"Thats the thing about conspiracy theories," says The North 1033's Chris Harwood. "Once you start looking for evidence you can find any evidence you want that - taken alone and not put into proper context - can give you exactly what you need."
In the late-1960s, the youth of America were responding to the US government's involvement in Vietnam which birthed an anti-authoritarian mindset that may very well have led to a pop culture urban legend about the supposed death of Paul McCartney.
In 1969, the Beatles hit a rough patch and went their own ways for a while. Most notably, John Lennon (along with Yoko Ono) went on the Beds-in for peace tour, and Paul McCartney decided to get away from the limelight and head up to his farm in Scotland. It was this innocuous decision by Paul that would prove to be the spark in a media fire that enveloped the curiosity of the world and led to conspiracy theorists drawing rash conclusions and insisting that Paul McCartney was dead.
Small 'clues' like perceiving the Abby Road album cover as a funeral procession, the O.P.D. ("Officially Pronounced Dead") patch on Paul's shoulder inside the Sergeant Pepper album jacket, and various audio snippets that suggested remorse from the three other Beatles were, for some, more than enough evidence.
Was a Paul lookalike hired to hide the morbid truth? Were the Beatles unwilling to announce the death of their bass player? Was John singing "cranberry sauce" or was it the more ominous "I buried Paul"?
Today (June 18th, 2024) is Paul McCartney's 82nd birthday. Hopefully all of the candles on that birthday cake will be able to shed enough light on the truth of the situation.
You can hear Community Connection every Tuesday and Thursday at 8am on Northland Morning. This edition of Community Connection is made possible in part by Lakewalk Surgery Center.
