The new exhibit Paul McCartney and Wings opens at Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Friday. It’s the first major museum exhibit to explore McCartney’s post-Beatles band, which featured him, his wife Linda McCartney and a rotating lineup. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame President Greg Harris tells ABC Audio the exhibit sheds light on this integral part of McCartney’s post-Beatles artistry.
“It’s a chance for people to reexamine their impact and their legacy,” Harris says of the band, which scored multiple hit singles and albums before breaking up in 1981.
“The songs are incredible, but we also talk about that approach that they took, that DIY approach, and Linda’s integral role with the band,” Harris says of the exhibit.
That “DIY approach” refers to the fact that when Wings first formed, they embarked on a low-key tour of U.K. universities, showing up unannounced in a van and offering to perform for next to nothing.
The exhibit includes “the largest assemblage of Paul McCartney materials ever,” says Harris, including instruments, clothing, artwork and lyrics. “It’s all gonna be an immersive experience with lots of video, lots of photos, lots of images and of course sound,” he adds.
While McCartney is a two-time Rock Hall nominee, as a solo artist and as a member of The Beatles, Wings has yet to appear on the ballot. Might this exhibit be a precursor to a future nomination? “They’re certainly eligible,” Harris says. “And their impact, of course, and influence as told in this exhibition is super powerful.”
As for whether Sir Paul intends to drop by, Harris says, “We’re optimistic that we’ll get him to visit it sometime this spring, and we can share it with him and celebrate it with him.”
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