PAUL MCCARTEY PERFORMS BEATLES SONG FOR FIRST TIME IN 60 YEARS

Paul McCartney performed "I Want to Hold Your Hand" for the first time in six decades at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding reception at Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday, according to People magazine. The Beatles' first American number one hit marked McCartney's first public performance of the track since the band last played it in September 1964 at the Paramount theatre in New York. Stevie Nicks also performed at the star-studded reception following the ceremony. An unnamed source told the publication that Andrea, Swift's mother, invited guests into the reception room where the stage had been prepared.

McCartney and Swift have publicly expressed mutual admiration since appearing together on the cover of Rolling Stone in 2020. McCartney attended one of Swift's Eras Tour concerts at Wembley Stadium in June 2024, where fans greeted him. Swift subsequently attended McCartney's intimate concert at the Fonda theatre in Los Angeles and recently shared an Instagram post praising his new solo album "The Boys of Dungeon Lane", calling him an "eternally exceptional artist". In a recent BBC Sounds interview, McCartney described the "worldwide fame" that Swift experiences as parallel to that which the Beatles encountered.

McCartney, who is 84, stated he had met Swift and other young performers including Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter at parties hosted by his wife Nancy Shevell and daughter Stella. He said he would "definitely" offer Swift advice on navigating fame if she requested it. McCartney described himself as "like the older brother to that generation, or more like the grandad, actually", and expressed his appreciation for the performers, saying "they're really cool people" and "I like their voices."