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Marijuana Deluxe: Paul McCartney moved to prison in 1980
Paul McCartney landed full of anticipation on January 16, 1980 at the Narita International Airport in Tokyo. With his band Wings, an 11-city tour was planned by Japan. It was his first visit to the island since his appearances with the Beatles 1966.
Maybe he should have hidden his dope better. Half pounds of marijuana was discovered in McCartney’s luggage during the airport control.
“He looked more amazed than I”
“When the controller pulled the stuff out of my pocket, he looked more amazed than me,” McCartney recalled. “I think he would have liked to put it back right away, forgot the whole thing. But it was ahead of us.”
The singer was later able to assure the authorities that he only took the grass for personal purposes – the crowd was large enough to arrest him for the time being. McCartney threatened up to seven years in prison for suspicion of drug smuggling. And that was serious: the Japanese authorities are known for their rigorous anti-drug policy, nor for the fact that celebrities do not enjoy any special rights before the judiciary. So it is only surprising that the 38-year-old was released relatively quickly at the time and was not only put before a court.
First of all, however, McCartney was dissipated in handcuffs. “This is a mistake!” He said in protest. It went to the interrogation, the Wings tour was canceled within eleven hours-and the ex-beatle landed in a prison cell in which another eight occupants were waiting for him.
It could have been clear to him that McCartney would be thoroughly examined when he entered in 1980. It was only five years earlier that the ex-beatle was denied a visa of Japan: because of his arrested arrests for possession of drugs, which he had negotiated in Europe.
Fitness exercises in jail
“My first night in prison was the worst,” said McCartney. “I couldn’t sleep. I was afraid of not seeing my family for years.”
During these nine days, the singer became “occupant #22”. He was not allowed to play guitar behind bars or work with writing material. But he did fitness exercises, talked to the other prisoners, and he was quickly considered a friendly cell buddy.
Only the interrogations instead of finding every morning are uncomfortable. “I had already apologized to have broken Japanese law. But they still wanted to know everything about me. My whole life story. The school, my parents, even what the medal was all about.”
On the sixth day, Linda was finally allowed to visit Paul. In her care package there was a sandwich, vegetarian, new clothes and sci-fi books.
When McCartney was released on the ninth day, countless Japanese fans were already waiting at the airport to pay respect for the singer, who now had to “shorten” his “tour”. Macca took heart in the departure hall, reached the acoustic guitar and improvised a melody, also in front of the camera. Then he finally started his well -deserved journey home.
It was even speculated whether McCartney might have forced his arrest – to have a reason to dissolve the Wings. Which happened shortly after his return to England.
“How could you be so stupid?”
In 1990 McCartney returned to Japan for a tour. It is not known whether he was able to resist a wink during the luggage control at the airport. In 2004 he provided a reason for his light -hearted procedure: “I just didn’t know if I would get anything in Japan. And the stuff was too good to wash it down the toilet.”
John Lennon is said to have commented on McCartney’s arrest in 1980. According to a housekeeper of the Dakota Building, Lennon said: “If he needs fabric, there are enough people who could have transported it for him. You are a beatle, boy, a beat. Your face is known everywhere. How could you be so stupid?”