What was Paul McCartney's family life like?

Answer 1

Pretty normal. His father Jim was a cotton-goods salesman, and his mother Mary was a midwife and school nurse. He had a younger brother named Mike, and the two were in the Boy Scouts.

Jim had had a band when he was younger, and still played piano around the house when he had a chance. When he saw his sons were interested in music, he bought Paul a guitar and Mike a banjo. Mike broke his arm at Scout camp and had to give up the banjo, but Paul continued on guitar.

Mary died when Paul was fourteen, of breast cancer; Paul lost any religious faith he'd had in mourning her death. Mike took up Photography, and took pictures of Paul with John Lennon learning to play chords. (He later went back to music, calling himself "Mike McGear" to distance himself from his now-famous brother.)

Jim made Paul get a job at one point, when the early Beatles were at a low ebb, but otherwise always supported his son's musical ambitions. He got a lot of help from Paul's aunts, raising two boys after Mary died.

Paul married Linda Eastman in 1969. Her brother and father were lawyers who helped McCartney and The Beatles with their business.

He adopted Linda's daughter Heather.

He had three children with Linda--Mary, Stella, and James.

He has grandchildren, too.

After Linda died from cancer, he married Heather Mills, an anti-landmine activist. They have a daughter, Beatrice.

Paul and Heather divorced.