Paul McCartney - The History of Rock Music

Paul McCartney

Sometimes it feel as though you are doing Paul McCartney a disservice by merely referring to him as the bass player in the Beatles. Not only is he one of the most popular and biggest selling song writers of all time, including his post Beatles work, he is also known for his art and animal rights opinions as well as a considerable amount of charity work. Of the two key songwriters in The Beatles, McCartney usually comes across as the more upbeat and boisterous which has led some people to dismiss him and his songs, many of which have been of a more populist or simplistic nature at nature but McCartney deserves to be regarded as one of the most influential musician of all time.

Like the rest of his band mate, McCartney had a simple Liverpool upbringing and he was born on the 18th of June 1942, to parents Jim and Mary and would later have a brother, Michael McCartney who was born in 1944. At 14, Paul McCartney lost his mother and this is said to have later created a bond between himself and John Lennon, who also lost his mother at a young age. Soon after the passing of his mother, Paul started to play guitar and began playing in skiffle groups and this paved the way for what would eventually become The Beatles. It was in July 1957 that McCartney was first introduced to John Lennon and the pair quickly started making music together in the Quarrymen, which was to eventually become The Beatles.

The history of McCartney at this time was very much interwoven with the bands with only a few instances standing out. Avid Beatles fans will be aware of the "Paul is dead" rumors, a story which circulated after McCartney fell off a motorcycle. It was around the time of the Sgt Peppers album when McCartney grew a mustache to hide the scar he obtained but word spread quickly about the supposed demise of the Beatle. The band were allegedly giving coded messages to their fans about the bass players demise and this is supposedly seen in the elaborate over and musical backing of the Sgt Peppers album. Instances like the lapel on McCartney's jacket reading "O.P.D." and the hand placed above McCartney's head on the album cover are all supposed hints at the Beatles passing but all were dismissed although not without the mischievous Beatles making one or to further references to the rumor throughout their career.

McCartney was also the band member who first publicly advocated the use of LSD and was also the member who went public with the split of the band. It is now commonly regarded that Lennon was the instigator on both of these accounts but McCartney knew how to work the media and managed to get the publicity arising from both stories.

Paul McCartney was always The Beatle who seemed most at ease with life on the road and the pressure of fame and when Beatlemania broke, he was the member of the band who was seen socializing in high class circles most of all. Like the rest of the band, the early years of the group saw McCartney date a local girl he knew before they made the big time but this all changed in April 1963 when he was introduced to the British actress Jane Asher and persuaded her to go on a date with him. Soon after, Paul decamped to London permanently and the pair were a couple for the following years and even got engaged in the December of 1967. The engagement did not last long though and as broken off by Asher in the summer of 1968 when she found McCartney in bed with another woman. Paul was to rebound quickly when he was re-introduced to Linda Eastman and the poor were soon married in March 1969 with Linda expecting their first child together. The British public were not happy that Asher had been replaced so soon, and by an American divorcee with a child from a previous marriage but the pairs relationship was to be enduring for a number of decades. The pair had three children together, Mary, Stella and James. Like John Lennon, McCartney's partner not only faced scorn and derision from the British public, she also became a major part of his solo music career.

After The Beatles eventual break-up, McCartney released a solo album before starting a new band called Wings, which again was hugely popular. Returning to the live circuit and with his wife onstage beside him, McCartney was invigorated and had major hits, none more so than with 'Mull of Kintyre', which became the UK' biggest selling non-charity single.

The 1980 started badly for McCartney when he was arrested in Japan on drug charges and remained in prison for a week before his release. Tragedy truck the world when John Lennon was murdered in December 1980 and this had an immediate effect on McCartney with him deciding to stop touring for a while. This was not welcomed by Denny Laine, the other key component of Wings, who promptly left the band and McCartney returned to recording under his own name. The artist remained prolifically busy throughout the 1980s and 90s with regular top ten singles and albums, as well as working with the wave of new acts coming through like Michael Jackson.

Paul's wife Linda lost a long running battle with cancer in April 1998 and although heartbroken, McCartney returned to the studio to keep busy and record a tribute to his wife. However, in early 2000, McCartney was reported to be dating former model Heather Mills and the pair were married in June 2002 and had their first daughter together in October 2003, Beatrice Milly McCartney. It was announced in 2006 that the pair were to separate and this led to acrimonious statements and feelings between the two, mainly fueled by Mill's regular public outbursts.

Still recording and playing live, Paul McCartney can point to his financial security and appearances in the book of records as proof of his enduring appeal and charm and obviously talent, which he also uses to promote charities and good causes.

The History of Paul McCartney

Mick Jagger Marries Bianca Macias in St Tropez

On May 12th, 1971, Mick Jagger and Bianca Macias tie the knot in a Roman Catholic ceremony at St. Anne’s Church in St. Tropez in the south of France. Mick Jagger had been studying Catholicism with the pastor of St. Anne’s, Abbe Lucien Baud so they could have an altar wedding after the civil ceremony. With the sun shining on the Cote d’Azur, it all looked like everything was set for the perfect wedding, but this was The Rolling Stones…

The Beatles Release “Abbey Road”

The Beatles released “Abbey Road” on October 1st, 1969 in the USA and September 26th, 1969 in the UK. “Let It Be” was the final album released by The Beatles although it was actually recorded before “Abbey Road“, making the “Abbey Road” sessions the final sessions The Beatles worked on together as a band.
The fact that The Beatles managed to reconvene after the disastrous “Abbey Road” sessions was deemed to be miraculous. What may have been the saving grace was the decision to get George Martin back in to produce the “Abbey Road” sessions. He managed to broker an uneasy peace between the warring Paul McCartney and John Lennon and helped negotiate a path through the debris to pick out the gems, and unbelievably delivered the most coherent record The Beatles ever produced.

Paul McCartney Meets John Lennon of The Quarry Men

It was Saturday, July 6th, 1956 and John Lennon’s skiffle group, The Quarry Men, were playing Woolton Village Church Garden Fete. In the audience, lured along by his friend at the promise of lots of pretty girls to chat up, was a 15 year old Paul McCartney.

15 year old Paul McCartney obviously impressed John Lennon when they were introduced and he was soon asked to join, later joined by his friend George Harrison. It was the start of something very special.