Mal Evans was The Beatles' road manager and personal assistant, and a key member of their inner circle.
He was born Malcolm Evans on 27 May 1935 in Liverpool. In 1961 he married a Liverpudlian girl, Lily, whom he had met at a funfair in New Brighton, Merseyside. Their first child Gary was born later that year.
Mal Evans was living in Hillside Road, Mossley Hill and working as a telephone engineer for the Post Office when he first saw The Beatles. The group were performing a lunchtime show at the Cavern Club, and Evans – despite being an ardent Elvis fan – was instantly taken with them.
I walked down this little street called Mathew Street that I'd never noticed before and came to this place, the Cavern Club. I'd never been inside a club, but I heard this music coming out – real rock it sounded, a bit like Elvis. So I paid my shilling and went in...
Anthology
His first friend among the group was George Harrison, who suggested to the Cavern's owner Ray McFall that Evans be hired as a doorman. The tall and burley Evans, then 27 years old, was accepted, and became a valued asset as the enthusiasm of The Beatles' fans gradually turned to hysteria.
Mal joined us full-time in 1963. He was our bodyguard, but he was great at it because he would never hurt anyone. He was just big enough to say, 'Excuse me, let the boys through.' He was pretty strong. He could lift the bass amp on his own, which was a miracle. He should have been in the circus.
Anthology
In time Evans became a firm friend to The Beatles, and three months after starting work at the Cavern he was asked by Brian Epstein to work with Neil Aspinall as The Beatles' road manager.
One time Neil was sick and we needed someone to drive us to London, so we asked Mal. He was a nice bloke, and by this time we'd been chatting with him a lot. He had to take a couple of days off work to do it. Then as we were expanding with all the gigs we realised we had to get someone else to drive the van and leave Neil to look after us and our suits and all of that. It was a unanimous thought. So Mal left his job and came to work for us.
Anthology
Evans became the group's unofficial bodyguard and roadie, working with Aspinall as part of the trusted inner circle, setting up and checking their equipment and transporting it from venue to venue.
I do remember one incident: going up the motorway when the windscreen got knocked out by a pebble. Our great road manager Mal Evans was driving and he just put his hat backwards on his hand, punched the windscreen out completely, and drove on. This was winter in Britain and there was freezing fog and Mal was having to look out for the kerb all the way up to Liverpool – 200 miles.
Anthology
In addition to his official duties, Evans was often used as The Beatles' fixer, being called upon to supply items including clothes, food and other essentials. As The Beatles' fame grew, they became accustomed to their every desire being fulfilled.
He had a bag that he developed over the years, because it would always be: 'Mal, have you got an Elastoplast? Mal, have you got a screwdriver? Mal, have you got a bottle of this? Have you got that?' And he always had everything. If he didn't have it, he'd get it very quickly. He was one of those people who loved what he was doing and didn't have any problem about service.
Anthology
Evans' loyalty to The Beatles meant he obeyed every whim, as illustrated by a tale from their first world tour in 1964.
We were boating along the canals [in Amsterdam], waving and being fab and we saw a bloke standing in the crowd with a groovy-looking cloak on. We sent Mal to find out where he got it from. Mal jumped off or swam off the boat and about three hours later turned up at our hotel with the cloak, which he'd bought from the guy. When we flew from there to Hong Kong we all had copies made, but they were in cheap material which melted in the rain storm at Sydney Airport.
Anthology
Evans' work as The Beatles' bodyguard extended to making sure the band members weren't bothered by overenthusiastic members of the public. On many occasions they were treated with something approaching religious fervour by people thought their talents extended to healing abilities.
People would bring in these terrible cases and leave them in our dressing room. They'd go off for tea or whatever and they would leave them behind. If it got very heavy we would shout 'Mal, cripples!' and that became a saying – even when there were no handicapped people present. If there were any people around we didn't like, we'd shout, 'Mal, cripples!' and they'd be escorted out.
Anthology
Evans and Aspinall often signed autographs for The Beatles, to cope with public demand. Although the pair were valued members of The Beatles' entourage, they almost always flew economy while Brian Epstein and the group were always in first class. An anecdote by The Beatles' press officer Derek Taylor illustrated how Epstein was cajoled by the group into treating them better after their triumphant 1964 US tour.
He came through to economy to get Mal and Neil and me out into first class. He was sent through by The Beatles actually. 'What are they doing back there? We made a fucking fortune on the tour. Get them up here. You go and get them.
The Brian Epstein Story, Deborah Geller
The differences between The Beatles, their management and crew members extended to the payment each party received.
I recently found a piece of paper that shows how much we were actually earning in one period in 1963. From the starting figure of £72,000, we made about £4,000 each. Brian Epstein took £2,025 a week and Neil and Mal got £25 each.
Anthology
Wow, truly an unsung Beatle hero.
