Paul McCartney has come out swinging in an interview, blaming John Lennon for the breakup of The Beatles. He’s also called for his fellow surviving Beatle, Ringo Starr, to be knighted for his services to music (and possibly providing voiceovers to kids television show Thomas The Tank Engine).
Speaking to a UK radio station, McCartney was asked about the circumstances of the Beatles bust up and whether they had all thought that it would be final. He says “Basically me, George and Ringo said, ‘Does this have to be final? Could we do a couple of gigs or can we think about this tomorrow?’ But John was off with Yoko and he was saying ‘No, no, it’s great — I feel a release,’ and all that. So that was kind of final.”
He’s also called for Starr to be given the title Sir Ringo Starr. McCartney himself was knighted in 1997, while all four members of The Beatles were made MBEs (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in a ceremony in 1965 at Buckingham Palace at which urban legend has it, they all shared a sneaky joint in one of the palace’s many bathrooms.
When asked why Starr hadn’t been given a knighthood, McCartney replied “Yeah, well, don’t look at me.” When asked is he would ask the Queen himself, he joked: “The last time I went by she was out. Otherwise I would have popped in and said ‘Look, love, Sir Richard Starkey’. Because I do think it’s about time, but she probably was a bit busy with Sir Brucie.”
McCartney was referring to UK TV personality Bruce Forsyth, who was recently knighted, joking that he never thought he’d see the day that Forsyth would be knighted ahead of Starr.
