’s cool.’”

Instagram

Zayn Malik Describes His Unbreakable Bond With His Daughter

“When I’m with her, I don’t work like at all,” he shared. “I just spend a full day with her doing things that she wants to do. We just have fun and I feel like I’ve like rekindled my own childhood through her. I feel like we get to a certain point in in adult life where everything’s kind of vague and gray and boring and she’s brought that color back for me for sure.”

George Pimentel/WireImage

Zayn Malik Explains Why He & Gigi Hadid Live in Pennsylvania

For Zayn, a quiet place to call home is what makes life beautiful.

“It’s interesting,” he said. “I ended up coming out here with my ex a bit, and I fell in love with it. It was just super calm and chill. And I just wanted to like take a break from like the busy city because  I was living in New York for three years at the time and it just got a bit overwhelming.”

Instagram

Zayn Malik Says New Music Will Feature Mentions of Daughter Khai

The “Dusk Till Dawn” singer revealed his forthcoming album will feature a sweet source of inspiration.

“I’m doing a record I don’t think people are really going to expect,” Zayn teased. “It’s a different sound for me and it’s got some more narrative going on, like real life experiences and stuff. So, yeah, my daughter’s mentioned in there a couple of times.”

After stealing the spotlight and our hearts on The X-Factor in 2010, One Direction skyrocketed to superstardom. Following Zayn Malik’s departure in 2015 and the group’s breakup in 2016, here’s what the five former bandmates have been up to since

01of 05

Liam Payne

SHIRLAINE FORREST/WIREIMAGE; MIKE MARSLAND/WIREIMAGE

After One Direction’s split, Liam Payne released his first solo EP, First Time, in 2018, followed by his debut studio album, LP1, the following year.

Payne and English singer and X Factor judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini — formerly of the girl group Girls Aloud — began dating in late 2015. They welcomed son Bear Grey in 2017, but in July 2018, Payne and Cheryl announced their split on social media after more than two years together.

Two years later, the “Strip That Down” singer became engaged to model Maya Henry, his rep confirming the news to PEOPLE in August 2020 after Henry was spotted out and about in London wearing a massive diamond ring. The pair were first romantically linked in August 2018.

However, Payne revealed in June 2021 that he and Henry called off their engagement. While the couple rekindled their relationship and got engaged a second time, they ultimately split again in May 2022.

After rumors swirled of a romance between Payne and influencer Kate Cassidy in November 2022, the pair made their red carpet debut as a couple at the British Fashion Awards in December of that year. In February 2023, Payne and Cassidy were spotted together at Netflix’s BAFTAs afterparty in London.

Payne has also been open about his dependency on alcohol in the past, spurred by his newfound One Direction superstardom.

02of 05

Harry Styles

GARETH CATTERMOLE/GETTY; DIA DIPASUPIL/GETTY

Oh, Harry Styles, how we adore you! Following the band’s breakup, Styles released his self-titled debut album in 2017. In 2019, he returned with his second album, Fine Line, spawning the song of summer, “Watermelon Sugar,” in 2020 and earning him his first Grammy Award in 2021. He released his third album, Harry’s House, in 2022, winning two Grammys in 2023, including album of the year. Styles boasts seven top 10 hits in the UK, counting his two No. 1 hit singles: “Sign of the Times” (2017) and “As It Was” (2022).

The singer-songwriter made his film debut in 2017’s Dunkirk and joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a surprise cameo in 2021’s Eternals. He also starred in 2022’s My Policeman and is renowned for his fashion choices, becoming the first man to land a solo cover of Vogue.

Styles initially kept details of his love life private, though he had a brief relationship with Taylor Swift from 2012 to 2013. He and Kendall Jenner also made headlines with their long-rumored, on-and-off romance. In 2021, he began a high-profile relationship with actress and filmmaker Olivia Wilde, with whom he costarred in her sophomore directorial effort Don’t Worry Darling in 2022.

Wilde and Styles split in November 2022 after two years together, but a source told PEOPLE in February 2023 the exes have remained “good friends.”

03of 05

Zayn Malik

MIKE MARSLAND/WIREIMAGE; JOHN SHEARER/GETTY

As the first member to leave the band in 2015, Zayn Malik set out to “be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight.” He’s since released three solo albums: 2016’s Mind of Mine, 2018’s Icarus Falls and 2021’s Nobody Is Listening. He had a No. 1 hit in 2016 in the U.S. and the UK with his single “Pillowtalk.”

