Paul McCartney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Paul McCartney CH MBE
McCartney in 2021
Born	James Paul McCartney (1942-06-18) 18 June 1942 (age 82) Liverpool, England
Other names	Macca Bernard Webb The Fireman Apollo C. Vermouth Percy "Thrills" Thrillington
Occupation	Singer songwriter musician record and film producer businessman
Years active	1957–present
Spouse(s)	Linda Eastman ​ ​ (m. 1969; died 1998)​ Heather Mills ​ ​ (m. 2002; div. 2008)​ Nancy Shevell ​ (m. 2011)​
Children	5, including Heather, Mary, Stella, and James
Relatives	Mike McCartney (brother)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Rock pop classical electronic
Instruments	Vocals bass guitar guitar keyboards drums
Labels	Apple Capitol Columbia Decca Hear Music Parlophone Polydor Swan Vee-Jay
Signature

Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is a famous English singer, songwriter, and musician. He became globally known with the Beatles, where he played bass guitar and piano. He also shared songwriting and singing duties with John Lennon. Paul McCartney is one of the most successful musicians ever. He is known for his catchy bass lines, wide singing range, and trying out many music styles. These include pop, classical, and electronic music. His songwriting partnership with John Lennon is the most successful in modern music history.

Born in Liverpool, Paul taught himself music as a teenager. His father, a jazz player, and rock and roll stars like Little Richard inspired him. He started his career in 1957 by joining John Lennon's group, the Quarrymen. This band later became the Beatles in 1960. People sometimes called McCartney "the cute Beatle." He helped bring new and experimental ideas into the Beatles' studio recordings. After 1967, he became a key creative force for the band. Many of his Beatles songs, like "Yesterday" and "Eleanor Rigby", are among the most covered songs ever.

After the Beatles broke up, Paul started his solo career in 1970. He then formed the band Wings with his first wife, Linda. Wings became one of the most successful bands of the 1970s. Paul wrote or co-wrote many of their number-one hits, such as "Band on the Run". He restarted his solo career in 1980 and has been touring since 1989. Beyond music, he supports charities for animal rights, vegetarianism, and music education.

Paul McCartney has written or co-written a record 32 songs that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. He has received many awards, including two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1965 and a Knight Bachelor in 1997 for his contributions to music. As of 2024, he is one of the wealthiest musicians in the world.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Paul McCartney was born on 18 June 1942 in Liverpool, England. His mother, Mary, was a nurse. His father, Jim, was a volunteer firefighter during World War II. Both his parents had Irish roots. Paul has a younger brother, Michael.

Paul's parents came from working-class families. His father, Jim, was a trumpet and piano player. He led a jazz band in the 1920s. Jim encouraged his sons to learn music. Paul preferred to learn by ear instead of taking formal lessons.

When Paul was 11, he tried out for the Liverpool Cathedral choir but was not accepted. He later joined the choir at St Barnabas' Church, Mossley Hill. For his 14th birthday, his father gave him a trumpet. But when rock and roll became popular, Paul traded it for an acoustic guitar. He found it hard to play right-handed. After seeing a poster of Slim Whitman playing left-handed, he changed the strings on his guitar to play left-handed too.

Paul wrote his first song, "I Lost My Little Girl", on this guitar. He also wrote an early version of "When I'm Sixty-Four" on the piano. American rhythm and blues music greatly influenced him. Little Richard was his childhood hero. "Long Tall Sally" was the first song Paul performed in public.

Paul's mother, Mary, was a midwife and the main earner for the family. Her income allowed them to move to 20 Forthlin Road in Allerton. They lived there until 1964. Sadly, on 31 October 1956, when Paul was 14, his mother died from complications of breast cancer surgery. This loss later connected him with John Lennon, whose mother also died when he was young.

Paul McCartney's Music Career

Joining The Quarrymen and The Beatles

At age 15, on 6 July 1957, Paul McCartney met John Lennon and his band, the Quarrymen. They played a mix of rock and roll and skiffle music. Soon after, Paul was invited to join as a rhythm guitarist. He and John quickly became close friends and songwriting partners. George Harrison joined in 1958 as lead guitarist. Stuart Sutcliffe joined on bass in 1960.

