Pre-Fame

 Paul probably had the best upbringing of all of the Beatles. Although he was not from as wealthy a family as John, Paul's family did not suffer terribly financially and more importantly, his family did not suffer extreme pain and dysfunction. Paul's family consisted of his father, James Paul Sr., his mother, Mary, and his younger brother, Michael. Like any family there was bickering but there was a bond of love that held them together. 

 Paul's father, Jim, worked hard to get food on the table for his children, but he often could not make ends meet. Therefore, Paul's mother, Mary, helped out by being a mid wife. Both Paul's father and grandfather were musicians and his father was in a jazz band. When Paul was young his father bought a piano from North End Music Stores run by future manager Brian Epstein's father. Paul enjoyed playing music a lot, and he wanted to pursue more of it and made it known to his family. Paul got his wish when his father bought him a trumpet for his birthday. Paul had a few problems with the trumpet however, first, it would cause his lip to callous up, and secondly he could not sing with a trumpet in his mouth. He therefore traded the trumpet in for an acoustic guitar. He ran into a problem here as well as he had many problems fingering the chords. It was then he figured that because he is left handed he had to change the strings around and play upside down. From this moment on Paul blossomed on guitar and he had a much easier time than future band mates John Lennon (who played banjo chords) and George Harrison (who played until his fingers bled).  

 Music also proved to be a savior for Paul in his time of grief as a teenager. Like John Lennon Paul also had to deal with the death of his mother at an early age. Mary McCartney died of breast cancer on October 31, 1956. Paul has often been criticized for his reaction to his mother's death, and John's death for his lack of sympathy. When Paul heard his mother died the first thing he said was "What are we going to do without her money?". Although it sounds insensitive, as a teenage boy one can imagine how difficult it can be to deal with the death of your mother. Likewise after hearing of John's death Paul made the seemingly unfeeling comment that "It's a drag" that John died. After the death of his mother Paul immersed himself in music and would rarely be seen without his guitar. From this he learned many chords, songs, and how to tune a guitar, a skill that impressed John tremendously.

In school Paul was a good student, unlike John. Teachers found him to be a bright, gifted student and he was awarded for his accomplishments. However, once he was brought into the Quarry Men his grades began to decline and he, along with George dropped out of grammar school.

 Paul was introduced to the Quarry Men on July 6, 1957 at the Woolton Village Fete and he was introduced to John through a mutual friend Ivan Vaughn. After the Quarry Men's performance Paul saw John backstage and impressed John a lot. First of all, Paul showed John to use all the strings and to properly chord, as John had been playing banjo chords. Secondly, Paul tuned John's guitar, a feat John was very impressed by. Paul also performed Eddie Cochran's "Twenty Flight Rock" and wrote down the chords and lyrics to the song for John. John then asked Paul to join the group soon after and he was a Quarry Man.

 Paul added a lot to the Quarry Men. He was their third guitarist and also a lead vocalist with John and he and John had an amazing harmony together. Paul also pushed for them to be more serious about the group and clean up their image. They got a number of gigs with Paul in the group and John and Paul began their competitive relationships writing songs. Paul was the first to write his own song, and John was extremely impressed by this and not to be outdone, he wrote a song as well. As each wrote and improved the other tried to improve on that, as well as each helped each other out and helped to balance each others personality. Paul would often write soppy, banal songs with great melody and John would fix a few words in it. Likewise, John could write very depressing songs and Paul would give an uplift to them. Paul also introduced them to the third member of the Beatles George. He met George on a bus and finally convinced John to have him try out where he was accepted.

 The Quarry Men eventually became the Beatles with the line up of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best. With this line up they ventured to Hamburg, Germany. There the Beatles grew tremendously. Paul did become dissatisfied with one thing in Hamburg, Stu's bass playing. Paul was often very cruel to Stu and was very open about the fact that he wanted to be the bass player. Like later in life, Paul played all the instruments in Hamburg. He became a very good bass player there, and also learned to be a competent drummer. Eventually Stu left the group to be with is girlfriend and he gave his bass to Paul, who again had to reverse the strings. Paul was always self conscious about playing upside down and when he saved enough money he bought his well known Hofner violin shaped bass.

