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Linda was a Rolling Stone magazine photographer, and her work with rock stars has appeared in magazines around the world. She has also exhibited in London's prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum and has been voted the USA's Female Photographer Of The Year. A vegetarian and ardent animal-lover, Linda has done much to help the causes of Lynx - the UK anti-fur lobby and The People ForThe Ethical Treatment of Animals. She has also worked extensively for The Council For The Protection of Rural England and Friends Of The Earth, to highlight environmental dangers. In 1989, Linda published her own guide to vegetarian Cookery - Linda McCartney's Home Cooking. The book has become the biggest-selling vegetarian cookbook ever in the UK and a best-seller in the USA; with Besides her photography, her cookery and her many associated TV and Media appearances, Linda also plays keyboards in Paul McCartney's band. In 1989-90, they performed a record-breaking world concert tour, playing 1 02 shows in 13 countries to some three million people. And besides all this and perhaps most important of all Linda McCartney is a dedicated Mother to four children. Linda McCartney is remembered as more than the wife of a former Beatle, Paul McCartney. The stunning photography of Linda McCartney, which documents the popular music scene during one of its most colorful and creative periods, is the subject of an exhibit on display this summer at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. The exhibit, Linda McCartney's Sixties: Portrait of an Era, taken from the book of the same title, consists of 50 images, representing soul, R&B, blues and rock and roll. Ray Charles, the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead and the Who are among the artists she photographed. It was during a 1967 photo session with The Beatles that then-Linda Eastman met her future husband, Paul McCartney. Linda McCartney began photographing In addition to her photography, McCartney joined her husband Paul in the group Wings and performed with him throughout the Seventies and Eighties. A vegetarian, ecologist and animal rights activist, she also authored a number of best-selling vegetarian cookbooks. In April, 1998, Linda McCartney died of breast cancer. In his introduction to the book, Paul McCartney wrote: "The body of work that now exists is a fine legacy, and a beautiful testament to a unique and rare talent that was, and still is, my lovely Linda." Linda McCartney's Sixties: Portrait of an Era, organized by the Estate of Linda McCartney in cooperation with the Bruce Museum, Greenwich, Connecticut, is currently on a national tour. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's presentation of this exhibit is sponsored by Key Bank. Upon her death in April 1998, fans and others who knew Paul, Linda and their children shared memories of the photographer, musician and animal rights activist who built a multi-million dollar vegetarian food business. Raised in Scarsdale, New York, she was a Fine Art major at The University of Arizona. It was while living in Arizona that her passion for photography began. But it was not until she returned to New York that this self-taught photographer began her career while working for Town and Country magazine in New York in the early Sixties. Seizing an opportunity to A vegetarian and ardent animal-lover, Linda did much to help the causes of Lynx - the U.K. anti-fur lobby and the People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). She also worked extensively for The Council For The Protection of Rural England and Friends Of The Earth, highlighting environmental dangers. In 1989, Linda published her own guide to vegetarian Cookery - Linda McCartney’s Home Cooking. The book has become the biggest-selling vegetarian cookbook ever in the U.K. and a best-seller in the USA, with more than 250,000 copies sold. In the '90s, she introduced a very successful line of animal-free food products. Shortly after Linda passed away, Sir Paul issued this touching statement to her fans and the press: This is a total heartbreak for my family and I. Linda was, and still is, the love of my life, and the past two years we spent battling her disease have been a nightmare. She never complained and always hoped to be able to conquer it. It was not to be. Our beautiful children - Heather, Mary, Stella and James - have been an incredible strength during this time, and she lives on in all of them. The courage she People who didn't know her well, because she was a very private person, only ever saw the tip of the iceberg. She was the kindest woman I have ever met; the most innocent. All animals to her were like Disney characters and worthy of love and respect. She was the toughest woman who didn't give a damn what other people thought. She found it hard to be impressed by the fact that she was Lady McCartney. When asked whether people called her Lady McCartney, she said, "Somebody once did once, I think.'' I am privileged to have been her lover for 30 years, and in all that time, except for one enforced absence, we never spent a single night apart. When people asked why, we would say - "What for?'' As a photographer, there are few to rival her. Her photographs show an intense honesty, a rare eye for beauty. As a mother, she was the best. We always said that all we wanted for the kids was that they would grow up to have good hearts; and they have. Our family is so close that her passing has left a huge hole in our lives. We will never get over it, but I think we will come to accept it. The tribute she would have liked best would be for people to go vegetarian, which, with the vast variety of foods available these days, is much easier than many people think. She got into the food business for one reason only, to save animals from the cruel treatment our society and traditions force upon them. In the end, she went quickly with very little discomfort, and surrounded by her loved ones. The kids and I were there when she crossed over. They each were able to tell her how much they loved her. Finally, I said to her: "You're up on your beautiful Appaloosa stallion. It's a fine spring day. We're riding through the woods. The bluebells are all out, and the sky is clear blue.'' I had barely got to the end of the sentence, when she closed her eyes, and gently slipped away. She was unique and the world is a better place for having known her. Her