January 4 marked the 50th anniversary of a sad and tragic incident in Beatles history. On that day in 1976, the band’s longtime assistant Mal Evans was shot and killed by Los Angeles police in a rented motel apartment. He was 40 years old.
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As recounted by BeatlesBible.com, Evans had been despondent about his recent separation from his wife. His actions had concerned the new girlfriend he was with at the time, Fran Hughes. Mal apparently had taken some Valium and was acting erratically. So, Hughes phoned John Hoernie, who had been co-writing Evans’ autobiography with him, and asked him to visit them.
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When Hoernie arrived at the apartment, he helped a groggy Evans to an upstairs bedroom. While Mal talked incoherently to Hoernie, he picked up a loaded Winchester rifle and wielded it in a threatening manner. The writer tried to wrestle the gun from Evans, but was unable to do so.
Hughes then called the police and told them Evans had a rifle, had taken Valium, and was confused. Four officers arrived at the apartment, and three went up to the bedroom. According to the official police report, Evans pointed the rifle at the officers as soon as they entered the room. The policemen repeatedly told Mal to drop the weapon, but he refused, and the officers shot him four times, killing him instantly.
In a biography published in 2023, Living The Beatles Legend: The Untold Story Of Mal Evans, author Kenneth Womack claimed that Evans’ death was an incident of “s*icide by cop,” noting that Mal had written a will on the previous night.
More About Mal Evans
A Liverpool, England, native, Evans befriended The Beatles after seeing them perform at the Cavern Club. Evans soon began to work as the band’s bodyguard, roadie, and gofer.
Mal was sometimes called on to help out while The Beatles were recording their songs. Examples include playing Hammond organ on “You Won’t See Me”, bass drum on “Yellow Submarine”, and harmonica on “Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite”. He also sounded the alarm clock and was among the multiple people who played the final piano chord on “A Day In The Life”. In addition, he hit an anvil on “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”, as seen in the 1970 film Let It Be and the 2021 docuseries The Beatles: Get Back.
Evans also appeared in The Beatles’ films Help! and Magical Mystery Tour.
In 1968, Evans brought a Welsh band named The Iveys to the attention of The Beatles. The group was signed to Apple Records and later changed its name to Badfinger. Evans produced or co-produced a bunch of Badfinger tracks, including the Paul McCartney-penned hit “No Matter What.”
Mal also contributed backing vocals, chimes, and handclaps to John Lennon’s 1970 solo single, “Instant Karma!”
A song Evans co-wrote with George Harrison, “You And Me (Babe)”, was featured on Ringo Starr’s hit 1973 solo album, Ringo.
After Evans’ death, he was cremated in Los Angeles on January 7, 1976. None of the Beatles members attended his funeral, although producer George Martin, Apple Corps head Neil Aspinall, and Harry Nilsson did. Evans had no life insurance. George Harrison made arrangements for Mal’s family to receive 5,000 pounds, which is worth about $33,000 today.
Paul McCartney’s Comments About Evans’ Death
In the 2000 book The Beatles Anthology, McCartney reflected on Evans’ tragic death.
“It was so crazy, so crazy,” McCarney offered. “Mal was a big loveable bear of a roadie; he would go over the top occasionally, but we all knew him and never had any problems. The LAPD weren’t so fortunate. They were just told that he was upstairs with a shotgun and so they ran up, kicked the door in and shot him. His girlfriend had told them, ‘He’s a bit moody and he’s got some downers.’”
He continued, “Had I been there, I would have been able to say, ‘Mal, don’t be silly.’ In fact, any of his friends could have talked him out of it without any sweat, because he was not a nutter. But his girlfriend—she was an LA girl—didn’t know him that well. She should not have rung the cops, but that’s the way it goes.”
(Photo via Getty Images/Bettman)
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