Musician Who Unknowingly Took Part on The Beatles' Final Song Dead at 48

Caroline Buckman, a viola player who became part of a recording session she did not know was for The Beatles' final song, died months before the track was released.

The Beatles' surviving members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, completed the band's final song and released it on November 2. However, the musicians who played roles in the making of the music - including Buckman - were never given the details about the project not until it was released.

Caroline Buckman Died Months Before The Beatles Released Their Final Song

According to the obituary posted on CBC, Buckman died in March 2023 at the age of 48, 11 months after she unknowingly became part of The Beatles' project. According to her mother, Erika, the musician's daughter was part of the string section and was hired at short notice for a three-hour session in April 2022.

"You're going to make me cry," the matriarch said of her reaction, adding, "She would have been delirious about it. It is sad... [but] I'm very proud."

Everyone reportedly received "a couple hundred bucks" and was aware they were working for McCartney. However, they thought it was a solo song rather than a The Beatles track.

The media outlet also disclosed that the musicians hired on the spot received a music sheet titled "Give & Take."

Buckman never thought it would be a bigger project, as only McCartney appeared for the full session of the song.

"In her entire career, she'd never asked a colleague [for an autograph]," her boyfriend Mitch Brown said. "She was super-thrilled. She said, 'I played with Paul McCartney today.'"

The Beatles To Release More Songs

After "Now And Then" arrival, "The Beatles: Get Back" documentary director Peter Jackson - who worked with his sound team to use WingNut Films' MAL audio technology to complete Lennon's last recording - revealed in an interview with The Sunday Times that more tracks will arrive soon.

"It did cross my mind!" he explained. "We can take a performance from Get Back, separate John and George, and then have Paul and Ringo add a chorus or harmonies. You might end up with a decent song, but I haven't had conversations with Paul about that. It's fanboy stuff, but certainly conceivable."

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