Who is Paul McCartney?
Sir James Paul McCartney was born on June 18, 1942 in Liverpool, England. He is a singer-songwriter and composer who was part of one of the greatest bands of all time – The Beatles, alongside John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
Musician and Composer
McCartney is listed in the Guinness World Records as the “most successful musician and composer in popular music history“, with 60 gold discs and sales of 100 million singles in the United Kingdom aline.
McCartney and Lennon formed one of the most influential and successful songwriting partnerships, writing some of the most popular songs in rock music history.
Yesterday
According to BBC, it is reported that his Beatles song “Yesterday” had been covered by over 2,200 artists, more than any other song in the history of recorded music.
As a performer or songwriter, McCartney was responsible for 31 number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and has sold 15.5 million albums in the United States alone.
Solo Career
After the band broke up, McCartney launched a successful solo career and also formed the band Wings with his then wife, Linda Eastman, and singer-songwriter Denny Laine.
Paul McCartney : Life
Sir James Paul McCartney was born in Walton Hospital to Mary Patricia McCartney, who worked as a nurse in the hospital’s maternity ward and James (Jim) McCartney who was a cotton salesman. He also has a brother, Micheal, who was born two years after him.
McCartney’s father was a trumpet player and pianist for a band and always encouraged his two sons to be musical. McCartney was heavily influenced by American Rhythm and Blues music.
At age 15, McCartney met John Lennon and and his band The Quarrymen which eventually evolved into The Beatles in 1960. George Harrison joined the group in 1958.
The Beatles
The Beatles turned out be be one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. The group’s best-known line up consisted of John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals).
Their enormous popularity led to a musical revolution called “Beatlemania”, and as their songwriting grew more sophisticated by the 1960s, many fans and cultural observers believed that their lyrics was an embodiment of the ideals shared by the era’s sociocultural reforms.
Billboard Magazines List
The Beatles are the best-selling band in history, having sold over one billion music albums. In 2008 they topped Billboard magazines list of the all-time successful Hot 100 artists.
After the band broke up, McCartney continued his musical career and collaborated with a number of popular music artists such as Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Elvis Costello.
McCartney continues to perform even today, touring the world and performing at a large number of concerts and events. He has also composed film scores, classical and electronic music and released a large catalogue of songs as a solo artist.
Apart from Music
Apart from his work in music, McCartney is also an advocate for animal rights, for vegetarianism, and for music education. He is also active in campaigns against landmines, seal hunting. He is a keen football fan, supporting both Everton and Liverpool football clubs.
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