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The gateway to Beatle Paul McCartney’s 150 acre ranch in far east Tucson, near the foothills of the Rincon Mountains. Paul and Linda lived here with their four children in the spring and autumn for 19 years until Linda’s death on April 17, 1998 on the modest stucco ranch house with a tin roof and a pool in the shape of Mickey Mouse.
J Wilkerson
Jerry Wilkerson Special for the Arizona Daily Star
Publisher’s Note: Paul McCartney’s birthday is on June 18th. He is 79.
The dusty tarmac road in the far east of Tucson doesn’t look like it leads to a British aristocratic house.
But the 150 acre ranch near the foothills of the Rincon Mountains belongs to Sir Paul McCartney, whose wife Linda died there in 1998.
McCartney’s company is still paying taxes on the property; obviously someone is holding the place up. But that’s the back story. What we have here is a thread about a larger than life love affair.
This is an honest Camelot style love story with a chivalrous royal knight and his queen. This fairy tale spans the world and ends in this house on Redington Pass.
Paul McCartney’s connection to Tucson was through his wife, Linda Eastman. She attended the University of Arizona, where she began her productive career as a photographer. Linda was in love with the beauty of the desert and the tranquility of life.
The two met in London in 1967 when Linda had a photographic assignment for a book about rock stars. After two years of advertising, they were officially married in 1969 in a London town hall.
In 1997, the former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney and his wife Linda came to the world premiere of his symphonic work “Standing Stone” at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Peter Jordan, Associated Press 1997
Soon they were blasting each other beyond the limits of their common imagination. During their 29-year marriage, Paul was the most creative of his musical career, and Linda flourished as a musician.
During their 29-year marriage, the couple was only separated for one night.
After purchasing the Tucson Ranch in 1979, the McCartney family began to grow. The house became a dominant family home, especially in spring and autumn – a place where you can be free and one with nature, far away from the prying eyes of the world.
The locals understood and avoided them. Occasionally, Mom, Dad, and the Tucsonan children ventured into restaurants and shops and loved it.
An aerial photo shows McCartney Ranch on Redington Road east of Tucson in 1998.
Jeff Topping, Arizona Daily Star special
The McCartneys frequented the old Skaggs drug store on Speedway and Camino Seco, especially on Halloween and Thanksgiving. During those times, fans hung out waiting for autographs and a glimpse of the rock star family entourage.
Other locals camped out at the nearby AJ Bayless grocery store, where Paul kindly signed albums while collecting milk and bread.
In 1995 Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer. The privacy of the ranch allowed her to receive treatment and healing in a secluded personal privilege.
Just a few days before Linda’s death, she and Paul rode their beloved Appaloosa horses Spot and Blanket across the ranch and the adjacent wilderness area and enjoyed the time together. Paul and Linda’s doctors had decided not to tell her how much her cancer had spread.
Linda McCartney sings with Paul McCartney (background) and Wings in concert at the Tucson Community Center on June 18, 1976.
Lew Elliott / Tucson Citizen
On the morning of Friday April 17, 1998, 56-year-old Linda Eastman McCartney died in the Tucson ranch home. Paul and the family, including their four children, were with her.
On the evening of her death, a crescent moon crossed the star-studded Tucson sky, casting a comforting, soft glow over her tin roof.
Linda’s body was cremated in Tucson and became part of the desert she respected and embraced when the family dumped their ashes around the ranch before returning to London.
Tucsonans Greg Ash and Dave Slavin contributed to this story.
SaddleBrooke-based freelance writer Jerry Wilkerson is a former press secretary for two US Congressmen and was a radio and newspaper correspondent for Chicago CBS. Wilkerson is a US Navy veteran who served as police commissioner. Email: Franchise@att.net
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