McCartney to hit road

London Paul McCartney is planning his first major tour of the United States in almost a decade, he said Monday.

Starting in April, the 14-date “Drivin’ USA” tour will take McCartney from California to New York City. Details of the venues, including one in Canada, are to be announced shortly.

The former Beatle, who has played more than 600 live concerts during his 40-year career, promised a show like nothing he’s staged before, with a new band and songs he’s never performed live. He mentioned the tour Sunday night during halftime at the Super Bowl, where he’d performed before the game.

He recently released “Driving Rain,” his first album of new material in four years.

Tribute to George Harrison

London Liverpool plans a tribute concert this month for George Harrison, who died of cancer on Nov. 29 at age 58.

Organizers, who include Liverpool City Council and the British Broadcasting Corp., did not announce the performers but promised “a host of big names.” Money raised from the Feb. 24 show at the Liverpool Empire will be donated to cancer charities.

The concert date is the day Harrison celebrated as his birthday, though official records list his birth date as Feb. 25.

Speaking up for Tibet

Berlin Richard Gere, a prominent supporter of the Tibetan cause, is expected to appear before the German parliament’s human rights committee.

Gere has been invited to a meeting of the panel on April 17.

Gere was invited to Berlin as someone who is “knowledgeable about the political situation” in Tibet, the head of the parliament committee, Christa Nickels, told the newsmagazine Der Spiegel.

Tibet remained largely independent until Chinese troops invaded in 1950. Under Chinese rule, the Tibetan language and culture have been suppressed.

A failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959 led the Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama, to flee to India. The Chinese government maintains that Tibet is part of China.

Voice change mystery

New York Like everyone involved with the project, Hayden Christensen won’t say a lot about the latest “Star Wars” prequel. Then again, there are some things he can’t say because he doesn’t know them.

As Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi-in-training who eventually crosses over to the dark side and becomes Darth Vader, the 20-year-old Christensen said he’s clueless as to how his character’s voice drops to James Earl Jones’ distinctive boom.

“I think he becomes half-mechanical, and, um, the dark helmet,” he says in the March issue of Vanity Fair magazine. “Maybe that has something to do with his voice getting lower?”