By May 1960, the band tried different names. They finally chose the Beatles in August 1960. They then added drummer Pete Best before going to Hamburg for several performances.

In 1961, Stuart Sutcliffe left the band. Paul reluctantly became their bass player. In Hamburg, they made their first professional recordings. They were the backing band for singer Tony Sheridan on the song "My Bonnie". This caught the attention of Brian Epstein, who became their manager in January 1962. Ringo Starr replaced Pete Best in August. The Beatles had their first hit, "Love Me Do", in October 1962. They became very popular in the UK in 1963 and in the US a year later. This huge fan excitement was called "Beatlemania".

Paul co-wrote many early hits with John Lennon. These include "I Saw Her Standing There", "She Loves You", and "I Want to Hold Your Hand".

The Beatles' Creative Journey

In August 1965, the Beatles released "Yesterday", written by Paul. This song featured a string quartet and was the first time the band used classical music elements. It was also their first recording with only one band member. "Yesterday" became one of the most covered songs in music history.

Later in 1965, Paul began to take a leading role in the band's music. He became more involved in songwriting, playing instruments, arranging, and producing. Critics saw their album Rubber Soul as a big step forward in their music and lyrics. Paul said, "we'd had our cute period, and now it was time to expand."

In 1966, the Beatles released Revolver. This album showed their artistic growth with complex lyrics and studio experiments. It included Paul's song "Eleanor Rigby", which featured a string octet. This song was a mix of styles, with only Paul's voice and strings.

The band stopped touring after their 1966 US tour. Paul then worked on his first solo project, a film score for The Family Way. He worked with producer George Martin on this.

Paul wanted the band to stay creative. He pushed them to start a new project, which became Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This album is seen as one of the first concept albums in rock music. Paul created a new image for the band, a fictional group called Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. He wanted to show fans that they had grown musically.

Recording for Sgt. Pepper began in November 1966. The sessions produced the hit single "Strawberry Fields Forever"/"Penny Lane" in February 1967. The album followed in June. Its unique cover, designed by Peter Blake and Jann Haworth, featured the Beatles in costume with many celebrities.

After their manager Brian Epstein died in August 1967, Paul became the main leader of the group. He suggested they make a TV film, Magical Mystery Tour. While the film got mixed reviews, its soundtrack was very successful.

The Beatles' animated film Yellow Submarine came out in July 1968. It was based on Paul's 1966 song. By late 1968, tensions grew within the band, especially during the recording of their "White Album". Things got worse during the Let It Be sessions.

In March 1969, Paul married Linda Eastman. In August, they had their first child, Mary. Abbey Road was the band's last recorded album. It featured individual songs on one side and a long medley on the other. In October 1969, a false rumour spread that Paul had died in a car crash. This was quickly proven wrong.

John Lennon left the Beatles privately in September 1969. Paul announced his own departure on 10 April 1970. He then filed a lawsuit to formally end the band's partnership. The Beatles officially dissolved on 9 January 1975.

Wings: A New Chapter

After the Beatles broke up, Paul felt very sad. His wife Linda helped him by encouraging him to keep writing music. He wrote "Maybe I'm Amazed" for her, saying, "every love song I write is for Linda."

In 1970, Paul released his first solo album, McCartney, which was a US number-one hit. He played all the instruments and sang on it. In 1971, he worked with Linda and drummer Denny Seiwell on his second album, Ram. This album included the hit "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey".

Later that year, Paul, Linda, and Denny Seiwell formed the band Wings with guitarist Denny Laine. Paul said forming Wings was hard because they had to follow the Beatles' success. But he loved music too much to stop. In September 1971, their daughter Stella was born.

Wings' first concert tour began in 1972 at the University of Nottingham. They toured the UK in a van, playing in small venues and avoiding Beatles songs. Paul wanted to avoid big crowds at first. They later toured Europe, playing mostly Wings and Paul's solo songs.

