Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney is an English singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who, as co-founder of the Beatles, became one of the most influential figures in popular music. With the Beatles, his band Wings, and his solo work he shaped the songwriting and bass playing of the rock era; his roots reach back to 1950s skiffle and rock-and-roll, which he has returned to throughout his career.
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- Born June 18, 1942, in Liverpool, England.
- Met John Lennon on July 6, 1957, when Lennon's skiffle group the Quarrymen played a church fete in Woolton, and soon joined the band.
- Released his home-recorded solo debut McCartney (1970, Apple), cut largely on basic equipment at his own house, as the Beatles broke up.
- Formed Wings, whose Band on the Run (1973, Apple) became a career-defining success.
- Returned to his rock-and-roll roots with the covers album Run Devil Run (1999, Parlophone), mostly 1950s songs cut live at Abbey Road.
- Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997.
- Received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1999.