When he and the Beatles returned to Liverpool they eventually worked up a following, especially at the Cavern Club. It was rumored that Paul was jealous of Pete as Pete was supposedly the best looking Beatle. However, this rumor was unfounded and Pete was kicked out because he was incompetent and had a unpleasant personality.

 At the Cavern the Beatles met their manager Brian Epstein. Brian pushed for the Beatles to clean up their image and Paul also pushed hard for this and got his way. Although they agreed a lot about what to do with the Beatles, Brian and Paul never got along very well. Brian was probably threatened by Paul as Paul could see all the blunders he was making financially and point it out to him. During the try out for George Martin, Paul was the one who most impressed Martin with his voice and the Beatles first singles were Paul songs, "Love Me Do/ PS I Love You". Paul was shy at first about singing and John often sang lead. In fact John sang the "Love Me Do part of the chorus until George Martin said that John should play the harmonica there and Paul should sing it. With the next single, "Please Please Me", Paul sang back up and the single was a huge hit and established the Beatles as a hit group. From then on they blossomed tremendously especially John and Paul's songwriting.

With The Beatles

 Being in the Beatles was a tremendous experience. Paul was a Beatle the second longest since he joined John  and the Quarry Men in 1957, at age 15.  Like John, Paul changed a lot during his time with the Beatles, but he remained the most sane and diplomatic of all the Beatles.

At the beginning of their fame they were touring and making appearances nearly every day because of Brian's scheduling. John and Paul were the busiest Beatles in the early days since they wrote the bulk of the songs, although at first John had a much larger output than Paul. Each Beatle, however, played an important role in making them a successful group, and because of  this each one felt the pressures of  fame. Each handled the pressure much differently, however.

 Paul and Ringo reacted with the most sanity while George and John were much more radical.  Paul did take in a fair amount of drugs, but it wasn't to escape like John did.  Paul did drugs to fit in and be more creative, and that is why he found it easier to quit. The reason for Paul's stability is that he came from a much stronger and loving family that all of the other Beatles. Marijuana affected his writing like it did the others, and it made Paul's work more mellow and during the time he was smoking pot Paul wrote some of his most beautiful melodies such as, "Yesterday", "Here There And Everywhere" and "For No One". Being more stable Paul was the last to take LSD. He stated that he had heard that it changes you forever and was frightened of that aspect of it. He finally gave in and joined John in what he said was a spectacular night. While Paul hesitated the most and always chose his words carefully when speaking to the press (he did not want to experience what John went through with the "Christ Statement"). However, Paul made a comment to the press that stirred quite a bit of controversy about LSD. He, and the rest of the Beatles, were always being hounded about whether or not they took acid, and all of them were getting really sick of it.  Finally Paul admitted he took it and placed the blame of it spreading or any repercussions on the press. He said that it "made him feel closer to God" and was a great inspiration for music. This brought a whirlwind of press and the Beatles received much bad publicity from the "Establishment", however, the statement proved to their fans that they were part of the "counterculture" and would represent their views.

 Paul's music was always much less politically oriented and message laden and that has been a great criticism towards his work. His songs tended to be love related and were opposite of John's music which is one reason why the break up occurred. Paul was the mass creator behind the Beatles most successful work "Sgt. Pepper". It was he who thought of the concept, the title song, the reprise, as well as many of the songs on the album. It was during that time, 1967, that Paul began to sort of become the "leader" of the band. Magical Mystery Tour was largely his idea and he was the main director. Also Let It Be, the film, was run by him, and the idea to have a medley on Abbey Road was an idea of Paul's.  While all of these are great pieces of work, the response of the group to Paul's leadership was less than enthusiastic, especially after Brian died. His "bossiness" was a very important factor in the break up of the group.