Malik was previously engaged to Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards before breaking things off in 2015. That same year, Malik began an on-and-off relationship with model Gigi Hadid. Though the two welcomed daughter Khai in September 2020, the couple seemingly split for good after Malik was accused of “striking” Hadid’s mom, Yolanda Hadid, in October 2021. Malik later pleaded no contest to the charges and received 360 days of probation.

Malik and Hadid continue to co-parent their daughter.

04of 05

Louis Tomlinson

GARETH CATTERMOLE/GETTY; ZACH PAGANO/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK VIA GETTY

Louis Tomlinson, the oldest member of the boy band, was also the first to become a father, welcoming his first child, son Freddie Reign, in January 2016 with ex Briana Jungwirth. In 2017, he released two singles, “Back to You” and “Just Like You,” before returning to The X Factor UK as a judge on season 15. In 2020, Tomlinson released his debut solo album, Walls, and his sophomore album, Faith in the Future, was released in 2022.

Since the band split, the singer has faced several family tragedies, including losing his mother to cancer in December 2016 and his 18-year-old sister Félicité dying after a suspected cardiac arrest in March 2019.

05of 05

Niall Horan

GETTY; GARETH CATTERMOLE/GETTY

Irish singer Niall Horan has enjoyed a successful solo career, starting with blessing fans with his album Flicker and his single “Slow Hands” in 2017. In 2020, he released his sophomore album, Heartbreak Weather, with the lead single “Nice to Meet Ya.”

Horan’s third album, The Show, was released in 2023, the same year he joined The Voice as a judge and coach on season 23.

On the romance front, he and actress-singer Hailee Steinfeld were romantically linked in February 2018, but PEOPLE confirmed the couple’s breakup in December of that year. Horan otherwise has had quite the dating history and has been in a relationship with Amelia Woolley since 2020.

Liam Payne Celebrates One Direction’s ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ Nearing 1 Billion Streams: ‘Miss You Boys’

“I’m so happy that for 5 years we made such a great soundtrack to life,” the singer wrote on Instagram

Liam Payne and his former One Direction bandmates. Photo:Dave Benett/Getty Images; Karwai Tang/WireImage

Liam Payne is feeling nostalgic for his boy band days.

The “Strip That Down” singer, 29, took to Instagram to share that he and his former group, One Direction, are approaching a special milestone.

“What Makes You Beautiful,” the British boy band’s first-ever single — which they released in 2011 following their formation on The X Factor — has reached nearly 1 billion streams.

To commemorate the occasion, Payne shared an alternative album cover of band’s first album Up All Night, alongside which he wrote, “Wow I just got told we’re about to make a billion streams on wmyb.”

“Never in the making of this song so early in our career did I think I would be looking at those numbers,” he continued. “What an achievement boys!”

Payne added that he is “so lucky” to share the milestone not only with his former bandmates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, but “this amazing fanbase everyday.”

“I’m learning about myself and what was all of this for,” he continued. “But now when I listen back and think of the power we all had including you as a fanbase I’m so happy that for 5 years we made such a great soundtrack to life.”

One Direction – “What Makes You Beautiful” Music Video.Courtesy of Columbia Records

Payne added that this soundtrack was “for myself and everyone who got to listen” and share “laughter pain and everything in between.”

“Miss you boys,” he concluded. “Lots of love me x.”

One Direction broke up in late 2015 after Malik, 30, announced his departure from the band earlier in the year.

While the boys, each of whom embarked on a solo music career post-split, have each commented on their time in the band, Payne has made lots of headlines in recent years for his One Direction-related remarks.

Liam Payne performing on ‘Good Morning America’ with One Direction in 2015. Al Pereira/WireImage

A year ago, the “For You” singer appeared on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast and spoke critically about his former bandmates, namely Malik. “There’s many reasons why I dislike Zayn and there’s many reasons why I’ll always, always be on his side,” he said in the June 2022 appearance.

Payne has since apologized for his comments, retracting them last month via a YouTube video in which he also revealed he is now sober after spending 100 days in rehab.

“A lot of what I said came from the wrong place,” he admitted in the emotional video. “I was so angry at what was going on around me and instead of taking a look inwards, I decided to look outwards at everybody else and I took it out on everybody else, which is just wrong, really … I want to apologize for that because that’s definitely not me.”

In the same video, the singer — who has since exchanged friendly remarks with Malik via Instagram comments — added that his former bandmates were there for him when he was experiencing extreme low points. “When I needed them most they kind of came to my rescue,” he shared.

The singer has also shown support for bandmates Tomlinson, 31, and Styles, 29, this year.