In March 1973, Wings had their first US number-one single, "My Love". Paul also worked with Linda and George Martin on "Live and Let Die". This song was the theme for the James Bond film of the same name. It was nominated for an Academy Award.

After some band members left, Paul, Linda, and Denny Laine recorded Band on the Run in 1973. This album was a huge success, topping charts in both the US and UK. Rolling Stone called it one of the Best Albums of the Year. In 1975, Wings started a fourteen-month Wings Over the World Tour. For the first time, Paul performed Beatles songs live with Wings.

In September 1977, the McCartneys had a son, James. In November, Wings' song "Mull of Kintyre" became one of the best-selling singles in UK history. It sold 2.5 million copies.

Wings continued to have success with albums like London Town (1978) and Back to the Egg (1979). Back to the Egg featured a "Rockestra" with many famous musicians. Wings completed their final tour in 1979.

In 1980, Paul released his second solo album, McCartney II, which topped the UK charts. Wings officially broke up in April 1981.

Solo Career and Collaborations

In 1982, Paul worked with Stevie Wonder on the number-one hit "Ebony and Ivory". He also collaborated with Michael Jackson on "The Girl Is Mine" and "Say Say Say". "Ebony and Ivory" was Paul's 28th single to reach number one on the Billboard 100.

In 1984, Paul starred in and produced the musical film Give My Regards to Broad Street. The film was not well-received, but the soundtrack album was a hit. Paul also performed at Live Aid in 1985.

He released Press to Play in 1986 and Снова в СССР (initially only in the Soviet Union) in 1988. In 1989, he released Flowers in the Dirt, working with Elvis Costello.

Paul formed a new band in 1989 and launched the Paul McCartney World Tour. He performed for a huge audience of 184,000 people in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1990. He released the live album Tripping the Live Fantastic from this tour.

Exploring New Musical Styles

In 1991, Paul ventured into orchestral music with Liverpool Oratorio. He worked with composer Carl Davis. The piece reached number one on the UK classical chart.

Paul also performed an acoustic-only show for MTV Unplugged in 1991. He released a live album from this performance. During the 1990s, Paul teamed up with Youth as "the Fireman", releasing electronica albums.

He released the rock album Off the Ground in 1993, followed by the New World Tour. From 1994, Paul took a break from solo work to focus on the Beatles Anthology project with George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

In 1997, Paul released the rock album Flaming Pie, which featured Ringo Starr. He also released the classical work Standing Stone. In 1999, he released Run Devil Run, an album of covers and three new songs. This album was planned with his late wife Linda, who passed away in 1998.

Paul performed at a tribute concert for Linda in 1999. He also continued his classical music work with Working Classical.

2000s and Beyond

In 2000, Paul released the electronica album Liverpool Sound Collage. He also contributed a song to A Garland for Linda, a tribute album for his wife.

After witnessing the September 11 attacks in 2001, Paul helped organize the Concert for New York City. His album Driving Rain included the song "Freedom" in response to the attacks.

In 2002, Paul started touring with a new band. This band has played together longer than the Beatles or Wings. Their tours, like the Driving World Tour, were very successful.

In July 2002, Paul married Heather Mills. They had a child, Beatrice Milly, in 2003. They separated in 2006 and later divorced.

Paul performed at Live 8 in London in 2005. He released the rock album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard in September. In 2006, he released the classical work Ecce Cor Meum. The rock album Memory Almost Full followed in 2007.

In 2008, he released his third Fireman album, Electric Arguments. He also performed in Liverpool to celebrate the city being the European Capital of Culture. In 2009, he returned to touring after a four-year break. He performed at the new Citi Field in New York, which led to the live album Good Evening New York City.

In 2010, Paul opened the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. In July 2011, he performed at the new Yankee Stadium. In August 2011, Paul signed with Decca Records. He released his first score for dance, Ocean's Kingdom, in September 2011.