 Paul grew and changed a lot as a Beatle as he became more assertive. He was always the most moody Beatle and at times he could be quite rude, although John typically gets casted as being rude.  However, it was through him that the Beatles stayed together as long as they did because he was the most persistent at keeping them together. George and Ringo each quit a number of times during the White Album or Let it Be, but  Paul would always try to bring the group back together. Paul is seen as the one who left the Beatles, and thus caused the break up, but this is untrue. It was John that announced he was leaving, and Paul released that he quit with an insert in his first solo album, "McCartney". It was actually a bad move on Paul's part because many fans turned on him once they thought he ended the group.

 A sad factor in the break up of the Beatles was the extent that John and Paul went in their fights. The relationship they had was so close, and when it ended it was extremely bitter with each side insulting the other. When they broke up, the partnership did not technically end. Although each side wanted it to end there had to be a legal proceeding that would dissolve the contract. This was a bad situation because Paul had to sue all of his former band mates. The proceedings lasted for a number of years and Paul had a very harsh relationship with all of his former band mates.

 Growth and change was a big part of the Beatles, and Paul certainly grew. Much of this is evident in his writing. His songs, more so than any other Beatle, have become some of the greatest popular songs in history and he has been named the "Greatest Songwriter of All Time". Songs such as "Yesterday", "Here There And Everywhere" , the entire  Sgt. Pepper album, and "Let It Be" are all his creation and have stood the test of time. He is indeed a

great songwriter, and a very important part in music history.

Paul and Linda

 In today's age of huge quantities of celebrity marriages and just as many divorces, Paul and Linda McCartney set an example.  They were one of few celebrity couples to survive the pressure cooker life style of fame, and the strain this puts on a marriage.  Their love was magnificent and legendary.  In their nearly 30 year marriage, they never spent a night apart, voluntarily.  Sadly, this all came to an end in April of 1998, when Linda succumbed to breast cancer.  Their great affection and true love for one another will forever be the beacon on the hill to other celebrity couples wishing the same.

 Linda McCartney was not what was thought of as a typical wife for the "Cute Beatle".  First, she was American, and second, she was not traditional, much like her perceived nemesis Yoko Ono (although there was no true rivalry there).  Linda was a very promising photographer that was never grounded to her high status and family name.  She was born Linda Eastman, daughter to the prominent attorney, Lee Eastman.  Like Paul, she too, lost her mother at a very young age.  Linda was always free spirited, and traveled much in her early adulthood.  She married early, and had a daughter Heather in 1963.  The marriage, obviously, did not work out, and she was divorced.

 In 1965 she attended The Beatles Shea Stadium concert (note, she was not the only future Beatle wife there, as Ringo's second wife, Barbara Bach was also present).  At the time, her favorite Beatle, interestingly enough, was John Lennon.  Around this time she acquired a job as a photographer for a rock magazine.  Through this she met various celebrities such as Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and the Rolling Stones, all of whom she brilliantly photographed.  She was offered a chance to photograph the Beatles.  She flew to Britain, and went out the night before (or at least some point before the shoot I believe), and happened to go to the same club as the only unmarried Beatle, Paul McCartney.  Paul was captivated by her, and she him, and they ended up going to another club together.  They parted, and he saw her again at the photo shoot where she took one of the more famous picture of the Sgt. Pepper release.  Paul and Linda then found ways to contact one another, one story told is that she slipped him her number and he eventually called and invited her to stay with him after he broke up with his long time girlfriend, Jane Asher.  Linda brought about an awakening Paul, because of her free spirit.  They would often drive around and Linda would try to convince Paul to get lost, or at least try to.  They shared many similarities, and Paul wished to marry her.   However, because of her previous failed marriage, she was reluctant.  But then, she found that she was pregnant with their first child together, and so they married on March 12, 1969.  Linda was NOT well liked by the public.  She had stolen the last free Beatle in their minds.  She, like Yoko, was blamed for the Beatles break up, although not to the same extent. 