I grew up with Mal in Waldgrave Road Liverpool. He was the nicest, politest, friendliest kid you’d ever meet. Our families often got together for sing-a-longs and what no-one seems to know is that Mal could play the banjo like no other. He and his sister Pam used to belt out “Last Train to San Fernando” and we’d all sing our heads off. Great, wonderful days.
Eunice, it would be great to hear more reminisces from you!! Hope you still come here!
I remembered just yesterday reading (long ago) that Mal used to tune their guitars for them before their shows, and I think there’s an outtake where Lennon’s 12-string goes out of tune (probably on “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”) and he says something like “I’m defunct” and calls for “Mal”, so I was wondering if he had any musical background, and this post seems to clear the matter up. There’s also his claim that he helped write “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” with Paul–I’d always thought that his input would have been on the lyrics, but perhaps he contributed musically.
Faulty memory correction: it was the outtake of “Long Lost John” on a non-12-string guitar where we calls to Mal and says he’s “defunct”. So strike that connection.
After reading this, I noticed on the sleeve of my Rubber Soul album, credit being given to Mal ‘organ’ Evans on Hammond, on the You Won’t See Me track.
Mal worked his bloody arse for these guys. And he cames to such a tragic end, none of the lads turned up to his funeral. What a sad thing. Being paid a pittiance during their prime years as well.
At least Paul didn’t even go to his dad’s funeral. Some people just don’t go to such things.
Hi sagedaddy,
I lived in Sydney in the sixties when my Dad wrote to me from Liverpool and said Mal was coming to Australia with the Beatles. (I remember thinking,’who the heck are the Beatles’?) Well, my husband managed to get tickets to their show, and he didn’t want to come so I invited an 18yr old girl, Robyn, from work to come with me. After the show, we got a cab to the Sheraton, and had to be dropped off at the end of the street so we literally had to elbow our way slowly to the hotel. I told one of the security guys that I was there to visit a friend in the hotel and he let us through. I went to the counter and asked for Mal. Shortly after, he stepped out of the lift, saw me, absolutely amazed, spread his arms out lifted me in a big twirl. (I was liftable in those days!) We went up to his room which was directly opposite the emergency door. He always stayed in the same hotel room with his door open wherever they toured and I soon knew why! Two young girls had somehow escaped the notice of the guards and climbed the stairs and I watched as they crept through the door, but there was Malcolm who kindly but firmly sent them back. They begged and begged him to get a Beatle to meet them but he had to refuse.
The next thing we heard was a voice in the corridor calling out “C’mon lads, it’s waving time” Next thing Paul walked through the door and Paul said “Hello girls” and Mal introduced us and we shook hands. (Robyn nearly collapsed when she saw him because Paul was her ‘heart throb’!) Next, Ringo appeared, he wasn’t well and he was in his pajamas but had a jacket on. Then John and George joined them and Mal said to me “Come on, you’ve got to see this”. We followed them into an empty room with doors to a verandah, and Mal stood us in front of a side window. Well! You should have seen/heard the crowds below. From one end of the long street to the other, there were masses of people everywhere. Even the Hilton hotel opposite had faces filling every space in every window, some standing on chairs waving like mad!
After, we went back to Mal’s room,and we were joined by George, who sat and chatted away to us. He had a broken guitar string in his hand and I asked him for it! At work the next day I was being offered ten shillings an inch for it which I refused and gave it away later on to a relative.
I went back to Liverpool for a holiday and caught up with Mal’s mother who told me the truth about Mal’s death, but that can wait for another time as my fingers are hurting! By the way, Mal would have just turned 79 now and he was three years younger than I am.
Eunice! I can’t believe I haven’t looked back here in a year!!! Thanks so much for your recollection of this memorable time in your life!! Please get in touch with me at peterhicks@mac.com so we can communicate further. Of course post more here too if you want to!
Great story and thanks for it! What’s the truth about Mal’s passing?
G’day from Australia,
He was shot by the LA Police.
I knew him when we both worked for GPO Telephones in Liverpool.
I last saw him in 1963 when we were removing old equipment in preparation for an upgrade at Sefton Park telephone exchange.
It was sad end to his life as I knew him as a top bloke.
He was also the president of the Elvis Presley fan club on Merseyside.
Roy, I’d love to hear more about your time working with Mal at GPO Telephones! I remember him saying once that he used to get teased at work for loving Elvis Presley!!
I somehow can’t believe that one of the Beatles wouldn’t take care of him for life after the end of the group. I mean, Paul had many relatives who he was more or less supporting, why not Mal, who went through all the tours for them and gave the best years of his life for them? I don’t understand how you can start out in a van, living in an apartment with a guy, and when you hit the lottery walk away from him?
