Paul McCartney

I

Introduction

Paul McCartney, born in 1942, English rock singer and songwriter, member of the Beatles, and one of the leading songwriters of 20th-century popular music. James Paul McCartney was born into a working-class family in Liverpool, England. Influenced by the music of his father’s jazz band as a child, the young McCartney began to play guitar in 1956. Later that year he met guitar player John Lennon and joined Lennon’s band, the Quarrymen. He and Lennon performed together in several groups before forming the Beatles in 1959. The rock group would revolutionize popular music.

II

The 1960s

While with the Beatles, McCartney played bass and wrote both music and lyrics with Lennon. Together they formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in the popular-music history, combining McCartney’s wistful lyricism with the intellectual depth of Lennon. Some of their better-known compositions include “Yesterday” (1965), “Eleanor Rigby” (1966), “Penny Lane” (1967), “Hey Jude” (1968), “Get Back” (1969), and “Let It Be” (1970). See also The Beatles.

III

The 1970s

With the breakup of the Beatles in 1970, McCartney released his first solo album, McCartney, which contains the international hit “Maybe I’m Amazed.” In 1971 he formed a new group called Wings with his wife, American photographer Linda Eastman, who sang backup and played keyboard; American drummer Denny Seiwell; and British guitarist Denny Laine. The following year British guitarist Henry McCullough joined the group. McCartney wrote many of the songs for Wings, but gave other band members the opportunity to compose as well. Wings produced hit songs throughout the 1970s, including “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” (1971), “My Love” (1973), the theme song for the James Bond motion picture “Live and Let Die” (1973), “Band on the Run” (1974), and “Silly Love Songs” (1976). Wings officially disbanded in 1981.

IV

The 1980s

During the 1980s McCartney’s biggest successes were duets such as “Ebony and Ivory” (1983), with Stevie Wonder, and “The Girl is Mine” (1983) and “Say Say Say” (1983) with Michael Jackson. McCartney also collaborated with British alternative rock star Elvis Costello on the album Flowers in the Dirt (1989), his most critically acclaimed album in years.

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