The anticipation was palpable as fans of the legendary band, The Beatles, eagerly waited for a long-awaited reunion on the iconic variety show, Saturday Night Live, in 1976. However, a surprising twist would ultimately prevent this highly anticipated event from coming to fruition.
In April of that year, Paul McCartney paid a visit to John Lennon at his New York City apartment in The Dakota building. The two iconic musicians found themselves watching the popular television series, then known simply as Saturday Night, when they recalled a tantalizing offer made by SNL Producer Lorne Michaels back in 1974. Michaels had promised to pay the band $3,000 if they were to reunite on the show and perform three songs, as reported by Ultimate Classic Rock.
A quote from Lennon, featured in David Sheff’s book All We Are Saying and reprinted by The Beatles Bible, sheds light on the evening’s events. The co-founders of The Beatles had briefly considered surprising fans by showing up at the studio to make a special appearance. However, the fatigue of the day ultimately got the best of them. McCartney and Lennon joked about joining the live show, but ultimately decided against it, with Lennon recalling, “Paul and I were together watching that show. He was visiting us at our place in the Dakota. We were watching it and almost went down to the studio, just as a gag. We nearly got into a cab, but we were actually too tired.”
Months later, George Harrison seized the opportunity to cash in on Michaels’ offer by joining musical guest Paul Simon on the SNL stage on November 20, 1976. Performing two songs, “Here Comes the Sun” and “Homeward Bound,” Harrison’s appearance marked a significant musical event, two years after the initial monetary offer was made.
In a memorable cold open for the episode, Harrison humorously confronted Michaels about the promised money, insisting, “I’ve come all this way. It’s $3,000. That was the deal!” Michaels tried to clarify that the payment was intended to be split among all four members of The Beatles, to which Harrison jokingly referred to NBC as “chintzy.”
Despite the close call with a Beatles reunion on SNL, John Lennon, sadly, never made an appearance on the show throughout its 51-season run. However, Ringo Starr did host an episode in 1984, and Paul McCartney graced the SNL stage as a musical guest on multiple occasions, solidifying The Beatles’ lasting impact on the music and television industry.
Peace Nero is a writer and blogger who loves to explore different topics of self-development. She shares her personal experiences in order to help people discover their true purpose in life.