Wrestler Chris Jericho has opened up about a hilarious encounter he had with Beatles legend Paul McCartney at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Speaking in a recent interview with Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante, Jericho said that after meeting a young fan, his mother – a friend of his – offered him tickets to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
“It just so happens that was the year that KISS was going in,” Jericho explained. “So I went with my cousin Chad, and we went and saw KISS get in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. And we had so much fun, we said, ‘Let’s go every year.’ We’ll make it like an annual thing for me and him to go and hang out. So we went two or three years and then the one year Ringo got in.”
Jericho continued: “We’re allowed to stand on the floor, ’cause Betsy from Rolling Stone gets us those passes. But there’s nowhere to sit because you have to pay, like, 10 grand a seat to be at the tables. So we were in the back, and we kind of had to be walking here and walking there. And I noticed, though, when bands played, everyone stood up and no one knows who’s supposed to be where.
“So as soon as everyone stood up [to see] Green Day perform, I said, ‘Let’s go to the front.’ ‘Cause we had seen Paul and Ringo and Olivia — George’s Harrison widow — and Yoko Ono at the very front at a table.
“So we walked straight to the front. I remember I saw Dave Grohl. ‘Hey, Dave, how’s it going?’ Dave Grohl. Kid Rock. ‘What’s up, dude?’ And people kind of staring at you, but you just act like you’re supposed to be there. They don’t know who you are.
“And we went right to the front, and I’m standing right behind Paul and Ringo. And there’s energy; he’s fucking godlike. And Green Day was doing ‘American Idiot’. And it goes [hums song’s riff], ‘Hey.’ And everyone’s going, ‘Hey.’ And Paul’s doing it too — he’s super into it.
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“So when it was done, he starts walking down towards the bathroom on one side of the tables, and I’m, like, ‘Here’s my moment.’ And I’m walking down the other side of the tables. So we finally meet in the middle. ‘Oh, wow, Paul. Nice to see you here. Wasn’t Green Day great?’ ‘Oh, they were great, man. It was awesome.’
“And I’m trying to think of something witty to say. He had a security guard in front of him. And I said, ‘Listen, I see you’ve got your security guard in front of you.’ I said, ‘I’m behind you. So if any ninjas come to attack you, I’ll fend them off.’ And he was kind of looking at me, like, ‘All right, man.’ And then I go, ‘High five, Paul,’ and he high-fives me.
“So, go to later on in the night after the show was done, we go to the after-party,” Jericho added.
“And Paul is sitting with Joe Walsh and their wives. So Paul gets up to grab some cheese off the buffet and everyone comes around to kind of bother him and whatever. So I’ve done this before … where I’ll go up and say, ‘Dude, you need help with these people if you wanna get outta here.’
“So I go over to Paul. I say, ‘Listen, everyone’s bothering you. If you need, I’ll help you get you outta here.’ And he goes, ‘Listen, who are you? Are you a cameraman? Are you security? Who are you?’ And he goes, ‘Listen, if I need any help with the ninjas, I’ll let you know. Until then, I’m cool. You got it?’
“And he was nice. But I think he thought I was some kind of stalker. And all I could think of when he said that was, ‘Fuck. He remembered the ninjas! My line worked.'”
For more on this topic, head over to the Classic Rock Observer.
Check out Chris Jericho on IG Live with Charlie Benante:
