R. Gary Patterson has been called “the self-styled Fox Mulder of Rock and Roll.” In 1996, Patterson published his first book entitled The Walrus Was Paul: The Great Beatle Death Clues of 1969.” The premise of the book dealt with what may be the strangest hoax in the history of pop music-had Paul McCartney been killed in a car accident and replaced by an imposter? Shortly thereafter, Patterson released his second work, Hellhounds on Their Trail. In this work Patterson continued with his popular theme of rock and roll’s enduring myths and legends. The Walrus Was Paul examined the Beatles’ adventure in urban legendry. It just seemed appropriate that other music legends be examined with all their mystery as well. “Hellhounds on Their Trail” has now become an urban legend itself and is clearly one of the most highly sought after books in rock history.
Gary Patterson’s third publication will be “Take a Walk on the Dark Side: Rock and Roll Myths, Legends and Curses” and is due for release in March of 2004 by Simon and Schuster (Fireside Books). This work begins with Robert Johnson waiting at the Crossroads just outside Clarksdale, Mississippi to make his deal with Old Scratch. Other chapters focus on hidden messages in rock, Jimmy Page and the Zeppelin Curse, strange fatal coincidences in the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd bands, and a discussion of an exclusive group of musicians who were members of “The Club,” whose only membership requirement was untimely death at the tender age of 27.
During the last few years, Gary Patterson served as a consultant for VH1 Network’s “VH1 Confidential.” The series highlighted a number of rock music’s most enduring mysteries. A vast majority of these tales were found in Patterson’s “The Walrus Was Paul” and Hellhounds on Their Trail. Patterson appeared in three of the episodes discussing the Paul is Dead rumors of 1969, the Robert Johnson legend, the Curse of 27, and Rock and Roll’s mad geniuses. Gary currently appears in E! Network’s “Doomed to Die: 13 Curses.” This program highlights the strangest events in pop culture history. Today, Patterson is developing other ideas for several new television series dealing with the strange and unexplained history of rock and roll.
Gary Patterson’s third publication will be “Take a Walk on the Dark Side: Rock and Roll Myths, Legends and Curses” and is due for release in March of 2004 by Simon and Schuster (Fireside Books). This work begins with Robert Johnson waiting at the Crossroads just outside Clarksdale, Mississippi to make his deal with Old Scratch. Other chapters focus on hidden messages in rock, Jimmy Page and the Zeppelin Curse, strange fatal coincidences in the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd bands, and a discussion of an exclusive group of musicians who were members of “The Club,” whose only membership requirement was untimely death at the tender age of 27.
During the last few years, Gary Patterson served as a consultant for VH1 Network’s “VH1 Confidential.” The series highlighted a number of rock music’s most enduring mysteries. A vast majority of these tales were found in Patterson’s “The Walrus Was Paul” and Hellhounds on Their Trail. Patterson appeared in three of the episodes discussing the Paul is Dead rumors of 1969, the Robert Johnson legend, the Curse of 27, and Rock and Roll’s mad geniuses. Gary currently appears in E! Network’s “Doomed to Die: 13 Curses.” This program highlights the strangest events in pop culture history. Today, Patterson is developing other ideas for several new television series dealing with the strange and unexplained history of rock and roll.
“The Walrus Was Paul”
Several years ago the concept of urban legends was basically an academic area. Jan Harold Brunvand published a series of books exploring vanishing hitchhikers, choking Dobermans, hidden axe murderers in the back seats of cars, and every babysitter’s nightmare-she’s all alone in a strange house with a homicidal maniac hiding somewhere in the darkness. The purpose of urban legends was to teach a viable moral lesson. For instance, teenagers parking in deserted lover’s lanes face the terror of being horribly butchered for their lack of good old-fashioned morality.
With the publication of “The Walrus Was Paul”, Gary Patterson introduced the urban legend genre to pop music. In 1969, the “Paul is Dead” rumors spread across American radio airwaves like wildfire. Some of the “clues” were manufactured by the media to help lend credence to the bizarre rumor of Paul McCartney’s supposed death in a car accident. Certainly, many of these clues were stretches, but several were so startling that they had to be placed by the Beatles themselves. These cryptic clues have helped to keep yet another generation wondering, “What if this story is true?”
