Iconic Facts About Paul McCartney, The Songwriting Genius
Paul McCartney made an indelible mark on music history with his genre-bending songs and flare for experimentation. But the life of a rockstar is peppered with glorious highs and serious lows, and McCartney is no exception.
While his popularity raged out of control, his own love life embarked on a twisting adventure. Aching betrayal. Broken hearts. Tragic loss. Paul McCartney's epic songs pull from the very real trials of true love.
1. He Loved His Hometown
On June 18, 1942, James and Mary McCartney welcomed their son James Paul McCartney into the world. When looking back on his humble beginnings, McCartney spoke highly of his parents and the people of Liverpool, describing them as “...
The kind of people you need in life. Salt of the earth.” One of these upstanding folks, in particular, encouraged the young McCartney to chase his full potential.
2. He Was A Natural
McCartney’s father—a trumpet player and pianist—delighted in the sound of music weaving through the household. Lucky for him, his son Paul had a natural affinity for it, even learning the piano by ear and joining a choir.
When he was 14 years old, his father had a special gift for him—a nickel-plated trumpet. But as we know, this wouldn’t become Paul’s instrument of choice.
3. He Was A Rocker At Heart
Rock-and-roll shook up McCartney’s life and soon he wanted nothing more than a guitar so that he could play and sing at the same time. With this in mind, he promptly exchanged his nickel-plated trumpet for an acoustic guitar—a £15 Framus Zenith. But when he sat down to play, Paul hit a snag—he was left-handed—making the instrument a nightmare to learn.
4. He Struggled To Learn
McCartney found a solution to his left-handed debacle after spotting a poster of another left-handed guitarist—Slim Whitman. After reversing the order of his strings, McCartney was finally ready for take-off.
On his Zenith, he wrote his very first song, “I Lost My Little Girl.” He also wrote another song on the piano that would one day become the classic, “When I’m Sixty-Four.”
McCartney undoubtedly had the talent, but now he needed someone to share it with.
