Paul McCartney and His Band Closed the SNL50 Special with This Meaningful Medley
The former Beatle played the last three songs from the Fab Four's Abbey Road album.
The massive, three-hour event that was Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary celebration managed to pay tribute to a wide array of sketches, iconic characters, and beloved cast members (some of whom are no longer with us). The night also featured several meaningful musical numbers, including Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter's "Homeward Bound" duet, and Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard's homage to Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" cover. So who could possibly close out a show this packed with meaning? One of the biggest music icons to ever perform on the show: Paul McCartney.
Introduced by former SNL cast member and most-recent Five-Timers Club inductee Martin Short, the founding Beatles member sat down behind his multicolored Magic Piano to play three songs very well known to fans of the Fab Four.
RELATED: 13 Archival Photos of the First SNL Cast, Hosts & Musical Guests
Paul McCartney sang the last three songs on Abbey Road during SNL50: The Anniversary Special
Matching the tone of the night, the selected songs McCartney performed are soaked in nostalgia: It was a medley of "Golden Slumbers," "Carry That Weight," and "The End," the last three tracks on The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road. The release is best known for songs like "Come Together" and "Here Comes the Sun," as well as its famous cover shot of the band walking the crosswalk in front of Abbey Road Studios.
During the drum solo on "Carry That Weight," a crowd shot reveals a sea of celebrity faces rocking out, including Meryl Streep, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Zach Galifianakis, Quinta Brunson, Conan O'Brien, Molly Shannon, Kate McKinnon, and Jimmy Fallon with his wife, producer Nancy Juvonen.
For the third song, McCartney rose to share guitar solo duties with his bandmate, Rusty Anderson. Watch the performance above.
RELATED: Meryl Streep Made Her SNL Debut as Kate McKinnon's Mom in "Close Encounter"
After his rousing closing medley, McCartney joined an iconic array of Not Ready for Prime Time Players, former Hosts, Season 50 cast and of course, SNL creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels for goodnights.
Who performed with Paul McCartney on the SNL50 special?
The 82-year-old musician played and sang alongside his longtime band members — or his Band of Brothers, as they call themselves.
The members present during the SNL50 performance were Rusty Anderson on guitar, Abe Laboriel Jr. on drums, Brian Ray on bass, and Wix Wickens on keyboard. Wickens has been touring with McCartney since 1989, and the entire band has played with McCartney for over 20 years.
Were the Beatles ever on SNL?
No, The Beatles were never Saturday Night Live Musical Guests. Lorne Michaels famously offered them $3000 to play the show in 1976, but they never showed. Though according to Tom Doyle's McCartney biography Man on the Run, McCartney was at Lennon's house watching the show at the time, and they momentarily considered the offer.
As for McCartney, he appeared on SNL four times as Musical Guest: May 17, 1980 with Linda McCartney; February 13, 1993 with Linda McCartney; December 11, 2010 (in which he also appeared in The Lonely Island Digital Short "Stumblin,"; and December 15, 2012 with Joe Walsh, Dave Grohl, and The New York City Children's Chorus.
