"In Liverpool, when we were kids and listening to Buddy Holly and all the other rock and roll greats, I would have never thought the day would come when I'd be getting a star on the Walk of Fame. I thought it was an impossible thing to happen. But here we are today," McCartney, 69, said.

"I couldn't have done it without a certain three boys, so I want to say thanks to those guys, John, George and Ringo," he said.

McCartney's star was placed outside the Capitol Records building, alongside those of band members John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

The Beatles were given a star as a group in 1998, more than 25 years after they split up. Lennon and Harrison were given their individual stars several years after their deaths in 1980 and 2001 respectively, while Starr got his in 2010.

Hundreds of fans of the Fab Four gathered, clutching memorabilia, to see McCartney honored for his 50-year legacy in the music industry.

Starr was prevented from attending Thursday's ceremony because of illness, but rocker Neil Young was on hand to pay tribute to McCartney as a singer and songwriter "at the top of his game."

The Beatles, who hailed from Liverpool, England, became one of the best-selling bands in the world in the 1960s, triggering a wave of Beatlemania for hits like "Love Me Do", "Yellow Submarine" and "Let it Be".

"Thanks to all of you, to all the fans around the world, I'd like to send you hugs and kisses on the bottom," the singer said cheekily, referring to his latest album, "Kisses on the Bottom."

McCartney will receive the Recording Academy's MusiCares person of the year award on Friday, and perform at Sunday's Grammy Awards.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy)

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