Last night (April 11) some of the biggest stars across multiple genres gathered to pay tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett. Keep the Party Going: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffett took place at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The star-studded show included Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney, Paul McCartney, Zac Brown, Eagles, Pitbull, and many more. During the show, McCartney and Eagles teamed up for a stunning rendition of “Let It Be.”
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The Beatles originally released the McCartney-penned “Let It Be” in March of 1970. Two months later, it became the title track of the band’s post-breakup album. It became a No. 1 hit.
Paul McCartney Remembers Jimmy Buffett
Before performing the song, McCartney took a moment to talk about his history with Buffett. “I had the great pleasure of knowing Jimmy. And, like everyone else on the bill has said, this was one great man,” he said of the late singer/songwriter. “He was generous, he was funny, he’d done just about everything in his life.”
Then, McCartney shared a story about Buffett’s generosity. “I was out in Hollywood with him and I forgot to bring my guitar. So, he had his own guitar strung left-handed for me. And the next time I saw him, he had one custom-made left-handed for me,” he recalled. “So, I loved Jimmy.”
McCartney went on to say that he spent time with Buffett not long before he died. “In the last week of his life, I was invited up to his house by Janey,” he recalled. Then, he informed the crowd that the concert wouldn’t have happened without Buffett’s wife’s involvement. So, he called for a round of applause for her before continuing his story. “I was invited up there to sing a couple of songs for Jimmy. He was in a really bad way but he still had that twinkle in his eye. So, I thought I would sing one of those songs that I sang to him tonight,” he concluded before sitting down at a piano.
McCartney and Eagles Perform “Let It Be” for Jimmy Buffett
The Eagles are one of the biggest bands in classic rock. So, it takes some major star power to overshadow them on the stage. Paul McCartney is one of the few musicians who has that much star power and then some. For a few minutes, they were the former Beatle’s backing band.
(Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
