Linda McCartney
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linda Louise, Lady McCartney (September 24, 1941 – April 17, 1998) was an American photographer, musician, animal rights activist. Although perhaps best known for her marriage to Sir Paul McCartney, of The Beatles, she was the author of several vegetarian cookbooks, a business entrepreneur, and professional photographer whose book Linda McCartney's Sixties contains many of her seminal rock-artist photographs from that era.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Linda McCartney was born Linda Louise Eastman in New York, New York to a Jewish family. She grew up in the wealthy Scarsdale area of Westchester County, New York and graduated from Scarsdale High School in 1959. Her father, Lee Eastman, was songwriter Jack Lawrence's attorney, and at the senior Eastman's request, Lawrence titled a song "Linda" in honor of then five-year-old Linda.[1] Her mother was Louise Linder Eastman, heiress to the Linder Department Store fortune, who died in the crash of American Airlines Flight 1 in Queens, New York.
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. McCartney's first marriage was to John Melville See, Jr. whom she met at the University of Arizona. They married on June 18, 1962 and their daughter Heather Louise was born December 31, 1962. They were divorced in June 1965. 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 she arrived to photograph The Beatles, and they married on 12 March 1969, eight days before John Lennon married Yoko Ono. McCartney was already pregnant with daughter Mary McCartney at the time of their marriage. She and her husband raised four children: Heather Louise (from her previous marriage, whom Paul adopted), Mary Anna, Stella Nina, and James Louis. She has three grandsons, all born after her death: Mary's two sons Arthur Alistair Donald, (born 3 April 1999) and Elliot Donald (born 1 August 2002) and Stella's son Miller Alasdhair James Willis (born 25 February 2005). Daughter Stella is expecting her second child with husband Alasdhair Willis, which would make this Linda's fourth grandchild.[1] [2]
Paul McCartney recently revealed that his wife 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 [3]. After the breakup of the Beatles in 1970, Paul began teaching her to play keyboards, and included her in the lineup for his new band, Wings. Although McCartney was ridiculed by music critics at first for her poor singing and playing skills, [2] Wings garnered several Grammy Awards for their music, and became one of the most successful bands of the 1970s. Some argue her musical talent improved through the years, even writing and recording her own music. Her album Wide Prairie was released posthumously in 1998.
Linda was diagnosed in 1995 with breast cancer, and her condition soon grew worse as the cancer spread to her liver.[3] 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. 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".
Memorial services were held for Linda McCartney at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London and at Riverside Church in Manhattan, McCartney's birthplace.
Linda left her entire fortune to McCartney which is almost totally free from taxation because of a special trust fund she set up before her death.[4] McCartney will have access to any royalties from books, records and any financial remuneration for the use of his wife's photographs. Paul pledged to continue her line of vegetarian food, and to keep it free from genetically modified organisms.[5]
In January 2000, Paul McCartney announced donations in excess of $2,000,000 for cancer research at facilities in Tucson and New York where Linda McCartney had received treatment. The donations, through the Garland Appeal, were made on the condition no animals would be used for testing purposes. [4]
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. [5]
[edit] 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 under the "Linda McCartney" name. [6] 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 and Viva!. After her death, PETA created the Linda McCartney Memorial Award in her honor.
Following in her footsteps, her daughters Mary McCartney Donald and Stella McCartney became passionate activists for animal rights and breast cancer as well.
Her vegetarianism is shown on "Lisa The Vegetarian", an episode of The Simpsons.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Trivia
- In 1977, a single, "Seaside Woman" was released by an obscure band called Suzy and the Red Stripes. In reality, Suzy and the Red stripes were Wings with Linda McCartney on vocals.
- 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. He fathered her first child, Heather McCartney, who was later legally adopted by Paul.
- Her mother, Louise Linder Eastman, was killed in a plane crash in 1962 when Linda was 20 years old.
- Dated actor Warren Beatty before she met future husband Paul McCartney [7]
- Attended Sarah Lawrence College, where John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono also studied. Neither received degrees from the school.
- Attended The Beatles' historic 1965 concert at Shea Stadium years before she met her future husband. Reportedly was more attracted to John Lennon at first, seeing him in the media, but liked McCartney better in person.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Linda’s Song Retrieved: November 22 2006
- ^ There exist a number of bootleg recordings which purport to have originated from sound engineers isolating Linda McCartney's microphone at a Wings concert, and recording the result. These tapes demonstrate very bad singing, but whether they are genuine has not been definitively established.
- ^ Saffian, Sarah. "Untimely deaths haunt extended Beatles family", US Magazine Company, December 17, 2001, p. 37. Retrieved on 2006-11-10. (in English)
- ^ Linda’s Will and Trust Fund bbc.co.uk - 14 March, 2000
- ^ McCartney vows to keep his wife’s work aliveThe Himalayan Times, 15 October, 2006
[edit] References
ISBN and page numbers needed.
[edit] External links
- Official Site for Linda McCartney
- Linda McCartney at the Internet Movie Database
- Linda McCartney Remembered
- Biographical information
- BBC obituary
- The Path of the Vegetarian by Linda McCartney
- The Linda McCartney Centre
- Linda McCartney's Will, 4 July, 1996
- [8]
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | McCartney, Linda |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Eastman, Linda |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American photographer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 24, 1941 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Scarsdale, New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 17, 1998 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
Categories: 1941 births | 1998 deaths | American expatriates in the United Kingdom | American photographers | American vegetarians | Animal rights movement | Breast cancer activists | Breast cancer deaths | Breast cancer patients | Jewish-American activists | Jewish-American photographers | Jewish photographers | Paul McCartney | People from New York City | Portrait photographers | The Beatles' wives | Wings
