Paul McCartney Reflects on the ‘Horrific’ Moment He Learned of Lennon’s Death
Paul McCartney reflected on the loss of his childhood friend and former bandmate John Lennon in a newly released book detailing the history of his post-Beatles band, Wings.
At 83, McCartney recounted how he learned of Lennon’s murder on December 8, 1980, “early in the morning” through a call from his manager.
“It was just too crazy,” the Grammy winner stated in Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, which was published on Tuesday, November 4. “We all reacted the way anyone would; everything felt blurred. It was reminiscent of the Kennedy assassination—just a horrific moment. It’s hard to process. I still haven’t accepted it. I don’t want to.”
Although McCartney and Lennon weren’t always on good terms after The Beatles disbanded in 1970, McCartney emphasized that they had patched things up by the time of Lennon’s passing. (Lennon died at the age of 40 after Mark David Chapman shot him outside his home in New York City.)
“That’s a comforting thought for me, as I regret that we never had the chance to resolve our differences,” McCartney assessed in the book. “Fortunately, our last phone conversation was wonderful, with no arguments.”
McCartney reminisced about a “very happy conversation” regarding their families. “He was really enjoying his life, and [Lennon’s son] Sean was a significant part of that,” he stated. “He was also focused on his career.”
Stella McCartney, Paul’s daughter, recollected the moment her father received the news about Lennon’s death. (Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run features interviews with the McCartney family as well as various collaborators from Wings and the Beatles.)
“I remember witnessing the strongest reaction I’d ever seen from a phone call; he left the kitchen and went outside,” the 54-year-old fashion designer shared. “It still breaks my heart. I have that image etched in my mind—the moment my dad found out that John Lennon was murdered.”
Paul McCartney achieved international fame as a member of The Beatles alongside John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Often referred to as the “cute Beatle,” McCartney’s exceptional songwriting and musical abilities enabled his partnership with Lennon, leading to the creation of one of the most iconic bands in history. McCartney and Lennon co-wrote […]
Paul recounted that he and the remaining Beatles, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, each reacted to the news by heading into the studio. “Nobody could just stay at home with that kind of news,” he remarked. “We all had to be around familiar faces; we couldn’t endure it alone. We needed to keep moving forward. So, I went in and worked through the day in a state of shock.”
Sean Ono Lennon, the only child of John and wife Yoko Ono, shared that his father owned all of his former bandmates’ solo albums. (John also had a son, Julian Lennon, from his first marriage to Cynthia Powell.)
“They were quite worn, actually; you could tell they had been played often,” Sean, 50, recalled. “He had Beaucoups of Blues, Ringo’s album, which looked pretty worn, along with all of George’s work. Of course, he also had all of Paul’s albums.”
Paul McCartney is deeply devoted to his family. The Beatles legend, who has been married three times, is the proud father of five children and eight grandchildren since his rise to fame in the 1960s. In 2023, McCartney opened up about his roles as a father and husband, remarking that they are “completely different […]
The Beatles officially disbanded in April 1970 when Paul announced in a press release for his debut solo album, McCartney, that he had no intention of continuing to work with the band. That same year, he filed a lawsuit against his former bandmates to dissolve their contractual agreements, although their partnership wasn’t legally dissolved until late 1974.
After The Beatles’ breakup, all four members embarked on solo careers. McCartney also achieved considerable success with Wings, which released seven studio albums. While Lennon and McCartney occasionally exchanged barbs in the media and in their music, Lennon praised his former bandmate during one of his last interviews before he passed away.
“One of the great blessings in my life is that we made up,” Paul shared in the new book. “We had always loved each other, gone through our arguments, and called each other names. But it was never more serious than two brothers squabbling in a family.”
Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, edited by Ted Widmer, is now available.