Also in 2011, Paul married Nancy Shevell. He released Kisses on the Bottom, an album of classic songs, in February 2012. He was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year.

In June 2012, Paul closed Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee Concert. He also closed the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He sang "The End" and "Hey Jude".

On 12 December 2012, Paul performed with former members of Nirvana at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief. In October 2013, he released his studio album New. In 2014, he wrote and performed "Hope for the Future" for the video game Destiny.

In 2015, Paul collaborated with rapper Kanye West on "Only One" and with West and Rihanna on "FourFiveSeconds". He also appeared in the 2017 film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

In 2018, Paul released Egypt Station, which became his first album in 36 years to top the Billboard 200 chart. He played a surprise gig at The Cavern Club in Liverpool.

His 18th solo album, McCartney III, was released in December 2020. It was recorded during the COVID-19 lockdowns and featured Paul playing all instruments. In 2021, a remix album called McCartney III Imagined was released.

Paul's book The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present came out in November 2021. His "Got Back" tour ran in the US in 2022. He headlined Glastonbury Festival in June 2022, becoming the oldest solo headliner. He won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2022 for producing the documentary The Beatles: Get Back. In 2023, he published 1964: Eyes of the Storm, a book of his recently found photos.

Paul McCartney's Musical Style

Paul McCartney is mostly a self-taught musician. He creates music by instinct, using his perfect pitch and sharp hearing. He compared his approach to "primitive cave artists, who drew without training."

Early Musical Influences

Paul's earliest musical influences include Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and Buddy Holly. He called Little Richard an idol and said his singing style inspired Paul's own vocals. Paul bought the rights to Buddy Holly's songs in 1971. He started the annual "Buddy Holly Week" in England in 1976.

Bass Guitar Skills

Paul often uses a plectrum (pick) but sometimes plays fingerstyle. He was greatly influenced by Motown artists, especially James Jamerson, known for his melodic bass playing. Paul's bass skills are highly praised by other bassists.

He is often ranked among the best bass players ever. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him the ninth greatest bassist of all time in 2020.

Paul mainly used a Höfner 500/1 bass with the Beatles. From 1965, he also liked his Rickenbacker 4001S for recording. He uses Mesa Boogie bass amplifiers for live shows.

His bass playing became very strong on songs like "She's a Woman" and "Rain". Critics describe his bassline on "Rain" as "astonishing" and "inventive." Paul believes his strongest bass playing is on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, especially on "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".

Acoustic Guitar Style

Paul mainly uses flatpicking on acoustic guitar, but also fingerpicking. You can hear his acoustic guitar on Beatles songs like "Yesterday", "Michelle", and "Blackbird". "Blackbird" is a personal favorite of his. He used an Epiphone Texan for many acoustic recordings.

Electric Guitar Style

Paul played lead guitar on several Beatles songs. These include a "fiercely angular slide guitar solo" on "Drive My Car". He played this on an Epiphone Casino, which he still owns. He also played the "shrieking" guitar on "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Helter Skelter".

During his time with Wings, he mostly let other band members play electric guitar. However, he played most of the lead guitar on Band on the Run. His favorite guitarists include Eddie Van Halen and Hendrix. He mainly uses a Gibson Les Paul for electric performances.

Vocal Range and Style

Paul is known for his powerful and versatile singing voice. He has a wide tenor vocal range, covering over four octaves. Rolling Stone ranked him the 11th greatest singer of all time. Many singers, like Billy Joel and Steven Tyler, say Paul influenced their vocals.

His vocals have covered many music styles. He sang bluesy on "Call Me Back Again" and rock and roll on "I'm Down". "Helter Skelter" was an early attempt at heavy metal. "Hey Jude" is a pop/rock mix with gospel-style singing.

Keyboard and Drumming Skills

Paul played piano on many Beatles songs. These include "Lady Madonna", "Hey Jude", and "Let It Be". He also used a Mellotron on "Strawberry Fields Forever" and a Moog synthesiser on "Maxwell's Silver Hammer".

