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Paul McCartney turned 82 on Tuesday, prompting one of his former bandmates to share a birthday message for the legendary Beatles singer, albeit with a cheeky request.
Pete Best, who was the band’s drummer in the early 1960s, posted the tribute to McCartney on social media Wednesday, wishing the rock icon a happy birthday.
But Best also made an appeal ― to be the opening act for McCartney in Manchester, England, where he’s scheduled to play in December.
“Happy Belated Birthday. Not far behind you,” the drummer wrote. “Reach out if you’d like me to open for you in Manchester. Imagine. Now that would be something.”
As one might expect, there’s a bit of history between the two former Beatles.
Best was famously replaced by Ringo Starr as the band’s drummer in August 1962, after purportedly failing to impress producer George Martin with his time-keeping skills.
Best has claimed that he was never given an explanation for why he was pushed out of the group. Still, he told The Irish Times in 2020 that he doesn’t hold his dismissal against McCartney.
So far, the “Maybe I’m Amazed” singer hasn’t responded to Best’s generous offer to open for him, but that’s par for the course.
Although McCartney is said to have reached out to Best around the time that the Beatles’ “Anthology” albums were released in the 1990s, Best told The Irish Times that he hasn’t spoken with any of his former bandmates since leaving the group.