Paul McCartney: Making Amends with John Lennon Before Death a 'Great' Blessing
Paul McCartney opens up about mending fences with John Lennon before the star's 1980 death. McCartney says making up with Lennon is "one of the great blessings in my life". He talks about their bond in the new documentary Paul McCartney: Man on the Run.
Paul McCartney is forever grateful that he and John Lennon gave peace a chance. The legendary musician and his late bandmate had a bond so tight they were like brothers — but after the Beatles’ breakup in 1970, their friendship frayed.
In the new documentary Paul McCartney: Man on the Run, McCartney says he’s glad that he and Lennon were able to set aside their differences before the “Imagine” singer’s tragic murder on Dec. 8, 1980. “One of the great blessings in my life is that we made up. It’s beautiful and it’s sad at the same time,” says McCartney, 83. “You know, we loved each other all our lives.”
McCartney and Lennon first met as Liverpool lads, and went on to find international fame and success as members of the Beatles alongside George Harrison and Ringo Starr. But their relationship soured as the band broke up in 1970, and things culminated in a lawsuit McCartney filed against his bandmates after taking issue with manager Allen Klein and the way he was handling their finances.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney in New York City in 1968.
A 1971 diss track from Lennon called “How Do You Sleep?” added further salt into the wound, and the two grew apart. In Man on the Run, McCartney talks about finally mending fences with Lennon before his death, and even recalls a visit to Lennon’s New York City apartment with wife Linda.
Together, they watched Saturday Night Live as creator Lorne Michaels offered them a good chunk of change to head on down to Studio 8H for an impromptu Beatles reunion. “We got kind of excited. We just go down, we show up, hey! But it was like, why? It’d be great for them. Would it be great for us? We’ve come full circle and now we’re off on another journey,” he recalls in the film. “So we just decided to just have another cup of tea and forget the whole idea.”
McCartney only briefly addresses Lennon’s death in the film, saying that “time can take the edge off” as his daughter and Lennon’s son discuss his reaction to losing the musician. Lennon’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, adds that the pair “had a once-in-a-millennium chemistry that I don’t think we’re likely to see again.”
Man on the Run, which hits Prime Video on Feb. 27 in an intimate look at McCartney’s post-Beatles life in the 1970s, from his family life in Scotland to his decision to form and tour with Wings. The film, directed by Morgan Neville, features interviews with McCartney, Linda, their daughters and Wings band members.
Source: Rachel DeSantis/people.com
