"...for an English kid growing up in Liverpool, the White House, that's pretty special..."

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Washington (CNN) -- It has been, perhaps, a long and winding road, but on Wednesday, Sir Paul McCartney will be honored by the president of the United States for his work on and off the stage.

McCartney will be awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song and then, along with a little help from some of his friends, such as Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill, Elvis Costello and several others, he will rock the East Room of the White House.

"This is not our usual crowd, so we're going to be nervous," McCartney said at a news conference on Tuesday. He added that they "intend to try and just have fun."

McCartney said he is a big fan of President Obama and performing at the White House will be a special moment.

"I've had some great awards, I've been really lucky on that score, and there have been some very special things that have happened to me, but you know for an English kid growing up in Liverpool, the White House, that's pretty special," said McCartney.

On Tuesday, McCartney toured the Library of Congress, rehearsed for Wednesday's concert and held a news conference with reporters. They asked the former Beatle about everything from performance royalties and the role of songwriters today to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

McCartney noted that he is not a politician but that the oil spill is a disgrace.

"I think the fact that something like that can happen and the people who are to blame don't have the ability to instantly cap it and clean it up is something that's going to be addressed," he said.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/01/paul.mccartney.white.house/index.html?hpt=Sbin

[Donnachaidh]

1. wonder how much BP stock Sir Paul owns?

Did they ask him that question?

[JuniperLea]

3. Do you know that he does own BP stock?

If not, that's about as crass... no... totally fucked up as I've seen here in a while...

[Donnachaidh]

10. crass? To ask a billionaire how much stock he owns in a company devastating our country?

Sorry, I don't consider Paul McCartney untouchable. Guess my non-sycophantic nature gets in the way. :sarcasm:

And, BTW, it's totally naive and ignorant to think he does NOT own BP stock, in some form or another.

[JuniperLea]

12. What utter bullshit you spew...

You should be ashamed of yourself... what bizarre assumptions you make.

[roguevalley]

18. given that the gates foundation owns stock, it is probably reasonable

for macca to own it too.

[JuniperLea]

20. Nonsense...

The sky is blue, you have blue eyes, therefore you own BP stock.

What utter bullshit. There is absolutely NOTHING reasonable in that leap.

[roguevalley]

37. first of all, relax. secondly, portfolios are chock full of dumb shit

that people sometimes aren't even aware they own. mutual funds and the like have stuff in them that will curl your hair. given his income level, it is almost certain that he owns some.

[JuniperLea]

39. He's a devout vegitarian... very outspoken on living green...

I seriously doubt he'd own any... and further, it's an absurd assertion that he might. It is completely out of left field.

[Zix]

14. Why not e-mail his website and ask him yourself?

Since you're so non-sycophantic and interested...?

[karynnj]

41. We actually do know that a substantial amount of his wealth is in the music business

he owns the rights for a huge amount of music, though not his own music.

If he has a portfolio of stocks, it would obviously be managed by someone and if it includes BP he can afford the money he lost on it. I don't see anything evil in him owning BP stock - if he does. It was a well respected English company.

Paul McCartney has given the world his music - and become rich doing so. I remember reading once that the Beatles wrote the song track of most of the baby boom's teen years. It is that music, from his heart and mind, that he should and will be judged by. I know that I am not the only baby boomer whose teen years were brightened by McCartney's beautiful music.

I don't get your need to attack this man. It's not like he is an American candidate running on an environmental platform while getting hundreds of thousands from a major polluter. (or comparably, speaking of non - sycophantic, a candidate focusing on poverty getting $500,000 from a hedge fund company that was foreclosing on poor families in the New Orleans area.) Leave Paul McCartney alone. He has done a lot of good in the world.

[emulatorloo]

17. Conspiracy Theories! They're not just for Glenn Beck anymore (tm)

[WinkyDink]

26. This hard-core vegetarian you think owns oil co. stock? HTH did you even think this one up?

[DoBotherMe]

2. PAUL!!!!!!

Sorry, got carried away.:blush: Dana ; )

[JuniperLea]

6. Don't apologize!

I bet these "birds" are still singing his praises!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

8. "One, two, three, FAH!"

"I Saw Her Standing There," LIVE, 1964...just for you, DoBotherMe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWdqh2PPvTI

:toast:

[DoBotherMe]

33. I listen to ISHST everyday

Sometimes on replay for hours. I love Geo's solo and the honky tonk piano baseline. They still bring me joy! Thanks for the vid. Dana ; )

[pinboy3niner]

48. Cool vid! I saw them at Dodger Stadium in '66

But I don't think the the 10-song set they did there was recorded (Bobby Hebb, The Ronettes, and some other acts opened).

On youtube, msongs put up a short (under 3 minutes) video about going to the Dodger Stadium concert, with stills--including one of the Beatles onstage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTTGMyJ7Lps

[lunamagica]

45. MTE!!!!! I still love the guy and his music

Watching him in concert on April has been the only joy I've experienced this year.

[JuniperLea]

4. I've been in love with Paul since I was six years old...

When I learned that he and I share a birthday:) It must count for something, right?

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[1776Forever]

5. Glad to be the 5th rec - I remember the 60's & the Beatle Mania - What joy that was!

Still great after all these years to hear all their music. Paul was my favorite too and of course he can stand alone as can they all.

:woohoo: :applause: :woohoo:

[KittyWampus]

7. Paul McCartney is one of the most normal guys you could ever meet.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

9. He kept showing up for work, with joy and commitment.

Paul solo...Wings...Paul solo again...the loss of his "soul mate"...he's kept recording and kept performing and has my respect. What he does is what rock & roll is supposed to be about.

