Paul McCartney reveals how close he came to giving up music
Paul McCartney is known as one of the most famous musicians in the world thanks to the fame he found with The Beatles but he almost gave it all up when things turned sour for the band
Paul McCartney will tell the story of how his life fell apart after The Beatles split, leading him to almost abandon his music career.
Paul, 83, discusses his life as a global superstar in the iconic band and beyond in the new Prime Video documentary, Paul McCartney: Man on the Run. When The Beatles – Paul and bandmates John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr – broke up in 1970, Paul was left battling depression.
He then formed a new band, Wings, with his wife, Linda McCartney. In the trailer, he says, “The Beatles had been my whole life, really. When we split up, I thought I’ll never write another note of music ever. I had fear of being a grown-up.”
He continued, “I felt very depressed, but I was very lucky because I had Linda.” He then said of Wings, “If anybody badmouthed us, I was thinking, ‘I’m going to make the best record you’ve ever heard.’… People thought we were totally crazy, but that was our way.”
Wings eventually had a string of hits, including Band on the Run, Live and Let Die, Jet and Silly Love Songs. Paul previously discussed a time when he considered quitting The Beatles because of a crippling fear he was battling.
Sir Paul has discussed how he almost gave up on music(Image: Getty)The iconic musician almost walked away from it all because of severe stage fright. He admitted that at one point, he was so overwhelmed he felt like he would rather leave the band than continue.
Confessing to a time when fear nearly got the best of him, Sir Paul said, “I really used to be quite scared,” noting how he felt ill before performing at a big event.
He continued, “I remember doing an NME poll-winners concert at Wembley with lots of my peers there. I was sick to my stomach. And I thought, do you know what, I should give this up. But I’m not too bad now.”
With a staggering $880 million fortune amassed over his 50-year career, Paul often reflects on his early days in the world’s most famous pop band. However, in the chat with the Mirror, Sir Paul confirmed he had no plans to retire anytime soon, as for him, music isn’t just his career; it’s a family affair, and he delights in the diverse ages of his audience.
Paul is seen navigating his family as well as his career in the documentary(Image: Prime Video)He said, “I am a family guy, so I love the fact that you see so many age groups at my shows. You have got people who you expect to be there, their kids, and sometimes their kids too. It’s really quite amazing but very joyful.”
Prime Video documentary, Paul McCartney: Man on the Run is available to stream from February 27.
