Paul McCartney: Encyclopedia II - Paul McCartney - Early years

Paul McCartney - Early years

James Paul McCartney was born at Walton Hospital in northern Liverpool, where his mother had worked as a nurse, and where his brother, Michael McCartney (also a musician, whose stage name is Mike McGear), was born a year later. He (and presumably his brother) were baptized Roman Catholic, but otherwise raised non-denominationally; his parents were a mixed-religion couple. His father, Jim McCartney, was a self-taught pianist, and dance-band leader who encouraged Paul to be musical. His father gave him a trumpet, which he largely abandoned when he learned it would put a callus on his upper lip and that he couldn't sing while playing. Later, when skiffle music became popular, and both boys were interested, Jim bought a guitar for Paul and a banjo for Mike. (Paul still occasionally returned to trumpet, but apparently never mastered it.)

On October 31, 1956 the early death of his mother Mary Mohin McCartney from breast cancer when he was 14 was a formative influence on his life; and it created an additional bond between him and John Lennon, whose mother died on July 15, 1958 when John was 17. Both Paul and John found some solace in music.

Paul McCartney claims Irish heritage on both sides of his family. Paul's great-grandfather, James McCartney, was born in Ireland (some sources suggest his grandfather, James McCartney II, was as well). His mother's father, Owen Mohin, was born in 1880 in Tullynamalrow, County Monaghan in Ulster, and his mother's mother, Mary Theresa Danher, was a Glaswegian of Irish descent. Accordingly, Paul McCartney is five-eighths of Irish heritage.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Early years", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki