One former Beatle celebrated Memorial Day weekend in remembrance of another musical legend.
Sir Paul McCartney visited Graceland for the first time Sunday, while on tour performing a show in Memphis, The Associated Press reports. He placed a guitar pick on Elvis Presley's grave in tribute, and "so Elvis can play in heaven."
The singer's Memphis stop on his "Out There" tour marked his first visit to the city in 20 years. He performed at the FedEx Forum.
The Beatles legend sent out a tweet, documenting his homage to The King with a picture paying his respects. According to Rolling Stone, McCartney met Presley once with the Beatles in Los Angeles in 1965.
McCartney told Rolling Stone in 2007 that Elvis was a stong influence for the enigma following the release of the "Sgt. Pepper" album. The band decided to stay home, rather than go on tour, after the album's 1967 release. He said the band had heard the story of Elvis touring his Cadillac but didn't actually go on tour himself.
The Los Angeles Times Magazine recounted the Beatles' meeting with Elvis in 1965, one that had been attempted year prior, but didn't come together until that year. There was a thought that the meeting would be uncomfortable since Presley had hit a roadblock in his career and was reportedly not proud of the work he was doing. Being amidst the successful Beatles could have provided for a downtrodden experience.
But friend to Presley and Memphis disc jockey, George Klein, told the Los Angeles Times Magazine the meeting was anything but negative.
"But as down as he was about what he was doing, I don't think he really felt threatened by the Beatles," Klein told the magazine."He appreciated the excitement of their records, and he thought they were fine songwriters. I remember him saying several times, ‘There's room enough for everybody.'"