After attending the London premiere of Tomlinson’s documentary All of Those Voices in March, Payne shared a heartfelt Instagram post dedicated to the “Walls” singer.

One Direction members Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Niall Horan.

In the now-deleted post, Payne apologized for being “out of my mind” and not being “as good of a friend as you have been to me” adding that he is going to “try and make amends.”

“I’m so thankful to have you in my life mate,” he wrote. “I feel so lucky and I know you know this but you were part of a small group of people that literally saved my life, you dragged me out of something so dark I’ve never shared it, but your approach is something I admire and aspire to so I can one day do the same.”

The singer also shared an Instagram tribute to Styles after the “As it Was” singer won the award for album of the year for Harry’s House at the 2023 Grammy Awards.

“Wow… this image is really something to wake up to and when you write music like you do Harry you deserve every millisecond of that moment looking down smiling at the trophy you’ve earned,” he captioned the post. “God bless you brother congratulations.”

Liam Payne’s girlfriend ‘manifested’ relationship with One Direction star 14 years ago

Liam Payne’s girlfriend claims she is the “best manifester” as the One Direction star appeared in the same childhood bedroom where she had made art projects in his image over a decade ago.

Liam Payne issue emotional message after tour cancellations

Liam Payne’s girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, seems to be living every fangirl’s dream as she took her beau back to her childhood home yesterday where she realised their relationship might all be down to the power of manifestation.
The 24-year-old started off a TikTok clip saying: “I’m the best manifester and I’m going to show you why.”

The influencer candidly revealed a sweet little art project she’d made a staggering 14 years ago when Liam first sprung to global stardom as part of the hit British boyband One Direction.

The then-10-year-old drew Liam on a popsicle stick, and while she admitted she didn’t know why she had done it at the time, it now seemed to be a form of manifesting her destiny.

Teasing her followers, Kate turned the camera around to show Liam lying in the same childhood bedroom where she had made her fanart and gently bopped him with the popsicle stick.

Cuddling the pop star in a loved-up display, the 24-year-old giggled: “Careful what you wish for!”

Viewers were in utter disbelief at the “crazy” scenario with a few requests streaming in for Kate to “manifest a One Direction reunion”.

One fan couldn’t believe how Kate “just casually has Liam Payne in her bedroom,” while others compared her situation to fanfiction romance novels.

Kate and Liam confirmed their relationship in the public eye last October when they appeared together at the British Fashion Awards after months of rumours about their blossoming romance.

However, there were a few critics who claimed the influencer had hidden motives for dating Liam, but the Wolverhampton-born star quickly came to Kate’s rescue.

Shortly after their relationship went public, Liam shared a screenshot of one of his followers warning him on Instagram that Kate only wanted his money, writing on his story according to the Daily Mail: “Gotta say you could tell me anything and I couldn’t be turned,” he wrote in response. “I’ve never felt a love like I do for Katelyn. We make each other better people.”

“If it was just for the money I’d give her all of it. It’s not though (please remember I’m hella sexy) and I know I’m fun and a loveable person. And I don’t give a f**k to say that for the first time in my life I’m happy to be me and that’s priceless.”

Their lowkey relationship also saw the couple landing in hot water earlier this year as many fans believed they had parted ways simply because they hadn’t been seen together in months, but their recent loved-up appearances assured that isn’t the case.

Kate has also been a direct line for fans to the 30-year-old musician as he struggled with his health in recent months after a kidney infection forced him to cancel his tour.

His beloved partner has since been keeping fans duly updated on Liam’s hospitalisation and recovery, assuring that he’s “in good hands” and on the mend.

New Book Will Reveal Never-Before-Shared Secrets of Life with The Beatles

Coming in April 2024, ‘All You Need Is Love: An Oral History of The Beatles’ promises to reveal previously unknown details about the band’s history and breakup

The Beatles. Photo:getty

The Beatles have inspired countless books over the decades. Even though it’s been more than six decades since their formation in 1960 Liverpool, the band continues to fascinate — for both its music and its stories. The band’s 1970 breakup — why it happened (and who if anyone is to blame) — has lingered as a point of debate among Beatles fans.

A new book promises to reveal previously unknown details about the band’s story, including that devastating breakup. All You Need Is Love: An Oral History of The Beatles, by Peter Brown and Steven Gaines, will be published by St. Martin’s Press on April 9, 2024, the press announced Wednesday.

