Paul McCartney Biography

Imagine you are standing on the stage. Girls are fainting and throwing love notes and flowers at you. You are... Paul McCartney! One of the ‘Fab Four” (The Beatles). You are the most popular band from the ‘60s and decades onwards.  

Born

Sir James Paul McCartney was born on the 18th of June, 1942 (aged 70). He was born in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Paul McCartney had a mother called Mary, a father called James (“Jim”) McCartney and a younger brother named Michael.

Childhood

When Paul McCartney was born his father was not able to attend his birth as he was a volunteer firefighter during World War II. Paul McCartney attended Stockton Wood Road Primary School from 1947 until 1949, when he transferred to Joseph Williams Junior School due to too many people at Stockton. In 1953 he passed the 11-plus exam gaining admission to the Liverpool Institute. In 1954, he met a schoolmate George Harrison on the bus home from school. The two quickly became friends.
   

Teenage Years

On 31st of October 1956, when Paul McCartney was 14, his mother died of embolism. (Blood Clot). At the age of 14 Paul McCartney’s dad gave him a nickel-plated trumpet for his birthday, but when rock and roll became popular he traded it for an acoustic guitar. He learnt the guitar and wrote his first song called ‘I Lost My Little Girl’. At the age of 15 Paul met John Lennon’s band, The Quarrymen, and John invited Paul into it. George Harrison joined in 1958 as lead guitarist. By May 1960 the band had tried several names, including Beatals, Johnny and the Moondogs and the Silver Beetles. In August 1960 they adopted the name The Beatles. The drummer was Pete Best.  

Musical Career

In 1960 the Beatles first show was in Hamburg. This brought them to the attention of Brian Epstein who later on became their manager. Ringo Starr replaced Pete Best in August 1962 and the band had their first hit, “Love Me Do”, in October. They became very popular in the UK in 1963 and popular in the US a year later. Their fans became known as ‘Beatlemania’ and Paul was sometimes referred to as the ‘Cute Beatle’. In 1967 their manager died. The group was concerned about their future. Paul gradually became the leader and business manger of the group. Soon Paul decided that they should start making movies.

Marriage

In March 1969, he married Linda Eastman and in August they had their first child, Mary, named after his mother.  

Break-Up

In 1970 the Beatles broke up. Paul left on the 10th of April and became a soloist for a while.  

Wings

After the break up Paul McCartney started another band with his wife and he named it Wings. He had a drummer called Denny Seiwell and a Guitarist called Denny Laine.  

Children

In September 1971 he had a second child named after Linda’s grandmothers who were both called Stella.

Paul McCartney was an amazing man. He has done heaps of wonderful things and still carries on right now being a soloist and writing more and more songs which we can enjoy!