I was rereading Norton's thread about what might have happened if Paul McCartney had actually died in 1966, and that got me thinking about a rather morbid idea. What if in the time period when that rumor was spreading Paul McCartney actually died? I'm not sure how something like that would happen, but if we want to be really convergent let's say it happens in a car accident. This occurs after Abbey Road has already been completed and released. So around September 1969 or so.
What happens next? How does Lennon and the rest of the group react to McCartney's death?
How is McCartney viewed in the present day?