Sir Paul McCartney has experienced several losses in his life, including loved ones, money, and time. But there was one thing Paul never lost: his confidence in true love, which did finally enter his life.
Paul McCartney, one of the members of the 1960s band The Beatles, was born on June 18, 1942, in Liverpool, England. He was not just the principal singer and bassist for the Beatles, but he and fellow Beatle John Lennon were prolific songwriters.
A wide range of musical genres, including jazz, classical, electronic music, and American rock and roll, influences the self-taught artist. He can also play guitar, drums, piano, and bass.
McCartney soared to popularity with the Beatles at age 21, and his life altered instantly. Beatlemania swept the globe, and there was no shortage of women smitten with the dashing singer. When asked about his first love, he stated:
“I met Jane Asher when the Radio Times sent her to cover a concert we were in at the Royal Albert Hall – we had a photo taken with her for the magazine, and we all fancied her.”
McCartney persuaded his crush, Jane Asher, who was only 17 then, to be his girl. Asher inspired the musician during their relationship, inspiring songs like “All My Loving” and “And I Love Her.” He proposed to the journalist, but it was not meant to be.
Asher discovered McCartney had been unfaithful to her in 1968. He was said to have had affairs with other women, including Francie Schwartz and actress Peggy Lipton while working on the Rubber Soul album in 1965.
The disgruntled lover appeared on Simon Dee’s BBC show Dee Time and declared the breakup of her five-year relationship with the Beatle. The divorce was one of the most public and tragic in history. However, it must have been quite humiliating for those concerned.
Then McCartney teamed up with celebrity photographer Linda Eastman. The friends who first met at a Georgie Fame concert in London reconnected in New York in 1968. After six months of courtship, they married at London’s Old Marylebone Town Hall. McCartney recounted their early years as follows:
“When she came to Britain, and we got together, the best part was that we both wanted to be free.”
Mary, Stella, and James were the couple’s three children. Paul and Eastman’s previous husband, Joseph Melville, also adopted Heather. The McCartneys enjoyed spending time at their farm in Kintyre, Scotland, where Eastman photographed the locals.
Heather McCartney is a potter and artist, while Mary McCartney became a photographer after her mother. McCartney’s 1970 solo debut included her as the cover art. Mary has also played an important role in curating and showing her mother’s work.
Stella McCartney is a well-known eco-fashion designer with her skin-care range. And James McCartney is a musician following in his father’s footsteps. Eastman became a vegetarian due to her love of the environment and animals, and she pioneered the movement in the United Kingdom.
Eastman died as a result of breast cancer. The legendary flirt is claimed to have never cheated on his wife during their 30-year marriage. McCartney says he grieved nonstop for a year after his mother died. The artist expressed his sadness after losing his wife, saying:
“You expect to see this person you love to walk in because you’re so used to seeing them. I sobbed a much. It was nearly embarrassing, but it seemed like the only option.”
The pianist was especially hurt by losing his love because he had lost his mother, Mary, to the same sickness when he was just 14 years old. However, the experience of not grieving for his mother provided him the confidence to express his feelings for Linda.
The vocalist recalled Eastman warmly ten years after her death. There was an instant connection between them that changed him for the better from the first time they met.
He remembered how much she enjoyed the adventure and became immersed in nature’s splendor. She taught him not to be too serious about himself.
Despite his life’s misfortunes, Paul McCartney never lost faith in love.
He said that his children’s mother was active till her death. Even in the days before her death, he couldn’t stop her from going on a horseback ride. Her body was weakened by chemotherapy and illness, yet she fought until the bitter end. Linda Eastman passed away on April 17, 1998.
McCartney met Heather Mills, a model, and author, a year after his first wife died. In 2002, they married. Mills was involved in an accident that resulted in her losing a portion of her leg, and she wrote “Out on a Limb” about her experience. She was also a staunch opponent of the use of land mines. However, not everyone liked the new wife. Mills stated regarding McCartney’s daughter:
“Every week, Stella sought to destroy our marriage. She was envious.”
Mills and McCartney welcomed a daughter, Beatrice McCartney, in October 2003. James called his younger sister a “true joy” to the family. The couple’s love tale was cut short by a highly publicized divorce between 2006 and 2008.
McCartney paid Mills a stunning $50 million in the divorce settlement. Both parties were relieved when it ended. Even though family members disliked Mills, they remained respectful for Beatrice’s sake.
Stella designed the bridal gowns, Mary took photographs, and Beatrice was the flower girl.
Mills failed to blend in with the elder McCartney children, but she also lost the battle with the media. Details about her relationship with McCartney were widely publicized, casting her in an unfavorable light. But, as Mills would later observe, “everyone moves on.” She and McCartney concentrated on raising Beatrice as good parents.
Comparisons to McCartney’s first wife are unavoidable, as Shevell appears to have reclaimed his old freedom in his new relationship.
The registrar felt the couple was “very relaxed, charming, and clearly in love.” Following a basic vegetarian supper, guests were given the option of a vegan or standard cake. The pair raised a glass to John Lennon, who would have been 71 years old.
When it came time to reveal his new connection to the world, McCartney simply stated, “I just like being in love.” When asked if dating a celebrity was difficult, Shevell replied, “It’s not easy.”
“I’m a cancer survivor, run a trucking company, and have a 16-year-old to raise. That’s what stress is.”
Comparisons to McCartney’s first wife are unavoidable, as Shevell appears to have reclaimed his old freedom in his new relationship. However, the parallels indicate what the singer sought in a long-term spouse.
Shevell, like Eastman, enjoys spending time outside. She was born and bred on the East Coast of the USA and is a breast cancer survivor. Shevell is also very family-oriented and is focused on raising her son and building good relationships with her husband’s children.
While the whole world was grappling with the restrictions brought by the pandemic, McCartney had the pleasure of being with his daughter Mary and her family. In addition to spending time with his grandkids, he found time to do something overdue. As he released his latest album, “McCartney 3,” the musician said:
“I wasn’t trying to make an album. So suddenly I had these ten songs, I thought, ‘What am I going to do with these?’”
Despite his life’s misfortunes, Paul McCartney never lost faith in love. And he found it again in his wife, Nancy Shevell. He also has children who adore him and grandchildren who bring him joy. Every loss was a stepping stone to finding the life he has today.
