Some rumors catch the curiosity of the public and, as the old saying goes, spread like wildfire. Before home computers, the internet and cell phones, rumors were passed around mostly in person. Sometimes they hit the mainstream by being an item on the evening televised news programs.

Recently a movie was released which reminded me of a rumor that surfaced fifty-five years ago. On July 20, 1969, we were glued to our television set to watch an astronaut, Neil Armstrong take his first steps on the lunar surface. For most of us it was an awe-inspiring achievement. It showed our American ingenuity and drive to accomplish what President John Kennedy had promised seven years earlier.

However, groups of skeptics began questioning if that moon landing ever took place. Examining the news footage, they were convinced that something did not look right. They wondered how the American flag was flapping around when there was no wind on the moon. Others examined the shadows and opined that they did not make sense. If the only possible light source was the sun, why did the shadows point in different directions? 

That conspiracy theory is the basis of the movie “Fly Me to the Moon” that like the rumor mill adherents claimed in 1969 was filmed mostly on a sound stage.

The most memorable rumor that swept me up and consumed my life for weeks invaded the airwaves in 1969. This urban legend and conspiracy theory alleged that Paul McCartney of the Beatles had died in a car crash in 1966! Within days, people began researching for clues that would prove that the rumor known as “Paul is dead” was based in fact.

The Beatles were a major influence on my generation. I remember eating at the college dining hall when I overheard a nearby discussion. The phrase that got my attention was “Paul died three years ago in a car crash. They replaced him with a guy that looks like him.”

By the time I went back to my dorm room, clusters of students were spreading the rumor that Paul McCartney was dead. Within days, the rumor was gaining ground. The evening newscasts had features that tried to keep up with the clues.

When the word got out that there were hidden clues embedded on the covers of their albums, people got together and shared any unusual images that might support the “Paul is Dead” rumors. For example, on the back cover of their Sgt Pepper album every Beatle except Paul is photographed facing the viewer. On the front cover of “Magical Mystery Tour” one member of the group is wearing a different outfit than the other three.

But the rumor mill really cranked up when we listened to “clues” on the vinyl records. The Beatles were known for pushing the boundaries of incorporating layers of sounds on their recordings. They introduced many advanced concepts to the way albums were recorded. Amping up the rumor about Paul’s demise hit a crescendo when a report on the radio revealed a hidden clue on the White Album’s track Revolution Number 9. When listened to it too, the words “number nine, number nine” were repeated with no indication of why. Seemingly every dorm room was packed with students who had been told the hidden secret clue. If you used your finger to play the song backwards, you heard a male voice, say “Turn me on, dead man” repeatedly.

The cover of “Abbey Road” shows John Lennon in a white suit leading the group across the road, but only Paul is shoeless.

Those that believed the rumor looked at the Sgt Pepper album as proof that McCartney was dead. With songs like A Day in the Life, Fixing a Hole and With a Little Help from My Friends were interpreted to be clues.

The 1960’s was a turbulent time in America. Maybe our collective unconscious needed distractions like the rumors in this column to help us cope with all the upsetting events. 

Regarding the rumors in this column, having seen him perform many times, Paul is alive and well. As of June 2024, there were a total of 26 moon landings, six of them with crews.

Hudson Cooper is a resident of Sullivan County, a writer, comedian and actor.