Paul McCartney remembers former bandmate Denny Laine
Musician Paul McCartney has paid tribute to his former bandmate Denny Laine. The two played together in the Wings - now Laine has died at the age of 79. "I have many fond memories of my time with Denny," wrote McCartney (81) in a post on Instagram. Laine played with the British band The Moody Blues and later alongside ex-Beatle McCartney in Wings.
"We had drifted apart but managed to rekindle our friendship in recent years and share memories of our time together," McCartney wrote. "Denny was a great talent with a fine sense of humor and he was always willing to help other people." He was an outstanding singer and guitarist.
Died after a long illness
Laine died at the age of 79 after a long illness with lung disease, as the BBC and other media quoted from a statement by Laine's wife Elizabeth Hines. "I was by his side and held his hand while I played his favorite Christmas song," she said.
Born in Birmingham in 1944, Laine founded the band The Moody Blues in the 1960s, which shot to the top of the British charts with "Go Now". The song, originally sung by soul musician Bessie Banks, is one of the most important ballads of the 1960s, wrote the British newspaper "Guardian".
"Mull of Kintyre" became a hit
Laine left the band in 1966 and tried his hand at a solo career before joining the newly formed Wings around McCartney and his wife Linda in 1971. During his ten years with the band, he co-wrote the hit "Mull of Kintyre", among others. "I was more in the shadows, but that didn't bother me," Laine said in an interview a few months ago.
The British newspaper "Times" wrote on his death that, given his great talent as a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, it was surprising that there had not been more highlights in his long career. "Part of the reason for this may have been his own restlessness, which led him to leave Moody Blues and Wings at the height of their success."
McCartney wrote that Laine will be missed by his fans and remembered by his friends. His most famous work is probably "Go Now", which he sang brilliantly. They had written several songs together, the most successful of which was "Mull of Kintyre", which was a big hit in the seventies, McCartney wrote. "It was an honor to know you. We will all miss you."
Read also:
- Sky documentary: "23 - The mysterious death of a hacker"
- TV tips on Tuesday
- The Christmas streaming offer at Sky
- TV tips on Saturday
Source: www.stern.de
