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Lord of the Rings mastermind Peter Jackson, whose World War I documentary They Shall Not Grow Old hits movie theaters this week, is helming a forthcoming documentary about the Beatles. Specifically, the film will spotlight the making of Let It Be — the final Beatles album to be released, although Abbey Road was recorded after most of Let It Be was complete.

"The new film will be based around 55 hours of never-released footage in the studio, shot between January 2nd and January 31st, 1969," wrote the Beatles in a Twitter thread, which is apparently how they announce things now. Jackson is promising "the ultimate 'fly on the wall' experience," adding that the footage shows "none of the discord this project has long been associated with."

The announcement, which coincides with today's 50th anniversary of the band's iconic farewell performance on the roof of their London office, makes Jackson — as one fan on Twitter put it, "lord of the Ringos." (AV Club)

Stars support Jussie Smollett after attack

Early Tuesday morning, Jussie Smollett — the actor-singer who stars in the show Empire — was violently attacked in what seems to have been a racist, homophobic hate crime. Fans were shocked, and among those sending support to Smollett are his fellow music stars.

"Sending u my love," wrote Janet Jackson on Twitter, sharing a photo of the two together. Other stars speaking out for Smollett include Ella Mai, John Legend, and Questlove, who wrote on Instagram, "I'm at a loss for words at all of this. Stunned that I'm still surprised this can still happen and keeps happening (and has never stopped happening)." (Billboard)

Lady Gaga defends Kesha, in unsealed deposition

Lady Gaga's 2017 deposition from the legal battle between Kesha and Dr. Luke has been unsealed, revealing that Gaga strongly defended Kesha when questioned about Kesha's claims that the superproducer raped her. Gaga bristled at a question regarding whether she'd witnessed any abuse, saying, "when men assault women, they don't invite people over to watch."

Speaking to Dr. Luke's lawyers, Gaga became increasingly angry about the fact that they were questioning Kesha's story. She said, "That girl has experienced serious trauma and she is in the middle of the right now. And you are all a party to it." (Rolling Stone)

R&B star James Ingram dies at 66

R&B singer James Ingram has died, of an undisclosed cause, at age 66. Ingram rose to fame as part of the "quiet storm" sound of smooth rhythm and blues in the early 1980s. Quincy Jones discovered him on a demo, and accurately guessed that Ingram's powerful voice would make him a star. The New York Times writes that "his music was gentlemanly and romantic, the aural equivalent of being courted."

He was one of the biggest pop R&B stars of the '80s, landing two number one hits (including the Patti Austin duet "Baby, Come to Me") and winning two Grammys. He sang on "We Are the World," he co-wrote Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)," and he showed up on soundtracks like Beverly Hills Cop II and City Slickers. Here's his second number one, 1990's "I Don't Have the Heart."

Rodgers and Hammerstein hit number one

Speaking of chart-toppers, you know who's number one right now? Rogers and Hammerstein. They're credited as co-writers on Ariana Grande's song "7 Rings," which opens with an adaptation of the duo's Sound of Music classic "My Favorite Things."

In honor of the hit, Billboard dove into the co-writers' chart history. It turns out that composer Richard Rodgers (who died in 1979) and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II (who died in 1960) are no strangers to the pop charts.

A ton of their songs became pop hits in the '50s and '60s, when showtunes were much more central to the music landscape. That happens much more rarely now, though Jordan Smith hit the Hot 100 with his take on "Climb Every Mountain" in 2016 when he sang it on The Voice.

Here's one you probably forgot about, though: in 2006, Gwen Stefani had a top ten hit with "Wind It Up," which starts with a riff on "The Lonely Goatherd." The video has Stefani wearing a nun's habit and leading a group of dancers in what look like Catholic-school uniforms. Maybe Britney should've got royalties on that one too.

Viral video: David Gilmour demonstrates the guitars he's selling

Pink Floyd's David Gilmour is selling about 120 of his guitars to raise money for charity. He's not retiring, promises the 72-year-old guitarist: he's just cleaning house, and looking to make some money to fight homelessness and help with famine relief. He'll probably raise quite a bit when the instruments hit the auction block this summer. The most valuable instrument, a black Fender Statocaster that he played on every track he recorded from the early '70s through the mid '80s, is expected to go for over $100,000.

In the video we're highlighting today, Gilmour uses that guitar to play the opening notes of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," and also demonstrates the 12-string he used to write "Wish You Were Here." (Rolling Stone)

Audio sampled in podcast
BoxCat Games: "Against the Wall" (CC BY 3.0)
BoxCat Games: "Against the Wall" (CC BY 3.0)
James Ingram: "I Don't Have the Heart"
Ariana Grande: "7 Rings"
Julie Andrews: "My Favorite Things"
Gwen Stefani: "Wind It Up"
The Beatles: "Let It Be"
David Gilmour: "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"
Pink Floyd: "Wish You Were Here"