British designer Stella McCartney speaks emotionally about the harsh criticism her mother Linda McCartney (American photographer, singer and keyboardist) suffered in the British rock band "Wings" founded by her father Paul McCartney, revealing in a Prime Video documentary how much these attacks broke her mother's heart.
The mockery hurt Linda
In "Paul McCartney: Man on the Run," Stella describes the harassment her mother endured, isolated and ridiculed for her voice during live performances. A talented photographer with no formal musical training, Linda played keyboards and sang harmonies, but critics often labeled her an intruder, pointing to her lack of professional technique. "It breaks my heart," confesses Stella, who sensed her mother's pain despite her apparent strength.
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A resilience that inspired Paul
Despite the snide remarks – “She can’t sing, she can’t play” – Linda persevered, bringing, according to Stella, a “bravery” that revitalized Paul after the breakup of the British rock band The Beatles. The couple, married from 1969 until Linda’s death in 1998, formed Wings on a whim, and Paul still champions the “special sound” of his voice today. Stella emphasizes how this tenacity boosted “a Paul who was going through a period of self-doubt.”
A moving family testimony
The documentary, directed by American filmmaker Morgan Neville, blends archival footage with interviews of Paul, Stella, Mary, James, and Heather, as well as those of "Wings," Sean Lennon, Mick Jagger, and Chrissie Hynde. Linda herself downplayed the attacks in 1973: "It doesn't bother me personally." Yet, Stella reveals a deeper vulnerability in this woman who accepted everything to follow her husband on stage.
Stella McCartney thus transforms this painful story into a vibrant tribute to maternal strength, proving that behind the criticism, her mother Linda McCartney made her mark on rock history with her authentic courage.
