Sir Paul McCartney
Certainly one of the most beloved and influential composer/musicians of all time
Certainly one of the most beloved and influential composer/musicians of all time
Born on June 18, 1942, in Liverpool, England. His mother was a maternity nurse, and his father a cotton salesman and jazz pianist. He was encouraged at an early age to try out different musical instruments. By age 16, he was already writing songs. He met John Lennon at a church festival and was invited to join John's band, the Quarrymen. They had much in common and began writing and performing together.
Early Beatles in concert (1964)
Later years Beatles (1970)
He broke on the music scene as a member of The Beatles in 1962. At first a rock and roll/pop band, they evolved into a creative juggernaught. Experimenting with many different styles of music, they altered the course of music and culture with their generation defining songs.
Album art of Wings in concert (1975)
McCartney formed Wings after the Beatles broke up in 1970. Key members included his wife Linda, and Denny Laine. Wings toured the world and became the best-selling pop act of the 1970's, with 27 U.S. Top 40 hits and five consecutive number one albums.
McCartney in his mid 60's in concert
Over the last 40 years, he has continued to create and release music, having 25 solo albums to his credit. He also continues to perform live all over the U.S. and the world, routinely performing nearly 3 hour shows at age 79.
Though it pains me to pare these lists down to only ten, I'll list 10 favorites:
...again ten favorites:
