Paul McCartney Almost Gave Up Music In Beatles Early Days Over Fear

11/04/2016
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Beatles legend Paul McCartney reveals in a candid exchange with fans that he almost walked away from the blockbuster band in their early days due to stage freight.

McCartney conducted a Q&A fans on his official website (via Radio.com) and took on the topic of his biggest fears. He told fans, When I was a kid it was just getting beaten up by a local gang. You know, that was a purely physical fear. Where I lived it was a hard estate and there were guys who if you saw them you would just go to the other side of the street. Because you knew they would just say, 'Hey you, who you lookin' at?' And there was no right answer! 'You!' And they're coming at you! 'Not you!' And they're coming at you!"

He then revealed the impact of fear on his music career. "Performing, it was always the idea that the audience didn't like you and you had to prove yourself. I think that's why a lot of people get stage fright and get nervous. You think, 'Oh my god, I'm gonna be terrible, they hate me, and it's all terrible.' And so I think that was one of the earliest fears.

"I remember nearly giving it all up when we were doing a concert in Wembley - which was a Poll-Winners concert - in the really early days of The Beatles. And I remember feeling physically sick with a knot in my stomach thinking, 'I should give this up, this is just too painful, what am I doing?' I got over it. And as you can see I didn't give it up! So that's two different kinds of fears." Read the Radio.com report here.

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