James McCartney
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Louis McCartney was born on 12 September 1977 in London to Paul McCartney of The Beatles and his first wife, rock photographer and animal rights activist Linda McCartney. He was named after both his paternal grandfather Jim McCartney and father Paul, (whose birth name is James Paul McCartney), as well as Linda's late mother, heiress Louise Linder Eastman. He is a musician, songwriter and sculptor, living in London, England. He, like older sister Heather McCartney, strives to keep his life private, unlike their top fashion designer sister, Stella McCartney, and photographer sister, Mary McCartney Donald.
McCartney, in addition to older sisters Mary and Stella, has an older half sister from his mother's first marriage, pottery designer Heather McCartney, who was adopted by Paul McCartney. He also has a much younger half sister, Beatrice Milly McCartney, born 28 October 2003 to his father, Paul McCartney and stepmother Heather Mills McCartney. He is devoted to his family and famously appeared in support of Stella at her 1999 show (her first show following the death of their mother) seated in their mother's place next to his father.
He has three nephews and one niece: Mary's two sons Arthur Alistair Donald (born 3 April 1999) and Elliot Donald (born 1 August 2002); Stella's son Miller Alasdhair James Willis (born 25 February 2005) and her daughter Bailey Linda Olwyn Willis (born 8 December 2006).
He is most notable in the music business for playing guitar and drums as well as co-writing a few songs on some of Paul McCartney's albums, including Flaming Pie (1997) and Driving Rain (2001). On Flaming Pie, he has an impressive electric guitar solo on the track "Heaven on a Sunday." On Driving Rain, he co-wrote the songs "Spinning On An Axis" and "Back In The Sunshine Again" with his father, and played percussion on the former track and guitar on the latter. He also plays lead guitar on his mother's posthumously released solo album, Wide Prairie.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Early life
He spent the first two and a half years of his life on the road with his older sisters and his parents, who were in a successful rock group, Wings. After the band broke up in 1980, the McCartneys settled down with their children, who attended local public schools.
In 1989, McCartney, along with his older sisters Mary and Stella, joined Paul and Linda McCartney on their world tour. He continued his education with a tutor while on the road with his famous parents.
In 1993, celebrating his sixteenth birthday, McCartney and his friends went out to swim in the sea. When the weather started to get bad, the water currents carried him off. Paul, Linda, and Stella rushed to the site, distraught and helpless. Luckily, McCartney was recovered back to shore safely.
In 1995, McCartney introduced his older sister Mary McCartney to television producer Alistair Donald, the man she would later marry in September 1998.
McCartney attended Bexhill College, near his home in East Sussex, where he pursued studies in A Level Art.
[edit] Adulthood
On 17 April 1998, in Tucson, Arizona, James McCartney was at his mother's side when she died from breast cancer, which had been diagnosed in 1995. The first night after his mother died, he slept at the ranch with his father and sisters, then the family travelled back to England with Linda's ashes which they scattered on the McCartneys' home property. Later that year, McCartney graduated from college with Paul McCartney in attendance.
In 1999, McCartney, who is a devoted vegan, wrote a letter to the Governor of Wisconsin to try to prevent the Dairy Expo company from selling cows' milk, which he believes was intended for calves and not for humans to drink. This activism is reminiscent of his late mother, and is shared by his father and sisters.
On 10 June 2002, he joined his father at his bachelor party the day before his marriage to model/activist Heather Mills.
In 2005, he was spotted accompanying his father during his American tour.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Wild Prairie bbc.co.uk 3 September, 1998
