Paul McCartney

When Paul McCartney played Yankee Stadium in July 2011 for two sold-out concerts, the 69 year old "looked as if he was having a boyish romp," said the New York Times, marveling at his 35-song performance. Age hasn't slowed down this former Beatle, nor dampened his ambition. As the most successful musician in pop-music history turns 70 next June, the editors of TIME will publish a celebration of Paul McCartney's unparalleled career. Written by James Kaplan, author of the acclaimed Sinatra biography Frank: the Voice, TIME's richly illustrated book will give readers a backstage tour of the many chapters of Mc-Cartney's life: as the precocious son of a Liverpool trumpet player, the "cute Beatle" of the Fab Four years, the prolific songwriting partner of John Lennon, the psychedelic seeker, the devoted husband of Linda Eastman, the reborn frontman of the band Wings, the shrewd businessman with a net worth of hundreds of millions, and the social activist with concerns ranging from animal rights to land mines. For McCartney, the adventures never cease. As he told TIME in 2005, when asked if he would still indulge audiences with oldies like Hey Jude: "They'll get that too, but you have to move forward as well as go back. As they say, the show must go on!"