Linda McCartney remembered

Linda and Paul McCartney

'A remarkable woman ... half of a remarkable marriage'

April 20, 1998
Web posted at: 12:17 p.m. EDT (1617 GMT)

(CNN) -- American-born Linda McCartney, who died of cancer at age 56, was remembered as more than the wife of a former Beatle. With her husband Paul McCartney in seclusion in England Monday, their fans and others who knew the couple and their children shared memories of the photographer, musician and animal rights activist who built a multi-million dollar vegetarian food business.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair , who was traveling in Jerusalem when the death was announced Sunday, issued a statement saying he and his wife Cherie were very saddened by the news. "Linda showed extraordinary courage throughout her illness," Blair said. "She made a tremendous contribution across a whole range of British life."

Former Wings drummer Denny Seiwell said the McCartneys were inseparable. "His security was Linda...having her there all of the time was very important to him. He was let down in the whole Beatle breakup thing; he had an ill feeling from that whole period. Linda was a security blanket for him. They had great love for each other," he said.

Interview with music critic Anthony DeCurtis CNN's Margaret Lowrie on reaction to McCartney's death

Anthony DeCurtis, a music critic for Rolling Stone magazine, noted that "Paul and Linda got together as the Beatles were splitting up. She was a tower of strength for him during that period. This was not celebrity marriage, not a rock-and-roll marriage."

"She led Paul in a domestic direction, in a concentration on their family," DeCurtis told CNN in a live interview. "They were both a little wild in the '60s but when they met each other, they settled each other down and just stayed together."

During the British Academy Awards on Sunday night, there was a moving tribute from movie producer David Puttnam who called Linda McCartney "a remarkable woman who was half of a remarkable marriage."

Londoners on the death of Linda McCartney
"... another good person went down" AIFF or WAV (94 K / 8 sec. audio) "I was very saddened when I heard ..." AIFF or WAV (124 K / 10 sec. audio) "... she was the wife of an ex-Beatle" AIFF or WAV (68 K / 6 sec. audio)

Lord Puttnam, vice president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, urged the star-studded crowd to rise in "a short but warm standing ovation."
(209 K / 18 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

Andrew Butler, a spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said Linda McCartney's greatest legacy will be her animal rights work, including her line of vegetarian foods.
(243 K / 22 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

"We'll work harder in her name," said Dan Mathews, a campaign director for the Washington-based group.

Calling her a "visionary," The Vegetarian Society said "her contribution to vegetarianism was tremendous."

"Linda had a passion and a desire to change people's attitudes," the society said. "Her positive outlook and dedication to promoting a diet that would bring about the end of animal suffering was absolute."

Yoko Ono, the widow of Beatle John Lennon, was said to be deeply saddened to hear of Linda McCartney's death. "She's in a state of shock," Ono's publicist Elliott Mintz said. "She spoke to Linda within the past year and Linda sounded her usual, powerful self to Yoko."

Correspondent Margaret Lowrie and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CNN Community:

• Linda McCartney

Related stories:

• Funeral held for Linda McCartney - April 19, 1998

Related sites:

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• Linda McCartney Activism Bio and Pictres
• The Linda McCartney List
• Books By & About Paul & Linda McCartney
• Beatles, Beatles, Beatles!

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