It is foolhardy to presume to precis the life and achievements of Sir Paul in one short paragraph. Instead, trace his fame through the four p's: pop, papa, peer and patriarch. The acclaimed "cutest" Beatle, a guitar and sweet songwriting talent, was first Quarry Man then Beatle who rode the pop music tsunami with John, George and Ringo from Ed Sullivan's stage into America's living room and history. Submerged were the lingering sounds of dance band and R & R, and revealed was a landscape fertile for new music and future McCartney inventions. Post-Beatles came children with soul mate Linda Eastman and new-venture Wings followed by solo stints, duets, collaborations and tours both modest and monster. 1997 saw McCartney's elevation to knighthood, a noble gesture that stated the obvious to hoi polloi. Now patriarch of a genre and era, always inventing and refining, graceful in triumph, unbowed by tragedy, McCartney may be the best British export of the 20th century.
