James Louis Eastman McCartney was born by c-section on Monday, September 12, 1977, at the Avenue Clinic in St. John's Wood, London, weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce. The first words of Paul to the press: "I'm over the moon! When I knew the baby was a boy I really flipped. I was waiting outside the door while he was being born. He has fair hair and looks like Linda. She's still a bit tired, but otherwise smashing. I don't know how she does it." Paul remembers on Wingspan that he grabbed the nurse who told him the baby was a boy and hurried to tell the news to Heather, Mary and Stella, who were at home. He can remember the girls screaming on the other side.
Some curiosities about James:
* The McCartneys expected another girl when James was born.
* Some family nicknames for James: Jamie, Turk, Little Turk.
* James is named after Paul's father Jim McCartney and Linda's mother Louise Linder.
* James is attending architecture college in London while also is a talented musician, having recorded with his parents many times. Among his collaborations are: "Appaloosa" and "The Light Comes From Within", from Wide Prairie; "Heaven On A Sunday", from Flaming Pie; and "Spinning On An Axis" and "Back In The Sunshine Again", from Driving Rain, which he co-wrote with his father.
* James is right-handed, unlike his father.
* On September 12th, 1993, James and four friends had gone bodyboarding off Camber Sands near Rye to celebrate his sixteenth birthday. When the others surfed back to the shore, James was nowhere to be found and in a panic they called for help. As twilight approached, the Coast Guard mounted a helicopter and lifeboat search while a distraught Paul and Linda, along with Stella, rushed to the site. The family could only watch helplessly while 20 mph winds announced an impending storm. One official even told them to give up hope, saying "Anyone in distress at sea at dusk is in serious trouble." For several hours the search continued, the McCartneys in tears. At last, James, shaken and exhausted, but safe - drifted into shore. The storm had blown him a mile and a half out to the sea, but thanks to awet suit and his considerable experience as a swimmer he managed to save himself.
* James is a vegan, meaning he not only doesn't eat meat, but also doesn't eat any product with animal protein in it, nor wear any clothes derived from animals..
* On September 1999, James sent a letter to the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, USA, complaining that the Dairy Expo was an advertisement to sell milk. As a vegan, James believes it's cruelty to drink the cow's milk, since it's intended for the calves only. |
