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Linda Louise, Lady McCartney (September 24, 1941 – April 17, 1998) was an American photographer, perhaps best known for her marriage to Sir Paul McCartney, of The Beatles.

She Would Have Been 65!

Eastman 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. Her mother was Louise Linder Eastman, heiress to the Linder Department Store fortune.

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. who 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 Aladshair Willis, which would make this Linda’s fourth grandchild.

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. 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.

When breast cancer claimed her life in 1998, her widower 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.

A Bit of 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.
• Her mother, Louise Linder Eastman, was tragically killed in a plane crash in 1962 when Linda was only 20 years old.
• Dated actor Warren Beatty before she met future husband Paul McCartney.
• 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.

Other September 24th Birthdays:

Nia Vardalos-Actor-Screenwriter/Big Fat Greek Wedding (44)
Phil Hartman-Actor-Comedian/SNL & Simpson’s (58)
Jim Henson-Mupet Master/The Muppets (70)