Paul McCartney

Beatles bassist and songwriter, Wings leader, and one of the best-selling musicians of all time.

via Wikipedia: Paul McCartney · see source

Paul McCartney is an English musician and songwriter who became world famous as bassist, keyboardist and co-lead singer of the Beatles, where he shared the main songwriting load with John Lennon in the most successful writing partnership music has seen. He is known for melodic bass lines, a flexible tenor voice and a wide stylistic range. After the Beatles he led Wings and built a long solo career. With estimated sales of 100 million records, he is one of only three artists to pass that figure both solo and as a principal band member, and he has written or co-written 32 songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100.

Quick Facts

Other names

Macca
Bernard Webb
The Fireman
Apollo C. Vermouth
Percy "Thrills" Thrillington

Birth name

James Paul McCartney

Born

18 June 1942

Birthplace

Liverpool, England

Occupation

Singer
songwriter
musician
record and film producer
businessman

Years active

1957–present

Spouse

Linda Eastman, 1969, 1998, Heather Mills, 2002, 2008, Nancy Shevell, 2011

Relatives

Mike McCartney (brother)

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

James Paul McCartney was born on 18 June 1942 at Walton Hospital in Liverpool. His father Jim, who had led Jim Mac's Jazz Band in the 1920s, kept a piano at home, and his mother Mary worked as a nurse and midwife; she died on 31 October 1956, when Paul was 14. He swapped a trumpet for a Framus Zenith acoustic guitar, restrung it for left-handed playing after seeing Slim Whitman, and wrote his first song, "I Lost My Little Girl". On 6 July 1957 he met John Lennon's group the Quarrymen at a church fête in Woolton and joined soon after. George Harrison followed in 1958, the band settled on the Beatles name in August 1960, and McCartney took over bass in 1961.

Reader's Guide

Under Brian Epstein's management and with Ringo Starr on drums, the Beatles broke through with "Love Me Do" and sparked Beatlemania. From Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967, McCartney increasingly steered the group. Songs such as "Yesterday", "Eleanor Rigby" and "Blackbird" are among the most covered ever recorded. He launched his solo career with McCartney in 1970, then formed Wings with Linda and Denny Laine, scoring hits like "Band on the Run" and "Mull of Kintyre". His honours include 19 Grammy Awards, two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions, an Academy Award and a knighthood in 1997.

Did You Know?

"Long Tall Sally" was the first song he performed in public, at a Butlin's Filey holiday camp talent contest.
An early tune he wrote on the piano became "When I'm Sixty-Four".
In 1953 he was one of only three students out of 90 to pass the 11-Plus exam.
As of 2024 his fortune is estimated at £1 billion.