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.

“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.”