We know Paul McCartney as the most famous bassist on the planet — but in his heart, he was always a guitarist first. Long before the world knew The Beatles, McCartney was just a Liverpool kid with a battered six-string, dreaming of being like his rock ’n’ roll hero, Eddie Cochran.
Fate, however, had other plans. When The Beatles’ original bassist, Stuart Sutcliffe, left the band, Paul reluctantly picked up the bass. “Nobody wants to play bass, or nobody did in those days,” he once joked in 2007. But that “reluctant bassist” became the architect of some of the most inventive, melodic basslines in rock history.
Yet his love affair with the guitar never faded. In his solo work, especially on his McCartney albums, he famously played every instrument himself — a nod to the guitarist he always wanted to be. And when it comes to naming his ultimate guitar hero, McCartney doesn’t hesitate: Jimi Hendrix.
The Night Hendrix Stunned McCartney
McCartney’s first real encounter with Hendrix was nothing short of unforgettable. In 1967, just days after Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band hit the shelves, Hendrix stepped onto the stage at London’s Saville Theatre — and, to everyone’s shock, opened his set by tearing through the title track.
“Brian Epstein used to rent the theatre on Sunday nights when it was usually dark,” McCartney recalled. “The curtains flew back, and there was Jimi, walking forward, playing Sgt. Pepper. The album had only been out since Thursday — that was the ultimate compliment.”
McCartney watched, wide-eyed, as Hendrix nailed the complex track without missing a beat — no rehearsal, no warm-up. “He must have been so into it,” Paul said, still amazed. “Normally you’d take a day to get that down, but he just opened with it.”
That night burned itself into McCartney’s memory — not just for Hendrix’s sheer talent, but for the audacity and respect it showed. “It’s a pretty major compliment in anyone’s book,” Paul said. “I count it as one of the greatest honors of my career.”
The First Time McCartney Saw Hendrix
McCartney also remembered the very first time he saw Hendrix perform — at the Bag O’ Nails club in London. Back then, the club wasn’t exactly known for life-changing performances. But when Hendrix took the stage, everything changed. Within two days, word spread across London: a new guitar wizard had arrived.
A Legend Recognizing a Legend
Decades later, McCartney still holds Hendrix in a league of his own. “Nobody’s matched his magic,” he says, unwavering. In a world where guitar gods are countless, McCartney — a legend himself — remains starstruck by the brilliance, innovation, and soul Hendrix brought to every performance.
Because when a Beatle calls someone the greatest — you listen.
