David Simmons

By early 1969, John had married Yoko, leaving Cynthia to raise their five year old son, Julian, with very little financial support. Although John was a global superstar, he left Cynthia with only a small divorce settlement, making it very difficult for her to maintain a home and provide for her son’s future. During the years following the divorce, Paul McCartney took on a role in Julian’s life that was much more like a father figure than an uncle. While John was heavily focused on his new life, Paul made a point to visit Cynthia and Julian at their home to check on how they were holding up. This genuine concern led to the creation of the legendary song “Hey Jude.” In 1968, while Paul was driving to visit them, he began humming a melody to comfort the young boy. He originally titled the song “Hey Jules” as a direct message to Julian, telling him to take a sad situation and make it better. Within a few years, Cynthia found herself in a desperate financial situation and realized she needed to raise money quickly to keep her and Julian alive. She made the heartbreaking decision to auction off the intimate love letters and hand drawn sketches John had sent her during their teenage years in Liverpool. These items were incredibly personal, featuring passionate declarations of love and private jokes from a time before the Beatles were famous. In one particularly emotional letter, John had written, “I love you like anything Cynthia… I’m just thinking about us and how much I want to be with you,” and often signed them off with “I love you, Cyn” alongside hand drawn hearts. It was an agonizing sacrifice for Cynthia to part with these priceless mementos of her youth. The collection eventually sold for a very high price, and it was soon revealed that the secret buyer was actually Paul McCartney. Paul had paid a small fortune to secure the items, but he did not keep them for himself. Instead, he had every letter and drawing neatly framed and mailed them back to Cynthia a few days later. He included a touching note that simply said, “Never sell your memories. Love, Paul McCartney.” This act of kindness ensured that Cynthia could keep the money she needed for survival while also holding onto the history of her family. True friendship knows no boundaries. Even when a family or a group falls apart, the bonds of loyalty remain. Paul McCartney showed that being a friend means showing up for people when they are at their lowest and protecting their dignity when they cannot protect it themselves. #drthehistories