Paul McCartney, who turned 84 on June 18, is remembered as one of the most influential musicians of all time. Born in 1942 in Liverpool, England, to a working-class family, he showed unusual musical talent early in life and grew into a global icon whose career has lasted more than six decades.
A turning point came in 1957, when he met John Lennon at age 15. The two began writing together quickly, and that partnership led to the formation of the Beatles, a band that transformed popular music worldwide. McCartney went on to write many of the group’s most famous songs, including “Yesterday,” “Hey Jude,” “Let It Be” and “Penny Lane.”
Although he is best known for the bass guitar, McCartney is a multi-instrumentalist who has played piano, guitar, drums and other instruments, sometimes recording entire albums almost on his own. After the Beatles broke up in 1970, he launched Wings, which became one of the biggest acts of the 1970s and gave him another major chapter in his career.
In 1997, Queen Elizabeth II knighted him, and he has since been known officially as Sir Paul McCartney. His long success, massive album sales, stadium concerts and publishing rights made him one of the world’s richest musicians, yet he continues to work, perform and record new music. He has also long supported vegetarianism, animal rights and environmental causes, and he remains the subject of the famous “Paul is dead” conspiracy theory from the late 1960s, which claimed he died in a 1966 car crash and was replaced by a double. The story has repeatedly been debunked, but it still fascinates fans. Even now, McCartney keeps touring, recording and drawing huge crowds around the world.
