Paul McCartney is the most commercially successful rock composer of all time, both as a solo performer (with his '70s band Wings) and, most notably, as a member of the Beatles. McCartney's songs have hundreds of millions of copies worldwide; "Yesterday," written for the Beatles in 1965, has been played over six million times on U.S. radio stations, making it the most popular song in history. McCartney also holds the world record for largest paid audience at a concert given by a solo performer, drawing over 184,000 fans at a 1990 concert in Rio de Janeiro.

Born James Paul McCartney in Liverpool, England on June 18, 1942, McCartney showed an early interest in music, no doubt encouraged by his father, who was a part-time jazz musician. At age 14 Paul's mother died of cancer, but despite the trauma McCartney remained an outstanding student and even began playing guitar, learning the instrument before he was 15. While at a church picnic in the summer of 1957, McCartney was introduced by a friend to an older schoolmate, John Lennon, who played in a skiffle band called the Quarrymen. Paul soon joined the group and, along with John, became its principle songwriter. Over the next few years the group evolved into the Beatles, with Paul switching to bass. McCartney and Lennon agreed early on to share all songwriting credits, even though they directly collaborated on only a handful on songs; throughout the Beatles years "McCartney-Lennon" wrote and sang the vast majority of Beatles tunes. 


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