Paul McCartney
On stage in Prague, 6 June 2004.
Background information
Birth name	James Paul McCartney
Born	18 June 1942 (1942-06-18) (age 65) Liverpool, England
Genre(s)	Rock Pop Classical music Electronic music Ambient music
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician, artist, activist
Instrument(s)	Bass guitar, guitar, piano, organ, drums, percussion, ukelele, mandolin, melodica, trumpet, recorder, mellotron, moog, celeste, cello
Years active	1957 – present
Label(s)	Hear Music Apple Parlophone Capitol CBS EMI Music Group
Associated acts	The Beatles,The Quarrymen, Wings, The Fireman
Website	www.paulmccartney.com
Notable instrument(s)
Hofner 500/1 bass guitar Rickenbacker 4001 bass guitar Gibson Les Paul Epiphone Casino

Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an Academy Award and Grammy Award winning English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who first gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. McCartney and John Lennon formed one of the most influential and successful songwriting partnerships and "wrote some of the most popular music in rock and roll history." On leaving The Beatles, McCartney launched a successful solo career and formed the band Wings with his first wife, Linda McCartney. He has worked on film scores, classical music, and ambient/electronic music; released a large catalogue of songs as a solo artist; and taken part in projects to help international charities.

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. His song "Yesterday" is listed as the most covered song in history and has been played more than 7,000,000 times on American television and radio. Wings' 1977 single "Mull of Kintyre" became the first single to sell more than two million copies in the UK, and remained the UK's top seller until surpassed, in 1984, by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" whose participants included McCartney.

His company MPL Communications owns the copyrights to more than three thousand 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. Aside from his musical work, McCartney is a painter and an advocate for animal rights, vegetarianism, and music education; he is active in campaigns against landmines, seal culls and Third World debt. McCartney was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1965, and was knighted in 1997.

Contents 1 Early years: 1942–1957 2 1957–1960: The Quarrymen and the Silver Beetles 3 1960–1970: The Beatles 4 1970s: Paul McCartney (solo) and Wings 5 Solo career 5.1 1980s 5.2 1990s 5.3 2000s 6 Family life 6.1 Relationship with Jane Asher 6.2 Marriage to Linda Eastman 6.3 Marriage to Heather Mills 7 Creative outlets 7.1 Classical music 7.2 Electronica 7.3 Film 7.4 Painting 7.5 Writing and poetry 8 Lifestyle 8.1 Recreational drug use 8.2 Meditation 8.3 Activism 9 Business 9.1 The Beatles catalogue 9.2 MPL Communications 10 Pseudonyms 11 Achievements and critique 11.1 Criticism 11.2 Record-breaker 11.3 Awards 12 Discography 13 Song samples 14 Notes 15 References 16 Further reading 17 External links

Early years: 1942–1957

James Paul McCartney was born in Liverpool General Hospital, in Liverpool, England, where his mother, Mary, had worked as a nursing sister in the maternity ward. He has one brother, Michael, born 7 January 1944. McCartney was baptized Roman Catholic but was raised non-denominationally: his mother was Roman Catholic, and his father, James "Jim" McCartney, was a Protestant turned agnostic. Like many from Liverpool, McCartney is of Irish descent. His maternal grandfather, Owen Mohin/Mohan, was born in 1880 in Tullynamalrow, County Monaghan, Ireland, and married Mary Theresa Danher (from Toxteth, Liverpool) in 1905.

In 1947, at age five, he began at Stockton Wood Road Primary school; he attended the Joseph Williams Junior School, and passed the 11-plus exam in 1953. Of the 90 children that took the exam, only three others passed, gaining all four places at the Liverpool Institute. On the bus to the Institute, he met George Harrison, who lived nearby. Passing the exam meant that McCartney and Harrison did not have to go to a secondary modern school, which most pupils attended until they were eligible to work. It also meant that Grammar school pupils had to find new friends—such was the division between the school systems..

