Paul McCartney’s guitars stuck in customs in London ahead of Rock Hall exhibit opening
Paul McCartney’s post Beatles exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has hit a road block.
The museum’s upcoming exhibit “Paul McCartney and Wings” is opening on May 15, but we hear some of its artifacts are having issues getting to Cleveland.
Seven of McCartney’s guitars have been stuck in customs in London due to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The famed string instruments are made out of Brazilian rosewood, which is one of the most rare and endangered trees on the planet.
“They’ve been stuck in London customs for a month,” an insider told Page Six.
Seven of McCartney’s guitars have been stuck in customs due to CITES.Getty Images
“The tree is endangered so you can no longer use it, but it’s the best wood you can use for sound and acoustics,” they added.
The guitars are a part of McCartney’s personal archive.
It’s the first major museum exhibition that will explore the story of McCartney and Wings, with the Rock Hall calling them “a defining force in 1970s rock that bridged the gap between the end of The Beatles and the rise of a new era in popular music.”
We’re told it’s the first time in decades that McCartney has traveled with the guitars internationally, so he may have been unaware his highly prized instruments would have an issue.
However, a source says there has been some movement in getting the guitars through customs, so they may make it to the museum for the opening in four days.
Meanwhile, McCartney is set to appear as the musical act for the season finale of “Saturday Night Live” on Saturday. Reps for McCartney and the RHOF did not get back to us.