message of love will live on in our hearts forever. I love you, Linda. XXX XXX British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was traveling in Jerusalem when the death was announced, 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 During the British Academy Awards following Linda's death, there was a moving tribute from movie producer David Puttnam who called Linda McCartney "a remarkable woman who was half of a remarkable marriage." Andrew Butler, a spokesman for PETA said Linda McCartney's greatest legacy will be her animal rights work, including her line of vegetarian foods. "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. Her positive outlook and dedication to promoting a diet that would bring about the end of animal suffering was absolute." Paul paid an emotional tribute to Linda at a memorial service for her at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London. Standing alone in front of members of his family and 700 friends, Paul compared her to a diamond with many glittering facets. Speaking without notes and visibly checking his emotions, Paul said, "She was my girlfriend." Pointing to two Shetland ponies, Schoo and Tinsel, which he had given to his wife, Paul said, "She would have loved this." Sitting in the front row with the McCartneys' children, Heather, Mary, Stella and James, were George Harrison and Ringo Starr, the three Beatles together in public for the first time in three decades. Family and friends congregated in Manhattan's Riverside Church for a stateside memorial service two months after she succumbed to breast cancer. The service was closed to the public and press, but Paul released a transcript of his speech. Sir Paul McCartney had made few appearances in the year after Linda's death, but did manage to appear and perform at his March, 1999 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. He dedicated his induction to Linda. Paul unexpectedly performed on stage at an animal charities concert held in Linda's honor at Royal Albert Hall in April, 1999. Paul said he mustered the strength to appear at the tribute concert because of the emotional support he's received from his late wife's fans. George Michael, The Pretenders, Elvis Costello, Tom Jones and others appeared to celebrate the life of the photographer and dedicated animal welfare supporter. Michael, who made his first live performance in three years at the event, noted that his mother also lost a battle with breast cancer. Paul performed one of Linda's favorite songs, Ricky Nelson's Lonesome Town, followed by the Beatles' All My Loving. He was joined by all the headliners in a rousing version of Let It Be. His voice cracked with emotion as he told the audience, "She's with us, she's loving it." Paul was equally as enthusastic over a display of Linda's photos at the Rock & Roll Hall At the suggestion of a fan, Paul and Linda had been compiling an album of Linda's musical recordings shortly before her death. Supervised by Sir Paul, Wide Prairie was released posthumously. Another project didn't meet with Paul's approval: a four-hour CBS miniseries based on an upcoming biography by longtime family "friend" Danny Fields. The TV movie revolves around Linda's 30-year relationship with Paul, beginning in 1968 as the Beatles headed toward their bitter breakup and ending with her death. The miniseries, produced by Mandalay Pictures and Lions Gate TV, optioned the television rights to Fields' biography Linda: The Life and Times Of Linda McCartney. Paul believes the project cheapens Linda's memory, and urges fans to ignore it. Another annoyance for Sir Paul was the discovery that some of Linda's food products tested positive for genetically-modified soya in a TV news exposé. Just days after the broadcast, Paul announced that all soya had been removed from the vegetarian ready-meals. As part of a £3-million refit, Linda McCartney Foods was also putting its stamp on the anti-GM debate with new packaging bearing the words "Say No To GMO," he said. "Before we start messing around with nature, I think we've really got to think very hard," the former Beatle told reporters. "I hope it's not too late." In a July 1999 classical music tribute to Linda, Paul and eight classical musicians premiered new compositions at Charterhouse School in Surrey. Royalties from the pieces - including Noma, composed by Paul - will raise funds for cancer research. Eight compositions for string quartet on McCartney's subsequent Working Classical CD were dedicated to Linda. Two months later, Sir Paul hosted the PETA Gala in Los Angles and performed songs from his newly-completed Run Devil Run album. In addition to three new compositions, the album contains cover songs of his and Linda's all-time favorites. Paul was reduced to tears by Sarah McLachlan's performance of Angel - a song he says
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
"Sir Paul" has asked the world to remember Lady Linda in one of three ways: Donate to cancer research,
Cancer Care, Inc. Cancer Care provides assistance to people with any type of cancer, at any stage of illness. All of Cancer Care's services are free of charge. The Cancer Federation, Inc. PO Box 1298 Banning, CA 92220 909/849.HEAL Cancer Prevention and Survival Fund (A special project of Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine) 5100 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 404 Washington, DC 20016 202/686.2210 E-mail Aaron Gross, Research Coordinator for a listing of all health charities which do not fund animal research   
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One of the finest women photographers in the world. She was born September 24, 1941 and raised in Scarsdale, New York. Linda was a Fine Art major at The University of Arizona. It was while living in Arizona that her passion for photographs began, it wasn't until she returned to New York that this self-taught photographer began her career - while working for Town and Country magazine in New York in the early Sixties. Seizing an opportunity to photograph The Rolling Stones on a yacht on the Hudson River, Linda discovered that her work was immediately in demand. Coupling photography with her love of rhythm and blues, Linda specialized in capturing the character of the new musicians. Among the stars she worked with were: Jimi Hendrix, The Doors,TheWho, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Otis Redding and The Beatles - subsequently meeting Paul. 