Paul played drums on several Beatles songs, like "Back in the U.S.S.R." and "Dear Prudence". He also played all the drum parts on his solo albums McCartney, McCartney II, and McCartney III. He played most of the drums on Wings' Band on the Run.

Paul McCartney's Personal Life

Creative Hobbies

Paul was good at art in school. In the 1960s, he explored visual arts and experimental films. He learned about art from dealer Robert Fraser and met artists like Andy Warhol. Paul later bought works by Magritte, whose apple painting inspired the Apple Records logo.

Paul started painting in 1983. He first showed his work in Germany in 1999. The show featured 70 paintings, including portraits of John Lennon and David Bowie. In 2000, his paintings were shown in Bristol and Liverpool.

He is a patron of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. In 2001, Paul published Blackbird Singing, a book of his poems and song lyrics. His first children's book, High in the Clouds: An Urban Furry Tail, came out in 2005. He also wrote Hey Grandude! in 2018, a children's book about a grandpa and his grandchildren.

Paul has also worked on animated films. He wrote and produced Rupert and the Frog Song (1981). He also worked on Daumier's Law (1992), which won a BAFTA award, and Tropic Island Hum (2004).

Vegetarianism and Activism

Paul McCartney has been a vegetarian since 1975. He and his first wife, Linda, became vegetarians after seeing lambs in a field while eating lamb. They became strong supporters of animal rights. After Linda's death, Paul continued to work for animal rights. He supports organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

He has also campaigned against land mines. In 2003, he met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow to urge Russia to join the anti-landmine campaign. In 2006, he and Heather Mills raised awareness about seal hunting.

Paul supports the Make Poverty History campaign. He has participated in many charity recordings and performances, including Live Aid and Live 8. In 2004, he donated a song to help the "US Campaign for Burma."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Paul called for Chinese wet markets (which sell live animals) to be banned. He also supports making "ecocide" (destroying the environment) a crime.

Family Life

Paul McCartney has been married three times. His first wife was Linda Eastman. They married in March 1969 and had four children: Linda's daughter Heather (whom Paul adopted), Mary, Stella, and James. They were married for 29 years until Linda's death from breast cancer in 1998. They formed the band Wings together and shared a strong bond.

In 2002, Paul married Heather Mills. They had a daughter, Beatrice Milly, in 2003. They separated in 2006 and later divorced.

Paul married Nancy Shevell in October 2011 in London. Their wedding was a small event with about 30 family and friends. Nancy is about 18 years younger than Paul. They had known each other for about 20 years before they married.

Relationships with The Beatles

John Lennon

Paul and John Lennon had a complex relationship after the Beatles broke up. They became close again briefly in 1974 and even played music together once. Later, they grew apart. Paul often called John, but sometimes worried about how John would react.

On 24 April 1976, Paul and John were watching Saturday Night Live when the show offered the Beatles $3,000 to reunite. They thought about going to the studio but decided it was too late. This was the last time they were together.

Paul's last phone call with John, just days before John's album Double Fantasy came out, was friendly. Paul said it was comforting because they never fully sorted out their differences.

When John was murdered on 8 December 1980, Paul was shocked. He later explained that his initial public reaction, "It's a drag," was misunderstood. He meant it with deep sadness. He said his first talk with Yoko Ono after John's death was comforting. Yoko told him, "John was really fond of you."

Paul said he wished he had been less distant if he knew John would die. He cried watching the news with his children. In 1997, he said John's death made the other Beatles nervous about their own safety. In 2002, he called John his greatest hero. Paul sang backup on George Harrison's tribute to John, "All Those Years Ago", in 1981. Paul released "Here Today" in 1982, a song honoring his friendship with John.

George Harrison

George Harrison sometimes felt that Paul was very focused on his own songs. George said Paul would help with his songs only after Paul's own songs were done. George also mentioned that he often played bass on songs because Paul would tell him exactly what to play.

