Photo Credit: Bill Kelly
On Thursday, April 11, Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl lit up for a night of music that celebrated the late, great Jimmy Buffett. The star-studded event consisted of many memorable performances from a diverse lineup of players, including Paul McCartney, the Eagles, Jon Bon Jovi, Zac Brown, Jackson Browne, Brandi Carlile, and more. Amongst the standout musical moments was a collaboration between The Beatles bassist and the Eagles, who performed “Let It Be.”
Prior to the group’s arrival on stage, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl delivered introductions, “Jimmy was a self-proclaimed dreamer. When speaking about his childhood in Mississippi, he would say, ‘I let my mind go where my feet couldn’t carry me yet.’ But Jimmy’s feet carried him far.” Grohl continued, hitting on the mass appeal of Buffett’s repertoire before unveiling the deceased artist’s dream of sharing the stage with an idol, McCartney.
Arriving on stage, McCartney addressed the audience, “I had the great pleasure of knowing Jimmy, and like everyone else on the bill tonight has said, this is one great man.” He continued, “He was generous, he was funny, he’d done just about everything in his life. I was on holiday with him and I forgot to bring my guitar, so he had his own guitar strung left-handed for me. And then the next time I saw him he’d had one custom-made left-handed for me.”
After showing love for Buffett’s wife, Jane, McCartney started on grand piano, nose-diving into performing the absolute fan favorite, with added help from the Eagles, including an early member of the ensemble, Joe Walsh, who laid a particularly fiery guitar solo over the song’s bridge. The interplay of keys and guitar struck an emotive cord, given the reason for the assembly and celebration of one of music’s favorites.
Buffett passed away on September 1, 2023, after a four-year battle with skin cancer, at age 76. Following the musician’s death, McCartney remembered his friend, sharing on social media, “I remember once on holiday when I had forgotten to bring my guitar and was itching to play. He said he would get me one of his, but I said, ‘I’m left-handed.’ So, Jimmy had his roadie restring one of his guitars, which he loaned me for the duration of the holiday. He then followed this act of generosity by giving me my own beautiful left-handed guitar that had been made by one of his guitar-making pals. It’s a beautiful instrument, and every time I play it now, it’ll remind me of what a great man Jimmy was.”
Watch last night’s fan-shot performance of “Let It Be” below.
The post Watch: Paul McCartney and the Eagles Perform “Let It Be” at Jimmy Buffet Tribute Concert in Los Angeles appeared first on Relix Media.
