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The Boys |
James Paul McCartney was born on June 18th 1942 to James McCartney Senior and his wife Mary, a midwife. His father was a music-hall pianist and had played in a band known as the "Jim Mac Jazz Band". Paul was very close to his parents and his younger brother, Mike, and also saw his other relatives on a regular basis. At school, he was a bright, well-behaved boy who was expected to become an English teacher one day. However, when he reached his teens, two major events occurred which changed his life: The first was the death of his mother due to cancer when he was fourteen years old. Paul and his family were devastated, but helped to comfort each other. The second event took place in 1957, at a church fete in Woolton. Paul, who had recently begun to play the guitar and was a big fan of rock and roll music, had been invited to the fete by his friend, Ivan Vaughan. Ivan occasionally played the tea-chest bass with a skiffle band called The Quarrymen who were performing that day. Paul was introduced to their leader, John Lennon, who was impressed by Paul's guitar playing and the fact that he could remember song lyrics. Paul became a member of the Quarrymen that summer and unlike most of the other members, was still with the band when they became known as The Beatles and went to play in Hamburg, Germany. Paul and John began writing their own songs at this stage, so that they could perform different numbers from their rivals. After being given a recording contract in 1962, they continued to write together, but more often one of them would write most of a song then ask the other to help finish it off. Some of Paul's best-known Beatles songs include "Hey Jude", "Yesterday", and "Let It Be" although he proved he could write in a wide variety of styles from "Here, There and Everywhere" to "Helter Skelter". When the other Beatles moved to the suburbs, Paul stayed in London where he developed his interests in art and the theatre. After splitting up with his long-time girlfriend, Jane Asher, Paul married Linda Eastman in 1969 and they went on to have three children, Mary, James and Stella. He also adopted Linda's daughter, Heather. Paul made an effort to keep the Beatles together, but after it became obvious that they were going to break up, he began working on his first solo album, "McCartney". Although Paul was the last member to leave the group, he was the first to announce it publicly. In the year following the break-up, Paul and Linda formed a new band "Wings". Their albums during the seventies included "Wild Life", "Red Rose Speedway", "Band on the Run", and "Venus and Mars". They also had many successful singles such as "Mull of Kintyre" and "Silly Love Songs". In 1980, Paul was arrested for marijuana possession at the beginning of a Japanese tour, but he was released after 10 days and no charges were pressed. Wings broke up the following year, and Paul continued as a solo artist. He duetted with Michael Jackson on "The Girl is Mine" and "Say Say Say" but the friendship ended when Jackson bought the rights to the Beatles catalogue. Paul had less success during the eighties, but his 1997 album "Flaming Pie" received good reviews and he received a knighthood the same year. Sadly, in 1998, Linda McCartney died. Like Paul's mother, she had cancer and lost her battle with the disease. Paul continues to produce music and keep the legacy of the Beatles alive. He has had success as a classical composer with "Standing Stone" and "Working Classical". In 1999 he released "Run Devil Run" a rock and roll album. He returned to the Cavern for an historic concert, where he performed the tracks from his album. Paul, like always, is writing more songs. His latest contribution to the charts is his new ablum "Driving Rain". Many crtitics belive it's one of his best albums yet and I have to agree. Paul is also married to the new love of his life Heather Mills which the song "Heather" is named after. Paul has been touring all around the world and even opened the Euorpean leg of his tour by performing on the Apple Studio rooftop. I guess that just shows that you can take Paul out of the Beatles, but you can't take the Beatles out of Paul. Taken from restless wind |