Several years ago the concept of urban legends was basically an academic area. Jan Harold Brunvand published a series of books exploring vanishing hitchhikers, choking Dobermans, hidden axe murderers in the back seats of cars, and every babysitter’s nightmare-she’s all alone in a strange house with a homicidal maniac hiding somewhere in the darkness. The purpose of urban legends was to teach a viable moral lesson. For instance, teenagers parking in deserted lover’s lanes face the terror of being horribly butchered for their lack of good old-fashioned morality.
With the publication of “The Walrus Was Paul”, Gary Patterson introduced the urban legend genre to pop music. In 1969, the “Paul is Dead” rumors spread across American radio airwaves like wildfire. Some of the “clues” were manufactured by the media to help lend credence to the bizarre rumor of Paul McCartney’s supposed death in a car accident. Certainly, many of these clues were stretches, but several were so startling that they had to be placed by the Beatles themselves. These cryptic clues have helped to keep yet another generation wondering, “What if this story is true?”
“Hellhounds On Their Trail: Tales From The Rock & Roll Graveyard”
Following the success of “The Walrus Was Paul,” Patterson now offers up a new collection of frightening tales which includes musicians who waited at deserted country crossroads and “sold their souls to the devil,” the strange ironies associated with the tragic deaths of many of rock and roll’s most popular icons, song lyrics that proved prophetic, unsolved murders, and other tales from the fell clutch of circumstance. In overview, “Hellhounds On Their Trail: Tales From The Rock & Roll Graveyard”, examines the crossroads where fact and history intersect with The Twilight Zone and explode into an eerie, burning chasm of coincidence. “Hellhounds On Their Trail: Tales From The Rock & Roll Graveyard” unveils a frightening, fresh look at facts and legends; addresses the myths; details the facts; moreover, it substantiates a provocative group of “did-you-knows” that any reader will find fascinating and maybe just a little terrifying.
Following the success of “The Walrus Was Paul,” Patterson now offers up a new collection of frightening tales which includes musicians who waited at deserted country crossroads and “sold their souls to the devil,” the strange ironies associated with the tragic deaths of many of rock and roll’s most popular icons, song lyrics that proved prophetic, unsolved murders, and other tales from the fell clutch of circumstance. In overview, “Hellhounds On Their Trail: Tales From The Rock & Roll Graveyard”, examines the crossroads where fact and history intersect with The Twilight Zone and explode into an eerie, burning chasm of coincidence. “Hellhounds On Their Trail: Tales From The Rock & Roll Graveyard” unveils a frightening, fresh look at facts and legends; addresses the myths; details the facts; moreover, it substantiates a provocative group of “did-you-knows” that any reader will find fascinating and maybe just a little terrifying.
Take a Walk on the Darkside: Rock and Roll Myths, Legends, and Curses
The latest installment in Rock and Roll Folklore. “Take a Walk on the Darkside” is a new, updated and revised edition of the cult classic, “Hellhounds on Their Trail.” It is available at fine bookstores everywhere. You can also order from Amazon.Com and Barnes and Noble from this site.
The latest installment in Rock and Roll Folklore. “Take a Walk on the Darkside” is a new, updated and revised edition of the cult classic, “Hellhounds on Their Trail.” It is available at fine bookstores everywhere. You can also order from Amazon.Com and Barnes and Noble from this site.
My Review of the New “Paul is Dead” Evidence
Following my last interview with Coast to Coast AM I have received a number of request for me to examine some “new forensic evidence” that will give “undeniable proof that Paul is dead.” I examined the photographs, I read a translation of a “secret and unpublished document” from a mysterious eastern tongue and I have a few comments to make.
Following my last interview with Coast to Coast AM I have received a number of request for me to examine some “new forensic evidence” that will give “undeniable proof that Paul is dead.” I examined the photographs, I read a translation of a “secret and unpublished document” from a mysterious eastern tongue and I have a few comments to make.