Jesus saves Paul McCartney with a glove puppet
Posted: 15/01/2013 Filed under: Art, Music | Tags: Bettie Page, Elvis Presley, Jesus, Julia Roberts, Kata Billups, Lamb Chop, Mallory Lewis, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, REM, Shari Lewis, Sting, The Beatles, Tim Burton, Willie Nelson, Yoko Ono 9 Comments
This has to be one of the oddest music-related items to ever appear on eBay. It’s a painting called (and the title is just so perfect) Jesus Broke Out The Lamb Chop Puppet And Hired An Angel To Try And Cheer Up A Clinically Depressed Paul McCartney by US artist Kata Billups. Kata seems to have a bit of a thing about painting Jesus with The Beatles (and also various combinations of Jesus, Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger and pin-up queen Bettie Page) and her work is apparently owned by the likes of Julia Roberts, Sting, Tim Burton and Willie Nelson, as well as all four former members of REM.
Jesus Broke Out The Lamb Chop Puppet has been on eBay for around three years – that might be something to do with its Buy It Now price tag of $177,000 (roughly £110,000) – so you may have already seen it. If you haven’t, click here for the full listing and read Kata’s comments about the symbolism in the painting and her explanation of the cause of Paul McCartney’s suffering. There’s a clue in the fact that he has taken a red marker pen to the three pictures of Yoko Ono on the walls of his room, putting a big cross on one and drawing devil’s horns on the other two.
Kata doesn’t say much about Lamb Chop in her listing, which is a pity. But seeing the painting did make me Google Lamb Chop and I’m very pleased to report that, although the glove puppet’s creator Shari Lewis sadly died in 1998, her daughter Mallory Lewis continues to perform with the puppet to this day. Mallory and Lamb Chop’s website is here.
Pushblog 
This is – in it’s own way – a work of quiet genius. Maybe. Certainly very funny. It reminds me of Nik Cohn and Guy Peellaert’s book Rock Dreams. But less good.
Is that Ashton Kutcher as Jesus??
I thought it was Russell Brand, myself.
i’ll have to send you a very scary picture i saw in an antique shop of a dead/alive priest – i’m not allowed to buy it as its so bloody horrible but i do want it – its much as tasteless as this but appealling in an eerie rlc/bs way…..you have been warned…..
aha! i see you have a link to the uk ufo site – i’m on there i am – i still cant explain it – as ufo’s go it was a bit of a let down – mind you me and esty saw something very odd in north wales too that i didnt report but should have…reported whilst baffled and a little shaken – i think it shows in my reportage…
http://www.uk-ufo.co.uk/great-linford-milton-keynes-3rd-febuary-2012/
@Every Record You’re right about it being a bit like Cohn & Peellaert’s Rock Dreams. I hadn’t thought of that. You’re also right about it being less good.
@David Hmm, now you mention it…
@Stu You’re barking mad, aren’t you?
bark bark,grrrrrrr…..unlucky today on the footy – i fancied the hatters away at brentford for a massive away win…..mad you say?????ermmmm perhaps…
Thumbs up if you’re here for Lamb Chop!! 😉
my thumbs are up!