 During and after the Beatles break-up Paul hit a deep depression.  Constantly drinking, not bathing, and eventually not getting out of bed.  It was Linda who inspired Paul, and who reassured him, he was a talented songwriter, he did NOT need the other Beatles to survive.  And so, with Linda, Paul created his first solo album, "McCartney", which contains one of the greatest love songs of all time, "Maybe I'm Amazed".  He later asked Linda to join his new band, Wings, and taught her to play keyboards, and she eventually became competent. 

 The only time Paul and Linda were ever separated was in early 1980 when he was arrested in Tokyo, Japan for a large quantity of marijuana possession and put in jail for 10 days.  In 1984 Paul was arrested AGAIN, but this time Linda was arrested as well, and they were not separated.

 Together Linda and Paul championed the cause for the rights of animals.   With their fame and wealth they helped bring an awareness to various cruelties in the world, and were some of the first to go "veggie" even when it was not popular.  Linda wanted to spread the cause even further and she did so by trying to convert meat eaters to eat vegetarian.  She devised recipes that tasted like regular meat, but were meat free, and put out a cuisine of vegetarian foods.  She also put out a few recipe books and made quite a name for herself as a humanitarian with Paul.

 In the early 90s, Linda discovered an abnormality in her breast.  It was discovered to be cancerous;  eerily reminiscent of Paul's mother.  She went through chemo treatments and surgery, and her cancer went into remission, but then in early 1998 it was discovered that the cancer had moved into the liver and other parts of the body.  In April of 1998, she passed away in her beloved home in Arizona, surrounded by her family. 

  Paul has since carried her legacy on by introducing the Linda McCartney award for people who champion the cause of animal rights.  He has also never failed to mention her at any of the awards he receives, and although he has since found a girlfriend in former model Heather Mills, it has been said that he carries her wedding band in his back pocket.  A token of their great love.

Solo Work

Paul McCartney, known now as Sir Paul McCartney, has been named as the greatest songwriter of all time by many in the music business. This is no mistake. Paul's music both solo and for the Beatles has probably been on the charts more than music by any other artist.  He, last I knew, is worth an over $800 million dollars due to his songwriting. His work for the Beatles was phenomenal, probably the best he ever created, but his solo work was also fantastic. Of all the Beatles it is Paul who has had the most success solely.

 His first album, McCartney, was released just before the Beatles released their last album, Let it Be. On McCartney, Paul had what I believe to be one of his finest songs, which is "Maybe I'm Amazed". The rest of the songs on there are also good, and it is created only by Paul and he plays all the instruments on it. He had a rough time after McCartney, and he failed to have many hit songs in the early seventies as albums like Wings Wild Life and Ram did not make it very big. However, Paul soon found how to make hit records with others besides the Beatles.  With Wings he created a hit album with Red Rose Speedway. On Red Rose Speedway there were such chart toppers and hits like "My Love", "Little Lamb Dragonfly" and during that time he had hit singles with "Hi Hi Hi" and "C Moon". Then he blew everyone away with the fantastic Band on the Run album. Wings wasn't expected to generate a huge following and Paul had disappointed his fans previously. But with Band on the Run, there was no mistake, Paul was back up again. He never had a dry spell again. On Band on the Run there are such songs as the title song, "Jet", and "Helen Wheels". All of which are great songs with a fast beat that gets the listener going.  He closes the album with the smash, "1985". The finest song on there, in my opinion, and one of his finest ever, is "Let Me Roll It". This song has a rocky beat, and Paul wails on it. It has the most fantastic guitar riff through it that grabs the listeners attention as well.

 After Band on the Run Paul again struggled to make a hit  album. In fact many say that Band on the Run was his peak and he never created anything that was that good.  His next album Venus and Mars failed to become the big success that everyone hoped for, although it was not a complete failure. After Venus and Mars, Paul released some compilation albums like "Wings Over America" and  "Wings at the Greatest". In between these albums was "Wings at the Speed of Sound" which was an alright album as it had "Let em in" and "Silly Love Songs".  Paul closed out the seventies on a bad note with two poor albums, London Town and Back to the Egg, but with singles he did make a huge hit in Britain with "Mull Of Kintyre". This song sold as one of Paul's and Britain's all time best singles.

