PAUL MCCARTNEY finally received what many consider an overdue star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday afternoon.
Nearly 20 years after first being nominated to claim his little piece of sidewalk in the world’s entertainment capital, the former Beatle was honored in a ceremony outside Capitol Records on Vine Street.
McCartney, 69, beamed with pride throughout the brief ceremony and told the assembled throng of media and fans: “In Liverpool, when we were kids and listening to Buddy Holly and all the other rock and roll greats, I would have never thought the day would come when I’d be getting a star on the Walk of Fame. I thought it was an impossible thing to happen. But here we are today.
“I couldn’t have done it without a certain three boys, so I want to say thanks to those guys, John, George and Ringo,” he said.
“Thanks to all of you, to all the fans around the world, I’d like to send you hugs and kisses on the bottom,” the singer said cheekily, referring to his latest album, “Kisses on the Bottom.”
The Beatles were given a star as a group in 1998, more than 25 years after they split up. Lennon and Harrison were given their individual stars several years after their deaths in 1980 and 2001 respectively, while Starr got his in 2010.
Hundreds of fans of the Fab Four gathered, clutching memorabilia, to see McCartney honored for his 50-year legacy in the music industry.
Starr was prevented from attending Thursday’s ceremony because of illness, but rocker Neil Young was on hand to pay tribute to McCartney as a singer and songwriter “at the top of his game.”
McCartney is the last of the Beatles to receive this honor, despite selling more records as a solo artist than any of his former bandmates. However, the 69 year-old is no stranger to Walk of Fame ceremonies, having attended events honoring Ringo Starr in 2010 and George Harrison in 2009 as their stars were unveiled nearby.
McCartney, who is scheduled to perform at the Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in downtown LA on Sunday night, was first nominated in 1993, but due to scheduling issues the ceremony did not take place until Thursday, which marked the 48th anniversary of the Beatles historic first appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show”. The debut of the Fab Four on US TV on February 9, 1964, marks the date America woke up to Beatlemania – two years after they shot to fame in Britain.
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