Paul McCartney: I Still Talk to Linda

ByABC News
September 12, 2000, 1:53 AM

L O N D O N, Sept. 12 -- Paul McCartney says he talks to his deceased wife, Linda, and asked her what she thought of his new romance with model Heather Mills.

She is a great girl and I have to talk [to Linda]aboutthat. You know ... What am I doing, babe? How do you feel aboutthis, the ex-Beatle told Londons Mirror tabloid.

And she says, If I was there, youd be dead meat, sucker. But Im not and I want you to be happy, he said. Thats the feeling I get back. I know theyd like each other because they have a lot in common.

Big Hearts and Tough Spirits

The singer said his late wife and Mills, 32, both have big hearts and a toughness ofspirit.

Linda McCartney died of breast cancer two years ago. The two had been married for more than 30 years.

I have a new romance with Heather Mills and I am very intoit, McCartney, 58, told the newspaper.

People say time is a healer, and time heals by erasing. That is a sad fact. I am not saying I could ever forget my mum or my dad or Linda or John [Lennon]. In some ways you remember them more, he told the newspaper. But when Linda died all of us in the family expected her to walk in the door, and we dont now. I would have preferred it if it [Lindas death] hadnt happened, but it has changed me.

A Lot in Common

In a separate article McCartney penned for The Timesnewspaper, the singer talked about his new book out this weekwhich features his secret passion painting.

People say to me, I didnt know you painted, and theywouldnt because I have hardly talked about it outside myfamily, McCartney wrote in The Times.

He said he kept his hobby quiet for fear of being labeledas celebrity painter.

I didnt want to get labeled with that one, but I knew itwas out there because I knew anyone who crosses out of his ownfield into a different medium tends to get criticized, he said.