In 1955, the McCartney family moved to 20 Forthlin Road (in Allerton), which is now owned by The National Trust. Mary McCartney rode a bicycle to houses where she was needed as a midwife, and McCartney's earliest memory is of her leaving when it was snowing heavily. On 31 October 1956, when McCartney was 14, while he was away at boy scout camp, Mary McCartney (who was a heavy smoker) died of an embolism after a mastectomy operation to stop the spread of her breast cancer. The early loss of his mother later connected McCartney with John Lennon, whose mother, Julia, died when Lennon was 17.

McCartney's father was a trumpet player and pianist, who had led Jim Mac's Jazz Band in the 1920s, and encouraged his two sons to be musical. Jim had an upright piano in the front room that he bought from Harry Epstein's store, and McCartney's grandfather, Joe McCartney, played an E-flat tuba. Jim McCartney used to point out the different instruments in songs on the radio, and often took Paul to local brass band concerts. After the death of his wife, Mary, Jim McCartney gave Paul a nickel-plated trumpet, but when skiffle music became popular, McCartney swapped the trumpet for a £15 Framus Zenith (model 17) acoustic guitar.

McCartney, being left-handed, found the Zenith impossible to play. He then saw a poster advertising Slim Whitman and realised that Whitman played left-handed, with his guitar strung the opposite way to a right-handed player. McCartney wrote his first song ("I Lost My Little Girl") on the Zenith, and also played his father's Framus Spanish guitar when writing early songs with John Lennon. He later started playing piano and wrote "When I'm Sixty-Four". His father advised him to take some music lessons, which he did. But McCartney realised that he preferred to learn 'by ear' and never paid attention in music classes.

1957–1960: The Quarrymen and the Silver Beetles

Main articles: The Quarrymen and Lennon/McCartney

The fifteen-year-old McCartney met Lennon and the Quarrymen at the Woolton (St. Peter's church hall) fête on 6 July 1957. At the start of their friendship Lennon's Aunt Mimi disapproved of McCartney because he was, she said, "working class", and called McCartney, "John's little friend". McCartney's father told his son that Lennon would get him "into trouble", although he later allowed The Quarrymen to rehearse in the front room at 20 Forthlin Road.

McCartney formed a close working relationship with Lennon and they collaborated on many songs. He convinced Lennon to allow George Harrison to join the Quarrymen after Lennon's initial reluctance (because of Harrison's young age) when Lennon heard Harrison play at a rehearsal in March 1958. Harrison joined the group as lead guitarist, followed by Lennon's art school friend, Stuart Sutcliffe, on bass, with whom McCartney later bickered regarding Sutcliffe's musical ability. By May 1960, they had tried several new names, including the Silver Beetles (and played a tour with Johnny Gentle, in Scotland). The Beatles changed the name of the group for their performances in Hamburg, in August 1960.

1960–1970: The Beatles

Main articles: The Beatles and The Beatles discography

The Beatles were managed by Allan Williams—starting in May 1960—and he booked them into Bruno Koschmider's Indra club in Hamburg. McCartney's father was reluctant to let the teenage Paul go to Hamburg until Paul pointed out that he would earn two pounds and ten shillings per day. As this was more than he earned himself, Jim finally agreed.

The Beatles first played at the Indra club, sleeping in small, dirty rooms in the Bambi Kino, and then moved (after the closure of the Indra) to the larger Kaiserkeller. In October 1960, they left Koschmider's club and worked at the "Top Ten Club", which was run by Peter Eckhorn. When McCartney and Pete Best went back to the Bambi Kino to get their belongings they found it in almost total darkness. As a snub to Koschmider, they found a condom, attached it to a nail on the concrete wall of their room, and set fire to it. There was no real damage, but Koschmider reported them for attempted arson. McCartney and Best spent three hours in a local jail and were deported, as was George Harrison, for working under the legal age limit. Lennon's work permit was revoked a few days later and he went home by train, but Sutcliffe had a cold and stayed in Hamburg, and then flew home.

