Biography Sir James Paul McCartney, KBE, MBE (born June 18, 1942), better known as Paul McCartney, is a British musician, composer, and producer, who first came to prominence as a member of The Beatles. He is recognized as one of the musical icons of the twentieth century, and his songs (such as "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be") are frequently ranked among the best songs in popular music history. Early years He was born at Walton Hospital, located in northern Liverpool near his teenage home, where his mother had worked as a nurse, and where his brother, Michael McCartney, was born a year later. His father, Jim, was a professional trumpet player and gave the young Paul a vital early grounding in music. The early death of his mother Mary from breast cancer when he was fourteen was a formative influence on his life and created an additional bond between him and John Lennon, whose mother had also died young. Paul McCartney claims Irish heritage on both sides of his family. Paul's great-grandfather, James McCartney, and possibly also his grandfather, James McCartney II, were born in Ireland. His mother's father, Owen Mohin, was born in 1880 in Tullynamalrow, County Monaghan. Answers.com