Show This week singing backup on a new CD Paul McCartney lends voice to his late wife’s songs In an exclusive interview for USA WEEKEND he talks for the first time about how Linda died — and how she lived INTERVIEW CHRISSIE FlRST HE W'4S one BY HYNDE of the Fah Four Then for the next 30 years Paul McCartney was always with his wife Linda U A'ovv Paul 56 is alone for the first time without his "mate " as he refers to Linda People who know McCartney would add “soul” to that H Since Linda 's death in April at 56 of breast cancer a devastated McCartney has kept close to home and family in Sussex England saying little publicly But a few weeks ago he broke his silence to talk with Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders a family friend for USA II LIKtXI) For the first time McCartney discusses his relationship with his American wife how they raised their children the agonizing two years after Linda w as diagnosed and why they made Wide Prairie a posthumous album of Linda’s out this week TI In his London office McCartney was upbeat for most of the conversation until he started recalling Linda 's last days “He started to get choked ” up Hynde says “The legacy of Paul's music in the Beatles is one thing but I think his real legacy Ls this love story he had with Linda ” Here are excerpts from the interview Paul and Linda McCartney in London 1991 After her death in April Paul completed work on her album: he describes those studio sessions as a bittersweet mix of “tears and laughter" Q: You and Linda almost never spent a night apart Was that some kind of pact you made with her? No it just happened that way I always think of Linda still as my girlfriend That's how we started out in the ’60s just as friends Whenever 1 I was working late somewhere just never fancied it 1 thought: Well 1 could stay overnight in this posh hotel or 1 could go home to Linda And it was always the brighter of the two options: Yeah go home to Linda It was just that I liked being with her quite frankly I think that's the most difficult thing about losing her just how much I enjoyed being with her Q: Did you ever vacation together without the kids -a little second honeymoon? No we even took Heather Linda’s daughter from her first marriage on our honeymoon From the second they were born to this day I think you learn so much off kids — if you’re willing to be open and you don’t close your mind and say “Oh I know how to be a parent” 4 USA WEEKEND Oct 1 1998 always said to Lin that being a parent is the b you’re ever involved in The greatest teach you in the end This beautiful innocent as we wisdom tends to erode in us grown-up- s get older but they bring it back — which is magic I ad-li- Q: Nobody talks about this stuff This is what Linda and I were this is why we were so close and this is why this year has been so devastating for me — because she was the only person I ever talked to like this in my whole life I never talked like this to my mum and dad even though I was very close to them Linda and I always used to remind each other that that was sort of what the Beatles were about that honesty I remember when we first came to America and all the publicists said “Don’t mention the Vietnam War” So of course the first question we got we mentioned it y life you’ve adopted a very modest lifestyle You have a farm and a lot of land Q: In your COVER K K K PHOTOGRAPH BY LINDA McCARTNEY 1997 |