Played bass guitar for The Beatles in the 1960s. Considered the most successful pop composer of all time. In the "Guinness Book of World Records" for most records sold, most #1s (shared) and largest paid audience for a concert (350,000+ people, 1989 in Brazil). After the Beatles, he formed Wings, one of the most commercially successful groups of the 1970s. Post-70s solo career has been sporadic in both commercial and artistic terms. Successes include albums "Tug of War" and "Flowers in the Dirt". Flops include movie Give My Regards to Broad Street and album "Press to Play".


He is one of Britain's wealthiest men: according to the High Court judgment Sir Paul's total fortune comes to £387,012,000. Although all his songs for The Beatles are still credited as "Lennon - McCartney" he individually wrote almost half of all 200 songs for The Beatles, such as "Yesterday", "Let it Be", "Can't Buy Me Love", "Helter Skelter", "Eleanor Rigby", "Yellow Submarine", "Hey Jude" and many more. Only songs in earlier albums are really joint efforts with John Lennon. The co-credit was because of a handshake deal the two had made in their teens. Awarded for classical compositions of choral and orchestral music. He was respected by The Beatles producer, George Martin for his superior musicianship, musical inventiveness, and multi-instrumental abilities. Martin said that Paul McCartney was the one with enough attention span to sit at the piano, or in the studio as long as it takes to compose the best melody and harmony for their songs. His four children with Linda McCartney are Heather McCartney (adopted from her previous marriage), photographer Mary McCartney, top fashion designer Stella McCartney and musician/sculptor James McCartney. Paul was married to rock photographer Linda Eastman on March 12, 1969 at the Marylebone Register Office. Awarded the Polar Music Prize, the Royal Swedish Academy of Music Award, in 1992. He is in the Guinness Book of World Records with 60 gold discs and sales of over 100 million singles. Played over 40 various instruments on two of his solo albums, 'McCartney' (1970) and 'McCartney II' (1980). Had wanted The Beatles to do a club tour shortly before they broke up. John Lennon disagreed, thinking that if they did tour again, it should have been in stadium-sized venues. Animal-rights activist, vegetarian, and anti-landmine activist. Created Paul and Linda McCartney charity foundation and several other charities. Donated millions to humanitarian causes across the world, and has been involved in charity recordings and concert performances. Owns a Steinway concert piano model B made in Hamburg. He takes the piano along on his concert tours around the world. Has written several songs about his former bandmate John Lennon, including "Dear Boy", "Too Many People", "Dear Friend", "Let Me Roll It" and "Here Today." Fined $200 in 1973 for growing marijuana on his Scotland farm. Arrested and jailed briefly in Japan in 1980 for carrying same substance. Won last-minute court order preventing Christie's from auctioning his handwritten lyrics to the song "Hey Jude." Paper with lyrics scrawled on it had been expected to bring up to $116,000 at auction scheduled for April 30, but England's High Court, ruled for Sir Paul the day before, deciding that the valuable artifact from The Beatles will remain at auction house until ownership is finally determined by agreement or trial. Daughter, Stella McCartney, was born on September 13, 1971. His first guitar was a Zenith archtop f-hole acoustic. He got it at the Rushworth and Drapers Music Store in Liverpool when he was 14, as a gift from his father (brother Mike McGear got a banjo at the same time, but broke his arm at Boy Scout camp a few weeks later). He wrote his first song, "I Lost My Little Girl", when he was 14. It was never recorded by the Beatles, and was not one of the songs McCartney and Lennon lost in 1969, when their publishing company Northern Songs was sold. Along with writing "Hey Jude" for Julian Lennon the summer his parents broke up, Paul also jokingly proposed to Cynthia Lennon, in the wake of his own breakup with Jane Asher. Cynthia appreciated the laugh they both shared-- and the single red rose that Paul had brought. Usually considered the most "conventional" of The Beatles, but Paul has had his share of far-out ideas, including the germ of the TV-movie Magical Mystery Tour (1967) (TV), and a "self-portrait" published as a 1960s magazine cover, a psychedelic painting a la Pablo Picasso. A lyric sheet to his song "Yesterday" is featured on the front cover of the Marillion album "Script for a Jester's Tear" (released 1983). Has homes in London, New York and Beverly Hills, an estate in Scotland, and a ranch in Arizona. The three surviving members of The Beatles appeared on three separate episodes of "The Simpsons" (1989). Starr appeared in a 1991 episode of "Brush with Greatness," Harrison appeared in a 1993 episode of "Homer's Barbershop Quartet," and McCartney appeared in a 1995 episode of "Lisa The Vegetarian". Met his first wife Linda McCartney in a London nightclub called the Bag O'Nails. In 1998, his song "Blackbird" was covered by Marillion for their live album "Unplugged at the Walls". In 1971, he produced (but did not perform on) "Thrillington", an instrumental version of the album "Ram" he recorded with his wife Linda. The songs were presented in orchestral versions, and Paul's work as producer and director was pseudonymously credited to "Percy 'Thrills' Thrillington". The album was not well received by the critics, but is now a much sought-after collectable. The only member of The Beatles to have been nominated for an Academy Award in his own right. Met George Harrison on a bus to school, and asked him to join the band that eventually became The Beatles. Owned a ranch in