Page 38 - Great Elizabethans

When the teenage Paul McCartney met a boy called John Lennon, neither of them dreamed that the music they’d make together would become famous all around the globe. With George Harrison and Ringo Starr, Paul and John became the Fab Four – also known as the Beatles!
ROCK'N'ROLL BABY
James Paul McCartney was born in Liverpool in 1942. His father, Jim, wasn’t impressed at first – the new baby was all red-faced and made horrible squawking noises! Little did his dad know that this noisy baby would grow up to be one of the most famous musicians in the world.
Paul’s father was also a musician, although he now worked as a salesman – he’d played jazz piano with a local band, and
he loved show tunes, which inspired Paul later too. Paul’s mother, Mary, who was a midwife, died when Paul was only 14. He and his
younger brother, Mike, depended on their dad, who supported his sons and encouraged them to work hard for what they wanted. Music – playing it and listening to it – also helped Paul deal with his grief. He liked American
rock’n’roll artists like Little Richard and Buddy Holly.
Keen to help, Jim gave the teenage Paul a trumpet for his birthday – but he soon
swapped it for a guitar, so he could sing and play at the same time! On the old piano in the front room, Paul learned to thump out songs – he never had music lessons, but he had a good ear and an instinct for finding the right notes. And he was
a born performer.
When Paul thought about what he might do for a living, his father advised him to become a teacher – but at that point, Paul really wanted to be a long—distance truck driver!
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