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Sir Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney's first name is James. James Paul
McCartney was born in Liverpool on 18th June 1942 and, according to The
Guinness Book of Records, he is the best-selling musician of all time.
He became good friends with John Lennon and later George Harrison. They
later became the driving force behind the Beatles.
In the early 1960s, The Beatles began by playing music in clubs in
Germany and in Liverpool.
Brian Epstein saw them play at the Cavern Club in Liverpool and became
their manager. Many record companies initially turned them down, but
Epstein eventually got them their first major recording contract with
Parlophone.
Paul and John Lennon quickly realised that most groups at the Cavern
Club were just doing cover versions, this inspired them to write their
own music and this was a feature of the Beatles recordings for the next
ten years.
In 1963, the Beatles soon shot to international fame and became one of
the most recognised names in the world, especially after their visit to
the US in 1964.
Traditional ideas around music, fashion and cultural norms were changing
in the 60's and The Beatles rode that wave of change and helped to shape
it.
In the late 1960s, the group spent more time in the recording studio.
They also became more innovative, incorporating Eastern influences and
new styles into their music.
By the late 1960s, there was increasing tension between Paul McCartney
and John Lennon and their relationship deteriorated. Lennon and
McCartney were the two major composers and writers, but they started to
drift apart.
Lennon’s was taking a lot of LSD at the time and McCartney also resented
the presence of his partner Yoko Ono in recording studios.
Nevertheless, despite the personal tension, the late years of the
Beatles produced some of the most memorable music of their career. It
included ground-breaking albums such as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club
Band, The Beatles and Abbey Road.
However, by 1970, the Beatles had split up, with Lennon the keenest to
pursue a new direction. In 1970, Paul gave a press release saying that
he was no longer working with the Beatles. The break up was difficult
for McCartney who experienced a period of depression. However, his new
wife, Linda encouraged him to continue making music.
He formed a new band called Wings, which lasted until 1981. During the
1970s, Wings had major successes. The Mull of Kintyre reached number one
in the charts and was the first single to sell more than two million
copies.
McCartney was devastated by Lennon’s murder in 1980 and said he wished
he could have got to know him better.
Paul McCartney has produced over 60 gold discs and has sold over 100
million singles. His song ‘Yesterday’ from the album Help!, which was
released in 1965, is the most covered song in history.
After marrying Linda McCartney in 1969, Paul became interested in
vegetarianism and human rights and has supported many animal rights
charities. After Linda’s death from cancer in 1998, he recommitted
himself to supporting Linda’s vegetarian food company and animal rights
charities.
Paul married Heather Mills in 2002. But, by 2006, the British press
reported their breakup which led to an acrimonious divorce.
As one of the most recognized and successful musicians in the world,
Paul McCartney is in great demand for opening major venues and appearing
live. He performed at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics in
2012.
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