TEMPE, Ariz. — Anyone wondering whether Paul McCartney's dog is a Sun Devil or Wildcat may finally have their answer.
In an Instagram post published on Easter Sunday, the legendary singer and songwriter revealed a photo of his dog wearing an Arizona State University collar.
The ASU-themed merchandise may appear random in an Easter photo taken by one of Britain's most famous celebrities. But McCartney, who's won 18 Grammy awards and been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has multiple connections to the Grand Canyon State.
His wife, Nancy Shevell, graduated from ASU before the couple was married in 2011.
McCartney's first wife, Linda Eastman, had attended the University of Arizona and the couple owned a large ranch property in southern Arizona before Linda died of cancer in Tucson, according to the Arizona Daily Star.
McCartney performed at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix a few years ago.
UP TO SPEED
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
