Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney was born on the 18th of June 1942 at Walton Hospital in the Walton area of Liverpool. His mother Mary Patricia Mohin worked as a nurse and later qualified to practise as a midwife. His father James, known as Jim, led Jim Mac's Jazz Band in the 1920s before working as a lathe turner during the war. The family moved to 20 Forthlin Road in Allerton in 1955 after Mary's earnings allowed them to upgrade from council housing. Paul attended Stockton Wood Road Primary School until 1949 when overcrowding forced him to transfer to Joseph Williams Junior School. He passed the 11-Plus exam in 1953 with only two other students out of ninety. On the 31st of October 1956 his mother died of an embolism following surgery for breast cancer while he was fourteen years old. This loss created a deep connection with John Lennon whose own mother Julia had died in 1958. Jim encouraged his sons to be musical by keeping an upright piano in the front room. Paul traded a nickel-plated trumpet for a £15 Framus Zenith acoustic guitar because he wanted to sing while playing. He wrote his first song I Lost My Little Girl on that instrument and composed When I'm Sixty-Four on the piano.
On the 6th of July 1957 McCartney met John Lennon at the St Peter's Church Hall fête in Woolton. Lennon's band the Quarrymen played half skiffle and half rock n roll music. McCartney joined as rhythm guitarist shortly after their meeting. George Harrison became lead guitarist in 1958 followed by Stuart Sutcliffe on bass in 1960. The group adopted the name Beatles in August 1960 before recruiting drummer Pete Best. They recorded professionally for the first time as the Beat Brothers backing Tony Sheridan on My Bonnie. Brian Epstein became their manager in January 1962 after noticing them during a Hamburg residency. Ringo Starr replaced Best in August 1962 and the band scored their first hit Love Me Do in October. Fan hysteria known as Beatlemania swept through the UK in 1963 and reached America a year later. Critics began calling McCartney the cute Beatle due to his appearance. He co-wrote early hits including I Saw Her Standing There She Loves You and I Want To Hold Your Hand released in 1963. Can't Buy Me Love followed in 1964 becoming another chart-topping success.
McCartney pressed the band to start a new project after sensing unease following Epstein's death in August 1967. This effort became Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band widely regarded as rock's first concept album. He invented the fictional band of the title track to serve as a vehicle for experimentation. Recording sessions starting November 1966 required a forty-piece orchestra for A Day In The Life which Martin and McCartney conducted together. The double A-side single Strawberry Fields Forever Penny Lane appeared in February 1967 before the LP release in June. The cover featured a collage designed by Peter Blake and Jann Haworth showing the Beatles standing with celebrities based on an ink drawing by McCartney. McCartney stepped into leadership roles after Epstein died leaving the group perplexed about their future. He proposed producing Magical Mystery Tour for television though Mark Lewisohn called it an administrative nightmare throughout. By late 1968 relations deteriorated during White Album recording sessions. Tension grew further during Let It Be when a camera crew filmed McCartney lecturing the group saying they had been very negative since Mr Epstein passed away. McCartney completed his first independent musical project that year writing the score for The Family Way winning an Ivor Novello Award.
McCartney released his debut solo album McCartney in 1970 which reached number one in the US. He performed all compositions instrumentation and vocals alone except for some vocal contributions from Linda. Wings formed later that year with Linda and drummer Denny Seiwell before adding ex-Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine. Their first concert tour began in September 1972 playing to seven hundred people at the University of Nottingham. They traveled across the UK in a van staying in modest accommodation while receiving pay in coinage collected from students. The band avoided performing Beatles songs during these early shows to reduce nervousness. Wings achieved their first US number-one single My Love in March 1973 included on Red Rose Speedway. Live And Let Die became the theme song for the James Bond film earning Martin a Grammy for orchestral arrangement. Band On The Run topped charts in both countries remaining on UK lists for 124 weeks. Rolling Stone named it one of the Best Albums Of The Year for 1973. The McCartneys won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance for the title track while Geoff Emerick won for engineering. Mull Of Kintyre co-written with Laine sold 2.5 million copies holding the UK sales record until Do They Know It's Christmas in 1984.
