After the sad events of September 11, 2001, people everywhere showed kindness and strength. The United States came together as one big family, and our friends from other countries supported us too. They reminded us that when someone attacks America, they attack all the good things that nice people love.
Our friends couldn’t bring back everything we lost that day, but one special person, Paul McCartney, gave us something amazing: hope and comfort when we really needed it.
Just a few weeks after 9/11, Paul McCartney, a famous musician from The Beatles, put together a big concert in New York City called the Concert for New York. It was a way to help people feel better. He ended the show by singing “Let It Be,” a beautiful song from 1970. The crowd held white candles and felt stronger together, even though they were sad. America was hurt, but it would never give up.
Rock music brings people together. It doesn’t care about differences like skin color or where you’re from—it just wants to make us happy and help us through tough times. Paul’s song “Let It Be” did just that.
On the 17th anniversary of that terrible day, we remember how Paul’s concert helped us turn sadness into hope. People stood side by side, supporting each other for the hard but hopeful journey ahead.
On October 19, 2001, Paul also visited firefighters in New York City’s Chinatown at Ladder 9. He even gave them tickets to the Concert for New York City, which happened the next day on October 20. A photographer named Frank Micelotta took a picture of this kind moment.
Watch the video of Paul’s performance below and join us in saying a little prayer for everyone we lost on 9/11 and in the years after, as brave people worked hard to keep us safe from those who tried—but failed—to ruin our lives.
