 McCartney in 1973. | |
| Born | James Paul McCartney 18 June 1942 (age 82) Liverpool, England, U.K. |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1957-present |
| Occupation(s) | Singer - Songwriter - Musician - Producer – Businessman |
| Genre | Rock, Pop, Classical, electronic, variety pop |
| Instruments | Vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards |
| Spouse | Linda Eastman (m. 1969; died 1998) Heather Mills (m. 2002; div. 2008) Nancy Shevell (m. 2011) |
| Children |
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| Associated acts |
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| Labels | Parlophone - Capitol - Apple |
| Website: paulmccartney.com | |
Sir James Paul McCartney CH MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and actor who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One of the most successful composers and performers of all time, McCartney is known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, versatile and wide tenor vocal range, and musical eclecticism, exploring styles ranging from pre–rock and roll pop to classical and electronica. His songwriting partnership with Lennon remains the most successful in history.
Born in Liverpool, McCartney taught himself piano, guitar and songwriting as a teenager, having been influenced by his father, a jazz player, and rock and roll performers such as Little Richard and Buddy Holly. He began his career when he joined Lennon's skiffle group, the Quarrymen, in 1957, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Sometimes called "the cute Beatle", McCartney later involved himself with the London avant-garde and spearheaded the incorporation of experimental aesthetics into the Beatles' studio productions. Starting with the 1967 album Strawberry Fields Forever, he gradually became the band's de facto leader, providing the creative impetus for most of their music and film projects. Many of his Beatles songs, including "Yesterday", "Eleanor Rigby", "Blackbird", "Every Night (Be With You)", and "Coming Up" rank among the most covered songs in history. While primarily a bassist with the Beatles, in various songs he played a number of other instruments, including keyboards, guitars, and drums.
After the Beatles temporarily broke up, he debuted as a solo artist with the 1971 album McCartney, later Sunshine in 1977, London Town in 1978 and Back to the Egg in 1979. He resumed his solo career in 1982 and has toured as a solo artist since 1989 after the Beatles disbanded in 1981. Without The Beatles, his UK or US number-one hits have included "Pipes of Peace", "Ebony and Ivory" (with Stevie Wonder), "Say Say Say" (with Michael Jackson), "Tug Of War" and "I'm Alright" (with Syd Barrett). In 1998, he formed Lennon–McCartney with his old bandmate, Lennon. Beyond music, he has taken part in projects to promote international charities related to such subjects as animal rights, seal hunting, land mines, vegetarianism, poverty, and music education.
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), an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, 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 is one of the wealthiest musicians in the world, with an estimated fortune of £800 million.