Gwinnett Naming Road For Paul McCartney

DULUTH, GA — It may not be a long and winding road, but a thoroughfare in Gwinnett County is being named for rock 'n' roll legend Paul McCartney.

The Gwinnett Daily Post reports that the Gwinnett Board of Commissioners is expected to make the designation official at its meeting Tuesday afternoon.

The road is near Infinite Energy Center in Duluth, where McCartney will bring his "One on One" tour on July 13. The naming of the road, which will become Paul McCartney Boulevard, is being done at the request of county tourism officials, who wanted to make the most of the former Beatle's performance.

"The convention and visitor’s bureau wanted to basically play up the fact that he is coming to the center," board Chair Charlotte Nash told the Daily Post.

The road being named for McCartney is a new one, running to the Energy Center from Meadow Church Road.

McCartney’s "One On One" tour opened April 13, 2016 in Fresno CA. That show opened with McCartney’s first performance of "A Hard Day’s Night" since The Beatles last played it in 1965.

Venues on the tourh have ranged from packed stadiums and arenas to one of the most intimate gigs of McCartney’s solo career to date at the 300-capacity Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace in tiny Pioneertown, CA.

It wrapped its 2016 run with two headlining sets at the historic ‘Desert Trip’ festival in Indio, CA, which featured surprise guest appearances from Neil Young and Rihanna — a fitting coda to a tour that featured Paul joined on encores by the likes of Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic in Seattle, Jimmy Fallon in Vancouver, and both Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski at a record-breaking show at Boston’s Fenway Park.

From a press release for the tour: "As with every Paul McCartney tour, ‘One On One’ features dozens of classics from the most beloved catalog in popular music, spanning Paul’s entire career – as a solo artist, member of Wings and of course as a Beatle — and no shortage of surprises. State of the art audio and video technology ensure an unforgettable experience from every seat in the house: Massive screens, lasers, fireworks and, of course, a staggering selection of the best songs ever written or performed make every Paul McCartney show a once in a lifetime event that transcends and elevates the potential of live music."

Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP