Oprah Winfrey has lived a life where many of her dreams turned into reality, but one teenage wish stayed just out of reach. Long before she became a global icon, Oprah was a devoted Beatles fan who did more than admire Paul McCartney.
Oprah actively tried to manifest a connection with him. And when she finally met him years later, his response to her teenage wish turned into a moment she still treasures.
Oprah Winfrey Was Obsessed With Paul McCartney
During her appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Oprah Winfrey opened up about how strongly she believed in the power of thought as a teenager and how she used it with one goal in mind.
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“I’ve had every dream in my life come true, I have to say. I mean, I grew up reading Maya Angelou, and then she became a friend; everything that I’ve ever wanted or dreamed came true, except I did not marry Paul McCartney,” Winfrey said.
Her love for the Beatles started early and ran deep. She revealed just how dedicated she was as a young fan, saying, “I was the only girl in my neighborhood who collected Beatles cards. I loved the Beatles.”
Among the four members, Paul McCartney stood out as her favorite, and that admiration soon turned into something much more intentional.
The Teenage Ritual And McCartney’s “Sweetest” Reply
As a teenager, Oprah created a daily ritual where she tried to reach McCartney through sheer thought. She explained, “Paul was my favorite Beatle, and I used to try to make him think of me.”
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She even described exactly how she would do it each morning. “I used to wake in the morning, and I’d stand on the stairs, and I’d say, ‘Think of me. Think of me. Think of me!’”
Years later, when she finally had the chance to interview Paul McCartney, she brought up that exact memory. She asked him directly, “All those years, I was 14, and I was thinking of you, did you ever once think of me?”
His response left her smiling. “Every day, babe. Every day.” Oprah recalled the moment warmly and added, “Isn’t that the sweetest?”
Although Oprah never married Paul McCartney, life still brought them together in a meaningful way. In 2010, both of them received Kennedy Center Honors on the same night, placing them side by side during a major milestone.
“I am seated next to Paul McCartney on the night that he got his award, and I got my award,” she said. Oprah shared, “When they played ‘Hey Jude’ on the stage, he took my hand. That was the dream I’d had all those years!”
So, the connection she once tried to manifest found its way back to her in a way that felt just as special.
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