Paul McCartney nearly gave his entire music career up because of crippling stage fright.
The 74-year-old singer is one of the biggest stars in the world thanks to his career with The Beatles, Wings and as a solo artist.
However, in a Q&A session with fans on his website paulmccartney.com on Sunday, McCartney admitted that his time in the spotlight almost came to an early end due to his nerves.
One fan from Russia asked Paul: "What was the biggest - or one of the biggest - fears in your life and how did you overcome it?"
"Performing, it was always the idea that the audience didn't like you and you had to prove yourself," McCartney answered. "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 (in London)- 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."
While he has mostly got over his nerves, the "Let It Be" singer does admit he often worries about how successful his shows will be.
"What I do is I always say to my promoter when a tour is coming up: 'Put one show on sale and see how it goes," McCartney said. "And he'll ring me back and say, 'It's sold out! Twenty minutes!' So I've got to assume that they like me.
"So it gives you a confidence and I think I can probably relax, they probably like me. And it means you can enjoy the show more."
McCartney also recalled a difficult time in his childhood, when he was frequently targeted by a local gang.
"When I was a kid it was just getting beaten up by a local gang. You know, that was a purely physical fear," he said. "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!"
