Paul McCartney Remembers Denny Laine: ‘It Was a Pleasure to Know You’

Paul McCartney has penned a tribute to his Wings bandmate Denny Laine, who died on Dec. 5 at 79.

“I am very saddened to hear that my ex-bandmate, Denny Laine, has died,” he wrote of the guitarist, who was also the original lead singer of the Moody Blues. “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. 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.”

He added: “Denny was a great talent with a fine sense of humour 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. Peace and love Denny. It was a pleasure to know you. We are all going to miss you.”

Laine died after a short battle with Interstitial lung disease. His wife, Elizabeth Hines, wrote that she was at his bedside holding hands and playing his favorite Christmas songs when he died. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Moody Blues in 2018.