Paul McCartney

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Lore & Background

Linda's journey from an aspiring nature photographer in Arizona to the unofficial house photographer at the legendary Fillmore East was driven by her instinct rather than formal training. After volunteering to photograph the Rolling Stones on a yacht in 1965, she realized photography was her calling. She captured iconic moments of artists like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Bob Dylan, with her photo of Neil Young later appearing on the cover of Sugar Mountain – Live at Canterbury House 1968 in 2008. Her work was exhibited internationally, including at the Victoria and Albert Museum. In music, she learned keyboards from Paul after the Beatles' 1970 breakup. They recorded the album Ram as a duo before forming Wings in 1971. She faced criticism for her singing but remained a core member until the band's 1981 breakup, later rejoining Paul for The New World Tour in 1993.

In Their Own Story

In May 1968, Linda made history by becoming the first woman to have a photograph on the cover of Rolling Stone, featuring Eric Clapton. Her presence behind the lens was unique; David Dalton noted that while rock groups were difficult to manage, 'with the lovely Linda, all this changed,' as musicians pinned their eyes on her. She captured a defining image of herself and Paul on the magazine's January 31, 1974 cover, making her the only person to appear on the cover who was also the photographer. Musically, she co-wrote 'Seaside Woman' with Paul in 1972. When publishers questioned her songwriting credits, Wings released the track in 1977 under the pseudonym Suzy and the Red Stripes with Linda on lead vocals to prove her authenticity. She also shared an Oscar nomination with Paul for 'Live and Let Die' in April 1974.

Reader's Guide

Linda McCartney's legacy extends beyond photography and music into activism and vegetarianism. In 1975, she and Paul adopted a vegetarian lifestyle, leading to the creation of Linda McCartney Foods in 1991 for frozen vegetarian meals. She authored two cookbooks: 'Linda McCartney's Home Cooking' (1989) and 'Linda's Kitchen: Simple and Inspiring Recipes for Meatless Meals' (1995), which was nominated for a James Beard Award in 1996. Her final music project, the album Wide Prairie featuring 'Seaside Woman,' was released posthumously in 1998 after her death on April 17 of that year. Paul later dedicated his classical album Ecce Cor Meum (1999) to her and contributed to A Garland for Linda.

Did You Know?

• Linda was the first woman to have a photograph on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in May 1968.
• She is the only person to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone as both the subject and the photographer (January 31, 1974).
• To prove her songwriting credits were authentic, she released 'Seaside Woman' in 1977 under the band name Suzy and the Red Stripes.
• Her photo of Neil Young taken in 1967 was used on a 2008 album cover for Sugar Mountain – Live at Canterbury House 1968.
• She founded Linda McCartney Foods with her husband, which was acquired by H. J. Heinz Company in 1999.