Paul McCartney
| Sir Paul McCartney CH, MBE |
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Paul McCartney in 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Paul McCartney |
| Born | 18 June 1942 Liverpool, England |
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| Years active | 1957–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | www.paulmccartney.com |
| Notable instruments | |
| Höfner 500/1 Rickenbacker 4001S Gibson Les Paul Epiphone Texan Epiphone Casino Fender Jazz Bass Wal 5-String Bass Martin D-28 |
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Sir James Paul McCartney, CH, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and composer, and one of the most successful musicians in the world. He was a member of the rock band The Beatles, and with John Lennon wrote most of the group's songs.
Contents
The Beatles (1962-1970)[change | change source]
McCartney began writing songs before he was sixteen, and has written well over two hundred. His most famous song is "Yesterday", recorded by the Beatles in 1965. Since then around 2000 artists have recorded the song. Other songs written by McCartney for The Beatles include "Can't Buy Me Love", "Hey Jude", "Penny Lane", "Eleanor Rigby" and "Let It Be".
Often, Beatles songs would have "Lennon/McCartney" written on the record, and it would look like that they had written it together. In fact, most Lennon/McCartney songs were written by only one of them, or with one adding only small parts to the other's work. Each counted on the other to help make their songs better, so they agreed to share the credit equally.
Solo music[change | change source]
Since the Beatles had stopped working together in 1971, McCartney started a new band called Wings with his wife Linda. Wings also had many hit records, including "Band On The Run" and "Mull Of Kintyre". McCartney wrote "Live and Let Die", which became the theme song to a James Bond film with the same title. Wings disbanded in 1981.
Later McCartney recorded a single called "Ebony and Ivory" with Stevie Wonder, then "The Girl is Mine" and "Say, Say, Say" with Michael Jackson. A song with Jackson called "The Man" was released on McCartney's fifth solo album Pipes of Peace. He and Jackson became friends, but this ended after Jackson outbid McCartney for ownership of the publishing company which owned most of the Beatles's music.
McCartney had other hit songs, and also wrote and starred in the movie, Give My Regards to Broad Street, with Linda. The theme song from the movie, "No More Lonely Nights", was also a hit, but the movie did poorly,[1] and McCartney's popularity suffered. He had to work hard to prove his talent was still strong. He co-wrote new songs with Elvis Costello, and began touring more often than he had in years.
Along with popular music, McCartney also began composing classical music, including an oratorio about Liverpool. McCartney was knighted for his contributions to music and to British culture, and for his charity work. He bought John Lennon's former school, Quarry Bank, which he then turned into a performing arts school.
In 1990, the minor planet 4148 was named "McCartney" in his honour.[2] In 2010, he was honoured by President Barack Obama with the Gershwin Prize for his contributions to popular music.[3] He returned to the White House later that year as a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors.[4] In 2012, he became the last Beatle to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[5]
Personal life[change | change source]
McCartney married Linda Eastman, a photographer, in 1969. She had a daughter, Heather, whom he adopted. McCartney and Linda had three more children together, named Mary, Stella and James. Stella became a popular fashion designer after she grew up.
Linda died in 1998 of breast cancer (McCartney's mother also died from the same disease in 1956). He married model Heather Mills in 2002; the couple's daughter Beatrice was born in 2003. McCartney and Mills separated in 2006, and, after a long battle over a settlement, McCartney and Mills divorced in March 2008.
McCartney married New Yorker Nancy Shevell, 51, in a civil ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall, London, on 9 October 2011. The couple had been dating since November 2007.[6]
Paul is dead[change | change source]
There was an urban legend that said that McCartney died in a car crash in 1966 and was replaced by a look-alike.
Discography[change | change source]
- Solo
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References[change | change source]
- ↑ Ebert, Roger (1 January 1984). "Give My Regards to Broad Street review". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
- ↑ "Minor planet number 4148 has been named in honor of former Beatle Paul McCartney". IAU Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
- ↑ Pareles, Jon (2 June 2010). "McCartney Is Honored at White House". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
- ↑ Becker, Bernie; Southall, Ashley (5 December 2010). "Glittering Tributes for Winners of Kennedy Center Honors". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ↑ Sinha, Piya (9 February 2012). "Paul McCartney finally gets Walk of Fame star". Reuters. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
- ↑ Chan, Sewell (7 November 2007). "Former Beatle Linked to Member of M.T.A. Unit". New York Times. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
