Beatles Fans Celebrate 40th Anniversary of Abbey Road Photo

August 8, 2009 at 1:41 PM | by Victor Ozols | 0 Comments

The iconic photo of the Beatles crossing Abbey Road that graced the album of the same name was snapped 40 years ago today, drawing hundreds of fans to the famous north London street to mark the event with songs, tributes, and other remembrances. As the AP explains, on August 8, 1969, police held up traffic while photographer Iain Macmillan stood on a stepladder and shot photos of the band walking back and forth across the crosswalk. The shot that made the cover depicted Paul McCartney barefoot and out of step with the others, launching countless conspiracy theories that Paul was dead and an impostor had taken his place in the band.

Not surprisingly, the site has become a mecca for Beatles fans, who come in such numbers that authorities had to move the street sign out of reach because it kept getting stolen. (Sounds a little like Jim Morrison's grave at P�re Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.) In any case, London is filled with Beatles sites, from Apple headquarters at 3 Savile Row to the Prince of Wales Theater at 31 Coventry Street, so crank up the volume in your iPod and listen to "Come Together" or "Oh! Darling" and take a Beatles-themed stroll. Or, if you're nowhere near the U.K., fire up this Abbey Road webcam and see what you're missing.

[Photo: AP]

Related Stories:
· Beatles Fans Swarm Abbey Road on Album Anniversary [AP via Yahoo! News}
· New Guidebook Lists Beatles Sites in London [USA Today]
· Music Travel [Jaunted]

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