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Paul Weller has shared an extraordinary story from his early days with The Jam, revealing he was attacked by a lion while on the way to a gig
The Modfather, now 66, told the unbelievable tale during a recent interview, looking back on the chaotic beginnings of his career when transport and planning were often improvised.
Weller explained how his dad, John Weller, who also managed the group, arranged a lift for the band to a show in Surrey. The ride came courtesy of John’s friend Ronnie, who happened to keep a fully grown African lion as a companion in his van.
“Yeah, I mean, it wasn’t fully grown at that point,” Weller said, recalling the surreal scene. “Ronnie would drive the van and the lion would sit in the passenger seat. You couldn’t get too comfortable, though. You had to watch that.”
But as the young band rode in the back, Weller’s curiosity got the better of him, with hairy consequences.
“One time, we were sitting in the back and I leant on the back of the passenger seat. Next thing I know, the f***ing lion’s gone for me,” he laughed.
“He f***ing went for me! I nearly s*** myself, man. Attacked by a lion!”
Weller said the animal was part of Ronnie’s life for several years, before being rehomed when it became too much to handle, and too dangerous for the neighbourhood.
“He kept it for a few years and then I think he had to give it up because it was getting too big… you know, once the neighbours started disappearing…” Weller quipped, adding with a grin: “It was mad, but that was just life back then.”
The tale has stunned fans, though many who followed The Jam in the late 1970s and early ’80s know the Weller family’s reputation for doing whatever it took to get the band where they needed to be.
Paul’s dad John managed the band from their formation through to the split in 1982, and was known as a larger-than-life character who helped shape Weller’s career well into his days with The Style Council and his early solo work.
These days, Paul Weller continues to tour and record prolifically, with his latest album 66 released earlier this year to critical acclaim. He remains one of Britain’s most enduring and respected songwriters, still selling out shows across the UK and beyond.
Fans online reacted with disbelief and admiration to his anecdote. One commented: “Only Weller could have a story like that. Attacked by a lion and still make it to the gig, that’s rock ’n’ roll.” Another said: “Brilliant. They don’t make them like him anymore.”
