LOS ANGELES:
A little piece of Beatlemania came to Hollywood as Paul McCartney was honoured with a walk on Tinseltown’s Walk of Fame, watched by hundreds of screaming and jostling fans.
McCartney paid tribute to the “three boys” — John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr — who helped make him famous. “Way back in history, in Liverpool when we were kids and we were listening to Buddy Holly and all the rock ‘n’ roll greats, I would have never thought there would be a day when I’d be getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That was like an impossible thing to happen. But here we are today and it’s happening. But I couldn’t have done it without the three boys,” he said.
The musician also revealed his father’s influence stayed with him as he and Lennon began writing for The Beatles. “Those old memories for me are of my dad playing the piano. I would lie on the carpet listening to him and taking it all in. Hence, a lot of what informed the writing I did with John is that early period, and John and I shared that.
McCartney, who has just released his latest album Kisses on the Bottom, was joined by fellow ageing rocker Neil Young outside the Capitol Records building, where staff lined the balcony to watch the star-unveiling ceremony. Young said McCartney, 69, was “at the top of his game”. “Like Charlie Chaplin was a great actor, that’s how I look at Paul. With all of that craft that he has and his ability to put melodies and chords and feelings together, it’s the soul that comes out of his music that makes me feel so good and so happy to be here with him,” Young said.
McCartney’s star, which joins those of his band mates, is the 2,460th on the Walk of Fame, a long stretch of Hollywood Boulevard and adjoining sidewalk which celebrates entertainment stars from over the decades.
(with additional information from Ians)
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2012.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