Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to Perform Together on "The Beatles: The Night That Changed America - A GRAMMY® Salute" to Air Sunday, Feb. 9, 8 p.m. on CBS

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will perform together on "The Beatles: The Night That Changed America – A GRAMMY^® Salute," airing this Sunday, Feb. 9, 8 – 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. The primetime entertainment special — presented by The Recording Academy^®, AEG Ehrlich Ventures and CBS — will celebrate the remarkable legacy of the seven-time GRAMMY-winning group the Beatles and their groundbreaking first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." The show, which taped on Monday, Jan. 27, the day after the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards^®, will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 surround sound and airs exactly 50 years to the day, date, and time of the original event. Originally slated to be a two-hour event, the special has added an additional half-hour given the overwhelming success of the taping, a wealth of archival material, and new interviews. For updates and breaking news, please visit GRAMMY.com, and The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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The all-star lineup for this historic event features performances and/or presentations by: The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil, Kate Beckinsale, Jeff Bridges, Gary Clark Jr., Johnny Depp, Dave Grohl, Eric Idle, Imagine Dragons, Alicia Keys & John Legend, Anna Kendrick, David Letterman, LL COOL J, Jeff Lynne, Maroon 5, John Mayer & Keith Urban, Brad Paisley & Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, Sean Penn, Ed Sheeran, Joe Walsh, Stevie Wonder, and a one-night only reunion of Eurythmics' Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. The house band for the event includes notable musicians Kenny Aronoff (drums), Lenny Castro (percussion), Chris Caswell (keyboard), Peter Frampton (guitar), Rami Jaffe (organ), Steve Lukather (guitar), Greg Phillinganes (keyboard), and Don Was (bass), who also served as musical director.

The special also will feature: David Letterman interviewing Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at the iconic Ed Sullivan Theater on Feb. 4; recollections from three fans who were in the audience for the Beatles' first performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show"; and interviews with three people who worked at the show and were there the night this milestone event took place.

"The Beatles: The Night That Changed America – A GRAMMY Salute" will commemorate the 50th anniversary of one of the most historic moments in music and television. Featuring today's top artists covering songs performed by the Fab Four that momentous evening in 1964 and other Beatles classics through the years, the show also will include footage from that landmark Sunday night, as well as other archival material. In addition, various presenters will help highlight and contextualize the musical, cultural and historical impact of the group and this legendary performance.

The Beatles' first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" is one of the most watched television events ever — with 74 million people tuning in to watch the group perform five songs during the variety hour. It is considered by many historians and critics as one of the most important moments in music and television.

"The Night That Changed America: A GRAMMY Salute To The Beatles" is produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC. Ken Ehrlich is the executive producer, Rac Clark is co-executive producer, Gregg Gelfand is director, and David Wild and Ken Ehrlich are the writers.

Following is a list of performances on "The Beatles: The Night That Changed America – A GRAMMY Salute":

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on Foursquare, GetGlue, Google +, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, and YouTube.

SOURCE The Recording Academy