Sir Paul McCartney has no Russian concerts amidst ongoing civil rights controversy.
The Beatles rocker recently voiced his concern over Pussy Riot’s treatment in Russia.
But despite the fact he published a formal letter to President Vladimir Putin in November 2013 sharing his perspective on human rights issues, it appears he remains open to playing in the country.
“He loves his Russian fans and, as every fan knows, Paul is is all about peace and love,” a source told British newspaper The Mirror.
“As long as he has fans there, he will always try to play there although no shows are in currently in the pipeline.”
In the correspondence he released last fall, Paul asked President Putin to release 28 Greenpeace International campaigners along with two freelance journalists who were imprisoned in St. Petersburg for piracy and hooliganism.
The 61-year-old musician even referenced one of his songs in the note, asking that the spirit of his 1968 release Back in the U.S.S.R. be acknowledged.
“Forty-five years ago I wrote a song about Russia for the White Album, back when it wasn’t fashionable for English people to say nice things about your country,” Paul wrote.
“That song had one of my favourite Beatles lines in it: ‘Been away so long I hardly knew the place, gee it’s good to be back home.’ Could you make that come true for the Greenpeace prisoners?”
