Paul McCartney Nixes Practice He Calls 'a Bit Strange'

Ex-Beatle will no longer be signing autographs for fans
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 26, 2021 8:12 AM CDT
Paul McCartney Nixes Practice He Calls 'a Bit Strange'
In this July 10, 2017, file photo, Paul McCartney performs at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.   (AP Photo/Scott Audette, file)

Nearly 15 years ago, Ringo Starr "put his foot" down, and his pen, and informed fans he wouldn't be signing autographs anymore. Now, the only other surviving Beatle has jumped aboard the same no-autographs train. The AV Club reports on a new Paul McCartney interview with Reader's Digest in which the 79-year-old singer-songwriter reveals he'll no longer be scribbling his signature on random pieces of paper for fans. "It always struck me as a bit strange," said McCartney, making the media rounds ahead of a new book and Disney Plus+ documentary. "'Here, can I write your name down on the back of this [cash register] receipt, please?' Why? We both know who I am."

McCartney doesn't seem to like selfies, either, suggesting he values interactions more than souvenirs. "What you've usually got is a ropey photo with a poor backdrop and me looking a bit miserable," he noted. Instead, he adds, "let's chat, let's exchange stories." This shift in McCartney's fan-interaction M.O. comes just weeks after he made it clear that John Lennon, not him, broke up the Beatles. (More Paul McCartney stories.)

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