  Paul also struggled a bit in the early 80s with "McCartney II" and "Tug Of War". Both had a few hit songs on them, but generally were weak.  Songs like "Coming Up" and singles like "Goodnight Tonight" and his collaboration with Stevie Wonder "Ebony and Ivory" had great chart impact in the early 80s but they do not have the longevity of some of his previous work.  On his next album, "Pipes of Peace" Paul collaborated with the then superstar Michael Jackson. They did two songs together, "Say Say Say" and "The Girl Is Mine" with the first beginning on Paul's album and the second being on Michaels best seller and the all time best selling album "Thriller". During this time Paul gave Michael some great advice that he would regret in the future. The first piece was to make music videos because that was becoming a big thing, secondly he said to hire someone trustworthy to look after all the money he is making, and third, the one he regrets, he told Michael to get into music publishing. Paul had made a lot of money with MPL his company and he owns many great oldie songs.  Michael however bought the Beatles catalogue and sold many of the songs to commercials. It is sad that the Beatles do not even own their own songs.

  In 1984 Paul decided to produce and write a movie, Give My Regards to Broadstreet. This movie was far less than blockbuster, but there was a good single of that time, "No More Lonely Nights".  Between 84 and 89 Paul really didn't come out with new material as he released All the Best, a greatest hits compilation and Choba B CCCP a Russian album of oldies.

 In 1989 Paul had a breakthrough with what many consider his greatest work since Band On the Run. Flowers In the Dirt Paul collaborated a bit with Elvis Costello and it really seemed to help him. Many songs on that album are great songs and it seems like Paul regained his knack for songwriting. On Flowers in the Dirt, there are great tracks like, "My Brave Face", "Rough Ride",  and "We Got Married". Even better is "Put it There" a song about fathers and sons (like John's "Beautiful Boy") that has a great acoustic melody although it is very simply constructed.  He also has "This One" on the album which has a great feel to it and also sounds simple in structure.

Off the Ground, Paul's next album failed to become the great work that Flowers In the Dirt was, but it still had a couple good songs on it. He does lack a bit with lyrics in songs like "Biker  like an Icon" and "Peace in the Neighborhood". But great songs like "Hope Of Deliverance" and one of his best "C'mon People" are also on there. "C'mon People" sounds very much like a Beatles song, and it has a message that is simple but very meaningful and the melody is beautiful.

 Paul started the 90s with Live albums. He released the double album "Tripping the Live Fantastic" which is great, along with a video of his stage performance called "Get Back", which is also great. Then in 93 he did another tour cladded "Paul is Live" (a play  on the old "Paul is Dead idea" of the 60s which is complete with a new picture of Abbey Road).   This album accompanied with a video is also very good.  In 97 Paul released  "Flaming Pie" after the Beatles Anthology which was nominated to be Album of the Year. This is a great album and very simplistic yet very Beatlesque.  It has great pieces on it like "The World Tonight", "Somedays" and acoustic masterpiece that also has a string section provided by Sir George Martin, "Young Boy" a Steve Miller collaboration, "Really Love You" (the only McCartney/Starkey song) and the gorgeous song "Beautiful Night" which also features Ringo as drummer. "Beautiful Night" can be argued as one of Paul's greatest love songs  since "Maybe Im Amazed". Paul also in the mid 90s decided to write songs for a totally different genre, classical music.  He has proven himself to be a great classical composer as well as a great rock songwriter.

Paul McCartney's solo work has had it's ups and downs in terms of success, like the solo work of the other Beatles. However, even with the many mistakes he has made musically he has had more hits than any other songwriter ever.  Many criticize his work as lacking in lyrical content, which is true sometimes when compared to that of John Lennon's solo work, but Paul has written some of the most beautiful melodies ever. He writes his songs for the time he is in, which sometimes makes them lack in longevity, but they are hits for their time and they are almost always catchy.  Sir Paul McCartney has been known as the greatest songwriter ever, and is even knighted because of it. His work will forever influence and be a standard for all musicians of the future.