:toast:

[JuniperLea]

13. I keep hearing that...

Awesome! I take it I need to be jealous! :)

[Mimosa]

15. McCartney doesn't know what he's talking about

I'm tired of the rich and famous telling us what to think.

What does he know of the Gulf of mexico and the fragility of coastal wetlands? Not much. he hasn't been there. The very rich all support each other. It's always been that way.

[emulatorloo]

16. Do a little research, he does his fair share of activism

[JuniperLea]

19. He's a vegetarian too...

He doesn't smoke, and I'm willing to bet he doesn't eat at Olive Garden either... you'd think DU would cut him a little slack for having the absurd misfortune of being rich.

You betcha he's done his fair share... I don't hate people for being rich any more than I hate them for their religion or the color of their skin.

[LanternWaste]

29. I think one must be poor, living out of a box...

I think one must be poor, living out of a box, eating Raman noodles every day and sleeping on a rat-eaten, fifth-generation couch for a lot of DUers to allow anyone their due credit.

I imagine Vegas odds would be in favor that Macca's done more for the progressive cause than anyone bellyaching about a) his performance b) his music and c) his activism. And although I'm not much of a betting man, I'd take that bet. :P

[JuniperLea]

31. Me too!

Well said!

[Chef Eric]

30. You don't know what you're talking about.

First of all, he's not telling us what to think. Second of all, you're a fool if you believe that there are no rich people who are making a difference through philanthropy. Can you be any more judgmental? Sheesh.

[mod mom]

21. I don't think Obama should hold these events until the Oil Disaster is under control.

I know it's not his fault but it comes across the same way the * events with John McCain did. Flame away..that's how I feel. BTW my guess is Jon Stewart feels the same as he did commentary on Obama hosting basketball teams during a time of unprecedented national disaster last night.

[JuniperLea]

22. You realize this could very well go on for many more months, right?

The way I see it, the oil companies are terrorists... life shouldn't stop for terrorists. If Obama were ignoring the situation, then yes, I'd agree. He's perfectly able to walk and chew gum at the same time... I don't see this as a problem. You are comparing apples and oranges... Bush ignored the shit out of Katrina. I'm not sure where the dots line up on this at all... I don't see it.

Thanks for your opinion; this is mine.

[mod mom]

23. I am friends with a lot of activists and I can truly say they find it in bad form as well.

The nation is suffering. Did you watch TDS last night? I'm not alone and it's with people who really supported him.

watch Jon @ 4:50:


http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2PYSWW/newsfeed.time.com/2010/06/02/video-jon-stewart-blasts-bp-over-oil-spill//r:t

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JuniperLea]

25. Ah yes... well my friends say otherwise...

And I don't generally rely on comedy shows for my information, or for my angst... I don't need the ratings.

Like Obama, I can chew gum and walk at the same time. We're not likely to forget what's going on in the Gulf. No one is ignoring the situation.

[Mari333]

42. agreed. its bad form. has been since rick warren spoke at the inauguration

downhill ever since.

[lunamagica]

46. then Jon should suspend his comedy while the nation is suffering.....n/t

[devilgrrl]

27. McCartney is so far divorced from Liverpool - spare us the "growing up in Liverpool" horseshit

:eyes:

[JuniperLea]

32. Where did he grow up?

We are all a product of our past... he DID grow up in Liverpool... WTF? That's really a stretch if you're merely looking for something to hate him for.

[devilgrrl]

34. He's been knighted, met heads of state... I'll admit it... I'm partial toward Hull, how's that?

:silly:

[dflprincess]

35. You must still be young if you can't believe that McCartney

still thinks of himself as a kid from Liverpool. He probably has a hard time believing how long it's been.

I know I can't believe that it's 46 years since Ed Sullivan introduced me to the "lads from Liverpool".

[edbermac]

36. Macca bitch-slapped the Monkey In A Flight Suit around pretty good.

Later, after the TV cameras had left, he expressed appreciation for the Library of Congress and added a zinger: "After the last eight years, it's great to have a president who knows what a library is."

:rofl:

[JuniperLea]

38. Liverpool has received a facelift too...

On account of those lads. You can take a tour of all the sites mentioned in Beatle songs!

[karynnj]

43. He had connections enough with the town that he raised the money and has been involved

with a Music school, Liverpool Institute of the Performing Arts, that is in the building that the Liverpool Institute, which he attended occupied. In the same sentence, he did reference the honors that life has given him. It is completely valid to make the point that he did start as a boy in, at best, a lower middle class family in Liverpool.

[lunamagica]

44. What about the LIPA? That's a great asset to Liverpool

[Politicalboi]

28. Should Obama laugh while this disaster is going on?

This disaster is probably far from over. Is he suppose to shut down everything till it's fixed? Personally I would love that, but it's not going to happen. Could be worse. Could be Magoo and Palin in charge, and they would only hire their associates rather than the best and brightest. At least Obama is willing to take any reasonable suggestions. And he's not afraid to say he was wrong.
And since Paul McCartney is an activist on the environment, I would doubt he has any BP stock. Does he really need that dirty money?
I hope he sings Michelle tonight.

[HooptieWagon]

40. A friend of mine met Sir Paul several years ago.

Friend worked at a sailing school in New Orleans, got a call from boss telling him to prepare a boat for a "special guest" to take out. Friend rigged a boat, limo drove up, Paul McCartney got out. Friend gave him a quick briefing, Paul took boat out for a few hours (this was a 14' one-person boat). Friend said Paul was not only a competent sailor, but also really nice and down to earth. Paul gave him 4 front-row tickets to that night's show.

[lunamagica]

47. I know several people who've had similar experiences meeting him

Paul seems to be very appreciative of his success and feels blessed, so that inner peace shows in his interaction with people.