NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – The devoted Beatles fan from Brooklyn who was recently invited by Paul McCartney to view his new photo exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum is said to be Adrienne D’Onofrio, a woman who passed away in 1992 at the age of 41, her family said.
According to Adrienne’s family, their mother was the girl from that clip and now rests at St. Charles cemetery on Long Island.
Adrienne is survived by her four children, including her youngest daughter, Nicole Panepinto, who spoke with WCBS 880 about her mother’s passion for McCartney and how her legacy lives on.
In black-and-white video from 1964, a young woman, believed to be D’Onofrio, declares her love for the Beatle, telling CBS reporters: " Paul McCartney if you are listening, Adrienne from Brooklyn loves you with all her heart."
"I was like, oh my God, that's Mommy!" Nicole said after she saw the now-viral video. "We were like, 'This is a sign from Mommy, that we have to say we believe 'Adrienne from Brooklyn' was our mom.'"
Adrienne talked about how dedicated she was to McCartney. "She told my brother she would 'play hooky' and go to concerts. And she told him she went to that event," Nicole said, referring to the viral video.
Despite having limited time with her mother, Nicole cherishes the memories. "I say to people I had her for 11 years, and in those 11 years, she was more of a mother than someone had for 100 years. And she never left Brooklyn. She was always Adrienne from Brooklyn."
Nicole believes her mother's love for McCartney remains strong, even after her passing. "Her Beatles-loving mom is still listening all the way from heaven," she said. "She would want him to know Adrienne from Brooklyn loved him and to keep playing music and keep living life."
For Nicole and her siblings, sharing their mother's story is a beautiful way to keep her memory alive. "We all have children. I'm a mom of four, and so this was a nice way to teach the kids, show them photos, and share the stories."
The family now live on Staten Island and hope to visit Paul McCartney's exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. They also dream of meeting McCartney in person to share their mother's story directly with him. "If this isn't a sign, I don't know what would be," Nicole said.
Before Adrienne's family revealed her passing, McCartney posted a video to social media last week inviting "Adrienne from Brooklyn" to his show, an invitation 60 years in the making.
“Hey Adrienne, it’s Paul,” McCartney says. “Listen, I saw your video. I’m in Brooklyn now. I’m in New York. I finally got here. We got an exhibition, a photo exhibition, come along and see it.” The invitation came on the opening day of McCartney’s photography exhibit, titled “Eyes of the Storm,” which shares photos taken by a 22-year-old McCartney between 1963 and early 1964.
According to Adrienne’s family, their mother was the girl from that clip and now rests at St. John Cemetery on Long Island.
Although she never had the chance to meet McCartney, Adrienne’s love for the legendary musician remains a cherished memory for her family and friends.