The group reunited in December 1960, and on 21 March 1961, played their first of many concerts at Liverpool's Cavern club. McCartney realised that other Liverpool bands were playing the same cover songs, which prompted him and Lennon to write more original material. The Beatles returned to Hamburg in April 1961, and recorded "My Bonnie" with Tony Sheridan. Sutcliffe left the band after the end of their contract, so Paul reluctantly took over bass. He first played a 'Rosetti Solid 7' bass upside-down, but later bought a left-handed 1962 500/1 model Höfner bass. On 1 October 1961, McCartney went with Lennon (who paid for the trip) to Paris for two weeks.

The Beatles were first seen by Brian Epstein at the Cavern club on 9 November 1961, and he later signed them to a management contract. The Beatles' road manager, Neil Aspinall, drove them to London on 31 December 1961, where they auditioned the next day, but were rejected by Decca Records. In April 1962, they went back to Hamburg to play at the Star-Club, and learned of Stuart Sutcliffe's death a few hours before they arrived. The Beatles were ready to sign a record contract on 9 May 1962, with Parlophone Records—after having been rejected by many record companies—but Epstein sacked Pete Best(at the behest of McCartney, Lennon and Harrison) before they signed the contract. "Love Me Do" was released on 5 October 1962, featuring McCartney singing solo on the chorus line.

All Lennon-McCartney songs on the first pressing of Please Please Me album (recorded in one day on 11 February 1963) as well as the "Please Please Me" single, "From Me to You", and its B-side, "Thank You Girl", are credited to "McCartney-Lennon", but this was later changed to "Lennon-McCartney". They usually needed an hour or two to finish a song, which were written in hotel rooms after a concert, at Wimpole Street, at Cavendish Avenue, or at Kenwood (John Lennon's house). McCartney also wrote songs for other artists, such as Billy J. Kramer, Cilla Black, Badfinger, and Mary Hopkin -and most notably he wrote two hit songs for the group Peter & Gordon-launching their career. One song, "World Without Love", became a #1 hit in the U.K. & U.S. (Peter was the brother of Jane Asher, McCartney's girlfriend at the time)

Lennon, Harrison, and Starr lived in large houses in the 'stockbroker belt' of southern England, but McCartney continued to live in central London: in Jane Asher's parents' house, and then at 7 Cavendish Avenue, St John's Wood, near the Abbey Road Studios. It was at Cavendish Avenue that McCartney bought his first Old English Sheepdog, Martha, which inspired the song "Martha My Dear".

McCartney often went to nightclubs alone, which offered 'dining and dancing until 4.00 a.m.' and featured cabaret acts. McCartney would get preferential treatment everywhere he went, which he readily accepted. He even once accepted an offer from a policeman to be allowed to park McCartney's car. He later visited gambling clubs after 4.00am, such as 'The Curzon House', and often saw Brian Epstein there. The Ad Lib club (above the Prince Charles Theatre at 7 Leicester Place) was later opened for the emerging 'Rock and Roll' crowd of musicians, and tolerated their unusual lifestyle. After the Ad Lib fell out of favour, McCartney moved on to the Scotch of St James, at 13 Masons Yard. He also frequented The Bag O'Nails club at 8 Kingly Street in Soho, London, where he met Linda Eastman.

The Beatles stopped touring after their last concert at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, on 29 August 1966. The other three Beatles had often talked about stopping touring, but after the Candlestick Park concert, and after having played so many concerts where they could not be heard, McCartney finally agreed that they should stop playing live concerts.

McCartney was the first to be involved in a musical project outside of the group, when he composed the score for the film The Family Way in 1966. The soundtrack was later released as an album (also called The Family Way), and won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Instrumental Theme, ahead of acclaimed jazz musician Mike Turner. McCartney wrote songs for and produced other artists, including Mary Hopkin, Badfinger, and the Bonzo Dog Band, and in 1966, he was asked by Kenneth Tynan to write the songs for the National Theatre's production of As You Like It by William Shakespeare (starring Laurence Olivier) but declined.

McCartney later attempted to persuade Lennon, Harrison and Starr to return to the stage, and when they had a meeting to sign a new contract with Capitol Records, McCartney suggested "going back to our roots," to which Lennon replied, "I think you're mad!" Although Lennon had quit the group in September 1969, and Harrison and Starkey had temporarily left the group at various times, McCartney was the one who publicly announced The Beatles' breakup on 10 April 1970—one week before releasing his first solo album, McCartney. The album included a press release inside with a self-written interview stating McCartney's hopes about the future. The Beatles' partnership was legally dissolved after McCartney filed a lawsuit on 31 December 1970.

