Fans and stars alike have flocked to social media to pay tribute to Paul McCartney on the legendary singer-songwriter’s 80th birthday.
The highly influential musician, known as both a hugely successful solo artist and member of the legendary Beatles, as well as founder of the band Wings, was born James Paul McCartney on June 18, 1942, in Liverpool.
His seismic impact on music and pop culture is hard to put into words. His relentless innovation and God-tier songwriting has been one of the great driving forces of modern music, which in turn has inspired countless other musicians.
His honours include two inductions into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (as a member of The Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1999), an Academy Award, 18 Grammy Awards, an appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1965 and a knighthood in 1997 for services to music.
Today (June 18), fans, friends and entertainers have been sharing stories, tributes, photographs and more to mark the singer’s landmark birthday.
“They say it’s your birthday Saturday happy birthday Paul love you man have a great day peace and love Ringo and Barbara love love peace and love,” McCartney’s Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr wrote on Twitter.
They say it’s your birthday Saturday happy birthday Paul love you man have a great day peace and love Ringo and Barbara love love peace and love 😎✌️🌟❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/foex8TZa8m
— #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) June 17, 2022
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The official Twitter accounts for McCartney’s late bandmates John Lennon and George Harrison each posted a birthday message. Lennon’s birthday shoutout came alongside a playlist of the pair’s greatest songwriting collaborations; Harrison’s included some old footage of McCartney, shot by Harrison himself.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL!
🎧 → Listen To This Playlist.
Notable writing collaborations between @JohnLennon & @PaulMcCartney.
What's your favourite Lennon & McCartney song?https://t.co/lSeMcMHvId— John Lennon ☮️🏳️ (@johnlennon) June 18, 2022
Happy Birthday, @PaulMcCartney.
🎥 Film footage shot by George. pic.twitter.com/dYLPmKTuri
— George Harrison (@GeorgeHarrison) June 18, 2022
Happy Birthday, Paul! #PaulMcCartney80@paulmccartney pic.twitter.com/h0W6Wwhc9B
— The Beatles (@thebeatles) June 18, 2022
Seán Ono Lennon, son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, shared an acoustic rendition of ‘Here, There And Everywhere’ in tribute to the singer-songwriter.
“A little birdy told me this was one of your your fav Beatles tunes,” Ono Lennon wrote in the video’s caption. “So Happy Birthday! Thank you for all the beautiful music. You have mine and the whole world’s undying love and respect. (This version is a bit rough because it’s such a pretty song I kept getting choked up and staring again!)”
Simply Red‘s Mick Hucknall tweeted: “Britains greatest living songwriter Sir Paul McCartney is 80 today. He shares his birthday with my Daughter who is now 15 and admires the Beatles enormously. Today is a beautiful day.”
The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood wished McCartney “a very happy 80th birthday!!” alongside some photos of them, while Carole King tweeted: “Welcome to the 80’s.”
Britains greatest living songwriter Sir Paul McCartney is 80 today. He shares his birthday with my Daughter who is now 15 and admires the Beatles enormously. Today is a beautiful day.
❤️MH— Simply Red (@SimplyRedHQ) June 18, 2022
Wishing @PaulMcCartney a very happy 80th birthday!!😎💕🎂🎸🎶 pic.twitter.com/v68yWFaDsY
— Ronnie Wood (@ronniewood) June 18, 2022
Happy birthday @paulmccartney.
Welcome to the 80’s.