After George Harrison's death in November 2001, Paul said George was "a lovely guy and a very brave man who had a wonderful sense of humour." He added, "We grew up together and we just had so many beautiful times together—that's what I am going to remember."

On the first anniversary of George's death, Paul played George's song "Something" on a ukulele at the Concert for George. He has performed this version on many tours since.

Ringo Starr

During a recording session for The Beatles in 1968, Paul and Ringo had an argument about Ringo's drum part for "Back in the U.S.S.R." This led to Ringo temporarily leaving the band. Ringo later said Paul is a great bass player but also very determined to get his own way.

Paul and Ringo have worked together on many projects after the Beatles. In 1973, Paul played instruments and sang backup on "Six O'Clock" for Ringo's album Ringo. Ringo appeared in Paul's 1984 film Give My Regards to Broad Street. He also played drums on Paul's 1997 album Flaming Pie.

In 2009, they performed "With a Little Help from My Friends" at a charity concert. They also worked on Ringo's album Y Not in 2010. On Ringo's 70th birthday in 2010, Paul made a surprise appearance at his concert and performed "Birthday" with Ringo's band.

In 2014, Paul and Ringo performed "Queenie Eye" at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. Paul inducted Ringo into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. They continue to perform together occasionally, often playing Beatles songs like "Get Back" and "Helter Skelter".

Paul McCartney's Achievements and Awards

Music Records and Success

Paul McCartney was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. First in 1988 as a member of the Beatles, and again in 1999 as a solo artist.

In 1979, the Guinness Book of World Records named Paul the "most honored composer and performer in music." He had 60 gold discs and, with the Beatles, sold over 100 million singles and albums. He was also called the "most successful song writer," having written or co-written 43 songs that sold over a million records.

In 2009, Guinness World Records again recognized Paul as the "most successful songwriter." He had written or co-written 188 charted records in the UK, with 91 reaching the top 10 and 33 reaching number one.

Paul has written or co-written 32 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Twenty of these were with the Beatles. He is the only artist to reach UK number one as a soloist, a duo, a trio, a quartet, a quintet, and as part of a charity musical group.

"Yesterday" is one of the most covered songs in history, with over 2,200 recorded versions. The BBC states it's the most played song by a British writer in the US last century. His 1968 Beatles song "Hey Jude" was the best-selling single in the UK that year. It topped the US charts for nine weeks, longer than any other Beatles single. It was also the longest number-one song at the time.

In July 2005, Paul's performance of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with U2 at Live 8 became the fastest-released single ever. It reached number one on the UK Official Download Chart within hours.

In December 2020, his album McCartney III charted at number 2 on the US Billboard 200. This made Paul the first artist to have a new album in the top two chart positions in each of the last six decades.

Awards and Special Honours

• 18-time Grammy Award winner.
• Two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• 1965: Became a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
• 1971: Won an Academy Award (with the Beatles).
• 1997: Was Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to music.
• 2008: Received a BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.
• 2010: Received the Gershwin Prize for his contributions to popular music.
• 2012: Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• 2012: Received the Légion d'Honneur from France for his music.
• 2017: Appointed Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to music.

Arms of Paul McCartney

Notes Granted by the College of Arms, 18 June 2001 Crest On a wreath of the colours a Liver Bird calling Sable supporting with the dexter claws a guitar Or stringed Sable. Escutcheon Or between two Flaunches fracted fesswise two roundels Sable over all six guitar strings palewise throughout counterchanged. Motto ECCE COR MEUM (Behold My Heart)