Tucson, Arizona; this was where first wife Linda McCartney died. The Beatles were voted the Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artists of all time by Rolling Stone. They also topped a similar list complied by VH1. At 5' 11", he was the tallest member of The Beatles, being about half an inch taller than the late George Harrison. Is portrayed by Mark J. Richardson in Love and Betrayal: The Mia Farrow Story (1995) (TV) Showed his paintings at Concert at HP Pavilion in San Jose (November 8th) leading up to his performance as apart of his US Tour Though a huge fan of 'Weird Al' Yankovic's work, turned down his request to parody Paul's James Bond song "Live and Let Die" as "Chicken Pot Pie" for vegetarian reasons. Released his new album 'Memory almost full' in 2007. He still owns an interest in Apple Corps, the Beatles's company. His own company MPL Communications owns a sizable publishing catalog, with over three thousand copyrights (songs, poems, images, recordings, etc.). All 34 of his solo albums have made the Billboard Top 200, something very few solo artists have achieved. 12 of them, including "Wingspan", went to #1. As of 2009, has released 34 studio albums, of which 31 feature pop music and 3 feature classical compositions. He has stated that he hopes to compose more classical pieces in the future, as well as a desire to venture into jazz at some point. Won five Grammys, including two with The Beatles. His "Eleanor Rigby" was Best Pop/Rock and Roll or Contemporary song. His "Michelle" won for Song Of The Year. "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsy" won for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)/Best Background Arrangement, "Band On The Run" won for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal and "Rockestra Theme" won for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Friends with Neil Young, who inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He and his long-time wife, Linda McCartney, said that Young was their favorite performer. His favorite song of Young's is "Only Love Can Break Your Heart". Has five grandsons and one granddaughter: Mary McCartney's three sons Arthur Alistair Donald (b. 3 April 1999) Elliot Donald (b. 1 August 2002), and Sam Aboud (b. 11 August 2008), and Stella McCartney's sons Miller Alasdhair James Willis (b. 25 February 2005) and Beckett Robert Lee (b. 8 January 2008), and daughter Bailey Linda Olwyn Willis (b. 8 December 2006). Winner of the Sony Award For Technical Excellence in 1983. Named "Man of the Year" at the GQ awards ceremony. (6 September 2006) His grandchildren Arthur and Elliot are older than his daughter Beatrice. [Sunday 13 November 2005] Became the very first musician to perform live music for an audience in space. This music milestone occurred during his concert in Anaheim, California, when he sang "Good Day Sunshine" and "English Tea" for NASA Astronaut Bill McArthur and Russian Cosmonaut Valery Tokarev who were orbiting some 220 miles above earth in their Space Shuttle Discovery. The Beatles were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame for their outstanding contribution to British music and integral part of British music culture. [11 November 2004] Is portrayed by Gary Bakewell in Backbeat (1994). In 1957, his knowledge of song lyrics , most notably Eddie Cochran's 1956 recording of "Twenty Flight Rock" with its 12 bar blues format, as well as Paul's superior ability to play guitar (including being able to tune one) impressed John Lennon so much that he invited McCartney to join his band the Quarry Men, which later became The Beatles. Winner of the 2007 Q Icon Award. 28 October 2003: A daughter named Beatrice Milly was born to Paul and wife Heather Mills. She was named after Heather's late mother Beatrice and Paul's Aunt Milly. In 2007, before completion of the film Across the Universe (2007), director Julie Taymor brought the post-production copy to a private screening with Paul McCartney, and he liked the film. Yoko Ono also approved the film. Turned down the offer to write a new James Bond song for Quantum of Solace (2008), and recommended singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse for the job. In September 25th, 2008 performed in Tel Aviv, Israel, for the first time, after more than 40 years after the ban of the Israeli government on the Beatles performing in Israel. The concert was titled "Friendship First". He and the Beatles were awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1965 Queen's Birthday Honours List for their services to music. Plays left-handed guitar. He was the only "ex Beatle" to appear on "The Ed Sullivan Show" with his 1970 video of "Maybe I'm Amazed". He was the only "ex Beatle" to appear on "The Ed Sullivan Show" with his 1970 video of "Maybe I'm Amazed". He reportedly turned down a part in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet (1968/I). McCartney didn't believe he would be good enough and the Beatles were recording Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band at the time. He was awarded the Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 1997 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to music. He is the only Beatle to be given a higher British honor since their MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1965 Queen's Birthday Honours List. John Lennon returned his MBE in 1969 out of protest. His younger brother, Michael, aka Mike McGear of the satirical group "The Scaffold". Michael chose to take the name of McGear as his professional name so as not to capitalize on the fame of his brother. Mike McGear was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1997 Queen's New Years Honours List while Paul McCartney was awarded Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire for his services to music.