Paul McCartney Reflects on "Paul is Dead" Rumors and Post-Beatles Struggles

In his upcoming oral history book "Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run," set for release on November 4, 2025, former Beatle Paul McCartney reflects on the turbulent period after the legendary rock band's breakup in 1970.

McCartney, now 83 years old, reveals that he felt as though the "Paul is dead" conspiracy theory, which alleged that he had died in a car crash in 1966, may have been more accurate than he had realized at the time. He describes himself as a "27-year-old about-to-become-ex-Beatle, drowning in a sea of legal and personal rows that were sapping my energy, in need of a complete life makeover."

To escape the chaos in London, McCartney bought a sheep farm in Scotland, which he describes as a "wild adventure" where his family thrived in the "isolation" of the place. He says, "For the first time in years, I felt free, suddenly leading and directing my own life."

The musician also discusses his decision to sue his bandmates John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr in 1970 in an attempt to dissolve the band's contractual partnership, as he did not want manager Allen Klein in charge of their financial affairs. A London judge eventually ruled in McCartney's favor, and he later told British GQ in 2020 that suing the band was "the only way for me to save The Beatles and Apple."