Never-before-seen letters by the late Linda McCartney denying her budding relationship with Sir Paul McCartney to go up for auction
- Before she met Paul, Linda was in a relationship with actor Del Henney
- She mentions him in letter to friend music producer and composer Miki Anthony
- The letters will go on sale at Chiswick Auctions, West London on January 29
A rare letter by the late Linda McCartney in which she is apparently pining for an ex-boyfriend at the start of her relationship with Sir Paul McCartney has been discovered.
Before she met the Beatle and future husband in May 1967, Linda had been in a relationship with the English actor Del Henney.
Although they broke up some months before she met Sir Paul, Linda remained in contact with the Liverpudlian actor.
In the letter to friend, English music producer and composer Miki Anthony she said: ‘I still think about Del and often miss him – wish I could cut him out of my life’
In the letter dated June 1967, Linda, an American music photographer at the time, denies a report in a magazine that stated she and Sir Paul were dating.
She calls it a lie – even though it was true – and then adds that she still thought about Del.
In the letter to friend, English music producer and composer Miki Anthony, she writes: ‘Thought you’d get a big laugh over the enclosed (magazine) clipping – have no idea where they picked up that lie.
‘I still think about Del and often miss him – wish I could cut him out of my life.’
In two other letters that have also come to light, Linda tells of her excitement at working with and photographing The Who and the Rolling Stones but does not mention The Beatles.
She writes about meeting Sir Mick Jagger for the first time, stating: ‘The Stones were my favourite. Went out with Mick Jagger – he’s really a terrific person much to my surprise.’
In the letter dated June 1967, Linda, an American music photographer at the time, denies a report in a magazine that stated she and Sir Paul (pictured) were dating. She calls it a lie – even though it was true – and then adds that she still thought about Del
The three letters were written by Linda to Mr Anthony, who was living in London at the time, in 1966 and 1967.
She had met Mr Anthony and Mr Henney when they worked in Arizona, U.S., as part of a ‘Shakespeare in the Desert’ tour.
Mr Anthony has recently stumbled upon the letters during a clear out and has made them available for sale at Chiswick Auctions, West London.
Vlentina Borghi, head of sales of autograph memorabilia at Chiswick Auctions, said: ‘I don’t think many people knew before she dated this other guy. She mentions a ‘Del’ a few times in the letters and the vendor explained to me this was Del Henney who had a relationship with Linda.
‘I think this was for probably less than a year from the time the vendor and Del toured Arizona and met Linda to before the start of her relationship with Sir Paul McCartney.
‘I think they split up on friendly terms as Linda was very open and positive person.
‘Although it must have been a short relationship it made quite an impression on her life at that point.
‘The June 1967 letter is fascinating. In it she is denying her budding relationship with Paul. I would think this was probably because it was all quite fresh and she was just trying to protect herself and Paul. I think she wanted to keep it under the radar.’
In the two earlier letters, Linda tells the recipient of how she is going from working as a photographer for a music magazine to going freelance and working with numerous bands of the day.
Linda McCartney, nee Eastman, married Sir Paul in 1969 and formed the band Wings with him in 1971.
She died of breast cancer in 1998 aged 56.
The letters are being sold on January 29.