When Sir Paul McCartney announced his return to Tulsa, it wasn’t the band The Lonelys who came up with the idea to welcome him. Instead, it was their friend and collaborator, Tulsa poet Hoop.

Hoop, whose poetry inspired The Lonelys’ latest album, wanted McCartney to hear their newest songs. To help his friends get noticed, he bought billboard and radio ads across Tulsa.

“Mr. Hoop said, ‘Paul McCartney’s coming,’” band member Donovan Fite said. “‘You guys love him. Let’s see if we can get his attention,’ and Hoop's kind enough to purchase the billboard ads and just everything else because he cares about the music.”

From College to a Citywide Campaign

Fite and Jason Swanson formed The Lonelys in 2009 after meeting in college.

“I broke into his dorm room and went on his computer to take

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