"I did not instigate the division": Paul McCartney reveals who was responsible for the controversial breakup of The Beatles

"I did not instigate the division": Paul McCartney reveals who was responsible for the controversial breakup of The Beatles

The bassist and singer confesses that this was the "most difficult period" of his life. "It was my band, it was my job, it was my life, so I wanted it to continue," he confessed.

A performance by The Beatles whose date is unknown. From left to right: Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon.

The separation, more than 50 years ago, of The Beatles, considered by many to be the most influential group in the history of music, has been a matter of debate to this day. Recently, Paul McCartney, a former member of the legendary Liverpool quartet, dusted off the subject and assured that, contrary to what some believe, he was not responsible for the disintegration of the band.

"I didn't instigate the split. Our Johnny [John Lennon] did," the versatile musician was quoted as saying by The Guardian in a preview of his interview for the BBC Radio 4 program 'This Cultural Life', which will air next October 23.

In candid dialogue with journalist and broadcaster John Wilson, McCartney reiterated that the main driver of The Beatles' breakup was Lennon. "John walked in one day and said, 'I'm leaving The Beatles.' Does that cause a split, or does it not? '" he revealed. He also says that the confusion over the end of the band was further exacerbated because their manager at the time, Allen Klein, asked the four members to keep quiet until he concluded a series of commercial agreements. "It was weird because we all knew it was the end of The Beatles, but we couldn't just walk away," he relates.

Finally, Paul "got fed up" with hiding the secret and in 1970 he told the press that The Beatles were no more. Later, he was accused of spoiling the dynamics of the group when, in early 1971, he sued his colleagues for the contractual dissolution of the band and asked his lawyers to resolve the disputes. "I had to fight and the only way I could fight was to sue the other Beatles, because they were going with Klein. And they thanked me years later. But I didn't instigate the split. That was our Johnny when he came one day and said: ' I'm leaving the group,'" he stressed.

On the other hand, McCartney does not blame the end of The Beatles on Yoko Ono, Lennon's second wife, who has often been blamed for causing disharmony within him. At the same time, he confesses that this was the "most difficult period" of his life, not only because he believes that the group was creating "pretty good things" at that time, but also because his life revolved around the quartet. "It was my band, it was my job, it was my life, so I wanted it to continue," he notes.