The Unusual Story Of How Steven Tyler And Paul McCartney Met
When gods of mythology meet, you expect some sort of cosmic collision to take place that shakes the pillars of the Earth. When gods of rock n' roll meet however, the tale isn't always so stoic and majestic. The story of how the legendary Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler met iconic Beatles frontman Paul McCartney reminds us that those monuments of music that we have looked up to for decades are really just normal people after all.
Picture your hero — the person you idolize the most in this world. Where would be the ideal place to cross paths with them? Who else would be present? How would the conversation go? Now imagine on the flip side the most awkward circumstances you can summon. For Steven Tyler and Paul McCartney, their first encounter was less awkward than it was goofy and charming, and it happened while the two were standing next to one another in a restroom (via Showbiz Cheat Sheet).
Steven Tyler met Paul McCartney at a urinal
It turns out that even enormously successful singers like Steven Tyler have their memorable moments when they personally encountered someone they admired. "I was in a backstage urinal at the Hammersmith Odeon. McCartney walked in, started doing what people do in urinals," Steven Tyler told Blabbermouth in 2007. Apparently, while the two were relieving themselves, Paul McCartney noticed his musical compatriot a few urinals down and didn't sleep on the chance to express his admiration. "Paul says, 'Hey! Steven Tyler. I f****** love your music.' And he gives me the famous thumbs up with his one free hand," Tyler went on.
Like the majority of other musical acts to emerge over the past half century, Steven Tyler shared that Aerosmith's sound was heavily influenced by The Beatles (per Showbiz Cheat Sheet). The forefathers of rock music stand as a monument to both their peers and their descendants, but even monuments have to stop and empty their bladder from time to time.
Paul McCartney performed with Steven Tyler in 2019
Their cordial exchange at the urinal was the first of many interactions between Steven Tyler and Paul McCartney, a few of which took place before a screaming audience. In 2019, Steven Tyler hopped on stage with Sir Paul McCartney in Las Vegas and the two performed a rendition of the classic Beatles hit "Helter Skelter." "We have a special guest for you: Mr. Steven Tyler," McCartney declared before the shrieking sea of fans (per Rolling Stone).
Had the two not met that night at the Hammersmith Odeon, it's tough to say whether or not a friendship would have emerged, and the opportunity to see the rockstars perform a duet that night in Las Vegas could have gone straight down the drain. Case in point: If you ever meet your hero while standing at the urinal, don't freeze up — just go with the flow.