Discography

Filmography

Film Appearances

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1964	A Hard Day's Night	Himself
1965	Help!	Himself
1967	Magical Mystery Tour	Himself / Major McCartney / Red-Nosed Magician (uncredited)	Director (writer and producer uncredited)
1968	Yellow Submarine	Himself (uncredited)	Animated, based upon a song by Beatles
1970	Let It Be	Himself	Documentary
1977	The Day the Music Died	Himself	Documentary
1980	Concert for Kampuchea	Himself	Documentary
	Rockshow	Himself	Documentary
1982	The Cooler	Cowboy	Short, executive producer
	The Compleat Beatles	Himself	Documentary
1984	Give My Regards to Broad Street	Himself	Screenplay, producer, actor
1985	Rupert and the Frog Song	Rupert / Edward / Bill / Boy Frog (voice)	Animated short, writer, executive producer
1987	Eat the Rich	Banquet Rich	Cameo
	The Real Buddy Holly Story	Himself	Documentary, producer
1990	The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit	Himself	Documentary
1991	Get Back	Himself	Documentary
1992	Daumier's Law		Animated short, music, writer, executive producer
1997	Tropic Island Hum	Wirral / Froggo / Bison / Various (voice)	Animated short, writer, executive producer
2000	Shadow Cycle		Animated short, writer
2001	Tuesday	Himself (voice)	Animated short, executive producer
2003	Mayor of the Sunset Strip	Himself	Documentary
	Concert for George	Himself	Documentary
2008	Tribute This!	Himself	Documentary
	All Together Now	Himself	Documentary
2009	Brüno	Himself	Cameo
	Al's Brain in 3-D	Man on the Street	Short
2010	David Wants to Fly	Himself	Documentary
	The Last Play at Shea	Himself	Documentary
2011	The Love We Make	Himself	Documentary
	George Harrison: Living in the Material World	Himself	Documentary
2013	Sound City	Himself	Documentary
	12-12-12	Himself	Documentary, producer
2014	Finding Fela	Himself	Documentary
	Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me	Himself	Documentary
2016	The Beatles: Eight Days a Week	Himself	Documentary
2017	Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales	Uncle Jack	Cameo
2018	Quincy	Himself	Documentary
	The Bruce McMouse Show	Himself	Unreleased Wings concert film with animation produced from 1972 to 1977, theatrical release 2019
2022	If These Walls Could Sing	Himself	Documentary directed by Mary McCartney
2024	Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple	Himself	Documentary

Television Appearances

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1963–64	Ready Steady Go!	Himself	Music programme, 3 episodes
1964	Around the Beatles	Himself	Concert special
	What's Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.	Himself	Documentary
1964–65	The Ed Sullivan Show	Himself	Variety show, 4 episodes
1965	The Music of Lennon & McCartney	Himself	Variety tribute special
1966	The Beatles at Shea Stadium	Himself	Concert special
	The Beatles in Japan	Himself	Concert special
1973	James Paul McCartney	Himself	TV special
1975	A Salute to the Beatles: Once upon a Time	Himself	Documentary
1977	All You Need Is Love: The Story of Popular Music	Himself	Documentary mini-series
1985	Live Aid	Himself	Benefit concert special
1987	It Was Twenty Years Ago Today	Himself	Documentary
1988	The Power of Music	Himself, narrator	Documentary
1995	The Simpsons	Himself (voice)	Episode: "Lisa the Vegetarian"
	The Beatles Anthology	Himself	Documentary mini-series
1997	Music for Montserrat	Himself	Benefit concert special
2001	Wingspan	Himself	Documentary
	The Concert for New York City	Himself	Benefit concert special
2005	Live 8	Himself	Benefit concert special
	Saturday Night Live	Paul Simon	Episode: "Alec Baldwin/Christina Aguilera"
2012	30 Rock	Himself	Episode: "Live from Studio 6H" (East Coast airing only)
2015	BoJack Horseman	Himself (voice)	Episode: "After the Party"
2021	McCartney 3,2,1	Himself	Documentary mini-series
	The Beatles: Get Back	Himself	Documentary mini-series

Tours

Images for kids

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  Paul McCartney's signature

See also

In Spanish: Paul McCartney para niños

• Grammy Award records – Most Grammys won by a male artist
• List of animal rights advocates
• List of British Grammy winners and nominees
• List of highest-grossing live music artists
• Paul is dead – urban legend/conspiracy theory that Paul McCartney is dead
• List of celebrities by net worth
• List of largest music deals
• Outline of the Beatles
• The Beatles timeline