Wednesday 15 July 2009 | Ed Sullivan Theater, Broadway, New York City, USA
On 15 July 2009, Sir Paul McCartney appeared on CBS’s Late Show with David Letterman, filmed at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway — the same venue where The Beatles had made their historic American television debut on 9 February 1964. Following the interview, McCartney and his band performed an outdoor show from the theatre’s marquee to thousands of fans assembled on Broadway below.
The Letterman Interview
During the interview, McCartney reflected on The Beatles’ first visit to the Ed Sullivan Theater in 1964:
“You know, I was just thinking today when we first came here, we’d never seen this kind of thing. TV studios in England were kind of all on one floor, the makeup was next door to this… But here, it’s like an apartment block, you know, you go to makeup and you take an elevator five floors, then you go to wardrobe and you come here. But, yeah, just the memory of being here is great. It was kind of scary the first time.”
— Paul McCartney
He also recalled performing ‘Yesterday’ solo on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1965:
“The audience was out there, and we were kind of very new to America – loving it, but a little bit scared, and I had to do Yesterday, my song, on my own, and I’d never done this, I’d always had the band with me, but suddenly they said, ‘You’re doing ‘Yesterday,’’ so I said, ‘OK’. So I was standing there – ‘come on, get it together, it’s OK’ – and the floor manager, the guy on the curtain, came up to me and said, ‘You nervous?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘You should be, there’s 73 million people watching.’”
— Paul McCartney
Paul Is Dead
McCartney addressed the famous ‘Paul Is Dead’ rumour that began circulating in 1969:
“What happened was we did a cover for a record called Abbey Road, and the idea was to walk across the crossing and I showed up that day with sandals, flip-flops and so it was so hot that I kicked them off and walked across barefooted. So this started some rumour that because he was barefooted, he’s dead. I couldn’t see the connection myself. I just laughed at it and knew it was just because of the fame and the craziness. It was American DJs, so you guys are to blame. Not you personally, but no, the thing is you know, I just laughed it off, but it was a little bit strange ‘cause people did start looking at me like, ‘Is it, is it him or a very good double?’”
— Paul McCartney
On Michael Jackson
McCartney spoke about his friendship with Michael Jackson, who had died on 25 June 2009 — just three weeks before this interview:
“It was great, you know, we had a great time. It was Christmas and I was at home and my phone rang and, you know, a little voice talked to me and I said, ‘Who’s this?’ ‘It’s Michael.’ ‘Michael who?’ … he said ‘Michael Jackson’ and he said, ‘You want to make some hits?’ So I said, ‘Yeah, sure.’ So we did, and it was really nice… We made a couple of records together, did a video and were very good friends. It actually kind of fell apart a little bit later because… one of the things I said to him was, ‘Think about getting into music publishing.’ And he looked at me, and I thought he was joking, he said, ‘I’m going to get yours.’… But he was a lovely man, massively talented and we miss him.”
— Paul McCartney
The Outdoor Show
Following the Letterman interview, McCartney and his band performed from the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater to thousands of fans on Broadway. The seven-song set:
- Get Back
- Sing The Changes
- Coming Up
- Band On The Run
- Let Me Roll It
- Helter Skelter / Purple Haze
- Back In The USSR
Key Facts: 15 July 2009
| Date | Wednesday 15 July 2009 |
| TV appearance | Late Show with David Letterman, CBS |
| Venue | Ed Sullivan Theater, Broadway, New York City |
| Beatles’ first Ed Sullivan appearance | 9 February 1964 |
| Outdoor setlist | Get Back; Sing The Changes; Coming Up; Band On The Run; Let Me Roll It; Helter Skelter/Purple Haze; Back In The USSR |
The Ed Sullivan Theater, 1697 Broadway, New York City — where The Beatles made their US television debut on 9 February 1964, and where Paul McCartney performed an outdoor show on 15 July 2009.
Paul McCartney: On Tour
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Frequently Asked Questions
Did Paul McCartney perform at the Ed Sullivan Theater?
Yes. On 15 July 2009, Paul McCartney appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York, then performed an outdoor show from the theatre’s marquee to thousands of fans on Broadway. The Beatles had made their historic US television debut at the same venue on 9 February 1964.
When did The Beatles first appear on the Ed Sullivan Show?
The Beatles made their historic first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on 9 February 1964, broadcast live from the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. An estimated 73 million people watched the broadcast.
What did Paul McCartney say about Michael Jackson on Letterman?
McCartney recalled how Jackson called him asking to make some hits, leading to collaborations including Say Say Say. Their friendship cooled after Jackson purchased the ATV Music catalogue containing the Lennon-McCartney song rights and declined to renegotiate. McCartney said: “He was a lovely man, massively talented and we miss him.”
→ Ringo Starr All-Starr Band: Etess Arena, Atlantic City – 15 July 2006
→ Paul McCartney live: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia – 15 July 1990
→ 15 July in Beatles History
→ Paul McCartney: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
→ The Beatles Knowledge Hub
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