Paul McCartney has paid tribute to Phil Everly, who died last week aged 74.

In a statement on his website, McCartney said that Everly was one of his “great heroes” and cited the Everly Brothers as a key influence on The Beatles.

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Phil Everly was one of my great heroes,” he wrote. “With his brother Don, they were one of the major influences on The Beatles. When John and I first started to write songs, I was Phil and he was Don.”

He added: “Years later when I finally met Phil, I was completely starstruck and at the same time extremely impressed by his humility and gentleness of soul. I will always love him for giving me some of the sweetest musical memories of my life.”