9 Disturbing Stories You Probably Never Heard About The Beatles

The Beatles shared a fair number of controversies during their heyday. Along with their withstanding legacy, there remain a few mysteries surrounding the biggest band in the world. We may know a thing or two about them, but in case you missed it, here are 9 disturbing stories you never heard about the Fab Four’s ever influential lives.

 

John Lennon Was Violent to Others

While he always preached about love and peace, Lennon tended to be volatile and violent to others. His ex-wife, Cynthia, son Julian, and many others could attest to this. Even Stuart Sutcliffe, ex-member of the Beatles when they were still 5, suffered from brain damage that was allegedly caused by Lennon.

Charles Manson Was Inspired by the White Album

Charles Manson and his love for The Beatles’ White album led him to create a theology where he viewed the quartet as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It was also said that the family was directly inspired by them which prompt them to do those horrendous things.

Sgt. Pepper Might Have Been Aleister Crowley

Aleister Crowley, dubbed as the “wickedest man on Earth,” was viewed by theorists to be the real-life inspiration of Sgt. Pepper. They believed that the band’s opening line: “It was 20 years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play,” could mean that they’ve pledged their allegiance to the occultist and practiced his teachings.

Paul McCartney is a Massive Fan of JFK Theories

You may not believe it at first, but Paul McCartney does not believe that JFK was shot dead by Lee Harvey Oswald and that Oswald was only a victim to the CIA’s orders. Mark Lane, who wrote the book Rush to Judgement which detailed these theories, had Macca become so invested in it that the singer ordered an early copy of the book before it was released. The two even went on and discuss it during a dinner arranged by McCartney.

John Lennon and His Fascination to the Number 9

Lennon had always incorporated the things that inspire him to his songs. Among these was No. 9, which was said to always come up when something significant is happening in his life. He was always bummed out about the number but later learned to appreciate it.

A Dentist Tricked Them to Take LSD

John Riley, a dentist, became friends with John Lennon and George Harrison along with their wives. At a dinner party thrown by Riley, he secretly put LSD on the guests’ coffees which led to both Lennon and Harrison’s first acid experience. Afterward, the two would influence the other members to use it occasionally.

The “Devil’s Horns” Hand Sign

The universal hand sign of rock n’ roll was long been debated by fellow rockers that they’ve pioneered it, but before it became mainstream, one could notice the gesture on John Lennon’s hand on the band’s Yellow Submarine cover art.

Paul McCartney Initially Died in 1966 and Was Replaced by A Doppelganger

Perhaps one of the most-publicized theories that the band had endured was the constant insistence of conspiracy theorists that Paul McCartney was, in fact, dead and was only replaced by a doppelganger named William Shears Campbell. For these theorists, a lot of “facts” dropped by the Beatles themselves were present in their catalog of songs, as well as the iconic Abbey Road picture where it was said to represent a funeral possession for Paul.

The Rosemary’s Baby’s Curse

Roman Polanski is a controversial director whose wife Sharon Tate became a victim of the infamous Manson Family killings. At this point, Polanski made headlines for his then-masterpiece, Rosemary’s Baby, which was said to be a curse that ruined the lives of the people connected to the director. In that sense, John Lennon and Yoko Ono were friends of Polanski’s and even lived at the Dakota Hotel which was a principal location of the movie. Lennon’s assassinator shot the singer just outside the building, which led the people to believe that Lennon was a victim of such malediction.