Paul McCartney confirmed on Jimmy Kimmel Live that he performed the Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s July 3 wedding at Madison Square Garden.
McCartney said Swift requested both his presence and the specific song for the performance. “She asked me to do it,” he told Kimmel, according to Billboard, adding that the 1964 Beatles classic was Swift’s choice, not his own.
Paul McCartney Performs
Swift was onstage with McCartney during the song. The music legend suggested she sing along with him, and told Kimmel: “I said, ‘You should sing along, and you should sing it to your man.'” McCartney momentarily forgot the name of Swift’s husband before Kimmel prompted him to say “Travis.”
It remains unclear whether Swift dueted on the song with McCartney. Guests have stayed tight-lipped about the ceremony in the months since the event.
Why the wedding matters
McCartney had not performed “I Want to Hold Your Hand” live since the Beatles played it in 1964.
Swift and Kelce have kept most details of their wedding private. Kelce did share some comments on his New Heights podcast with brother Jason last month, calling it “a night out we’ll never forget.” He explained the couple chose Madison Square Garden for “a very intimate and genuine setting without a lot of distractions,” and said the venue “went above and beyond to give us that.”
Dakota Johnson, who attended as Swift’s close friend, recently said she does not believe any photos from the wedding will surface, calling Swift “sneaky.” BBC Radio 1 host Greg James, who was also a guest after Swift invited him during a prior interview, attended the reception.
What’s next
McCartney’s full interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live, which aired Friday, also covered his upcoming special edition of The Boys of Dungeon Lane, a duet with Ringo Starr, and his recent Wings documentary Man on the Run.
Reporting from Billboard and Rolling Stone contributed to this story.
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