Paul McCartney mourns death of his former Wings bandmate

 Paul McCartney is mourning the death of his friend and former band member, Denny Laine. 

The singer, songwriter, and guitarist died at age 79 on Tuesday in Naples, Florida. 

According to a statement released by his wife, Elizabeth Hines, the musician died due to interstitial lung disease. 

"My darling husband passed away peacefully early this morning. I was at his bedside, holding his hand as I played his favorite Christmas songs for him. He’s been singing Christmas songs the past few weeks and I continued to play Christmas songs while he’s been in ICU on a ventilator this past week. 

"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," wrote the wife on Facebook. 

Following the announcement, Paul took to social media to share how saddened he is by the passing. 

"I am very saddened to hear that my ex-bandmate, Denny Laine, has died," wrote Paul. 

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Paul spoke about how the two of them loved performing together. 

"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," wrote Paul. 

He went on to describe the musician as an "outstanding" vocalist. 

"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," wrote Paul. 

He also spoke about how the two of them co-wrote songs together. 

"He and I wrote some songs together the most successful being ‘Mull of Kintyre’ which was a big hit in the Seventies," said Paul. 

The Beatles star says there was a time when their friendship was tested, but they recently reconnected. 

"We had drifted apart but in recent years managed to reestablish our friendship and share memories of our times together," he wrote. 

Paul concluded his post by sending condolences to Denny's family and sharing how much he would miss him. 

"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." 

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