Limmudfest 2020

In this session, Beatles historian/author Bruce Spizer explores the 1969 rumor that Beatle Paul McCartney had died in a 1966 car crash. Even though there was no internet at the time, the story of Paul’s demise spread like wildfire throughout college campuses and high schools across America the old-fashioned way: by telephone and radio, eventually reaching the mainstream press. Bruce will examine the pictures and sounds that the other Beatles supposedly planted on their albums to provide clues to their fans of Paul’s passing and the people responsible for creating the buzz that alarmed Beatles fans in 1969. He will also play excerpts from songs quickly recorded to capitalize on the rumor, including one by a New Orleans R&B artist recorded on Metairie Road. He will conclude his presentation with a humorous list of the Top Ten Jewish connections to the Beatles.