Paul McCartney is one of the most famous musicians of all time. As a member of The Beatles, McCartney and fellow bandmate John Lennon did the bulk of the group’s songwriting. And once the group disbanded, McCartney went on to have a highly successful solo career of his own; he’s still touring to this day.
Prior to his rise to fame, McCartney knew he wanted to pursue music full time — it was more than a hobby. And while his dad was a musician as well and encouraged McCartney to develop his musical skills, his father wasn’t sold on McCartney’s ambitious dreams of being a rockstar. McCartney’s father even told him that he was “never gonna make any money” with The Beatles.
Paul McCartney’s father helped him develop his music skill
McCartney’s father, Jim McCartney, was somewhat of a musician himself. Though he was a working class man who never made a career out of music, he instilled those musical interests in his son, and Paul McCartney took it to the next level. Jim was a jazz musician, and he was the one who often played piano for the family — a hobby that played a role in McCartney’s love for music.
Despite giving McCartney that initial musical interest, Jim McCartney didn’t want to teach his son how to play the piano; he wanted McCartney, who was very serious about learning music, to learn from someone who had a greater skillset. While with his band Wings, McCartney recorded “Walking in the Park with Eloise” — the only song his father ever wrote.
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Paul McCartney’s father never thought he’d make money with The Beatles
Like any father, Jim McCartney wanted what was best for his son. The music industry was difficult, and it wasn’t easy for anyone to make it big. McCartney recalled that his father wanted him to focus on getting a job and making music on the side, but McCartney was so passionate about what he was searching for that a job never worked out. In an interview with Larry Kane in 1965, McCartney said his father told him he’d never “make any money” with The Beatles.
“My dad originally thought, ‘Well, you’re never gonna make any money being in a group. And you may be enjoying yourself, but you’ve still got to have some money to help you live,’” McCartney said of his father’s doubt. “So he said, ‘Get a job and do it in your spare time.’”
McCartney went on to say that a job just wasn’t working for him. “Because we were playing lunchtime sessions and things, I did get a job. But because we were playing lunchtime sessions, I couldn’t stick to it … And now, he’s very thankful I didn’t take his advice.”
Today, Paul McCartney is worth around $1.2 billion
McCartney has the highest net worth of any former Beatles member, and it just keeps growing. Today, he’s worth an estimated $1.2 billion, and he continues to make money from tours. Of course, he earns massive Beatles royalties, plus his memoir made him a pretty penny. According to The Richest, McCartney supposedly earns around $70 million annually from The Beatles, plus has a $100 million real estate portfolio. He earns royalties from other songs, too, including “Wonderful Christmastime,” which has put more than $15 million in his pocket.
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