Angie McCartney, now 83 years old, is releasing a memoir of her life called 'My Long and Winding Road'. She married Paul McCartney's father, Jim, at the height of Beatlemania in November 1964. She and her young daughter, Ruth, moved in with Mr. McCartney in the four-bedroom house called Rembrandt that Paul had bought for his father in the Wirral next to Liverpool.
Jim McCartney's first wife and Paul McCartney's mother, Mary, died in 1956 from cancer. Angie's first husband died in 1962. As a result, Jim and Angie shared a common bond over losing their spouses. Angie had a daughter Ruth from her first marriage and Mr. McCartney adopted Ruth as one of his own, making her a stepsister to Paul McCartney and his brother, Mike. Angie and Jim were married until Jim's passing in 1976.
“We lived quite a quiet life, when I think about it,” Angie told the Liverpool Echo. “Jim was a quiet conservative man who didn’t like a fuss. Yes, we used to have photographers and reporters outside, but inside it was all very simple.”
Of interest to Beatles fans are the many visits that Paul McCartney would make to his father's house in the '60s. One of the stories that Angie recalls is when Paul wrote the song "Blackbird." Angie claims that Paul wrote the song for her mother and Ruth's grandmother, Edie. Edie was staying at the McCartney house one day when Paul came to visit. She wasn't feeling well and Paul went in her room to see her. He asked her if she was able to sleep at night. Edie said when she had trouble sleeping she was comforted by the beautiful sound of the blackbird outside her window. Paul then got his tape recorder and sat with Edie all night to record the sound of the blackbird. On an early recording of "Blackbird", Paul says the song is "dedicated to Edie." (See video: Angie McCartney reveals origin of The Beatles' song 'Blackbird')
The book, with a foreword by Cynthia Lennon, will be released on January 30 with a big two-night celebration in Liverpool. The event will be held at the Liverpool Philharmonic featuring Beatles tribute bands and special guest Beatles Fan Club Secretary Freda Kelly. The famous Beatles rooftop concert, held on the same day in 1969, will be recreated onstage. For those who cannot attend in person, the event will be live streamed online. Visit http://www.mccartney.com/ for more information.
Angie, a native of Liverpool, also runs a tea business called Mrs. McCartney's Teas. She now lives in California with her daughter Ruth and son-in-law. 'My Long and Winding Road' is available for purchase at Amazon.co.uk and will also be available as an e-book.
Comments