46
Paul and Linda appear in the TV comedy, Bread.
Paul collaborates with Elvis Costello and their solo albums, Flowers in the Dirt and Spike, contain some joint compositions. The best-known is Veronica, a hit single for Costello.
47
Another day another world tour. 13 countries, 102 concerts and 3 million fans.
Paul sends a concert clip to the John Lennon tribute at the Pier Head.
Paul joins fellow Liverpudlians, Gerry Marsden, Holly Johnson and the Christian for a charity single, Ferry Cross The Mersey.
48
On 28 June 1990, Paul appears at King’s Dock and performs a special John Lennon medley.
Paul appears on MTV’s Unplugged and releases an album of the concert.
49
Paul and Linda launch her range of vegetarian foods at the Hard Rock Café in London.
Premiere of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio at the Anglican Cathedral. It is conducted by his co-writer, Carl Davis.
50
Paul’s fiftieth birthday is marked by Paul McCartney Day on Radio Two.
Paul’s new album is Off The Ground.
Lots of radioplay for Hope Of Deliverance but none for Bad Boys Bickering as Paul is using four-letter words to express his views on Prime Minister’s Questions.
51
The first six months of this year are taken by a world tour.
Paul, George and Ringo get together to augment John Lennon’s demo of Free As A Bird.
52
Yoko and Sean spend a weekend with Paul and Linda, and they record Hiroshima, It’s Always A Beautiful Blue Sky. This has not been released but Paul makes a succession of avant garde recordings around this time, including singles as The Fireman.
The Sunday Times estimates that Paul is worth £400m.
53
Paul and Linda guest on The Simpsons and say that if you play Maybe I’m Amazed backwards, you will hear a recipe for lentil soup.
The launch of Anthology, a series of albums and TV documentaries. The first volume of Anthology sells 12 million copies.
The Queen officially opens the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA).
Paul is appointed a Fellow of the Royal College of Music
54
Following the New Year Honours, it is now Sir Paul McCartney.
Co-produced with Jeff Lynne, Paul’s album, Flaming Pie, has excellent reviews and Paul has a hit single with a song for his son, James, Young Boy.
55
Paul’s premieres his second classical work, the orchestral Standing Stone.
Stella McCartney has her first show for Chloe.
On 17 April 1998, Linda McCartney dies from breast cancer at their ranch near Tucson, Arizona.
56
Now a National Trust property, Paul’s childhood home in Forthlin Road is opened to the public.
Paul organises Here, There and Everywhere – A Concert for Linda at the Royal Albert Hall.
Paul campaigns against GM foods.
In April 1999, Paul McCartney becomes a grandfather when Mary, who is married to film director Alistair Donald, gives birth to Arthur.
57
Several concerts are held under the name A Garland For Linda.
Paul complains about John Lennon being featured as the co-writer on Yesterday, conveniently ignoring the fact that he has his name on several songs that he didn’t write.
Paul returns to the Cavern Club for a concert to promote his new album, Run Devil Run. Broadcast live on the internet, it has 50 million hits.
58
Paul composes experimental music, Liverpool Sound Collage, for Peter Blake’s exhibition at Tate Liverpool.
Cherie Blair opens the Linda McCartney cancer centre at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.
During several interviews to promote Wingspan, Paul indicates that his Wings catalogue is as strong as his work with the Beatles – or is it hype to sell a record?
59
Paul gives poetry readings at the Hay-on-Wye arts festival and the Everyman to promote his new book, Blackbird Singing.
Following 9/11, Paul performs Freedom at the Concert for New York at Madison Square Garden.
Paul receives an Oscar nomination for his title song for the film, Vanilla Sky, but his album, Driving Rain, is only on the charts for one week.
An exhibition of Paul’s paintings opens at the Walker Art Gallery. Brian Sewell says, “It’s an infuriating tendency amongst clapped-out pop stars to become artists.” The Queen, visiting the exhibition, says they are “very colourful”.
On 11 June 2002 and just before his sixtieth birthday, Paul and Heather are married at Castle Leslie in Ireland.
60
Paul designs a series of stamps for the Isle of Man.
Paul writes to McDonald’s shareholders, requesting better treatment of farmed animals.
Paul undertakes two-month American tour.
61
Mary McCartney has a second son, Elliot.
On 28 October 2003, Paul and Heather have a daughter, Beatrice Milly.
62
On 25 February 2005, Stella McCartney and her husband, Alasdhair Willis, have their first child, Miller.
63
McCartney’s new album, Chaos And Creation in the Back Yard, is well reviewed and the cover features a vintage shot of him at Forthlin Road.
The long-running dispute with Apple Corps and Apple Computers is settled, but not in the Beatles’ favour.
Blaming media intrusion, Paul and Heather separate, and the estimates of the divorce settlement suggest a minium of £50m.
64
What will Paul do now he’s 64? His support of Liverpool and of LIPA is bound to continue. He is planning something for Liverpool in 2008, so let’s hope that it is more than a concert. He once suggested that Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever could have been part of an album called Liverpool, so why not finish that off? It is surprising that someone so prolific has not written a stage musical, so why not give those songs to LIPA. I would guess that what Paul wants more than anything is another Yesterday, and wouldn’t we like that too?