Paul McCartney pays tribute to “dear friend” Astrid Kirchherr: “We fell in love with her style”

"I have so many fond memories of our time together"

Paul McCartney has shared an emotional tribute to his “dear friend”, The Beatles‘ photographer Astrid Kirchherr.

Kirchherr, who died last week at the age of 82, was renowned for taking the first ever photograph of The Beatles in her hometown of Hamburg, when they were an unknown five-piece. She then went on to shoot some of the most recognisable snaps of the Fab Four.

Paying tribute on Twitter, McCartney wrote: “Very sad news this week about Astrid Kirchherr.

“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 went on to reference Kirchherr’s celebrated photography, and said The Beatles  “all loved” her work.

He said: “Astrid took beautiful photographs of us. She used black and white film and achieved a stunning mood in her pictures that we all loved.

Astrid Kirchherr
Astrid Kirchherr and John Lennon during the filming of The Beatles’ ‘A Hard Day’s Night’. Credit: Max Scheler/Redferns

“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.”

McCartney 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”.

Kirchherr’s photography of the band was collated into a 2018 book, Astrid Kirchherr with the Beatles.

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