Paul McCartney has penned a heartfelt tribute to his “dear friend” Astrid Kirchherr, the photographer who captured some of The Beatles’ most iconic shots.
Kirchherr, the creative who is widely remembered for being the person to capture the first-ever photograph of The Beatles in her hometown of Hamburg, passed away last week at the age of 82. Following the band since their pre-fame days, Kirchherr followed the Fab Four to the top and was always armed with her camera.
Taking to social media to pay tribute to Kirchherr, McCartney wrote: “Very sad news this week about Astrid Kirchherr,” in a post on Twitter.
“Astrid was a dear friend from my Hamburg days with The Beatles. Another friend, Klaus Voormann, told me she had passed away and this brought back memories of our days in the clubs in Hamburg,” he added. “Astrid looked unique. She had a short blond haircut and wore a slim black, leather outfit which made her look like a funky pixie.
“She would come to the club with Klaus and another friend, Jürgen Vollmer, and the three of them made quite an impression on us four lads from Liverpool. Their wit and conversation was really stimulating and we fell in love with Astrid’s style.”
McCartney added: “Astrid took beautiful photographs of us. She used black and white film and achieved a stunning mood in her pictures that we all loved.
“She had a great sense of humour and later went on to marry Stuart our bass player. I have so many fond memories of our time together in the club or her home or a trip to the nearby seaside resort, Lübeck.”
The Beatles bassist concluded: “So sad for all of us who were her friends to lose such a lovely lady from our lives. I will miss her but will always remember her and her cheeky grin with great fondness. God bless you Astrid, see ya love! – Paul McCartney.”