The Beatles.Bettmann/Getty

Brown and Gaines previously collaborated on the 1983 bestseller The Love You Make: An Insider’s Story of the Beatles, which chronicled the rise and fall of the iconic band, including the often complicated relationships among its four members: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

For the new book, the pair have mined archival interviews with members of The Beatles, as well as with the women who were among their inner circle, including Yoko Ono, Cynthia Lennon, Pattie Harrison Clapton and Maureen Starkey.

Brown is himself a long-time Beatles insider, having known the Fab Four since their early days as a band; he was best man when Lennon and Oko married in 1969. Steven Gaines is a journalist and author whose books also include Heroes and Villains: The True Story of the Beach Boys and the memoir One of These Things First.

All You Need Is Love is currently available for pre-order.

The ex-Beatle shared archived photos that allude to his late bandmate’s troubled childhood

John Lennon and Paul McCartney in 1963. Photo:Fox Photos/Getty

Paul McCartney got exceptionally candid about his former Beatles bandmate, John Lennon, last week at the 2023 Tribeca Festival.

On Thursday, the 81-year-old English musician shuffled through aged Beatles photos with Conan O’Brien, 60, for a live recording of O’Brien’s podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. When the former late-night talk show host queued up a photo of the late John Lennon, he noted hints of vulnerability and anxiety in Lennon’s expression.

“I don’t know about the anxiety, but vulnerability is very true,” McCartney told O’Brien, explaining that Lennon endured many “minor tragedies” at the beginning of his 40-year life.

“As a kid, his mother was decreed to not be good enough to bring him up… His father had left the home when John was 3. So that’s not too wonderful,” he recalled. “It made me realize why he had that vulnerability. I always admired the way he dealt with it because I’m not sure I would deal with the stuff he went through that well.”

Last week, McCartney announced the creation of what he calls “the final Beatles record,” which uses artificial intelligence to extract Lennon’s voice from old demos. The singer was shot and killed in December 1980 at the age of 40.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon in 1963.Val Wilmer/Redferns

McCartney and O’Brien sat down at the Storytellers panel to talk about the musician’s upcoming book titled 1964: Eyes of the Storm, which features 275 recently discovered photographs taken by McCartney from the end of 1963 to the beginning of 1964 — the explosive period in which the Beatles sensationalized and cemented their place in music history forever.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon in 1964.William Vanderson/Fox Photos/Getty

The photos will also be on display at the U.K.’s National Portrait Gallery in London from June 28 to Oct. 1. In a release about the exhibit, McCartney said the decades-old photos have an air of innocence about them.

“They now bring back so many stories, a flood of special memories, which is one of the many reasons I love them all, and know that they will always fire my imagination.”

M1 8 in (203 mm) howitzer
M115 8 in (203 mm) howitzer

The M115 8 in (203 mm) howitzer, which was replaced by the M110 self-propelled howitzer, is a towed weapon developed prior to World War II as a heavy artillery weapon. The weapon uses NATO standard 203mm ammunition, and was used during World War II, in Korea, and in Viet Nam. In NATO service their prime mission was to fire nuclear rounds which have since been phased out of service.

The first American attempt to develop a 203mm gun had failed in the early 1920’s due to budgetary constraints. During World War I the US Army had determined that an 8″ field gun would be desirable, in 1919 a specification for this weapon was founded but all work was suspended in 1924.

The project was relaunched in 1939 as an answer to the German 17cm K18. Intended to be used in conjunction with the 240mm M1 howitzer, it shared with it many components, among them the mount and the breech. The 8″ Howitzer was the “partner piece” to the American 155mm gun, in that both used the same carriage to mount different barrels for different roles.

Tests of the prototype T3 howitzer began at Aberdeen Proving Ground in 1939 and the howitzer entered service as the 8 in Howitzer M1. The prototype T2 took a long time before being standardized as the M1 in January of 1944. The inner surface of the barrel was subjected to a high erosion by its shells, which increased dispersion and was detrimental to accuracy. Although it could fire further and launched a heavier shell than its German counterpart, production numbers remained limited and it was usually confined to training duties. The wheels are removed from the carriage when in use and it takes some time to prepare the M1 for travel or to place into a new firing position. the carriage is designed for high speed travel.

The answer to the German 170-mm. gun was the 8-inch gun, which had a range of 35,000 yards, outranging the 170-mm. by about 5,000 yards. The Caliber Board Report of 1919 had recommended the development of a long-range 8-inch gun along with the long-range 240-mm. howitzer, and the Chief of Field Artillery had asked the Chief of Ordnance in January 1940 to procure pilot models of both, but the Army’s interest in heavy artillery had lapsed in the early years of the war when the Germans were demonstrating so spectacularly the effectiveness of dive bombers and tanks. It revived after Tunisia, where the U.S. forces had come up against the 170-mm. gun for the first time. Returning from North Africa, General McNair on 15 May 1943 had stated, “Instead of artillery becoming an arm which is tending to fade out of the picture under the pressure of air power or tanks, it is there in the same strength and importance that it had in the [first] World War.”

