Paul McCartney Pays Tribute to Late Wings Bandmate Denny Laine
Paul McCartney has issued a statement paying tribute to Denny Laine, the co-founder of Wings, who died today (Dec. 5) at age 79.
McCartney began his statement, “I am very saddened to hear that my ex-bandmate, Denny Laine, has died. I have many fond memories of my time with Denny: from the early days when The Beatles toured with the Moody Blues. Our two bands had a lot of respect for each other and a lot of fun together.”
Macca continued, “Denny joined Wings at the outset. He was an outstanding vocalist and guitar player. His most famous performance is probably ‘Go Now’ an old Bessie Banks song, which he would sing brilliantly. He and I wrote some songs together the most successful being ‘Mull of Kintyre,’ which was a big hit in the Seventies. We had drifted apart but, in recent years, managed to reestablish our friendship and share memories of our times together.”
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McCartney concluded, “Denny was a great talent with a fine sense of humor and was always ready to help other people. He will be missed by all his fans and remembered with great fondness by his friends. I send my condolences and best wishes to his wife, Elizabeth and family.”
Laine’s wife, Elizabeth Hines, confirmed his death in a statement. His recent health issues stemmed from Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). Hines wrote in her statement, “He and I both believed he would overcome his health setbacks and return to the rehabilitation center and eventually home. Unfortunately, his lung disease, Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), is unpredictable and aggressive; each infection weakened and damaged his lungs. He fought everyday. He was so strong and brave, never complained.”
Laine was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 as a member of the Moody Blues. He appeared on their 1965 album The Magnificent Moodies. Laine also played on all seven studio albums from Wings, which was also co-founded by Paul McCartney in 1971 following the breakup of the Beatles.
