Remembering Linda McCartney 25 Years After Her Death
It is hard to believe that it has been 25 years since Linda McCartney died after a battle with breast cancer at the age of 56. She was the beloved wife of Beatle Paul McCartney and an acclaimed photographer, keyboardist in the band Wings, animal rights activist, and entrepreneur. As a longtime vegetarian, she published several vegetarian cookbooks and started the vegetarian Linda McCartney Foods company with her husband.
In the mid-’60s, Linda began her career as a photographer with Town & Country. As her career took off, she became the first woman to have a photograph on the cover of Rolling Stone. With assignments to photograph musicians, she met Paul in 1967. While many Beatles fans blame Linda and John Lennon‘s wife Yoko Ono for breaking up The Beatles, Paul has shared that Linda helped him get out of his depression about the band ending and helped him pursue a successful solo career.
Remembering the irreplaceable Linda McCartney
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
After The Beatles broke up, Paul taught Linda how to play the keyboard and together they formed the band Wings, joined by session drummer Denny Seiwell and former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine. The band changed members several times throughout its decade run and had 12 top 10 singles in the UK and 14 top 10 singles in the United States.
20th Century Fox Film Corp/Everett Collection
After Linda’s death, Paul shared the heartbreaking words he said to her on her deathbed. He said, “You’re up on your beautiful Appaloosa stallion. It’s a fine spring day. We’re riding through the woods. The bluebells are all out, and the sky is a clear blue.” He added in a statement, “I had barely got to the end of the sentence when she closed her eyes and gently slipped away. Our family is so close that her passing has left a huge hole in our lives. We will never get over it, but I think we will come to accept it, total heartbreak.” At her funeral, he closed the service with the beautiful Beatles’ song “Let It Be.”
Linda was truly an inspiration to Paul, her four children, and all of us.
Wonder Women
March 2018
Celebrate these fabulous famous females who have changed helped the world!
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