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BEATLES CONSPIRACY: DID THEY COVER UP E X TE R N A L L I N K S PAUL'S 1966 DEATH?

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In October of 1969, three weeks after the Beatles' celebrated Abbey Road album was released, WKNR-FM's Russ Gibb took a call from a man who identified himself only as "Tom." The Detroit deejay listened as the caller carefully laid out clues hidden in Beatles' songs and album art, which he said indicated Paul McCartney had died on November 9, 1966, in an automobile accident. Listeners began deluging New York City radio stations with "evidence" and soon the rumor spread around the world. Was this a Beatles' publicity stunt, a fan feeding-frenzy fueled by clues left as an inside joke by John Lennon—or was Paul really dead?

HOW PAUL ALLEGEDLY DIED

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E X T E R N A L L I N K S

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Piecing together clues from songs, films and album covers, conspiracy buffs have come up with this scenario: During the early-morning hours of Mars Rover Curiosity Adam Levine Says 4 Found An Ancient... Simple Words And November 9, 1966, Paul argued with his bandmates in the studio while Twitter Goes Crazy! recording songs for their Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. He left in a huff just before 5 a.m. While driving to a friend's house, Paul picked up a female hitchhiker who couldn't control her excitement when she realized who was behind the wheel. She lunged to hug Paul, causing him to lose control of his Aston Martin. It smashed into a stone fence and burst into flames, killing them both. Paul was decapitated and burnt to a crisp, making a positive ID difficult. Despite no evidence to support either the story of the fatal crash or of a cover-up, the rumors persisted.

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POPULAR MYTHS, DEBUNKED

FOOTBALL CONSPIRACY Getty Images THEORIES The theory of why a cover-up of Paul's alleged death was necessary goes something like this: Because of all the money the Beatles contributed to England's tax coffers, their continued success was vital to the financial health of the nation. So the British government, in cahoots with the surviving members of the Beatles, their producer George Martin, manager Brian MORE CONSPIRACIES PHOTOS » Epstein (pictured above), recording engineer Geoff Emerick and road manager Mal Evans, conspired to cover-up Paul's death. It was speculated Find us on Facebook that in return they were given a huge sum of money and guaranteed success in whatever future endeavors they engaged. They all denied any conspiracy. truTV

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In order for McCartney's death to be kept under wraps, the Beatles would need a look-alike to sub for him. It's said they found the perfect candidate in an actor named William Shears Campbell, the winner of a McCartney look- alike contest who resembled the singer so much that he was supposedly on the Beatles' payroll as a stand-in to throw off fans and the press. The name may ring a bell from the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" lyric on the album of the same name: "So let me introduce to you / The one and only Billy Shears / And Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Pictured: Paul and his double—or Paul doubled?

THE PRESS COVERS THE DEATH RUMORS

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The press was interested in the rumors of Paul's untimely demise. A November 7, 1969, Life magazine cover story approached the issue in a light- hearted manner, rather than as an investigative piece. The article quoted Paul, who paraphrased Mark Twain: "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." He then wryly added, "However, if I was dead, I'm sure I'd be the last to know."

"PAUL" GOES SOLO

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Around the time these rumors started, the Beatles were in the midst of breaking up and Paul—along with his wife, Linda Eastman, and their children —retreated to a farm on the isolated Scottish peninsula of Kintyre. There Paul recorded his first solo album, McCartney. Oddly, the cover of the album shows cherries scattered among a white rectangle (possibly representing a road) and a white bowl half filled with cherry juice (which could be blood). Once the rumor of Paul's death started, it spread rapidly, thanks to other "clues" fans seemed to find in every picture and recording by the Beatles. The following are prime examples...

SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND CLUES

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The cover of the groundbreaking album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, has multiple indications that Paul McCartney may not have survived. The Beatles, wearing their new hippy attire, stand in the middle of the cover overlooking what appears to be a flower-covered grave. To their right are wax mannequins—borrowed from Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum—of the younger Beatles sadly looking down toward the "grave."

THE DRUMHEAD-REFLECTION CIPHER

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The ornate drumhead in the center of the cover that says "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" may be the most deliberate clue of all. When you hold a straight-edge mirror perpendicular to the center of the drum, in the middle of the words "Lonely Hearts," the reflection reads, I ONE IX HE ♦ DIE ("One one nine he die," or November 9 he die). The diamond points to McCartney.

