The BEATLES
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE
was born June 18, 1942 and he became famous as the former member of The
Beatles (1960-1970) and Wings (1971-1981). McCartney is the most
successful songwriter in the history of popular music, according to
Guinness World Records.
McCartney gained worldwide fame as a member of the Beatles, alongside
John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. McCartney and Lennon
formed one of the most influential and successful songwriting
partnerships and wrote some of the most popular songs in the history of
rock music. After leaving the Beatles, McCartney launched a successful
solo career and formed the band Wings with his first wife, Linda
Eastman, and singer-songwriter Denny Laine.
McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the “most successful
musician and composer in popular music history”, with 60 gold discs and
sales of 100 million singles in the UK. BBC News Online readers named
McCartney the “greatest composer of the millennium”, and BBC News cites
his Beatles song “Yesterday” as the most covered song in the history of
recorded music-by over 2,200 artistes-and since its 1965 release, has
been played more than 7million times on American television and radio
according to the BBC.
Wings’ 1977 single “Mull of Kintyre” became the first single to sell
more than two million copies in the UK, and remains the UK’s top selling
non-charity single. Based on the 93 weeks his compositions have spent at
the top spot of the UK chart, and 24 number one singles to his credit,
McCartney is the most successful songwriter in UK singles chart history.
As a performer or songwriter, McCartney was responsible for 32 number
one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and has sold 15.5 million
RIAA certified albums in the US alone.
McCartney has composed film scores, classical and electronic music,
released a large catalogue of songs as a solo artiste, and has taken
part in projects to help international charities.
He is an advocate of animal rights, vegetarianism, and music
education; he is active in campaigns against landmines, seal hunting,
and Third World debt. He is a keen football fan, supporting both Everton
and Liverpool football clubs. His company MPL Communications owns the
copyrights to more than 3,000 songs, including all of the songs written
by Buddy Holly, along with the publishing rights to such musicals as
Guys and Dolls, A Chorus Line, and Grease. McCartney is one of the UK’s
wealthiest people, with an estimated fortune of £475 million in 2010.
|