Harrison gave the family about five grand after he died. Lennon joked when Mal’s ashes were lost in the “Dead mail.” Paul sued to stop his family from auctioning off lyrics to Beatles songs. Of all the Beatles I liked Paul the least.
The proceeds from the handwritten lyrics were given to to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, liverpool
Your comment about PM suing.. is just scratching the surface. Take it from one who knows…..
I have to agree with you on that. The way the Beatles treated Mal is inexcusable. In my mind it’s the worst thing they did throughout the groups existence. I’m not saying they should’ve given him millions of dollars, or an equal cut of the groups earnings, but at least give the guy more than the pittance that they did. At least with Neil, he ended up with a decent net worth, I know it was well into 7 figures, by the time of his death. Mal, and his family, had nothing.
I can vouch for that ?
What happened to Mal’s book??
Yeah, it should have been better for Mal, for sure, and I think there’s not one of the band who would disagree. Unfortunately, the band exploded with shrapnel flying everywhere and the band members went flying into addictions, therapy (or lack of it) and recriminations. There was definitely a desire to break with the entirety of what The Beatles & Co had been. Also, being all from Liverpool, there’s a certain tendency not to appear as ‘skint’ at any time. Of The Beatles, only Paul at this point was facing up to knowing how much money he had to deal with rather than just signing bills (and that was because he had actioned a freezing of assets in court). He has said that during the period, he and Linda were living off HER earnings and there’s no reason to disbelieve it. All requests for cash out of the Apple pot had to go through a receiver.
What a tragic ending to his life. It was also too bad he was not needed by the Beatles after the split.
When Mal was shot and killed by the L.A. police, he was brandishing an air rifle, not a 30/30.
So? What were the cops supposed to do when Mal pointed it at them? Ask “Uh, excuse me, sir. Is that a real weapon or just a toy?” ?
One of the many who were cast adrift when the beatles split, the band really did not have a good record of looking after their friends and organisation post split. To be fair the guys all had pretty major things going on in their lives and its possible they would have got round to helping mal out.
By all accounts evans was a gentle giant who did everything he could to help the group. The beatles story has it’s fair share of tragedy thats for sure.
Ah, yes. That mindset that says a perfectly capable human being needs to be “looked after” and “taken care of”. SMH. No one held a gun to his head. If he didn’t like his wages, he could’ve walked at any time.
BTW, his widow did pretty well selling the Beatles memorabilia that Mal had collected.
From what year was “Long Lost John” recorded? Was it from the sessions for his first solo album?
Hang on. He was ok with the Beatles. Even after the split. He played tambourine for John on Instant Karma. He’s in the video. It’s true he didn’t get a large salary. But that is really Brian Epstein, not John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Listen, I am sure they all knew HE would be a millionaire at some point. He had lots of memorabilia! All he had to do was write his memoirs.
“Long lost John” is an outtake from the “Plastic ono band” album, autumn 1970, along with “don’t be cruel” and a couple of others, there’s only John, Ringo and Klaus on it, I think it’s originally a skiffle number.
Wait a second, I’m not sure why any of the Beatles HAD to somehow “take care” of Mal?. He was a friend and he worked with them. He could have gotten paid more, but there’s no reason why they were somehow obligued to care for him after the band’s split. He was perfectly able… has it even been suggested that he was in a bad economic situation?
I agree with this. Additionally, I don’t know the buying power of 38 pounds a week in 1968. Perhaps he wasn’t paid well, but I’ll bet all his travels and any other need of his own were paid for by the corporation. So, while he may not have made a lot of money, all or most of it was probably free of expense.
In 1968 £28 p/week was the average salary. So, £38 per week was buttons for what he was doing.
Seems like if Neil was properly paid, why not Mal? After all, he was the main go-to-guy for the day-to-day. Seems like he was paid as little as possible, and was common for Brian, but Mal made so much happen in their lives so should have been paid like twice as much, or more. Any comments on that, please?
Also, strange that Paul couldn’t admit his part in writing Sgt. Pepper?!? I guess only they knew the truth about that. That one credit would have set him for life. Again, any comments?
As a lifelong Beatles fan and retired professional musician myself I have to say given the money the Beatles machine earned and the life blood Mal gave the Beatles they indeed should have paid him more at the very least. The butterfly effect is real and some noticeable things would have been different without Mals involvement in the group and he was an integral part of the Beatles engine.
So what happened to the book?!
My recollection was it was not Mal who met the Police at the door in Let it Be, but a rather dapper looking chap in a frock coat.
Mal wasn’t cast aside on the split. He received a ‘thank you’ name check from John on the Imagine LP & from George on ATMP and LITMW. And he gets a songwriting credit with George on the ‘Ringo’ album.
So he was still part of the Fab Three’s circle at least up to late 1973.
He could have and should have been looked after better, both financially and emotionally. To me Mal is the saddest tale in The Beatles story. He was a broken man in the 70’s.