❤️ pic.twitter.com/1WRlUFffPn— Carole King (@Carole_King) June 18, 2022
Legendary BBC Radio 2 presenter “Whispering Bob” Harris shared a photo from an old interview with McCartney, writing: Happy Birthday @PaulMcCartney I love this photo taken when we recorded an interview together for the @BBCRadio2 show I made celebrating ‘The Day John Met Paul’ broadcast on the 50th anniversary of that historic day. Thanks for all the memories Paul. Love you x”
Happy Birthday @PaulMcCartney I love this photo taken when we recorded an interview together for the @BBCRadio2 show I made celebrating ‘The Day John Met Paul’ broadcast on the 50th anniversary of that historic day. Thanks for all the memories Paul. Love you x pic.twitter.com/ZX0taiV5JX
— Bob Harris 💙 (@WhisperingBob) June 18, 2022
A bevy of other tributes from fans and other stars have been coming in from around the globe. Take a look at some of them below:
A Friend Like You: Happy 80th Birthday to Paul McCartney! pic.twitter.com/LYJropOi0y
— Brian Wilson (@BrianWilsonLive) June 18, 2022
Happy birthday @PaulMcCartney 🙌 pic.twitter.com/W4JMHGQGtk
— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) June 18, 2022
Working class northern council estate kid who changed the history of the world. Just the greatest. Happy birthday Macca @PaulMcCartney https://t.co/ObEkZK2Lwz
— Stuart Maconie (@StuartMaconie) June 18, 2022
Happy 80th Birthday to one of my biggest heroes on the planet (and one of the nicest ones I’ve ever met!) Thank you for everything you’ve given us all for all of these years Sir @PaulMcCartney 🍏 pic.twitter.com/rIYDyeiqQd
— Mike Portnoy 🤘 (@MikePortnoy) June 18, 2022
“They say it’s your birthday…” Wishing the legendary Sir @PaulMcCartney a brilliant 80th birthday from all of us here at the Studios!
From his visit here 60 years ago this month, his legacy remains deeply connected to us. #HappyBirthdayPaul pic.twitter.com/Jo2Rr13Hb2
— Abbey Road Studios (@AbbeyRoad) June 18, 2022
Paul McCartney is 80 years old today. Stunning! How wonderful that he’s lived a long life and can be celebrated for his genius – unfettered and radiant. (And, yes, I was a John person, but how can you not LOVE Paul?) pic.twitter.com/dUe7IZXqAg
— Shaun L Kelly (@ShaunLKelly1955) June 18, 2022
Wishing @PaulMcCartney a happy 80th birthday with this version of one of his most famous songs, performed with @FrankieMoreno. I'm sure you can guess the name of the song from these few bars! 🎶 Full video: https://t.co/LgZ8Imn4dT pic.twitter.com/2s6jpPpgq8
— Joshua Bell (@JoshuaBellMusic) June 18, 2022
Happy 80th Birthday to his royal highness Paul McCartney. Here's an illustration I did in celebration. An illustration that lead to me vowing to never draw a tweed jacket ever again. pic.twitter.com/QmRBjTbk4T
— Stuff_By_Mark (@The_Ren1981) June 18, 2022
Met this young man as he was coming offstage at #SNL in 2015. Might be my first selfie with a hero. He asked “What should we do”? I said, “Can we sing ooooooh”? Happy Birthday Sir. ❤️@PaulMcCartney pic.twitter.com/fF8DbeOEjq
— Phil Rosenthal (@PhilRosenthal) June 18, 2022
happy 80th birthday sir paul mccartney! you have inspired me and many others through your music and through the years you've never stopped sharing your talents with us, thank you so so much. i wish you good health and all the best in life. may you have more birthdays to come 🎂 pic.twitter.com/jQhliC3oUb
— zephyr ✰ #McCartney80 (@taeharrisons) June 18, 2022
Happy 80th Birthday, Macca! @PaulMcCartney pic.twitter.com/rIN7PukTIi
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 18, 2022
Happy 80th birthday @PaulMcCartney and thank you for filling our lives with unforgettable, beautiful, world-changing music for nearly all those 80 years. Ram on, maestro ♥️
— Howard Goodall (@Howard_Goodall) June 18, 2022
It’s not even 9am and I’m already nearly crying… #PaulMcCartney80 @PaulMcCartney https://t.co/v8YU7Eq4W3
— Matt Everitt (@matteveritt) June 18, 2022
paul mccartney 80 this paul mccartney 80 that . what about paul mccartney IN the 80s pic.twitter.com/ljAjyAkeLG
— coogang member (@maccasguitar) June 18, 2022
Happy 80th birthday @PaulMcCartney. The greatest songwriter of all time and by all accounts a fantastic person.
"Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs: and what's wrong with that, I'd like to know." pic.twitter.com/LOKQnoZJAq
— David Quantick (@quantick) June 18, 2022
Paul McCartney let a stranger claiming to be Jesus Christ sit in on a Beatles recording session in 1967.
