Steve Holley

About

From Long Island Pulse, February 24, 2010:

[…] you recorded with Elton John and were simultaneously asked to join Wings. What was that decision like? 

Elton John is one of the most amazing talents I have ever played with. In August 1977, while I was still with Elton John, my own group Vapour Trails was signed by Warner Brothers and I was also asked to join Wings. Leaving both situations to work with Paul McCartney was difficult, but inevitable.

You had the rare privilege of playing Beatles songs live with Mr. McCartney. What were the pressures inherent to that situation? 

One irreversible fact of youth is that you feel capable of anything, fearless. I felt privileged to say the least.

What did you learn from Mr. McCartney about being a person? 

Sir Paul McCartney taught me many things. One was to trust my instincts. I also remember him saying, “If you can’t hide it, paint it red.” He has given my career longevity just by our association.

No disrespect to them, but by the time we got Steve Holley and Laurence Juber in Wings I was getting a little bit fed up with ‘yet another new line-up’. It was getting a bit boring, to tell the truth – another dollar, another day, kind of thing. Even though they were good players, the whole Wings thing was becoming boring to me.

Paul McCartney, in Wingspan, 2002

Last updated on January 26, 2022