Born on this day in 1942, Sir James Paul McCartney, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, former Beatle, Wings, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, turns 81.
Sir Paul is one of the most successful composers and performers of all time. A two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Beatles in 1988, and as a solo artist in 1999), and an 18-time Grammy Award winner, McCartney has written or co-written, 32 songs that have reached number one.
Between the Beatles and his solo career, McCartney has sold more than 100 million albums and 100 million singles. He has 60 gold albums. In 1997, McCartney was knighted for services to music. In May of 2018, he was made a Companion of the British Empire. McCartney is also one of the wealthiest musicians in the world, with an estimated net worth of US $1.2 billion.