Sir James Paul McCartney  (born 18 

June 1942) is an English singer, multi-

 

instrumentalist, and composer.

 

With John Lennon,George Harrison, 

 

and Ringo Starr, he gained worldwide 

 

fame as a member of the Beatles, one 

 

of the most popular and influential acts 

 

in the history of rock music; 

 

his songwriting partnership with 

 

Lennon is one of the most celebrated of 

 

the 20th century. After the band's break-

 

up, he pursued a solo career and 

 

formed Wings with his first wife, Linda

and Denny Laine.

 

 

 

James Paul McCartney was born on 18

 

June 1942, in Walton Hospital, 

 

Liverpool, England, where his mother, 

 

Mary , had qualified to practise as a 

 

nurse. His father, James ("Jim") 

 

McCartney, was absent from his son's 

 

birth due to his work as a volunteer 

 

firefighter during World War II.

 

At the age of fifteen, McCartney met 

 

Lennon and his band, the Quarrymen, at 

 

the St Peter's Church Hall fête 

 

in Woolton on 6 July 1957. The 

 

Quarrymen played a mix of rock and roll 

 

and skiffle, a type of popular 

 

music with jazz, blues and folk influence

 

s. The band invited McCartney to join 

 

soon afterwards as a rhythm guitarist, 

 

and he formed a close working 

 

relationship with Lennon. Harrison 

 

joined in 1958 as lead guitarist, followed 

 

by Lennon's art school friend Stuart 

 

Sutcliffe on bass, in 1960. By May 1960 

 

the band had tried several names, 

 

including Beatals, Johnny and the 

 

Moondogs and the Silver Beetles. They 

 

adopted the name the Beatles in August 

 

1960 and recruited drummer Pete 

 

Best shortly before a five-engagement 

 

residency in Hamburg.