McCartney resumed his solo career in 1980 releasing McCartney II which peaked at number three in the US. He composed and performed all music alone again including Coming Up recorded live in Glasgow by Wings becoming their last number-one hit. By 1981 he felt he had accomplished everything creatively with Wings so the group disbanded after Denny Laine quit over royalties disagreements. His collaboration with Stevie Wonder produced Ebony And Ivory reaching number twenty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Say Say Say with Michael Jackson became his most recent US number-one single while Pipes Of Peace earned him another UK chart-topper. In September 1989 he launched the Paul McCartney World Tour performing to 184,000 people at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. That crowd remains the largest paying stadium audience in history. He released Tripping The Live Fantastic containing selected performances from that tour. During the 1990s he collaborated twice with Youth of Killing Joke as the Fireman duo releasing Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest in 1993. He formed a band consisting of himself Linda Hamish Stuart Robbie McIntosh Paul Wickens and Chris Whitten for extensive touring.
McCartney is largely self-taught producing technically finished work almost entirely by instinct according to musicologist Ian MacDonald. His harmonic judgment relies mainly on perfect pitch and an acute pair of ears rather than formal training. He primarily used a Höfner 500/1 bass during early Beatles years before favoring Rickenbacker 4001S for recording starting in 1965. MacDonald identified She's A Woman as the turning point when his bass playing evolved dramatically. Rubber Soul marked significant progress particularly on The Word where his groove became a high point in pop bass playing. He played fingerstyle occasionally though mostly using a pick influenced by Motown artists like James Jamerson. McCartney bought the publishing rights to Buddy Holly's catalogue in 1971 inaugurating annual Buddy Holly Week in England. He plays acoustic guitar flatpicking while also employing elements of fingerpicking on Blackbird which he calls a personal favorite. His technique involves pulling two strings at once emulating folk players. He uses an Epiphone Texan on many recordings but also owns a Martin D-28. For electric work he favors a Gibson Les Paul retaining an original Epiphone Casino bought in 1964.
McCartney has received numerous awards including nineteen Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame twice. He was inducted first as part of the Beatles in 1988 then as a solo artist in 1999. An Academy Award and Primetime Emmy Award complete his major accolades alongside appointments to Member Of The Order Of British Empire in 1965 and Knight Bachelor in 1997 for services to music. Estimated sales reach one hundred million records making him one of best-selling music artists ever. He wrote or co-wrote thirty-two songs topping Billboard Hot 100 charts setting a record. Sales figures show twenty-five point five million RIAA-certified units in the US alone. As of 2024 his estimated fortune stands at one billion pounds placing him among wealthiest musicians globally. In 2003 the English College Of Arms granted him a coat of arms featuring a Liver bird holding an acoustic guitar. His crest motto Ecce Cor Meum translates from Latin as Behold My Heart reflecting Liverpool roots. He performed at Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 and headlined halftime shows at Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005.
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Common questions
When and where was Paul McCartney born?
Paul McCartney was born on the 18th of June 1942 at Walton Hospital in the Walton area of Liverpool. His mother Mary Patricia Mohin worked as a nurse and later qualified to practise as a midwife.
How did Paul McCartney meet John Lennon?
Paul McCartney met John Lennon on the 6th of July 1957 at the St Peter's Church Hall fête in Woolton. Lennon's band the Quarrymen played half skiffle and half rock n roll music when McCartney joined as rhythm guitarist shortly after their meeting.
What major album did Paul McCartney produce after Brian Epstein died?
Paul McCartney pressed the band to start Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band after sensing unease following Epstein's death in August 1967. Recording sessions starting November 1966 required a forty-piece orchestra for A Day In The Life which Martin and McCartney conducted together.
Which song by Paul McCartney holds the UK sales record?
Mull Of Kintyre co-written with Denny Laine sold 2.5 million copies holding the UK sales record until Do They Know It's Christmas in 1984. The McCartneys won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance for the title track while Geoff Emerick won for engineering.
When was Paul McCartney knighted for services to music?
Paul McCartney received his appointment as Knight Bachelor in 1997 for services to music alongside his induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame twice. He was inducted first as part of the Beatles in 1988 then as a solo artist in 1999.