Ray shares guitar licks with McCartney, says Paul won't soon retire
Sometimes who you know can open a door, but, without talent, that door may slam in your face faster than expected. Musician Brian Ray, despite working 14 years with Etta James in his younger years, never dreamed he would become a member of Paul McCartney’s band. For that matter, he was not positive when he was hired. For the past 13 years, McCartney has toured and recorded with the same musicians: Ray, alternating between rhythm and bass guitars; Abe Laboriel Jr., drums; Rusty Anderson, lead guitar; and Paul “Wix” Wickens, keyboards. Ray’s first appearance with McCartney was at the 2002 Super Bowl. The New England Patriots slipped past the St. Louis Rams that day, 20-17 — which is not what Ray remembers most. Rather, this was the first Super Bowl pushed into February, an NFL championship affected by the first terrorist attacks on American soil on Sept. 11, 2001.
Ray said, “A lot of people forget that Paul was sitting on the tarmac at JFK (John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York) that day. Obviously, he would not be going anywhere. When he heard about what happened, he sat down and wrote a song called ‘Freedom’ “That’s the song the NFL asked him to sing before the national anthem at the Super Bowl. You could tell it was very meaningful to him. That was my first chance to play with him and I remember being so nervous, even though it was just one song.”Ray was uncertain what to do afterward until he said goodbye to McCartney, who replied, “Just stick with Abe and Rusty. They’ll show you the ropes.”
Source: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
