The suffering that results from the loss of a loved one is likely the most difficult thing that any of us will have to deal with in our lives. Now, one renowned singer-songwriter is sharing his own experience.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Beatles singer Paul McCartney opened up about the grieving process that he went through after the death of his wife, photographer Linda McCartney.
“I think I cried for about a year on and off,” he told BBC Radio Scotland’s Ricky Ross. “You expect to see them walk in, this person you love, because you are so used to them. I cried a lot. It was almost embarrassing except it seemed the only thing to do.”
Listen to the full interview here.
Husband and Wife
Linda Eastman was an American musician and a professional photographer, who became known for her photographs of musicians and celebrities. In 1968, she became the first female photographer to make the cover of Rolling Stone magazine with her portrait of Eric Clapton.
In 1969, Paul McCartney and Linda were married, much to the disappointment of his young female fans. It rained the day of the wedding, the Guardian reported, adding,”this was appropriate: the pavements outside Marylebone register office would have been wet in any case with the tears of fans thrown by the sudden reality of having failed to become Mrs. McCartney.”
It was clear from the start that they had a special relationship. Two years after the Beatles split up, McCartney and Linda formed their own band, Wings.
The two had three children and continued a happily married life until 1995, when Linda was given the news that no one wants to hear.
One disease, two losses
Doctors diagnosed Linda, who was 53 at the time, with breast cancer. This must have been particularly gut-wrenching news for McCartney because back in 1956 — when he was only 14-years-old — he lost his mother to breast cancer. She was 47 when the disease overcame her.
Unfortunately, the end result would be the same for Linda. After a three-year battle with cancer, she died in 1998.
Grief
McCartney recalled the fact that he lost his wife and mother, likely the two most important women in his life, to the same illness. “Both my mum and Linda died of breast cancer,” he said. “We had no idea what my mum had died of because no-one talked about it. She just died.”
“The worse thing about that,” he added, “was everyone was very stoic, everyone kept a stiff upper lip and then one evening you’d hear my dad crying in the next room. It was tragic because we’d never heard him cry.”
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