Sir Paul McCartney received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Thursday, in what some say was a ceremony far overdue. According to the Los Angeles Times, McCartney’s presence drew hundreds of fans to the section of Vine Street outside Capitol Records where Hollywood’s elite have laid down stars for years.
Fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Neil Young introduced the former Beatle.
“Let me tell you a little bit about our friend Paul here just as a musician,” Young said. “As a musician and as a songwriter, Paul’s craft and his art are truly at the top of his game, the way Charlie Chaplin was an actor. He has an ability to put melodies and feelings and chords together, but it’s the soul that he puts into everything he does that makes me feel so good and so happy to be here.”
McCartney himself then took the stage, speaking of his humble beginnings as a musician.
“When I was growing up in Liverpool and listening to Buddy Holly and the other rock ‘n’ roll greats, I never thought I’d ever come to get a star on the Walk of Fame,” the 69-year-old said.
Some of that delay may not have been Hollywood’s fault, the LA Times said. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce had reportedly been after McCartney to receive the award since 1993.
But perhaps Thursday was the most fitting day for the former Beatle—it marked the 48th anniversary of the Beatles’ iconic U.S. television debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Giving a nod to his time with the Fab Four, McCartney acknowledged that he was in the debt of the “three other guys” for his Walk of Fame star.
“So thanks, John, George and Ringo,” he said.
McCartney was accompanied by his wife Nancy, and his son James.