The 240-mm. howitzer was standardized in the spring of 1943, the 8-inch gun in December 1943. General McNair considered the ammunition for the 8-inch gun unsatisfactory; there was also trouble with the carriage. Though originally it was thought that the same mount could be used for both the heavy howitzer and the gun, the 65-degree elevation for the howitzer could not be accommodated to the plus 10-degree elevation of the gun, and therefore another carriage for the gun had to be devised.

Field Artillery officers wanted to wait until the gun and carriage were improved before sending them to the battlefield. The Ordnance Department took the position that although improvements were desirable, the guns ought to get into action. General Campbell urged General Somervell early in July 1943 to speed the production of the 8-inch gun as well as the 240- mm. howitzer; a few days before Salerno General Barnes, the head of Ordnance’s Research and Development Division, told the AGF Ordnance officer that the guns were all right “and not to be using them is wasting a tremendous amount of firepower which is definitely needed in operations on the continent.”

It took Anzio Annie to clinch the argument, for until she spoke the theater was in no hurry for the big gun. When Brig. Gen. Gordon M. Wells, chief of Ordnance’s Artillery Division, visited the Cassino front during Christmas week 1943 he noted that the German 170-mm. gun outranged all Allied artillery in the theater, making it necessary to move the 155-mm. guns far forward for effective counterbattery action; that the 8-inch gun would no doubt provide the proper remedy; and that Fifth Army, though still concerned about the transportation problem, intended to request 8-inch guns “as soon as they are ready for issue.”

Four 8-inch guns arrived in Italy at the end of April 1944 and were assigned to the 240-mm. howitzer battalions. Two went to the Cassino front, two to Anzio. The ammunition for them arrived just in time for the big guns to add their roar to the great salvo from Cassino to the sea that heralded the beginning of the battle for Rome on 11 May. They silenced 170-mm. guns emplaced deep in enemy territory; they harassed areas the Germans had hitherto considered safe; and to intensify the effect on the enemy’s morale, Ordnance troops had bored holes in the windshield of the shell to produce a scream.

In the Anzio breakout, beginning 23 May, the 8-inch guns shattered power and railway stations in Albano, cratered roads, and generally hampered the retreat of the Germans. In moving the big guns and howitzers forward on both fronts in the drive for Rome, the T2 tank recovery vehicle justified the confidence the Ordnance Department had placed in it. The use of the 8-inch guns and 240-mm. howitzers on the Italian front was nevertheless comparatively brief. After the capture of Rome, the shipment of guns to the high-priority European theater began and by November 1944 none of the 8-inch guns and 240-mm. howitzers were left in Italy.

The original WW2 M1 series (which became the M2 with some manufacturing improvements) put a 95lb/42kg HE shell to 25,000 yards/23km while the 8″ – also designated M1 and later M2 – fired its heavier 203mm calibre 200lb/90kg shell to 18,000 yards/17km. Both guns were the mainstay of American and allied heavy artillery units and served for many years post-war with US forces as well as being widely distributed to America’s allies.

After the Second World War the complete weapon was redesignated the Howitzer, Heavy, Towed: 8 in: M115. They were redesignated as M115 for the 8″ and this gun was used in its original 25 calibre format in the early model M110 series self-propelled guns. As such it served for many years, with the M115 in towed form being still in service in the 1990s which shows what a solid and reliable gun it was. It was also capable of firing nuclear rounds. Its 155mm partner was also used for many years, under its new title of M59. The same carriage was also adopted by the British Army to mount the 7.2″ Howitzer Mk 6.

Variants of the M110 with a longer barrel include the M110A1 (no muzzle brake) and the M110A2 (fitted with muzzle brake). In most countries the M115 and the M110 have been phased out of service due to short range. The carriage of the 8 in howitzer is also used to mount the 155 mm Gun M1 (Long Tom), which is still in use with some armies.

The carriage consists of equilibrator assemblies, elevating and traversing mechanisms, two single-wheel, single-axle heavy limber, two-axle bogie with eight tyres and two trails. Four spades, carried on the trails, are used to emplace the weapon. In recent years some armies have towed the weapon without the limber.