McCartney figured, "Well, it probably isn’t. But if he is, I’m not going to be the one to turn him away" pic.twitter.com/KCPKeoHHML— Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) June 13, 2022
Happy birthday to the greatest of all, Paul McCartney pic.twitter.com/J9HS6zLKNd
— melina #McCartney80 (@flowersmacca70s) June 17, 2022
“Let it be” that Sir @PaulMcCartney know that his musical generosity of spirit and love have forever changed the world with positivity, joy and screaming happiness. HAPPY 80th to the greatest entertainer who ever lived. May God bless you. You are a blessing for us all! pic.twitter.com/AVoF8qelzO
— Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) June 18, 2022
Happy 80th @PaulMcCartney
Multiple thumbs aloft for 60+ years of utter class.
I love the old stuff, I love the new stuff and ‘Temporary Secretary’ was the real start of the 1980s.
No one argue. I’m right. pic.twitter.com/04cNJgYQAw— Rae Earl (@RaeEarl) June 18, 2022
Happy 80th birthday to @PaulMcCartney, here is me slightly less than 80 years ago looking rather uncomfortable in my shirt which my mother had painted 😂🎂 pic.twitter.com/3vR17HcbeE
— Wendy Andresen (@WendyWings) June 18, 2022
Happy Eightieth Birthday to Paul McCartney, tomorrow: pic.twitter.com/IzWaqceEg5
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) June 17, 2022
Happy 80th to the great man @paulmccartney – he’s given me some of my best memories. Recreating Band On The Run with Kasabian in 2010, Cologne was something else on tour in 2009 (I think?), visiting Windmill studios in Sussex or MPL in Soho, where he noodled away on an acoustic. pic.twitter.com/HTdsXFoX0P
— Gordon Smart (@gordonsmart) June 18, 2022
Paul McCartney’s childhood pics — a thread 🧵; #mccartney80 pic.twitter.com/nzMEftudRX
— mar #McCartney80 ☮️🏳️ (@maccadonia) June 17, 2022
Paul McCartney outside a Glasgow pub in 1970. Image by Linda McCartney. Happy 80th birthday to Macca #PaulMcCartney80 #Glasgow pic.twitter.com/e317ktyAef
— thi wurd (@thiwurd) June 18, 2022
HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY TO SIR JAMES PAUL MCCARTNEY 🎂🎂 pic.twitter.com/2LfZgjJnyX
— jaz | #McCartney80 (@lennonswalrus) June 18, 2022
Happy Birthday @PaulMcCartney 🥳🎂🥳not only for the monumental music but for some of the greatest lyrics ever sung-🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/R4bDpJVJY7
— Manic Street Preachers (@Manics) June 18, 2022
A very happy 80th birthday to actual legend (and noted Sparks fan) Sir Paul McCartney. #yesweregoingtoapartyparty pic.twitter.com/ej27WB1WHr
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) June 18, 2022
A Friend Like You: Happy 80th Birthday to Paul McCartney! pic.twitter.com/LYJropOi0y
— Brian Wilson (@BrianWilsonLive) June 18, 2022
Happy happy birthday @PaulMcCartney – you have been a mentor, guide, friend, collaborator and a fine maker of fine bagels and tea. I love you. For all my life you have been nothing but kind and brilliant xxx pic.twitter.com/N4rUmtm9Q4
— Giles Martin (@mashupmartin) June 18, 2022
McCartney himself later replied to the messages. “Thanks for all the lovely greetings and warm wishes for my birthday,” he wrote on Twitter.
Thanks for all the lovely greetings and warm wishes for my birthday – Paul
📷 by Mary McCartney pic.twitter.com/FCLb162pJX
— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) June 18, 2022
McCartney is set to become the oldest Glastonbury headliner when he takes to the Pyramid Stage next Saturday evening (June 25). He’ll top the bill alongside Kendrick Lamar and Billie Eilish, the latter of whom will become the festival’s youngest-ever solo headliner.
On Thursday night (June 16), McCartney joined forces with Bruce Springsteen as he wrapped his ‘Got Back’ US tour in New York.
McCartney welcomed The Boss onstage at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey as a “birthday present to myself” to perform the latter’s 1984 classic ‘Glory Days’ before the pair played The Beatles‘ ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’.
Later in the show, Jon Bon Jovi also joined McCartney onstage to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him.