1970s: Paul McCartney (solo) and Wings

Main articles: Paul McCartney discography and Wings (band)

McCartney released his debut solo album, McCartney, in April 1970. He insisted that his wife should be involved in his musical career so that they would not be apart when he was on tour. McCartney's second solo album, Ram (1971) was credited to both Paul and Linda McCartney. In August of that year McCartney formed Wings with guitarist Denny Laine and drummer Denny Seiwell (although membership in Wings would change several times during its life) and released their debut album, Wild Life. In 1972, Wings started an unplanned tour of British universities and small European venues. In February of that year, they released a single called "Give Ireland Back to the Irish", which was banned by the BBC. Wings then embarked on the 26-date Wings Over Europe Tour.

Wings' 1973 album Red Rose Speedway spawned the band's first #1 in the United States, "My Love". On 16 April, McCartney starred in a TV variety show called James Paul McCartney. The band released Band on the Run, which won two Grammy Awards and is Wings' most lauded work. In October 1972, McCartney recorded the theme song for the James Bond film Live and Let Die. In 1973, Wings released the single "Jet", and in 1974, "Band on the Run" (the song) and "Junior's Farm". A jam session — with Lennon and McCartney — was recorded in California, in 1974, and released on the bootleg A Toot and a Snore in '74. "Venus and Mars" was released in 1975 which featured "Listen to What the Man Said" and "Rock Show." Through 1975 and 1976, Wings embarked on the ambitious Wings Over the World tour, which was released as Wings Over America.

Also in 1976, McCartney marked Buddy Holly Week in London with a celebrity party on what would have been Holly's 40th birthday. McCartney, a lifelong fan of Holly's music, acquired the publishing rights to the Buddy Holly catalogue. McCartney also bought the rights to the off-Broadway musical Grease which was later adapted into a feature film.

During a break from Wings in 1977, McCartney released the album Thrillington, an orchestral re-make of the earlier Ram album which had been recorded pre-Wings. McCartney issued the album under the pseudonym Percy "Thrills" Thrillington.

Later in 1977, Wings released "Mull of Kintyre". It stayed at #1 in the UK for nine weeks, and was the highest-selling single in the UK until 1984, when Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas beat its record. Wings toured again in 1979, and McCartney organised the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea. McCartney's "Rockestra" theme won a Grammy award. At Christmas 1979, McCartney released his (solo) "Wonderful Christmastime".

Although McCartney's relationship with John Lennon was troubled, they reconciled during the 1970s. McCartney would often call Lennon, but was never sure of what sort of reception he would get, such as when McCartney once called Lennon and was told, "You're all pizza and fairytales!" McCartney understood that he could not just phone Lennon and only talk about business, so they often talked about cats, baking bread, or babies.

Solo career

1980s

In a 1980 interview, Lennon said that the last time he had seen McCartney was when they had watched the episode of Saturday Night Live (May 1976) where Lorne Michaels had made his $3,000 cash offer to get Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr to reunite on the show. McCartney and Lennon had seriously considered going to the studio, but were too tired. On the morning of 9 December 1980, McCartney awoke to the news that Lennon had been murdered outside his Dakota building home. Lennon's death created a media frenzy around the surviving members of the Beatles. On the evening of 9 December, as McCartney was leaving an Oxford Street recording studio, he was surrounded by reporters and asked for his reaction to Lennon's death. He replied, "I'm very shocked - this is terrible news," and said that he had spent the day in the studio listening to some material because he "just didn't want to sit at home." When asked why, he replied, "I didn't feel like it," and added, "It's a drag, isn't it?" When published, his "drag" remark was criticized, and McCartney later regretted it. He furthermore stated that he had intended no disrespect but had just been at a loss for words, after the shock and sadness he felt over Lennon's murder.

