Paul McCartney to be "beamed up" in first live concert to be broadcast in space

November 12, 2005 Sir Paul McCartney is scheduled on Saturday, November 12, to perform the first concert broadcast live into space. Performing in Anaheim, CA, McCartney will awaken astronaut Bill McArther and cosmonaut Valery Tokarev on the International Space Station. Songs played will include "English Tea" from his newly-released album "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard." Also on the playlist is the Beatles classic "Good Day Sunshine".

The idea for the show originally came from a report McCartney received about "Good Day Sunshine" being used to wake astronauts aboard the space shuttle Discovery as it prepared to land in August. Said Sir Paul "I was extremely proud to find out that one of my songs was played for Discovery this summer. In our concert we hope to return the favor."

This event will mark the first time a live music show is broadcast into space. It should be noted that only his voice will be heard, as there is no video feed from the site. The former Beatle has seen interest in his work climb recently with the release of a critically-acclaimed album and a children's book, as well as a series of American commercials feature songs from his new album and a collage of video clips and photos detailing his life's work.