THE DOLL

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Also on the Sgt. Peppers cover, a doll of a girl sits on the lap of an old woman. "Welcome the Rolling Stones" is printed on her sweater. Were the Beatles insinuating that since Paul's death, the Rolling Stones had surpassed them to become the world's greatest rock band? On the doll's right leg sits a toy Aston Martin (the type of car that Paul drove) and at its left side is a bloody driving glove.

A RETOUCHED PHOTO OF "PAUL"?

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A mustachioed Paul (perhaps a double hiding plastic-surgery scars) has a patch on his left arm with the initials, "OPD," which could be an acronym for Officially Pronounced Dead. In the November 7, 1969, Life interview meant to address the death rumors, Paul (or his double) explained, "It is all bloody stupid. I picked up that OPD badge in Canada. It was a police badge. Perhaps it means Ontario Police Department or something." Hardcore conspiracy theorists maintain that the photo was retouched to make the imposter look more like McCartney.

BACK COVER CLUES

Rick Theis f or truTV www.trutv.com/conspiracy/celebs/paul-is-dead/gallery.all.html 5/13 22/09/2013 Beatles Conspiracy: Did They Cover Up Paul's 1966 Death? Photo Gallery - All Photos - Conspiracies on truTV.com The Beatles stand together against a vivid red background, representing blood, with the album's song lyrics superimposed over the photo. Paul stands with his back to the camera, as if he does not want to be closely examined, while Harrison's thumb points to the opening line of the "She's Leaving Home" lyric that reads: "Wednesday morning at five o'clock as the day begins..." November 9, 1966, was a Wednesday and 5 a.m. was the purported time of McCartney's car crash.

I AM THE WALRUS

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Magical Mystery Tour was conceived as a television movie and album. It features both visual and musical clues starting with the group in disguise— with Paul dressed as a walrus. Allegedly, in the Nordic-Viking culture, the walrus is a symbol of death.

THE FAB THREE?

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In the Magical Mystery Tour film, as the group performs "I Am the Walrus," Paul in stocking feet stands next to an empty pair of blood-spattered shoes and the drumhead reads "Love the 3 Beatles" (implying, perhaps, that there were only three surviving members of the group).

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR MOVIE STILL

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In an irrelevant scene from the film Magical Mystery Tour, Paul in a military uniform sits behind a mysterious psychedelic sign that reads: "I WAS."

JOHN: 'THE WALRUS WAS PAUL'

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On the album, The Beatles, which has come to be known as the White Album thanks to its white-on-white cover, John sings a song he wrote called "Glass Onion," an unambiguous line from which states: "And here's another clue for you all: / The walrus was Paul."

WHITE ALBUM BACKMASKING CLUES

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John Lennon began experimenting with backmasking (adding backward voices and music) in earnest on the White Album. When played backward, one of the songs, "Revolution 9," contains a voice that seems to say, "Turn me on, dead man" several times. And what sounds like "Paul is a dead man, miss him, miss him, miss him" is heard on the "I'm So Tired" track.

www.trutv.com/conspiracy/celebs/paul-is-dead/gallery.all.html 7/13 22/09/2013 Beatles Conspiracy: Did They Cover Up Paul's 1966 Death? Photo Gallery - All Photos - Conspiracies on truTV.com THE LET IT BE ALBUM COVER

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Let It Be was the second-to-last Beatles album to be recorded, but the last to be released. On the cover, Paul is the only Beatle whose face is partially obscured (by a microphone). He is also the only one not photographed in profile and with a white background. Paul's background is blood red.

DRESSED FOR DEATH

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On the cover of the last album that the Beatles recorded, Abbey Road, the band is photographed crossing Abbey Road in London, outside of British music company EMI's Abbey Road Recording Studios. Paul is out of step with the other Beatles, barefoot and with his eyes closed. In many countries, including England, bodies are buried shoeless. Also, the way that the Beatles are dressed on the cover is said to have this meaning: Lennon in white - the preacher Starr in black - the undertaker "McCartney" in a suit and barefoot - the corpse Harrison in blue jeans and work shirt - the grave digger

28 IF

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In the background on the Abbey Road cover is a Volkswagen with the possibly cryptic message, "28 IF," on its license plate. Proponents of the Paul-is-dead school take this to mean that had Paul McCartney lived, he would have been 28 years old. Life magazine quoted Paul (the real one or the substitute?) as explaining, "On Abbey Road we were wearing our ordinary clothes. I was walking barefoot because it was a hot day. The Volkswagen just happened to be parked there."

