THE SOUNDTRACK OF MY LIFE
Rose Ann Belluso, 60, is one of Paul Mccartney’s most loyal fans
As I sat in front of the TV aged eight, I watched the film A Hard Day’s Night, starring The Beatles, and was completely mesmerised by their floppy haircuts, bundles of energy and dazzling voices. In that moment, my love affair with the Fab Four had begun.
Although the band soon parted ways and I missed their chemistry together, I grew to love Paul Mccartney’s cherubic face and sweet solo love songs.
In 1980, I married Joe, then 22, and we had a son, Christian, in 1985. Four years later, Joe surprised me for my birthday with two tickets to see Paul Mccartney at Madison Square Garden in our home town of New York. Our seats were at the very back, but when Paul appeared, a speck in the distance, I started to sob. We were in the same building, breathing the same air!
It was another 20 years before I felt the same rush, in 2009, when Joe took me to see Paul at Citi Field stadium, New York, this time in the front row – we paid more than £800 per ticket for the privilege and I’d do it all over again. I had made a sign saying, ‘It’s my birthday!’ and during the show, Paul read it aloud and dedicated his next song, Birthday by The Beatles, to me. ‘I don’t think life can get better!’ I told Joe.
In 2010, I spent £2,600 on two tickets for Paul’s show in Philadelphia, which would give us access during sound checks and second-row seats. ‘Paul’s not getting any younger, and neither am I!’ I laughed when Joe baulked at the price.
I had Union Jacks painted on my nails and made another sign asking Paul to autograph my back. During the show, Paul looked straight at me. ‘Do you really want me to do it?’ he asked through the microphone. Before I knew it, I was being ushered to the side of the stage by a security guard. Everything happened so fast.
‘Here she is!’ Paul announced, holding his hands out to greet me. After a nudge from the security guard, I found myself onstage with Paul Mccartney, with thousands of screaming fans looking on. He asked my name and gave me a hug. ‘Deep breath, love. You’re going to be OK,’ he said.
As he signed my back, it was like an out-of-body experience. He hugged me goodbye, but I worried about his signature getting smudged! I slept face down all night to protect my prized possession and the next morning, I visited a tattoo parlour, where Paul’s autograph was permanently etched on my skin.
‘IT WAS LIKE AN OUTOF-BODY EXPERIENCE’
BACKSTAGE ENCOUNTER
I joined a fan group, Fans On The Run, and was lucky to go backstage in 2014, when a friend won tickets to meet Paul and invited me to join him. When I approached Paul, he stepped back, surprised. ‘I know you!’ he said as I showed him my tattoo. It felt surreal that he remembered me.
Since that first concert in 1989, I’ve seen Paul 41 times, including in Liverpool in 2018. My family laughs and every year, Joe, Christian, now 36, and our youngest, Nathaniel, 26, humour me by posing as The Beatles for our Christmas card.
I know it might sound a bit much to some, but I’m proud to be Paul’s number-one fan. Throughout the past six decades, his music has been the perfect soundtrack to my life.
Thanks to Moonglow PR (moonglowpr.com) for Rose Ann’s story.