Paul McCartney recalls a rumor that surfaced in 1969, when the American media reported his possible death. The rumors gained traction three years prior; there was no concrete evidence, only speculation drawn from his works and album covers.
The speculations were obviously denied by the musician, as well as by the Beatles and their press officer, Derek Taylor .
Reflecting on the episode, McCartney speaks to The Guardian (via Ultimate Classic Rock ):
“At one point, I turned to my wife and asked, ‘Linda, how is it possible that I’m dead?’,” he recalled. “She smiled as she held our newborn daughter, Mary, as aware as I was of the power of gossip and the absurdity of those ridiculous newspaper headlines. But she pointed out that we had fled London in haste to our secluded farm in Scotland precisely to escape the kind of malicious gossip that was destroying the Beatles.”
Rumors and the end of the Beatles
Despite the rumors, Paul was dealing with the end of the Beatles, and although controversial, he partly agreed with their death.
“But now, more than half a century after those truly crazy times, I’m starting to think the rumors were more accurate than anyone could have imagined at the time,” he said. “In many ways, I was dead… A 27-year-old about to leave the Beatles, drowning in a sea of legal and personal disputes that drained my energy, needing a complete life transformation. Could I ever get over what had been an incredible decade? I wondered. Could I overcome the crises that seemed to explode daily?”
Amidst all this turmoil, the young musician, at the time, found himself in control of the situation. He dedicated himself to activities on his farm and spent more time with his family. All of this resulted in an improvement in his mental health.
“I felt great satisfaction in learning to do all these things, in doing a good job, in being self-sufficient.”
“When I think about it, the isolation was exactly what we needed. Despite the adverse conditions, the Scottish environment gave me the necessary time to create. It was becoming clear to our inner circle that something exciting was happening. The old Paul was no longer the new Paul. For the first time in years, I felt free, suddenly leading and directing my own life.”
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