Linda McCartney

Linda, Lady McCartney (September 24, 1941 – April 17, 1998), born Linda Louise Eastman in New York, New York, to a Jewish family, was an American photographer, best known for her marriage to Sir Paul McCartney, of The Beatles.

Biography

Linda Eastman grew up in the wealthy Scarsdale area of Westchester County, New York. Her father, Lee Eastman, was the attorney for songwriter Jack Lawrence, and at the senior Eastman's request, Lawrence titled a song "Linda" in honor of then-five-year-old Linda. At the age of 20, Linda lost her mother Louise to a plane crash.

Before her marriage to Paul McCartney, she was a professional photographer in the rock and roll scene, and served as the house photographer for the Fillmore East in New York City. She was a top photographer and took professional portraits of artists such as Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Eric Clapton, Simon and Garfunkel, The Who, The Doors and The Rolling Stones. She met her second husband, Paul McCartney, while photographing bands in London for a book titled Rock and Other Four Letter Words in 1967. They met at a night club called the Bag o' Nails in May of 1967 when Linda arrived to photograph The Beatles, and they married on 12 March 1969, eight days before John Lennon married Yoko Ono. Linda was already pregnant with daughter Mary McCartney at the time of their marriage. She and Paul raised four children: Heather (from her previous marriage), Mary, Stella, and James.

Paul McCartney recently revealed that Linda made an uncredited vocal contribution to the Beatles song "Let It Be" during the band's recording of the album of the same name in early 1969 . After the breakup of the Beatles in 1970, Paul began teaching Linda to play keyboards, and included her in the lineup for his new band, Wings. Although Linda was singled out by music critics at first for her amateur singing and playing skills, Wings garnered several Grammy Awards for their music, and became one of the most successful bands of the 1970s. Linda developed her musical talent through the years, even writing and recording her own music. Her album Wide Prairie was released posthumously in 1998.

When breast cancer claimed her life in 1998, Paul suggested that fans remember her by donating to breast-cancer research charities that do not support animal-testing, "or the best tribute — go veggie". Linda McCartney died on 17 April 1998 on the McCartney family ranch in Tucson, Arizona. Her husband and four children were at her bedside, and they each took a turn in saying goodbye.

Memorial services were held for Linda at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London and at Riverside Church in Manhattan, Linda's birthplace.

In January 2000, Paul announced donations in excess of $2,000,000 for cancer research at facilities in Tucson and New York where Linda had received treatment. The donations, through the Garland Appeal, were made on the condition no animals would be used for testing purposes. ^*

In 2000, The Linda McCartney Centre, a cancer clinic, opened at The Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Also that year, Paul McCartney collaborated with John Tavener on A Garland for Linda, a classical music album dedicated to her memory. It featured contributions by the two along with seven other contemporary composers.

In November of 2002, a memorial garden was opened near Scotland's Mull of Kintyre, with the dedication of a bronze statue of Linda by sculptor Jane Robbins, commissioned and donated by Paul McCartney. ^*

Vegetarianism / Animal rights

Linda introduced her husband to vegetarianism in 1975 and popularized a meatless diet through her best-selling cookbooks and line of frozen vegetarian meals called "Linda McCartney's". ^* These products made her independently wealthy. Additionally, she was a passionate advocate for animal rights, and lent her support to many animal-friendly organizations like PETA & VIVA. After her death, PETA created the Linda McCartney Memorial Award in her honor.

Following in her footsteps, her daughters Mary and Stella became passionate activists for animal rights and breast cancer as well.

Myth

It is often stated that Linda McCartney is related to the Eastman Kodak dynasty. This is a myth and McCartney had no connection with the family, as she herself explained in an interview. Although, coincidentally, she began her professional career as a photographer.

Her maiden name of Eastman was an anglicised version of her family's original name, Epstein, coincidentally the same surname as the Beatles' long-time manager Brian.

Trivia

The 200th episode of The Simpsons, "Trash of the Titans", was dedicated to her memory.
Attended the University of Arizona where she studied art history, and met her first husband John Melvin See Jr. See fathered her first child, Heather McCartney, who was later legally adopted by Paul.

External links

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Linda McCartney

Biography

Vegetarianism / Animal rights

Myth

Trivia

External links