Sir James Paul McCartney CH MBE is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and record and film producer who gained worldwide fame as co-lead vocalist and bassist for the Beatles. His songwriting partnership with John Lennon remains the most successful in history.
Born: June 18, 1942 (80 years old)
Height: 5′ 11″
Spouse: Nancy Shevell (m. 2011), Heather Mills (m. 2002–2008), Linda McCartney (m. 1969–1998)
Children: Stella McCartney, Beatrice McCartney, James McCartney, Mary McCartney, Heather McCartney
A self-taught musician, McCartney is proficient on bass, guitar, keyboards, and drums. He is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing (mainly playing with a guitar-pick), his versatile and wide tenor vocal range (spanning over four octaves),
His Beatles songs “And I Love Her” (1964), “Yesterday” (1965), “Eleanor Rigby” (1966) and “Blackbird” (1968) rank among the most covered songs in history.
McCartney is one of the most successful composers and performers of all time. He has written or co-written 32 songs that have topped the Billboard Hot 100, and as of 2009, had sales of 25.5 million RIAA-certified units in the United States. His honours include two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1999), 18 Grammy Awards, an appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1965, and a knighthood in 1997 for services to music. As of 2020, he was one of the wealthiest musicians in the world, with an estimated fortune of £800 million.
Early life
In 1954, he met schoolmate George Harrison on the bus from his suburban home in Speke. The two quickly became friends.
McCartney’s mother, Mary, was a midwife and the family’s primary wage earner.
When McCartney was 14, his mother died of an embolism as a complication of surgery for breast cancer. McCartney’s loss later became a connection with John Lennon, whose mother, Julia, had died when he was 17.
McCartney’s father was a trumpet player and pianist who led Jim Mac’s Jazz Band in the 1920s. He kept an upright piano in the front room, encouraged his sons to be musical and advised McCartney to take piano lessons. However, McCartney preferred to learn by ear.
For more in-depth Information click on the links at the bottom of the page:
“The Beatles Beginning to the End factoids” video and Podcast by Morgan Rees: Hear about The Beatles being turned down by Decca Records, Debut records, Gold Albums, Dogs, locations, Chords, BBC, The Roof final performance, Sgt. Pepper and White album covers, Designers, Clapton, White album and much more.
VIDEO on Youtube (HD): https://youtu.be/GzGoieAwSU0
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morgan-rees-podcasts/id1491812004?i=1000505875487
