Linda Louise Eastman
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Linda McCartney, born Linda Louise Eastman in 1941, was a rock photographer who shot the first female-credited Rolling Stone cover. She joined her husband Paul McCartney’s band Wings and co-wrote the Bond theme Live and Let Die in 1973. An animal rights activist, she died of breast cancer in 1998.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Linda McCartney — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Linda McCartney by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Linda McCartney — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
The daughter of Louise Lindner and Lee Eastman, a prominent show-business attorney, Linda Louise Eastman entered the world on September 24, 1941 in New York City. She grew up in Scarsdale, New York, attended Scarsdale High School, and later studied art history at the University of Arizona. Her mother died in a plane crash when Linda was 20, a loss that pushed her toward independence. She took up photography in the early 1960s and started capturing the emerging rock scene.
Linda McCartney became known as a rock photographer in May 1968 when her portrait of Eric Clapton became the first female-credited Rolling Stone cover. She met Paul McCartney at a Beatles event in 1967. She later joined his band Wings, playing keyboards and vocals during the 1970s. In 1973, she co-wrote the Bond theme Live and Let Die with Paul, earning Oscar and Grammy nominations. She appeared in the film Let It Be 1970 and voiced herself on The Simpsons in 1997.
Linda McCartney married Joseph Melville See Jr. in 1962 and had daughter Heather. They divorced in 1965 after he wanted to move the family to Africa. She married Paul McCartney on March 12, 1969, eight days before John Lennon married Yoko Ono. The couple had three children: photographer Mary born 1969, fashion designer Stella born 1971, and musician James born 1977. A vegetarian and animal rights activist, she launched her own line of frozen vegetarian foods in the early 1990s. Diagnosed with breast cancer in December 1995, she died on April 17, 1998 at the McCartney family ranch in Tucson, Arizona, surrounded by her family.
Linda McCartney’s photography captured the 1960s rock scene; she was the only photographer invited to an outing with The Rolling Stones. Her song Live and Let Die remains a staple of Bond film music. PETA created the Linda McCartney Memorial Award in her honor after her death. The 200th episode of The Simpsons, Trash of the Titans, was dedicated to her memory. She broke into the male-dominated rock photography scene as a woman and left a mark through her activism.
The complete filmography of Linda McCartney — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Linda McCartney — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Linda McCartney — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
If Slaughterhouses Had Glass Walls, Everyone Would Be a Vegetarian.
I Think We Should Care More About Each Other, I Think We Should Think About What We Eat, and How We Live….and Maybe I’m a Dreamer.
Little-known facts about Linda McCartney — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Linda McCartney shares parallels with Yoko Ono: both were raised wealthy, avoided reliance on family money, married a Beatle frontman within eight days of each other in March 1969, attended Sarah Lawrence College, were pregnant at their weddings, had a daughter from a previous marriage, and faced public criticism for their marriages and musical abilities.
Linda found John Lennon the most appealing Beatle when they first came on the scene, but liked Paul better in person after they met. She and John got along adequately in private but took occasional barbs at each other and their spouses in the media.
She was an Oscar and Grammy nominee for co-writing the theme song of Live and Let Die 1973 with her husband.
Her oldest daughter Heather McCartney was adopted by her second husband Paul McCartney in 1969.
Linda faced criticism for her keyboard ability; she played with Paul’s bands because he wanted her there. A late starter taught mostly by Paul, Linda knew her limitations. She said, ‘there’s high-schoolers who could do better.
Diagnosed with breast cancer in December 1995, she died on April 17, 1998 at the McCartney Family Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, with Paul and their four children at her bedside.
She was in the audience for the 1965 Beatles concert at Shea Stadium, known then as Linda Eastman.
After her death, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals PETA created the Linda McCartney Memorial Award in her honor.
Grandmother of six grandsons and two granddaughters: Arthur 1999, Elliot 2002, Miller 2005, Bailey 2006, Beckett 2008, Sam 2008, Riley 2010, and Sid 2011.
Her line of vegetarian foods made her independently wealthy in the years before her death.
Her mother Louise died in a plane crash when Linda was 20 years old.
Occasionally hinted that she was related to the Eastmans of Eastman-Kodak fame, but her photography career was coincidental. Her father Lee and brother John were New York show-business attorneys, and her father changed the family name from its original Epstein.
In the early 1960s, singers Jan Berry and Dean Torrence had a hit song with Linda, written in 1944 by Jack Lawrence about a friend’s two-year-old daughter. Linda Eastman was that daughter.
A photographer whose pictures of rock stars in the 1960s led to her meeting Paul McCartney.
A vegetarian who founded her own range of frozen vegetarian food in the early 1990s.
For her photographic pursuits, Linda’s choice of camera was the Nikon Photomic SLR F series.
Three children with Paul McCartney: photographer Mary, fashion designer Stella, and musician/sculptor James.
Divorced her first husband John Melvin See Jr. after he wanted to move to Africa with his family.
Was an animal rights activist and vegetarian.
Her daughter from her first marriage, Heather, is a pottery designer.
Mother of fashion designer Stella McCartney, who was head designer for Chloé and now runs her own label.
Grandmother of five boys and one girl born after her death: Mary’s sons Arthur, Elliot, and Sam; Stella’s sons Miller and Beckett, and daughter Bailey.
Along with Paul McCartney and Denny Laine, performed with the group Wings through the 1970s.
She was the only photographer invited to an outing with The Rolling Stones, and had Eric Clapton as a sometime babysitter for daughter Heather.
Though born in New York City, she grew up in Scarsdale, New York.
Attended Sarah Lawrence College briefly, a few years after Yoko Ono.
First female photographer to shoot a Rolling Stone cover: her portrait of Eric Clapton for the May 1968 issue.
The 200th episode of The Simpsons, Trash of the Titans, was dedicated to her memory.
Elizabeth Mitchell portrayed her in the TV movie The Linda McCartney Story 2000.
Dated Warren Beatty.
She attended the University of Arizona, studying art history, and there met her first husband John Melvin See Jr.
Flirted with girl-group singing with school friends in the late 1950s but didn’t make anything of it.
Has three siblings: John, Laura, and Louise.
Mother-in-law of producer Alistair Donald and publisher Alasdhair Willis.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Linda McCartney.
Celebrities similar to Linda McCartney — same craft, ranked by reach.
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