On 8 August 1969, exactly 50 years ago i.e., The Beatles shot this famous cover at London's Abbey Road for Abbey Road. But is that really The Beatles—all of them? A strong fan theory doing the rounds around the time was that Macca had died a long time ago. But the beancounters who were managing The Beatles got a doppelganger to stand in, just to keep the money coming. The Beatles, conscientious as they were, had started feeling bad about betraying their fans. And so, they started leaving little Easter eggs in their art to let the fans know that the Cute One was no more.
The Abbey Road cover was one such hint, says this theory. It represents a funeral for the dead Beatle. Leading the procession was John, the priest, dressed in white. Behind him is a mourning Ringo, in funereal black. At the end is George, the gravedigger. And in the middle of it all is the man posing as Paul, barefoot in the underworld.
Juicy as it is, the theory isn't true (thank heavens for that!). The cover was staged and shot in full public view, with a policeman holding up the traffic as photographer Ian MacMillan made his frame.
So why was Paul walking barefoot? "Because it was a hot day," he told LIFE magazine later. Wait... does that sound believable?