LOS ANGELES — Coldplay, Katy Perry, Tony Bennett and Neil Young plumbed Paul McCartney’s vast songbook in taking the former Beatle on a musical journey of his more than 50-year career.
They joined James Taylor, Diana Krall and the Foo Fighters, among others, in launching Grammy weekend Friday night by honoring McCartney as the MusiCares Person of the Year.
McCartney, who turns 70 in June, was toasted for his musical achievements and philanthropic work two days before tonight’s Grammy Awards. “It’s great for me to be here,” he told the crowd in the Los Angeles Convention Center. “It’s fantastic to hear all these fantastic artists doing my songs.”
MusiCares, run by the Recording Academy, provides financial assistance to those in the music industry in times of need. Academy president Neil Portnow said the charity served 2,700 people in 2011, the most in a single year.
