07 October 2023 , 19:57
949
0
Paul McCartney reportedly "prevented" his late wife Linda McCartney from releasing a memoir as he reportedly feared that she would "tell too much truth" in it.
The musician, now 81, was married to Linda from 1969 until her death in 1998. The pair had three children together, including fashion designer Stella McCartney, now 52, and Paul adopted Linda's daughter Heather McCartney, now 60.
It's been claimed that photographer Linda - also known as an animal rights activist and vegetarian cookbook author - was working on a memoir at one point during the marriage.
READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: George Harrison's two biggest passions saved his life during crazed knife attack
Paul McCartney (right) was married to the late Linda McCartney (left) from 1969 until her death in 1998 (Getty Images)Lesley Ann Jones told the Daily Mail that she had been hired as a ghostwriter on the project more than three decades ago. She teased that the autobiography was "never finished" and suggested that Paul was responsible for that.
Beatles' first tour was the start of total madness, says ex of Fab Four legend
The writer - who's releasing a book on him, titled Fly Away Paul, on October 10 - recalled visiting Linda at the couple's cottage in Peasmarsh, East Sussex, once. She said it was there that they "mapped out" an online for the book.
Lesley said it would have contained around 30 chapters, including discussing the years when Paul was a member of the Beatles. The book was reportedly also set to review Linda's life as a wife, parent and activist. There's said to have been three publishers ready to compete for the rights to it.
Linda was married to Paul when he was a member of the Beatles and then later the band Wings (WireImage)Lesley said: "Linda made it clear from the outset that her husband would have the last word. She sounded tearful sometime later when she called to impart the bad news, that Paul 'wasn't going to let her do the book' after all." The writer said that Linda never shared the reason why "exactly".
She questioned what had made successful singer-songwriter Paul "prevent" his wife from "writing her own story". Lesley teased that it may have been Linda's "frankness" and "fearlessness," adding that she was the type of person who insisted on "calling a spade a spade". She further suggested that Paul may have been "afraid she would tell too much truth."
Lesley said that years later she asked Geoff Baker - who's said to have been Paul's publicist for more than a decade - if he knew why Linda's book had been scrapped. She said that he told her that it was Paul "being a control freak". He reportedly added that there was "too much going on in his head" and that he sometimes "loses sight of what matters".
The writer claimed that she had been told by Geoff that, when Linda shared her intention to do a memoir, Paul "lost his rag". Geoff reportedly told Lesley that it was along the lines of "there's only one f***ing star in this family".