The Beatles were the greatest band of the 20th century, so it’s not exactly surprising that a few myths, legends, and rumors would follow the Fab Four through the years. Some of these rumors spread like wildfire, and all of them are false. That is, except for one myth that can’t really be explained. Let’s mythbust a few legendary Beatles myths, shall we?
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1. “Paul is Dead”
This is the Beatles myth of Beatles myths. Back in the day, a rumor spread like wildfire that Macca himself was killed in a car accident in 1967. The band was enormous at the time and only getting bigger, so naturally, it makes sense that the band and their management would fabricate a lookalike to take his place. Some fans even picked apart The Beatles’ music for evidence of the switch, with some claiming that John Lennon reveals McCartney’s fate in the song “I’m So Tired”.
This myth is obviously false, but it’s a fascinating look into how obsessed music fandoms can get. In 1993, McCartney even released a live-recorded LP titled “Paul Is Live” as a humorous reference to the rumor.
2. Yoko Ono Broke Up The Beatles
Though it might be easier to blame the destruction of a lot of people’s favorite band on an outside force, the reality is that The Beatles were doomed to break up for a while.
Yoko Ono’s involvement in the band might have been irritating (especially to Paul McCartney), but the Fab Four were already lost in limbo following the 1967 death of their manager Brian Epstein. Lennon’s heroin use wasn’t helping, either. Not everything is meant to last forever.
3. John Lennon’s Surreal Connection to the Number 9
This Beatles myth can’t be explained, and even John Lennon thought the connections were unsettling.
John Lennon was born on October 9. He was in The Beatles for nine years before the band broke up. He lived at 9 Newcastle Road for a time. And, quite eerily, he died after being shot on 9th Avenue in New York City. And let’s not forget the references to the number in some of his music.
4. Pete Best Was Fired For Being Cuter Than Paul
Some Beatles myths are just rude.
Pete Best was the original drummer of The Beatles, and he was given the boot in 1962. It was a cruel twist of fate for Best, considering the band exploded into international stardom just a few weeks later.
There was once a rumor that Paul McCartney insisted that the band fire Best because he was more attractive than him and was getting a bit too much attention. Obviously, this isn’t true. Lore states that the band (and their producers and engineers) didn’t love how Best sounded on recordings and they felt he was more about image and substance. There were also rumors that Best’s mother was getting too involved in the band’s promotion throughout Liverpool at the time.
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