Sir Paul McCartney has marked what would have been John Lennon’s 84th birthday with a touching tribute on social media.
The 82-year-old Beatles legend took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a poignant image from a 2022 performance. The photograph shows McCartney on stage with projected footage of Lennon playing guitar behind him.
“Happy Birthday John. Thanks for being there,” McCartney captioned the post.
The tribute comes in the wake of McCartney’s recent revelations about mending his friendship with Lennon before the latter’s tragic death in 1980.
The image, taken from Peter Jackson’s Disney+ documentary “The Beatles: Get Back”, serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring bond between the two musical icons.
The footage featured in McCartney’s tribute was taken from Peter Jackson’s Disney+ documentary The Beatles: Get Back, which aired in November 2021. The series chronicled the making of the band’s 1970 album Let It Be.
McCartney’s post has resonated deeply with fans, with many expressing emotional responses in the comments.
One fan wrote, “I’m going to cry,” whilst another remarked, “You and John after many decades are still the best songwriters.”
Another penned: “Paul making me cry at every post cool cool.”
“Paul don’t do this to me right now…it’s 2 in the morning,” another shared.
Someone else added: “Too early to cry, Paul. Happy birthday, John.” (sic)
The tribute holds particular significance in light of McCartney’s recent disclosures about his relationship with Lennon.
In a podcast interview, he expressed relief at having reconciled with his former bandmate before Lennon’s untimely death.
“It would have been the worst thing in the world had he just been killed and we still had a bad relationship,” McCartney said.
McCartney recently opened up about his relationship with Lennon on the McCartney: A Life in Lyrics podcast.
He expressed gratitude for having mended their friendship before Lennon’s murder in 1980.
“In the end, it was something I was very glad of, when he got murdered, that I’d had some really good times with him before that happened,” McCartney said.
The two had experienced a well-documented feud following The Beatles’ breakup in 1969. Legal battles over the band’s back catalogue had caused tension between the former songwriting partners.
However, they managed to reconcile in the mid-1970s. McCartney even spent time at Lennon’s New York home, which he shared with Yoko Ono.
“Luckily, we were friendly, we talked about how to bake bread,” McCartney recalled, highlighting the renewed warmth in their relationship.
In a 1971 interview, Lennon stated he could not foresee working with McCartney again.
Their reconciliation, however, came as a relief to McCartney. He acknowledged the complexity of their relationship, saying: “You’ve got to remember I sued him in court, I sued his friends from Liverpool, life-long friends, in court. There’s a lot of getting over that has to be done.”
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This reconciliation proved particularly poignant in light of Lennon’s tragic death in 1980, shot by crazed fan Mark Chapman outside his New York City home.
McCartney recently revealed his struggle to process Lennon’s death in 1980. He recounted returning home from the studio on the day of Lennon’s murder and feeling overwhelmed by the media coverage.
“When John died it was so difficult. It had hit me so much that I couldn’t really talk about it,” McCartney said.
He found himself unable to join the public outpouring of grief, stating: “I can’t be one of those people. I can’t go on TV and say what John meant to me. It was just too deep. I couldn’t put it into words.”
Instead, McCartney channelled his emotions into his 1982 song “Here Today”. He described sitting on the wooden floor with his guitar, composing the opening chords as a way to express his grief.
