A Brief Biography of Paul McCartney's Early Years

Being known as the "cute Beatle," James Paulaccompaniment. The evening show started at 8
McCartney was born in Liverpool England on Junep.m. and cost two shillings admission. Audience
18th, 1942 as son to father James and mothermember Bob Molyneux recorded part of the
Mary McCartney.evening performance on a Grundig portable
Paul's mother, whom he was very close to, wasreel-to-reel tape recorder. Two weeks later,
a midwife, a skill that she learned while working asmeeting McCartney while cycling through Woolton,
a nurse in the Maternity Ward at the samePete Shotton, on behalf of John and the group,
hospital that her son Paul was born in, Waltoninvited McCartney to join them.
General Hospital in Liverpool. His father workedNigel Whalley, the ex-tea chest bass player who
during the day for A. Hannay Co. as a cottonwas currently managing the band, got the Quarry
salesman, and then as a jazz musician with JimMen a booking at Lee Park Golf Club in Liverpool.
Mac's Jazz Band at night.Alan Sytner, owner of the Cavern club, was a
At school, Paul was an exceptional student. Aftermember of the golf club. The band subsequently
breezing through primary school and junior schoolappeared several times in what were billed as
with flying colours, he passed a test called the"Skiffle Sessions" and in August 1957, their name
11-plus exam, which got him into a sort of elitewas first mentioned in the Cavern's
type of high school known as the Liverpooladvertisement in the Liverpool Echo, by which
Institute. This is where he first met his band matetime Pete Shotton had left the band. Rod Davis
and friend, George Harrison.followed a short time later as school
In 1955, when he was just 14, Paul's mother diedcommitments prevented him from contributing as
tragically from breast cancer, after suffering anfully as he would have liked.
embolism, likely due to a post mastectomyPaul McCartney made his debut with the band for
operation to stop the spread of her cancer. Thisa Conservative Club social, at The New Clubmoor
incident greatly affected him, and was a largeHall on Back Broadway in Norris Green, Liverpool,
aspect of the bond that he and John Lennon, whoon Friday, 18 October 1957, when he returned
also lost his mother at a young age, formed. (hisfrom his summer holidays. The band had been
mother was killed on Menlove Avenue by a carbooked by local promoter Charlie McBain and they
driven by a drunken, off-duty police officer).wore matching outfits with long-sleeved cowboy
Musically, Paul started out on the trumpet,shirts, black string ties and black trousers. John
probably due to the fact that his father wouldand Paul wore white sports-coats. Paul played lead
often take him to local brass band concerts toguitar but botched a solo, embarrassing himself
expose him to music. He quickly traded theand the group. To save face with John, during a
trumpet for an acoustic guitar however after abreak he played him "I've Lost My Little Girl"--his
style of music called Skiffle became popular.recently-finished first song, which inspired John to
Skiffle music was a type of music that combinedalso start writing. The other members of the
an influence of both folksy and bluesy styles. Itband that night were Hanton on drums, Garry on
was an interesting music that combinedtea-chest bass and Griffiths on guitar.
conventional instruments like the acoustic guitarNot long after, the Quarrymen were practicing in
and piano with unique object such as thePaul McCartney's living room. This shows the
washboard, the comb, a musical saw, etc. One ofsupport that Jim McCartney had of his son, even
the most famous skiffle stars was the late Lonniethough at the time he didn't much care for the
Donegan.fact that Paul was hanging out with the apparently
Paul found that playing his first acoustic guitar wastroublesome Lennon.
nearly impossible being a lefty, until he saw aThe Quarrymen went through a progression of
poster of a famous musician of that time (Jiminames -- Johnny and The Moondogs, Long John
Hendrix) playing left handed with the strings beingand The Beatles, The Silver Beetles (derived from
strung the opposite way.Larry Williams's suggestion "Long John and the
At 15, Paul met John Lennon, who was actuallySilver Beetles") -- and eventually decided on 17
playing in his own little Skiffle band called theAugust 1960 on "The Beatles". There are many
Quarrymen (Named after Quarry Bank Grammartheories as to the origin of the name and its
School which they attended). The two wereunusual spelling; it is usually credited to John
introduced through a mutual friend named IvanLennon, who said that the name was a
Vaughan.combination word-play on the insects "beetles" (as
On 6 July 1957 the band played at St. Peter'sa nod/compliment to Buddy Holly's band, The
Church garden fête.In the afternoon theyCrickets) and the word "beat". He also later said
played on a temporary stage in a field behind thethat it was a joke, meaning a pun on "Beat-less".
church. After the set, Ivan Vaughan, an occasionalThrough an endless stream of band member
tea chest bass player with the band, introducedchanges as well as name changes, eventually
Paul McCartney to John Lennon while the bandGeorge Harrison was brought into the band on
was setting up in the church hall for the secondguitar, Paul moved from guitar to bass (to replace
set. McCartney showed the band how to tune aStuart Sutcliffe who died of a brain haemorrhage).
guitar and sang Eddie Cochran's "Twenty FlightNot long after, the guy usually known as "the fifth
Rock" and Gene Vincent's "Be-Bop-A-Lula", and aBeatle" Pete Best was asked to leave and in
medley of Little Richard hits to his own guitarcame Ringo Starr... and the rest was history.