George R. R. Martin Recalls When ‘a Lot of People Thought I Was Dead’ After Sir George Martin Died: ‘Disconcerting’

George R. R. Martin just had a flashback to a “disconcerting” life moment. 

While discussing “kings and lords” at a New York Comic Con panel for the upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on Thursday, Oct. 9, the 77-year-old author of the fantasy book series recalled when people thought he had died nine years ago.

“I don’t wanna shock anyone, but I’m not actually a lord. I’m not even a knight,” he said, with a laugh, referring to the 2016 moment when people confused him for Sir George Martin, an acclaimed English record producer sometimes referred to as the “fifth Beatle” of the Beatles. 

“He ran the Beatles, and he died,” he continued. “When he died, a lot of people thought I was dead, which was a bit disconcerting.”

After the 90-year-old died on March 8, 2016, the best-selling author felt the need to release a “Not Dead Yet” post on his blog.

“While it is strangely moving to realize that so many people around the world care so deeply about my life and death, I have to go with Mark Twain and insist that the rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” he wrote at the time. “It was Sir George Martin, of Beatles fame, who has passed away. Not me.”

“He will be missed,” the author added in part. “As for me, I am still here, still writing, still editing, still going to movies and reading books, and I expect to hang around for quite a while yet, thank you very much.”

He concluded the blog post with, “But thank you all for caring.”

At the Comic Con event nine years later, the author elaborated a bit more about the differences between the two famous Martins. 

“I’ll never be a knight because I’m not British, but what I am is from Bayonne, N.J., which is right across the water,” he told the audience at the Javits Center in New York City.  

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He added, “I lived in the projects and I went to public school, so I’m the farthest thing from the lord that you could do.”

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will premiere on HBO Max on Jan. 18.