Paul McCartney

Musician, Composer, Performer, Writer, Producer

Rewind the clock to a time before the Beatles were considered

classic—when they were considered cutting

edge, when their hairstyles, dress, and attitude were considered

radical. As with most of my generation, I am a Beatles

fan, perhaps the ultimate Beatles fan. Although I had not yet

entered my teens in the 1960s, the message that the Beatles

communicated through their music was woven into the fabric

of my life.

I asked Paul McCartney to participate in Kids Who Think

Outside the Box because of his individuality, strength of conviction,

and confidence in his art—his music and his message

were revolutionary at the time.

Paul McCartney was born on June 18, 1942, in Liverpool,

England. McCartney was the bass guitarist and vocalist for

the Beatles and a partner in a legendary songwriting team

with John Lennon. Together, they blazed a unique trail that

still influences all music. It communicated the message of a

changing time, without being deterred by those who resisted

those changes.

When we asked Sir Paul for some words of advice to pass

along to kids, he gave the advice he always gives—and has

heeded in his own life—which is a famous quotation from

Hamlet, “To thine own self be true.” It sounds simple, almost

too ordinary, but on reflection you can see that that’s the way

he has lived his life and made his music.

In the thirty years since the Beatles broke up, first with

Wings and then as a solo artist, he has continued breaking

down barriers and remains an influence on the sound of music

around the globe.