Paul McCartney was a key member of the Beatles and also pursued a very successful solo career. According to the Guinness book of records he is the best selling artist of all time.
paul-mcartneyPaul McCartney was born in Liverpool, 1942, and became interested in music from an early age. As a teenager he was a budding singer song write and became good friends with John Lennon and later George Harrison. This was to prove the nucleus for the Beatles. The Beatles began by playing gigs in clubs in Germany and Liverpool. It was at the Cavern club where they were spotted by manager Brian Epstein. He secured them their first major recording contract with Parlophone (after many other record companies like Decca had turned them down)
It was playing at the Cavern club than Paul and John Lennon realised most groups were just doing cover versions, this inspired them to write their own music and this was a feature of the Beatles recordings for the next 10 years.
The Beatles soon shot to international fame and became one of the most recognised names in the world. Paul McCartney enjoyed the lifestyle that his fame and wealth allowed him. However, the group increasingly got disenchanted with performing live because of the hysterical screaming and attention of fans. This encouraged them to do more private recording. It was also in the later half of the 1960s, that the group’s musical repertoire expanded as they became interested in Indian and Eastern influences.
After the break up of the Beatles, Paul McCartney successful pursued a new career path forming a new band – The Wings and also recording many solos such as the most covered song of all time – Yesterday. The Mull of Kintyre performed by the Wings was the first single to sell more than 2 million.
Paul McCartney has produced over 60 gold discs and has sold over 100 million singles.
After marrying Linda McCartney Paul become interested in vegetarianism and human rights. He has supported many animal rights charities. After Linda’s death he recommitted himself to supporting Linda’s vegetarian food company and animal rights charities.
Paul remarried Heather Mills in 2002. But, by 2006, the British press reported their breakup which led to an acrimonious and painful divorce.