In a Playboy interview in 1984, McCartney said that he went home that night and watched the news on television—whilst sitting with all his children—and cried all evening. His last telephone call to John, which was just before Lennon and Yoko released Double Fantasy, was friendly. During the call, Lennon said (laughing) to McCartney, "This housewife wants a career!" which referred to Lennon's "house-husband" years, while he was looking after Sean Lennon. McCartney carried on recording after the death of Lennon but did not play any live concerts for some time. He explained that this was because he was nervous that he would be "the next" to be murdered. This led to a disagreement with Denny Laine, who wanted to continue touring and subsequently left Wings, which McCartney disbanded in 1981. Also in 1981, six months after Lennon's death, McCartney sang backup on George Harrison's tribute to Lennon, "All Those Years Ago," along with Ringo Starr.

Like McCartney before it, McCartney played every instrument on the 1980 release McCartney II, with an emphasis on synthesisers instead of guitars. The single "Coming Up" reached #2 in Britain and #1 in the US., and Waterfalls was another UK Top 10 hit. McCartney's next album, 1982's Tug of War, reunited him with Beatles' producer George Martin and Ringo Starr and featured McCartney's duet with Stevie Wonder on "Ebony and Ivory" as well as his tribute to Lennon, "Here Today". Two further hit duets followed, both with Michael Jackson: "The Girl Is Mine", from Jackson's Thriller album, and "Say Say Say", a single from McCartney's 1983 album Pipes of Peace.

McCartney wrote and starred in the 1984 film Give My Regards to Broad Street. The film and soundtrack featured the US and UK Top 10 hit "No More Lonely Nights" (and the album reached #1 in the UK), but the film did not do well commercially and received a negative critical response. Roger Ebert awarded the film a single star and wrote, "You can safely skip the movie and proceed directly to the sound track". Later that year, McCartney released "We All Stand Together", the title song from the animated film Rupert and the Frog Song and wrote and performed the title song to the movie Spies Like Us.

In the second half of the decade McCartney would find new collaborators. Eric Stewart had appeared on McCartney's Pipes of Peace album, and he co-wrote most of McCartney's 1986 album Press to Play. The album, and its lead single, "Press(song)" became minor hits. McCartney returned the favour by co-writing two songs for Stewart's band, 10cc: "Don't Break the Promises" (...Meanwhile, 1992), and "Yvonne's the One" (Mirror Mirror, 1995). In 1987, EMI released All the Best! which was the first compilation of McCartney's own songs.

In 1988, he released Снова в СССР, which was a collection of old Rock and roll hits—written by others—that McCartney had admired over the years. It was originally released only in the USSR, eventually receiving a general release in 1991. McCartney also began a musical partnership with the singer-songwriter Elvis Costello (Declan MacManus). The resulting songs would appear on several singles and albums by both artists, notably "Veronica" from Costello's album Spike, and "My Brave Face" from McCartney's Flowers in the Dirt, both released in 1989. The album reached #1 in the UK. Further McCartney/MacManus compositions for "Flowers in the Dirt" surfaced on the 1991 album Mighty Like a Rose (Costello) and 1993's Off the Ground (McCartney). In late 1989, McCartney embarked on his first concert tour since John Lennon's murder—his first tour of the U.S. in thirteen years.

1990s

The 1990s saw McCartney venture into classical music. In 1991 the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society commissioned a musical piece by McCartney to celebrate its sesquicentennial. McCartney collaborated with Carl Davis to release Liverpool Oratorio. EMI Classics recorded the premiere of the oratorio and released it on a 2-CD album which topped the classical charts. His next classical project to be released (in 1995) was A Leaf, a solo-piano piece played by Royal College of Music gold-medal winner Anya Alexeyev. The Prince of Wales later honoured McCartney as a Fellow of The Royal College of Music. Other forays into classical music included Standing Stone (1997), Working Classical (1999), and "Ecce Cor Meum" (2006).

