Video: 'Paul McCartney Documentary'
(Thursday, June 18, 1942) — Paul McCartney, an English singer, songwriter, and musician who gained worldwide fame as co-lead vocalist, co-songwriter, and bassist for the rock music band The Beatles, was born James Paul McCartney today at Walton Hospital in the Walton area of Liverpool.
McCartney taught himself piano, guitar, and songwriting as a teenager, having been influenced by his father, a jazz player, and rock ‘n’ roll performers such as Little Richard and Buddy Holly.
He began his career as a member of the Quarrymen in 1957, which evolved into The Beatles in 1960. Regarded as the most influential band of all time, McCartney provided the creative impetus for most of their music and film projects.
Many of his Beatles songs, including “And I Love Her“, “Yesterday“, “Eleanor Rigby“, and “Blackbird“, rank among the most covered songs in history.
Video: 'Paul McCartney Tribute'
After The Beatles disbanded, he debuted as a solo artist with the 1970 album McCartney and formed the band Wings with his first wife, Linda. Led by McCartney, Wings was one of the most successful bands of the 1970s, with more than a dozen international top 10 singles and albums.
In 1979, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized McCartney as the “most honored composer and performer in music”, with 60 gold discs (43 with the Beatles, 17 with Wings) and, as a member of The Beatles, sales of over 100 million singles and 100 million albums, and as the “most successful songwriter”, he wrote jointly or solo 43 songs which sold one million or more records between 1962 and 1978
McCartney resumed his solo career in 1980 and has toured as a solo artist since 1989.
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.
McCartney 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 US. His honors include 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.
