Paul McCartney Is 83! Look Back at His Incredible Life in Photos the Iconic Musician
Born on June 18, 1942, Paul McCartney grew up in Liverpool, England, and ... well you probably know the rest. He hit global fame at a young age as the heartthrob of The Beatles, and has since released album after album of hits while touring and raising a family.
Look back at his epic life in photos as the legendary musician turns 83 on June 18, 2025.
McCartney was raised in Liverpool, England, with his parents and younger brother Peter Michael. His dad was a self-taught musician, and often gathered the family around the piano at night for a musical wind-down.
"I have some lovely childhood memories of lying on the floor and listening to my dad play 'Lullaby of the Leaves' [and other] old songs like [George Gershwin's] 'Stairway to Paradise,' " Paul said in interviews published in The Beatles Anthology.
Paul was a solid student and sang in the church choir while balancing piano and trumpet lessons.
Paul successfully campaigned his dad for a guitar and learned to play Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Everly Brothers hits by ear.
At the Liverpool Institute, Paul reconnected with an old school friend, George Harrison, and soon after, met John Lennon.
"You saw him rather than met him," Paul once said of John. "He grew long sideburns, he had a long drape jacket, he had the drainpipe trousers and the crepe-soled shoes."
Their friendship — and shared love of music — affected Paul's schoolwork, much to his father's chagrin.
"I ruined Paul's life," John once told journalist Ray Connolly. "He could have been a doctor. He could have been somebody!"
Source: people.com/Kate Hogan