In the early 1990s (after another world tour), McCartney reunited with Harrison and Starr to work on Apple's The Beatles Anthology documentary series. It included three double albums of alternative takes, live recordings, and previously unreleased Beatles songs, as well as a ten-hour video boxed set. Anthology 1 was released in 1995, and featured "Free as a Bird", which was the first Beatles reunion track, while Anthology 2, released in 1996, included "Real Love" (1996), the second and final in the reunion series. Both reunion tracks were completed by adding new music and vocal tracks to Lennon's demos from the late 1970s.

1997 was another successful year for McCartney. That year he released Flaming Pie. The album garnered the best reviews for a McCartney album since Tug of War. It debuted at #2 in the UK and the US, and was nominated in the category Album of the Year at the 1998 Grammy Awards. Later that year, McCartney was knighted as a Knights Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II.

McCartney returned to his roots once again in 1999, recording another album of rock 'n' roll favourites from his youth titled Run Devil Run. That same year he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, located in Cleveland, Ohio, as a solo artist.

2000s

The year 2001 proved to be a busy and hectic one for McCartney. In May, he released Wingspan: An Intimate Portrait, a retrospective documentary that features behind-the-scenes films and photographs that Paul and Linda McCartney (who had died in 1998) took of their family and bands. Interspersed throughout the 88 minute film is an interview by Mary McCartney with her father. Mary was the baby photographed inside McCartney's jacket on the back cover of his first solo album, McCartney, and was one of the producers of the documentary.

Earlier in the year, McCartney worked on what would become his new album, Driving Rain, released on 12 November. Driving Rain featured many uplifting songs inspired by and written for his soon-to-be wife Heather. Clearly determined to follow the example of Run Devil Run's brisk recording pace, most of the album was recorded in two weeks, starting in February 2001. McCartney also composed and recorded the title track for the film Vanilla Sky, released later that year. The track was nominated for—but did not win—an Oscar for Best Original Song

On 11 September 2001, McCartney was sitting on a plane in New York City when the World Trade Center terrorist attacks occurred and was able to witness the events from his seat. Incensed at the tragedy and determined to respond, he composed "Freedom" and impulsively halted the pressing of Driving Rain so that "Freedom" could appear as a 'hidden track' (since the artwork and track listing had already been printed).

McCartney took a lead role in organising The Concert for New York City in response to the events of September 11. The concert took place on 20 October 2001. A few days before the concert, McCartney was involved in a car crash at a crossroads in Long Island, New York's East Hampton^{[disambiguation needed]} resort town. He complained of back pains but did not need hospital treatment.

In late 2001, McCartney was informed that his former classmate, neighbour, ex-Beatles' lead guitarist, and best friend of over 45 years, George Harrison, was losing his battle with cancer. Upon Harrison's death on 29 November, McCartney told Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, Good Morning America, The Early Show, MTV, VH-1 and Today that George was like his "baby brother". Harrison spent his last days in a Hollywood Hills mansion that was once leased by McCartney. On 29 November 2002—on the first anniversary of George Harrison's death—McCartney played Harrison’s "Something" on a ukulele at the Concert for George.

In 2002, McCartney went on another world tour that continued through the following two years. During the tour he contributed to an album titled Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy Of Sun Records—which included a version of the Elvis Presley hit "That's All Right (Mama)"—recorded with Presley band members, Scotty Moore on lead guitar and drummer D.J. Fontana. McCartney performed during the pre-game ceremonies at the NFL's Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002, and starred in the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005. In 2003, McCartney went to Russia to play a concert in Red Square. Vladimir Putin gave McCartney a tour of the Square, and McCartney performed a private version of "Let It Be".

In what would be his first British music festival appearance, McCartney headlined the Glastonbury Festival in June 2004. McCartney and festival organiser Michael Eavis picked up the NME Award on behalf of the festival, which won 'Best Live Event' in the 2005 awards. McCartney performed at the main Live 8 concert on 2 July 2005, playing "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with U2 to open the Hyde Park event, although Ringo Starr criticised McCartney for not asking him to play.

On 18 June 2006, McCartney celebrated his 64th birthday, as in "When I'm Sixty-Four." Paul Vallely noted in The Independent:

“

"Paul McCartney’s 64th birthday is not merely a personal event. It is a cultural milestone for a generation. Such is the nature of celebrity, McCartney is one of those people who has represented the hopes and aspirations of those born in the baby-boom era, which had its awakening in the Sixties."

”

McCartney joined Jay-Z and Linkin Park onstage at the 2006 Grammy Awards in a performance of "Yesterday" to commemorate the recent passing of Coretta Scott King. McCartney later noted that it was the first time he had performed at the Grammys and quipped, "I finally passed the audition," which was a reference to the John Lennon comment at the end of the Let It Be film: "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition." McCartney was nominated for another Grammy Award in 2007 for "Jenny Wren"—a song from his critically-acclaimed 2005 album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, which itself had been nominated as Album of the Year in 2006.

On 21 March 2007, McCartney left his longtime label EMI to become the first artist signed to Starbucks's new record label, Los Angeles-based Hear Music, to be distributed by Concord Music Group. He even made an appearance via a video feed from London at the company's annual meeting. "For me, the great thing is the commitment and the passion and the love of music, which as an artist is good to see. It's a new world now and people are thinking of new ways to reach the people, and that's always been my aim". There are also rumours about McCartney doing a UK stadium tour Summer 2007. The website Scarlet Mist features dates listed for Hampden Park in Glasgow, City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, Wembley Stadium in London, and Kings Dock in Liverpool.

On 2 April 2007, it was reported that a man believed to be a crazed fan drove through the security fence on Paul McCartney's Peasmarsh county estate shouting that he had to "get at" the ex-Beatle. The incident echoed the 1980 murder of John Lennon and the 1999 attempted murder of George Harrison. The would-be assailant was stopped by security and arrested after leading authorities on a chase through Sussex country lanes [2][3][4]. McCartney has said that he is going to postpone his tour for Memory Almost Full until next year after his divorce case is settled. [5]

On 26 June 2007, just 8 days after his 65th birthday, Sir Paul appeared on CNN's Larry King Live, along with fellow Beatle Ringo Starr, and the widows of John and George, Yoko Ono Lennon & Olivia Harrison. They were promoting the "Revolution" Lounge at The Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as commemorating the one year anniversary of "Cirque Du Soleil's Love". Also, Guy Laliberté, the founder of "Cirque Du Soleil", appeared with them. It was broadcast live from Las Vegas inside the Mirage Hotel & Casino. [6]

On 5 July 2007, he played at the ICA in London in front of 300 ticket-winning fans as part of iTunes Festival.

Family life

McCartney was the last Beatle to marry. He had a five-year relationship with actress Jane Asher, and they were engaged to be married, until they broke up in 1968. He married American photographer Linda Eastman in 1969. They had three children together, and remained married until Linda's death from breast cancer in 1998. In 2002, McCartney married former model Heather Mills and they had a child in 2003. They announced their separation in 2006.

Widespread animosity towards Paul McCartney's wives was reported in 2004. "They [The British public] didn't like me giving up on Jane Asher," McCartney said. "I married a New York divorcee with a child, and at the time they didn't like that."

In 2006, tapes recorded by Peter Cox—with whom Linda McCartney had written a vegetarian cookery book before her death—came to light. The tapes were said to be conversations with Linda discussing her marriage. McCartney reportedly paid £200,000 to Cox for possession of the tapes.

Relationship with Jane Asher

Main article: Jane Asher

The Beatles were performing at the Royal Albert Hall, in London, when McCartney first met British actress Jane Asher on 18 April 1963, and a photographer asked them to pose with Asher. The Beatles were interviewed by Asher for the BBC, and Asher was then photographed screaming at them like a fan. McCartney later persuaded her to become his girlfriend.

McCartney soon met Jane's family: Margaret, Jane's mother, who combined her life as the mother of three children with a full-time career as a music teacher, and Jane's father, Richard, who was a physician. Jane's brother, Peter, was a member of Peter and Gordon, and Jane's younger sister, Clare, was also an actress. McCartney later gave "A World Without Love" to Peter and Gordon-as well as the song "Nobody I Know". Both songs became hits for the group. McCartney took up residence at the Ashers' house at 57 Wimpole Street, London, and lived there for nearly three years. During his time there McCartney met writers such as Bertrand Russell, Harold Pinter and Len Deighton. He wrote several songs at the Ashers', including "Yesterday", and worked on songs with John Lennon in the basement music room. Jane inspired many songs, such as "And I Love Her", "You Won't See Me", and "I'm Looking Through You".

