"Of course, intense and sustained attention has been paid to every aspect of the band's existence - and, in the case of Paul McCartney, his purported non-existence as well. The theory that he actually died in the nineteen-sixties and was thereafter secretly played by a double has demonstrated such pop-cultural staying power that even those who barely know the Beatles' music make reference to it."
"The idea, as explained in the Vinyl Rewind video above, is that "after an argument during a Beatles recording session on November 9th, 1966, Paul McCartney sped off in his car, only to be decapitated in an auto accident when he lost control of his vehicle. The U.K. security service MI5 advised the band to find a replacement, for they feared that if the news of Paul's death got out, mass hysteria would spread among Beatles fans, leading to civil unrest and, possibly, mass suicide.""
Pop music of the Beatles has attracted intense scrutiny, including a rumor that Paul McCartney died in the 1960s and was replaced by a double. The claim holds that after an argument during a recording session on November 9, 1966, McCartney drove off and was decapitated in an auto accident after losing control of his vehicle. The U.K. security service MI5 allegedly advised the band to find a replacement to prevent mass hysteria, civil unrest, or possible mass suicide among fans. The search purportedly produced a Scottish orphan named William Shears Campbell, also called Billy Shears, whose name appears prominently on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
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