The musician who “can never do any wrong” in Paul McCartney’s eyes
One of the nicest things about Paul McCartney’s enduring presence in culture is his giving nature when it comes to his praise. For many artists, when they hit that God Tier of greatness, the compliments dry up. While sitting at the pinnacle of artistry, they no longer share the love or want to admit to having idols that they see as existing even above them. But McCartney has never prescribed to that viewpoint.
His love spreads in all directions. On his most recent record, McCartney III, he invited in a whole cast of new artists that he loves, collaborating with them on McCartney III Imagined as his way of sharing his love and admiration for the next generation. He called Phoebe Bridgers “really cool”, has previously shared his desire to collaborate with Taylor Swift, telling her “I was going to be asking you to play with me” in a conversation about their cancelled 2020 Glastonbury headline slots and still gets out to gigs, supporting the next generation of artists in an active way.
It’s clear that McCartney remains passionate about music, not just making it and performing it, but hearing it. Even decades into one of the most remarkable careers in musical history, the initial spark that first turned him onto music still stays as he still talks about it and treats it with the same youthful excitement that first led him to pick up a guitar.
In particular, the way he talks about his idols is still the same as he honours the greats who came before him and paved the way, humble enough to know that while he is certainly up there with the best, he wouldn’t be there without a cast of players that led the way. “Anyone who was a legend in our formative years is still a legend. I haven’t grown out of that,” he told Guitar Player.
Elvis Presley is one of them, as he’s shared over and over about his love for The King. But really, if you’re going to honour Elvis, you have to honour Carl Perkins – and McCartney does.
“Carl is still the guy who wrote ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, and he can never do any wrong. It only took one guy to do that, and he did it. Elvis recorded it and beat his version, but, still, Carl wrote it,” he said. While admitting that Presley’s take is arguably the stronger one, he gets how important it is to honour Perkins because without him, who knows if Presley would ever have become The King.
But it goes beyond his Presley connection. McCartney sees Perkins as one of the forefathers of the rock and roll movement that he, The Beatles, and all their peers followed. “There’s some magic stuff. We used to love those early albums—very primitive, very simple, but just such soul,” he said, as those albums were introductory and utterly essential.
“He’s still an idol,” he said during that 1990 interview. Eight years later, his idol would die. A year after that, McCartney honoured him beautifully at his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, performing ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, the track that started it all for both Perkins and McCartney as a young fan.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.