Wings' Jimmy McCulloch is arrested in Nashville – 17 July 1974

Q: Why was Jimmy McCulloch arrested in Nashville?

For reckless driving in the early hours of 17 July 1974, after a week of heavy drinking during Wings' Nashville recording sessions.

Q: What was Wings doing in Nashville in July 1974?

Rehearsing and recording songs. Paul McCartney also recorded with Chet Atkins at the Sound Shop Studio.

Q: Who was Jimmy McCulloch?

A Scottish guitarist who joined Wings in 1974, played on Venus and Mars and Wings at the Speed of Sound, left in 1977, and died in September 1979 aged 26.

July 16, 2026

Wednesday 17 July 1974 | Nashville, Tennessee, USA

In the early hours of 17 July 1974, Wings guitarist Jimmy McCulloch was arrested and jailed for reckless driving in Nashville, Tennessee, bringing a chaotic week of recording sessions and late-night misadventures to a dramatic head.

The Nashville Sessions

At the time, Wings were in Nashville rehearsing and recording a number of songs. In the evenings the band often partied hard, and McCulloch's heavy drinking had become a growing concern to Paul McCartney.

On 14 July, McCulloch attended a Leon Russell recording session with Wings' drummer Geoff Britton and guitarist Denny Laine. Afterwards they were invited to a party hosted by their Nashville fixer Dixie Gamble, who was house-sitting for a friend.

“I thought, ‘Oh, I’ll just throw a party for ‘em, and maybe that will calm things down.’ I was living in a rental apartment, so I didn’t have an appropriate space to do it, but a friend of mine had a beautiful home with a massive living room, and I was house-sitting for her. It was just Jimmy, Geoff, Denny and Alan Crowder, maybe a few others – it wasn’t a lot of people.

I felt pretty cool about it, everything was in control – until I looked up and Jimmy McCulloch was standing on my friend’s antique glass coffee table. And I thought, ‘Oh my God, I have made a serious mistake.’ I was pretty naïve about drugs; I mean, in my world, the most anybody did was smoke a little pot and have a drink – it wasn’t a heavy drug world, so I didn’t have any concept of how things get out of control quickly. I just remember having this sinking feeling because my friend had white, shag carpet in her living room, and the house was all glass. And I’m thinking, ‘Oh, my goodness, this is not good.’”

— Dixie Gamble, 31 May 2020. The McCartney Legacy: Volume 2: 1974–80

A Week of Chaos

The party was swiftly curtailed, and the members of Wings split up to explore the Nashville nightlife. The next morning, however, McCulloch's rented Lincoln Continental was found in the stream running through their rented farm. The McCartneys were furious and cancelled the day's rehearsals.

The following day, McCulloch and Laine turned up late and were admonished by Paul McCartney, resulting in them walking out and another cancellation.

On the evening of 16 July, a drunk McCulloch drove a borrowed Volkswagen into the car owned by Britton's Nashville girlfriend, Dottie. The damage was minimal, so the group went to the Sound Shop Studio where McCartney had been recording with Chet Atkins. McCulloch left shortly afterwards, and in the early hours of 17 July was arrested and jailed for reckless driving.

The Arrest and Release

McCulloch was assigned a lawyer, William F Carpenter Jr, who arranged a night hearing at a local court. After agreeing to cover the costs for the damage to both cars, McCulloch was released. He flew back to England with Laine and Britton the following day.

Key Facts

Date of arrest	Early hours of Wednesday 17 July 1974
Location	Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Charge	Reckless driving
Lawyer	William F Carpenter Jr
Outcome	Released after agreeing to cover damage costs
Flew back to England	18 July 1974 (with Laine and Britton)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why was Jimmy McCulloch arrested in Nashville?

Jimmy McCulloch was arrested in the early hours of 17 July 1974 for reckless driving in Nashville, Tennessee, after a week of heavy drinking and late-night incidents during Wings' recording sessions in the city.

What was Wings doing in Nashville in July 1974?

Wings were in Nashville rehearsing and recording songs in July 1974. Paul McCartney also recorded with Chet Atkins at the Sound Shop Studio during this period.

Who was Jimmy McCulloch?

Jimmy McCulloch was a Scottish guitarist who joined Wings in 1974. He played on several Wings albums including Venus and Mars and Wings at the Speed of Sound before leaving the band in 1977. He died in September 1979 aged 26.