Mac shares story about time they played for Paul

Mac shares story about time they played for Paul

Editor’s Note: Mac McAnally shared a story about playing a show with Jimmy Buffett when Paul McCartney was in the audience during an interview with Mississippi Public Broadcasting (mpbonline.org).

By Mac McAnally

Well, Jimmy and I occasionally will book an unannounced acoustic show just to sort of warm up, because Jimmy doesn’t play guitar every day. He’s got a company to run and boats to run and all that sort of stuff. So, when he’s been off the road a while, we’ll book a little unannounced acoustic gig to warm up, and we were booked as an opening act in the Hamptons for a surf band. We’re just looking around playing for a hundred people. And Jimmy looks over at me halfway through the show and he says, “You nervous?’’ And I said, ‘I don’t know, a little bit. How come?’ He said, “Your hero’s here.’’ And I look out and Paul McCartney and his wife were just sitting down, And this club (Stephens Talkhouse) is so small. I could have hit him with a paper wad.
And then I was like, yeah, I’m nervous now. I am nervous now. Jimmy knows I’m a ridiculous Beatle fan. Of all the ways you dream about meeting Paul McCartney, none of them were me playing and him listening. I wanted to be in the audience.
So Jimmy throws me this. He says, “I want to let my guy here, he’s an instrumentalist, play an instrumental. And I did my little version of Little Martha and I couldn’t even look. I was looking straight down at the stage. I couldn’t look at the crowd at all, but I played little Martha and I made it through it. And at the end, Jimmy’s like, look up and I look up and McCartney’s jumping up and down with his hands in the air and whistling and clapping his hands.
I get chill bumps talking about it now because I’m still basically seven years old as it relates to the Beatles. And he asked to meet me. I stuck my hand out and he just gave me a bear hug me like your favorite uncle would bear hug you. I felt like I should say something. And while we were still hugging, I said, ‘Well, I have to say, Paul, I think you’re the best that’s ever been.’ And Paul said, “Well, that’s probably right, but my friend you are amazing.’’
That’s really all I need in the way of compliments. An hour later, Jimmy and I are packed up carrying our guitars out to the parking lot, and Paul was still standing outside talking to anybody that wanted to talk, saying hello to anybody that wanted to say hello. And Jimmy Buffett and I are lugging guitars to his little SUV. Jimmy says, “You know what? If Paul McCartney’s going to be a nice guy, we got to be nice guys.” If anybody deserves to get to be a jerk, it’s Paul McCartney, because he’s been bothered for his whole life and he was just as nice as he could be to every soul in that place. So that’s an inspiration and a role model for me and anybody else that’s wanting to do this job.

I said, ‘Well, I have to say, Paul,
I think you’re the best that’s
ever been.’ And Paul said, “Well, that’s probably right, but my
friend you are amazing.’’
– Mac McAnally.