Deep Dive • Paul Is Dead!? (6/14) Was McCartney Replaced? [Full Series On PATREON]

Deep Dive • Paul Is Dead!? (6/14) Was McCartney Replaced? [Full Series On PATREON]

From Some Dare Call It Conspiracy by Some Dare Call It Conspiracy

April 14, 2026 · 36 min

About this episode

This episode explores the conspiracy theory that Paul McCartney died in the 1960s and was replaced by a look-alike.

What if one of the most famous musicians in the world died in the 1960s and the public never realised? For decades a corner of the conspirasphere has insisted that Paul McCartney didn’t survive the height of The Beatles. According to the story he died in a car crash in 1966 and was quietly replaced by a look-alike. A man some believers claim was called Billy Shears. It sounds ridiculous. And yet the theory has refused to die. In this brand new 14 part Deep Dive we take the most detailed modern version of the claim, Billy’s Back, an abridged version of The Memoirs of Billy Shears, and use it as a springboard to investigate the whole thing properly. We go through the claims piece by piece. The supposed clues in album artwork, lyrics and interviews. The timeline the theory relies on. The people who helped spread it in the first place. And some of the modern voices in the conspirasphere who still promote it today. Along the way we also dig into where the story actually came from and how a rumour from the late 60s managed to evolve into a fully fledged conspiracy theory that still circulates today. Webpage for photos referenced in the series &gt…

People in this episode

Host: Some Dare Call It Conspiracy

Topics covered

  • conspiracy theory
  • Paul McCartney
  • The Beatles
  • music history
  • urban legend
  • pop culture

Keywords

  • Paul McCartney
  • Billy Shears
  • conspiracy theory
  • The Beatles
  • music
  • urban legend
  • 1960s
  • album artwork
  • lyrics
  • interviews

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