The Dream Interview

Sorry that the photograph that goes with this story is so bad.  If anyone has it in a better condition, please send it my way and I will replace it. 

The Dream Interview

By Lauraine Searle

Eastbourne Gazette
 

November 21, 1979

    Many people have dreams they never expected to come true. One of mine did when I met Paul McCartney.

     The superstar of the pop music world has been in Eastbourne since October 23, rehearsing at the Royal Hippodrome with his band Wings. Meeting the ex-Beatle is a humbling experience. One of the most successful songwriters in the business, Paul has more than 40 songs to his credit that have sold 1 million copies or more. 

    Yet when he came into the room for the interview, I was struck by how unassuming he actually was. Dressed in blue jeans, a Hawaiian print shirt, and a quilted jacket. He was slighter in build and looking a bit older than I had expected.

     His wife, Linda, was also dressed casually in jeans, a loose top, and a colorful tartan scarf. The two perched precariously on the edge of the balcony in the theater and spoke about fame, their upcoming tour, and the rehearsal session in Eastbourne.

     Paul said they were pleased with the Royal Hippodrome. "It was the site. We wanted a real theater. The sound and atmosphere is better than in a big barn."  He said it was possible the band might want to use the theater again. "We are aware of the noise problem," He told me. "We don't want to be a nuisance. If they would let us back, we might come again."

    Both he and Linda seem almost untouched by fame. They see themselves as ordinary people, although they admit they would not be able to walk down Oxford Street London without being stopped by eager fans. 

    "People have this image of us living glamorous lives," said Linda. "We still get up every morning, make the breakfast, and take the kids to school like everyone else."

     Paul, who has been at the top of the pop world for almost 20 years, takes success very lightly. "When I left school, I didn't want to get a job, so I joined a music group. Now, that has turned out to be a job. It has become a lot more that way than I ever intended," he said. "It can be boring, just like any other job."

     This may seem hard to believe, especially for those of us who work from nine to five, five days a week, but boredom is one of the reasons for the group's latest tour. They will be opening in Paul's hometown, Liverpool, then Manchester, Southampton, and on December 2, Brighton. The Brighton Center has already received more than 40,000 requests for tickets for Wings only performance. The Center seats only 4500.  

    "Money is not the motive for the tour," Paul said. "In fact, we put quite a lot into it and do not make much of a profit."

     He admits being very wealthy, but denies that this has changed him. "It is true that when you get success and money, it is not quite what you thought it would be, but we never got to the point where everything is taken care of for us. That would be boring."

     He and Linda prefer being with their family and their farm and Sussex to the glamorous lives led by some pop stars. Perhaps it is this that has kept his feet firmly on the ground. It was an experience of a lifetime to meet him in person, made even more memorable by his friendly, down-to-earth manner. For all those who share or shared my infatuation with the ex-Beatle, let me assure you, Paul McCartney is a dream come true.