Paul McCartney paid tribute to his friend John Lennon to mark his birthday. (Archive)
On what would have been John Lennon’s 84th birthday, Paul McCartney paid an emotional tribute to his former bandmate and friend.
McCartney, 82, posted a photograph on Instagram from one of his performances in 2022. He appears on stage while, behind him, a video of Lennon playing the guitar is projected. The gesture not only touched fans, but also underlined the deep bond the two artists shared, even after years of estrangement.
“Happy birthday, John. Thank you for being there,” the British musician wrote next to the image, a tribute that echoed among his followers. “Paul, you’re going to make me cry,” one of them commented, while another said: “You and John, after so many decades, are still the best composers in the world.”
Paul McCartney celebrated John Lennon’s birthday (capture: Instagram/paulmccartney)
The relationship between McCartney and Lennon has been, for decades, one of the most fascinating chapters for fans of their musical career. After The Beatles broke up in 1969, the two friends went through a period of estrangement due to legal tensions over control of the band’s catalogue. Paul even sued Lennon and his other colleagues, which further complicated the relationship.
However, in the mid-1970s, both managed to meet again in New York, where Lennon lived with Yoko Ono. “We had a very positive reunion,” McCartney recalled on the A Life in Lyrics podcast. “We met again, and we talked about how to make bread. “It was a much-needed reconciliation.”
This connection allowed them to put their differences behind them, something McCartney has described as an immense relief. “It would have been the worst thing in the world if he had been murdered and we still had a bad relationship,” she admitted in the interview. “I would have carried a great burden of guilt.”
McCartney has said he was relieved to have regained their friendship before Lennon’s death (Europa Press)
McCartney’s most recent tribute to Lennon also symbolizes the validity of their musical collaboration. The image shared on Instagram is part of the documentary The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson and released in 2021. This series captured the band’s intimate moments during the creation of their album Let It Be, reminding fans of the magic that Lennon and McCartney generated together in the studio.
Likewise, the use of Lennon archive material has been a constant in McCartney’s recent performances. In recent years, the musician has performed the song “I’ve Got a Feeling” at his concerts as a virtual duet with Lennon, using footage and recordings from the iconic 1969 rooftop concert.
This resource has allowed McCartney to “reunite” with his former partner on stage, and provides a nostalgic experience for fans of The Beatles.
At his concert in Uruguay, McCartney presented the song “Now and Then” live for the first time, which includes Lennon’s voice (AFP PHOTO / BERTRAND GUAY)
On Thursday, October 1, the veteran composer also surprised his followers with the live debut of the song “Now and Then” during the concert he held in Montevideo, Uruguay. The so-called “last song of The Beatles” was released in 2023 and was built from a home demo recorded by Lennon in 1977.
Artificial intelligence technology was used to clean their vocals and merge them with contributions from McCartney and Ringo Starr. The project allowed Paul to once again pay tribute to his lifelong friend and collaborator.
