80th birthday is a good time to take stock of your life. After the international music critics congratulated Paul McCartney on his cradle party last week, the business section now has its say.
The US trade journal “Billboard” has now calculated how much Macca has earned as a “stand alone artist” (i.e. beyond the Beatles, Wings and various projects) with his live performances. The result is seven digits. Macca has grossed more than a billion dollars from tours, solo concerts and festivals.
Additionally, “Sir Paul” topped the Billboard Tours chart in May’s rankings, based on data from nine concerts McCartney played last month as part of his “Got Back” tour. That tour grossed $52.4 million with sales of 206,000 tickets, according to Live Experts.
McCartney’s full US tour spanned 15 dates over the year, spanning from an April 28 concert in Spokane, Washington to the much-acclaimed June 16 performance in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Springsteen and Bon Jovi stopped by for a birthday serenade. Overall, he grossed $101.7 million with 416,000 tickets sold.
If long-term stats are to be believed, Macca broke the one billion mark with the May 31 gig in Knoxville, Tennessee. He is the eleventh artist worldwide, according to the “Billboard Boxscore” department.
The never-tiring McCartney has just announced that he will be attending an intimate concert this Friday, June 24, at the small but mighty Cheese & Grain music club in Frome, south-west Britain – as a kind of warm-up for his performance as headliner on Saturday at the Glastonbury Festival will give.