CAN’T BUY ME LOVE?
By Jay de Leon

Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills in happier times,
in a public appearance when they first announced
their engagement.

I heard the news today, oh boy. 

A press release has just announced that Paul McCartney and his wife Heather Mills were separating. Reading almost like a template, the press release went on to say the split was amicable, they were still in love with each other but irreconcilable differences and the pressures of public intrusion into their private lives have made it impossible to go on, their focus will be on the well-being of their little daughter, and they hope the public will honor their privacy during these difficult times.

And no, this article is not a celebrity watch.

I grew up with the Beatles, Beatlemania, and John, George, Paul and Ringo.  Although I work around the fringes of Hollywood entertainment, I do not follow celebrity gossip or goings-on.  Until this article, I did not know that Paul McCartney and Heather Mills have had a girl.  I am not sure what Ringo is up to, although I did see him on TV performing in one of these reunion retro shows about a year ago.

What I have always wondered was, if I had all the money, fame, adulation that I wanted, how would I handle it?  What would I be doing on a daily basis? 

For me, if there was a person that had all the money, fame and adulation that a human being could ever have, it would be Paul McCartney.  He is reported to be worth a couple of billion dollars with a healthy income stream still coming in from performances and royalties.  He owns a dozen multi-million dollar homes and vacation shacks scattered all over the world.  As to fame and adulation, didn’t the Beatles say at one time they were more famous than God?

As I said, I do not follow celebrity news.  But from what I have read over the years and watched on TV, Paul McCartney seems to be living a normal life, well, not like you and me, but as normal as a billionaire rock star can get.  He has not become a recluse, letting his hair, nails and health go.  He has not turned to drugs or crawled into a bottle.  He is still working, writing songs and performing.  He is still productive, and living and loving.

And now he has to work on his divorce and continue to care for his daughter.  I am sure he learned a long time ago that money can’t buy you love.  Despite money, fame and adulation, human relationships and self-realization still require personal effort. 

Our best wishes to you, Paul.