On 13 April 1965, McCartney bought a £40,000 three-storey Regency house, at 7 Cavendish Avenue, London, and spent a further £20,000 renovating it. McCartney created a music room on the top floor of his house, where he worked with Lennon. He thanked the Ashers by paying for the decoration of the front of their house.

On 15 May 1967, McCartney met American photographer Linda Eastman at a Georgie Fame concert at The Bag O'Nails club in London. Eastman was in the UK on an assignment to take photographs of "Swinging sixties" musicians in London. McCartney and Linda later went to The Speakeasy club on Margaret Street. They met again four days later at the launch party for the Sgt. Pepper album at Brian Epstein's house in Belgravia, but when her assignment was completed, Linda flew back to New York City.

On 25 December 1967, McCartney and Asher announced their engagement, and she accompanied McCartney to India in February and March of 1968. Asher broke off the engagement in early 1968, after coming back from Bristol to find Paul in bed with another woman.. They attempted to mend the relationship, but finally broke it off in July 1968. Jane Asher has consistently refused to publicly discuss that part of her life.

Marriage to Linda Eastman

Main articles: Linda McCartney, Heather McCartney, Mary McCartney, Stella McCartney, and James McCartney

In May 1968, McCartney met Eastman again in New York, when Lennon and McCartney were there to announce the formation of Apple Corps. In September, McCartney phoned Eastman and asked her to fly over to London. He later said that Eastman was the woman who "gave me the strength and courage to work again" (after the break-up of the group). Six months later, McCartney and Eastman were married at a small civil ceremony (when Linda was four months pregnant with McCartney's child) at Marylebone Registry Office on 12 March 1969. Paul adopted Linda's daughter from her first marriage, Heather Louise (now a potter), and the couple had three more children together: photographer Mary Anna, fashion designer Stella Nina, and musician James Louis. Paul and Linda (reportedly) spent less than a week apart during their entire marriage, interrupted only by Paul's incarceration in Tokyo on drug charges in January 1980.

Linda McCartney died in Tucson, Arizona, on 17 April, 1998. McCartney denied rumours that her death was an assisted suicide.

McCartney now has four grandchildren: Mary's two sons Arthur Alistair Donald (born 3 April 1999) and Elliot Donald (born 1 August 2002) and Stella's son Miller Alasdhair James Willis (born 25 February 2005-George Harrison's 62nd birthday) and daughter Bailey Linda Olwyn Willis (born 8 December 2006—the 26th anniversary of John Lennon's murder).

Marriage to Heather Mills

Main article: Heather Mills McCartney

After having sparked the interest of the tabloids about his appearances with Heather Mills at events, McCartney appeared publicly beside Miss Mills at a party in January 2000, to celebrate her 32nd birthday. On 11 June 2002, McCartney married Mills, a former model and anti-landmines campaigner, in an elaborate ceremony at Castle Leslie in Glaslough, County Monaghan, Ireland, where more than 300 guests were invited and the reception included a vegetarian banquet. In October 2003, Mills McCartney gave birth to a daughter, Beatrice Milly McCartney. The baby was reportedly named after Heather's late mother Beatrice and Paul's Aunt Milly.

On 29 July, 2006, British newspapers announced that Sir Paul had filed for divorce, which sparked a press furor. A settlement was announced on 21 January 2007, but Mills' lawyers denied this.

Creative outlets

During the 60s, McCartney was often seen at major cultural events, such as the launch party for The International Times, and at The Roundhouse (28 January and 4 February 1967). He also delved into the visual arts, becoming a close friend of leading art dealers and gallery owners, explored experimental film, and regularly attended movie, theatrical and classical music performances. His first contact with the London avant-garde scene was through John Dunbar, who introduced him to the a