Sir Paul McCartney has told how he would have been wracked with guilt if he had not restored his friendship with John Lennon before he was killed.
Beatles legend John was shot dead at the age of 40 by crazed fan Mark Chapman outside his New York home in 1980.
John left The Beatles in 1969 and was embroiled in legal battles over the band’s back catalogue, causing tension between him and his former songwriting partner Sir Paul, now 81.
Their friendship was renewed in the mid-1970s, and Sir Paul spent time at John’s home in New York with his second wife Yoko Ono.
But Sir Paul admits he would have been devastated if he had not had the chance to mend the cracks in his relationship with John before he was killed.
Sir Paul said on the McCartney: A Life in Lyrics podcast: “At the end of the day, when he was killed, I was very glad that I had some really good times with him before it happened.”
“It would be the worst thing in the world if they just killed him and we were still on bad terms. For me it would be a big feeling of guilt.
“Fortunately, we were friends and talked about how to bake bread.
“You have to remember I sued him, I sued his friends from Liverpool, long-time friends. There is still a lot to overcome.
Sir Paul also revealed what kind of person John was before his tragic murder.
The Get Back singer remembers John as a witty and “sarcastic” man who used his jokes and insults to protect himself from the world.
He said: “John’s personality was very guarded, hopelessly guarded. That’s where all his wit came from. Like many comedians, he protects himself from the world.
“John has a very difficult upbringing – his father leaves home, his uncle dies and his mother is killed – he could be very sarcastic. We could do anything, it was my way of coping with my mother’s death.
“There were often very witty put-downs. It wasn’t always humiliation, but there was always a very quick response, and he accustomed himself to it.
“That was one of his attractive features. I remember him telling me, “Paul, I’m worried about how people will remember me when I die.”
“It shocked me and I said, ‘Wait. People will think you’re great.” I was like a priest to him. I would say: “Son, you did great.” This will make him feel better.
Last year Sir Paul said he “couldn’t talk” about John’s death after his murder in 1980.
Sir Paul detailed how he returned home from the studio on the day of his friend’s death and turned on the TV to see people reflecting on “what John meant to them.”
He said: “When John died it was so hard. It amazed me so much that I couldn’t talk about it.
“I remember coming home from the studio the day we heard the news he broke. I turn on the TV and see people saying, “Well, John Lennon was like that,” “He was like that,” and “I remember meeting him.”
“I thought, ‘I can’t be one of these people. I can’t go on television and say what John meant to me.” It was too deep. I couldn’t put it into words.”
Sir Paul added how he was able to express his grief over losing John in his 1982 song Here Today.
The artist said she “sat on the wooden floor in the corner with my guitar” and came up with the opening chords to the track.
Sir Paul also added that the phrase “that night we cried” refers to the time he and his late pal, who was killed more than 40 years ago, had a heart-to-heart and “told each other a few truths” and how much they loved each other.