Paul McCartney says John Lennon ‘had a really tragic life’
Paul McCartney talks about his Beatles band members at the Tribeca Film Festival. (Pop Nation/TMX)
Legendary Beatles star Paul McCartney is giving fans a glimpse inside the band’s "innocent" rise to fame in never-before-seen photos.
During the historic 1964 Beatlemania tour, the iconic band "dominated the world" as the members took the world by storm in their early 20s.
McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison went on a global tour that spanned over six cities: Liverpool, England; London; Paris; New York; Washington, D.C.; and Miami.
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Paul McCartney's self-portrait. London, 1963. (© 1963 - 1964 Paul McCartney)
Amid their rise to fame, the now 80-year-old McCartney snapped a few camera shots of their adventures which are highlighted in his first photo book, "1964: Eyes of the Storm."
"1964: Eye of the Storm" highlights photos McCartney captured during The Beatles' rise to fame. (© 1964 Paul McCartney)
With more than 200 pictures, McCartney takes fans behind the lens through candid photos of himself and his bandmates enjoying a journey of a lifetime.
"It shows when this group… just dominated the world, became a worldwide sensation," "1964: Eyes of the Storm" editor Robert Weil told Fox News Digital.
Photographers in Central Park. New York, 1964. (© 1964 Paul McCartney)
Pictures capture an overwhelming number of photographers and fans doing everything they can to snap shots of the famous English rock band.
In one black-and-white photo, crowds are seen in New York chasing down a car with The Beatles inside. McCartney took the picture in the backseat of the car on West 58th Street, crossing the Avenue of Americas, in 1964.
Although the "Hard Day’s Night" singer-songwriters were hounded by paparazzi and fans, Weil noted that The Beatles always "welcomed" the challenges they faced, as they rose to stardom at a young age.
The crowds chasing The Beatles in the movie "A Hard Day's Night" were based on moments like this in New York in 1964. (© 1964 Paul McCartney)
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"There were challenging moments, but in true fashion, they welcomed them. There were tens of thousands of fans pressing everywhere to get to see them, but they never view them as an obstacle. They wanted to… communicate with [fans] as much as possible," Weil pointed out.
In their downtime, McCartney snapped candid photos of his fellow bandmates.
A photo of Ringo Starr in London. (© 1963 - 1964 Paul McCartney)
In a series of photos, Starr is seen smiling and laughing in London, while Harrison accepts a beverage and smokes a cigarette by the pool in Miami. A woman in a yellow bikini hands Harrison, wearing black sunglasses, a drink.
George Harrison looking young, handsome and relaxed. Living the life. Miami Beach, 1964. (© 1964 Paul McCartney)
Weil, who has worked with McCartney for more than 20 years, added that McCartney and The Beatles "completely changed" culture and reminisced on how his lasting legacy will carry on.
"Paul McCartney is going to last 100 years. He was one of the great ballad writers, balladeers of the 20th century with all his love songs," Weil told Fox News Digital.
"He's a deep artist and writer. And this book, with all of its photos… just shows another side of him which is going to last well into time… more than any other group of the 20th century."
John Lennon and George Harrison in Paris, 1964. (© 1964 Paul McCartney)
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Weil, who described McCartney as "one of the nicest human beings you will ever encounter," said the legendary musician doesn't show signs of slowing down.
"Who knows, he may go on tour again at 80," said Weil.
McCartney discussed his photo book during the Tribeca Film Festival and detailed the mostly unseen photos as the Beatles became international stars.
"What I love about [these photos] is the innocence," McCartney said during the film event on Thursday.
From left, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison wave at crowds after arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York for their first U.S. tour. (GAB Archive/Redferns)
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"We didn’t know we were going to [become] famous. We really wanted to be [famous], but we didn’t know."
During his candid discussion with Conan O'Brien, McCartney revealed that his fellow band member Lennon "had a really tragic life."
"[John] had a really tragic life," McCartney said. "As a kid, his mother was decreed to not be good enough to bring him up… His father had left the home when John was 3. So that’s not too wonderful. John grew up with these, sort of, little minor tragedies throughout his life."
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Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney are the only surviving members of The Beatles. (Getty Images)
WATCH: PAUL MCCARTNEY SAYS JOHN LENNON "HAD A TRAGIC LIFE" (video credit: Pop Nation/TMX)
McCartney continued, "It made me realize why he had that vulnerability. I always admired the way he dealt with it because I’m not sure I would deal with the stuff he went through that well."
Weil told Fox News Digital what he wants readers to take away from McCartney’s photo book.
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"I want [readers]… to see how photographs can change people's lives and… to understand that through The Beatles, the world became modern and the world changed," he said.
The Beatles were considered the most influential band in the 1960s and officially disbanded in 1970. Starr is the only other surviving Beatles member besides McCartney.
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