MAXWELL OF MI5

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The theory continues: An officer—known only as "Maxwell" from British intelligence unit MI5—was assigned to keep an eye on the group to make sure that they kept their mouths shut about the tragedy. The song, "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," on the Abbey Road album, refers to Maxwell and his license to kill. This is one of many examples of a Beatles' lyric being employed in the service of the conspiracy theory.

MAXWELL AND THE JOHN LENNON MURDER

NY Daily News/Getty Images www.trutv.com/conspiracy/celebs/paul-is-dead/gallery.all.html 9/13 22/09/2013 Beatles Conspiracy: Did They Cover Up Paul's 1966 Death? Photo Gallery - All Photos - Conspiracies on truTV.com Conspiracy lore says that in 1980, John Lennon was about to make public the cover-up of Paul's death when he was assassinated by Mark David Chapman —and that Chapman was hypnotized and conditioned to kill Lennon by MI5's Maxwell.

PAUL (OR HIS DOUBLE?) TODAY

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Since his "demise," Paul has led a full life. He has fronted a hugely successful post-Beatles band, Wings; has released several group and solo smash hits; was knighted by the Queen of England; and has been certified by Guinness World Records as pop music's most successful songwriter. Not bad for a man who's been "dead" going on 35 years. Certainly, the theory of Paul's death strains credibility, but it must have been fun for fans to hunt for clues in the band's photos, films and lyrics during the rumor's heyday.

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Mark Thomason · Works at Mt Carmel IGA you all need to read the book turn me on dead man. Willian Campbell was a made up Character. the same person that made him up got the idea from a real Paul look alike contest from the states. the contest was all in fun. still, I believe the Beatles did plant the clues for two reasons. one, they were afraid after they stopped touring, they wouldn't be as popular. and youy have to admit, the clues helped sell albums. and two, anyone who is a fan knows they have kind of an odd ball sense of humor sometimes. cmon folks, it was all just a joke. yes, it can become addictive. I still cant get over the fact though, that some people really believe it. Paul is very much alive, and still touring. Reply · 29 · Like · Follow Post · September 22, 2012 at 2:57am

Mark Thomason · Works at Mt Carmel IGA the man who made up the name william campbell was named Jeff Labour. he was a high school newspaper editor friend of Russ Gibb, who was the first dj to play the Paul is dead clues on the air. Reply · 10 · Like · September 23, 2012 at 2:23am

Ariel Margen All these conspiracy theorists are full of crap... Reply · 21 · Like · October 11, 2012 at 8:27am

Aaron Amburgey · Follow · Top Commenter · Cumberland, Kentucky Have you heard the new Harrison auto tapes....Please everyone knows governments are as crooked as a country road. I believe Paul is dead. And theres one way to prove it. Send Faul to American and his parents and let us do a DNA test with the FBI doing the test that is the only way to prove Faul is an imposter. Faul if your reading this you should be concerned you imposter. Reply · 11 · Like · November 16, 2012 at 9:58am

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bookgalaxysf (signed in using yahoo) I just recently watched the doc "Paul Really is Dead". I had never really taken the Paul is dead rumors seriously before but after seeing a lot of the evidence at the same time I believe he did die in 66.

It certainly explains a lot about what the Beatles were doing back then. After coming out with several light- hearted albums with songs like I want to hold your hand, twist & shout etc it seemed like the band suddenly had a strange new muse and the musical references became somewhat obscure and tormented. When they came out with an album titled Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club band I thought what the F is that about, and the grave on the cover and all the stuff on the cover that seemed like it was put together to mean something but I couldn't figure it out at the time. What significance did the words Strawberry Fields Have? If Paul died in 66 it makes perfect sense, of course the Lonely hearts were theirs because they missed Paul and the grave on the cover makes perfect sense if he did die. The album liner that looks like it is soaking up blood also makes sense. It turns out there is a large cemetary in Liverpool popularly known as Strawberry Fields. Back then I wondered why were they recording songs with lyrics like: he blew his mind out in a car, didn't notice that the light had changed.

I can't imagine the profoundness of the grief the Beatles felt, especially Lennon as he & Paul had been best www.trutv.com/conspiracy/celebs/paul-is-dead/gallery.all.html 10/13