Together, The Beatles leaders Paul McCartney and John Lennon made some of the most beloved and memorable songs in the history of recorded music. Given that Lennon died in 1980, however, it’s been a long time since fans have been able to hear McCartney and Lennon sing together on stage. Yesterday, though, they got as close as is possible in 2022, when McCartney made use of old Beatles performance footage to “duet” with Lennon.
McCartney performed in Spokane, Washington last night and at the start of his encore, he and his band performed The Beatles’ “I’ve Got A Feeling,” but McCartney was accompanied by the archival Lennon video, effectively creating a posthumous live duet.
Deadline reports that McCartney confirmed on-stage that Get Back director Peter Jackson played a part in making that moment happen: Jackson took audio from a live performance video, isolated Lennon’s vocals (allowing the band to play and McCartney to sing along), and edited the video that played behind McCartney on stage.
This comes after McCartney honored another late rock hero, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. After his death, McCartney wrote, “Not only was he a GREAT drummer but his personality was big and shiny and will be sorely missed by all who were lucky to live and work alongside him. […] You were a true Rock and Roll hero and will always remain in my heart.”