Classic Rock
Brian Ray explains why Paul McCartney doesn’t retire
Paul McCartney helped to form The Beatles back in 1960 and since then became one of the most influential and successful songwriters of all time. At the age of 82 he continues to be active and has many scheduled tour dates in 2024. He will perform in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, France, Spain and England.
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The line-up of his band is the same for 22 years, since the American guitarist Brian Ray joined his band that already had Wix Wickens, Rusty Anderson and Abe Laboriel Jr.
In an interview with New York’s WAXQ radio station (Transcribed by Ultimate Guitar), Brian Ray explained why he believes Paul doesn’t retire.
Brian Ray explains why Paul McCartney doesn’t retire
“He’s passionate about it. And he loves to sing a song. He loves to entertain. He’s just got that gene in him. He was born to do it. I think to myself, ‘Why? Why do it?’ He has to love it, because it’s a schlep for anybody. I don’t care if you’re Paul or whoever you are, it is still a schlep. You gotta still get up and go and make that plane and make that bus. It’s still a schlep. You’ve gotta really want it.”
“He certainly doesn’t need it. It’s not about that. It’s about — I guess he looked at people like John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, who kept doing it. I think Chuck was doing shows into his early 90s, if I’m not mistaken. So, I think Paul looks at that and goes like, ‘Why stop? Just why stop? I love it. I enjoy it. People are loving it,'” Brian Ray said.
Brian Ray is 69 and worked with many other legendary artists during his career. Some of them are Etta James, Smokey Robinson and Johnny Hallyday.
