Summary of Living the Beatles Legend by Kenneth Womack E-Book

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• Herausgeber: BookRix
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

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Summary of Living the Beatles Legend by Kenneth Womack: The Untold Story of Mal Evans
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Mal Evans, the Beatles' long-time roadie, personal assistant, and devoted friend, was an essential part of the group's story. Despite being older, married, and lacking music business experience, he threw himself into their world and became indispensable. After the disbandment, Evans continued in their employ as each pursued solo careers. In 1974, he set out to become a songwriter and record producer in Los Angeles. However, his life and death were tragically ended in 1976 during a domestic standoff with the LAPD. Living the Beatles' Legend: The Untold Story of Mal Evans is the first full-length biography of Evans.

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Summary of Living the Beatles Legend by Kenneth Womack

The Untold Story of Mal Evans

Mal Evans, the Beatles' long-time roadie, personal assistant, and friend, became indispensable despite being older and married. After disbandment, he pursued solo careers and eventually became a songwriter and record producer in Los Angeles.BookRix GmbH & Co. KG81371 Munich

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Summary of

Living the Beatles Legend

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Summary of Kenneth Womack’s book

The Untold Story of Mal Evans

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Summary of Living the Beatles Legend by Kenneth Womack: The Untold Story of Mal Evans

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FOREWORD

Mal Evans, the youngest member of the Beatles, was a dedicated cyclist and swimmer who worked as a telecommunications engineer for the General Post Office. He was known for his physical prowess and enjoyed swimming in various bodies of water. On January 11, 1962, Mal was forced to drive the Beatles to London due to illness. The band's second single, "Please Please Me," had been released on January 11, and the song was released on November 26. The author, Lily, wanted his collection returned to their family back in England.

In July 2018, the author decided to follow in his father's footsteps and retrace the famous "Mad Day Out" photo session on its fiftieth anniversary. They met filmmaker and Beatles aficionado Simon Weitzman, who assured them that he knew just the guy to make it happen. Through Simon, the author met Ken Womack via Zoom in 2020, who had already authored several books about the Beatles.

Working with HarperCollins, the author is proud to share the present book, a full-length biography detailing Mal's life with and without the Beatles, and a second, richly illustrated book providing readers with highlights from his collection. Mal's experience with the Beatles exceeded all expectations, earning him £45 (£767 in present-day pounds) from Brian Epstein. He began keeping a journal for the first time after receiving his annual Post Office Engineering Union diary, chronicling his impressions of the Beatles, his experiences in London, and the people he had met along the way.

A RIGHT LITTLE BASTARD

Mal Evans, an Englishman, was drawn to the Old West and the lawless era of North America. He was particularly drawn to The Gunfighter, a 1950 film that depicts the gunslinger Jimmy Ringo as a casualty of his own sordid business. The film's impact on Evans was attributed to three key elements: the ability of a man to adapt to his surroundings, a man's unquenchable yearning for companionship, and the idea that the person a man hurts most often and to whom he is most vulnerable ends up being himself.

Frederick William Jones Evans was born in 1905 in West Derby, Lancashire, to Elizabeth Evans and William Fitzsimons. He worked as his stepfather's assistant at W. David and Son and later became an overachiever, spending much of his summers on the Wirral Peninsula. Fred became an avid motorcyclist and competed in events sponsored by the Auto-Cycle Union across the region. After leaving his stepfather's employ, Fred took a job as a tally clerk for J. A. Sloan Importers, where he emerged as a successful tradesman and natural leader.

In 1934, Fred met his match in twenty-year-old Joan Hazel Evans, a championship swimmer from West Derby. They married in October 1935, and their first child was born in 1935. Mal recalled riding in Fred's sidecar while being "held close in the warmth and security of my mother's arms."

In 1939, Fred and Joan moved to a semi-detached "council" house in Wavertree, where they were joined by Fred's widowed mother, Elizabeth. Mal's early years were uneventful, but he enjoyed a budding friendship with Ronnie Gore, who lived nearby. His sister Pamela Joan was born in 1936, followed by Barbara Hazel in 1938.

As Great Britain recognized the signs of a looming world war, the Evans family moved to Dyserth, Wales, where Fred served as a private attached to the Royal Air Force's Signals Corps. The port city suffered the loss of over four thousand lives during the Blitz, second only to the death and destruction in London.

Fred began his tour of duty as a dispatch rider, stationed at the RAF base in Prestatyn. He suffered a grievous injury while teaching motorcycling to young recruits at the base. During his posting in Prestatyn, Fred earned a promotion to lance corporal and the nickname "Fishy Fred."

Life in Dyserth was idyllic for Mal and his sisters, attending a three-room schoolhouse together. They enjoyed playing on rock formations outside Dyserth, renting bicycles for sixpence apiece, and riding along the promenade in Rhyl. Years later, Mal would wax nostalgic about his family's Welsh respite during the war, describing the period as "five of the happiest years of my life."

Growing taller and stocky, Mal stood out among his peers, wanting to avoid attention but also being known for being extraordinary. He reflected on the profound experiences of his time in Wales, including the emotional pain of being caught hiding behind a girl's skirt when an older boy wanted to bash him and the realization that fighting was a dead-end proposition, especially given his large size.

Mal and his family experienced the horrors of war during World War II, with the Evans family living in Dyserth, North Wales. Fred, a Signals Corps officer, witnessed the ravages of war in London, patrolling for V-1 flying "doodlebug" bombs. The family's Welsh hiatus ended in 1945 when the Evanses returned to Liverpool, celebrating VE (Victory in Europe) Day in Dyserth. They were fortunate to have a father and a child who was placed in the care of foster parents.

Mal and his family remained close to home in Liverpool, with their neighbors never ventured down the road towards them. However, they experienced sweeping changes, including the birth of a newborn baby sister named June in 1946. Mal accepted the new arrival and continued their regular trips to Dyserth, but soon found himself tall and broadshouldered, unable to join his family on motorcycling trips to Wales.

During his preteen and early teen years, Mal's physical awkwardness forced him to retreat into shyness. He tried to join a gang of neighborhood kids but couldn't bring himself to do so. However, he couldn't resist his thieving impulses when it came to guns, the weaponry of choice for his Western heroes. One day, he hid a shiny toy revolver in a nearby bush, which he still holds in his bedroom.

FUNFAIR

Mal, a boy from Northway Primary School, was the first member of his family to pursue a formal education. His schoolmates nicknamed him Hippo, which would continue into his high school years. Mal's growing affection for a female classmates led him to develop intense personal emotions that he struggled to express. Drawing proved a fulfilling outlet for self-expression, and he became enamored with comic book series. He started a newspaper route to earn extra money, but grew bored with it and eventually bought several comic books and classic novels.

At age eleven, Mal entered grammar school at Holt High School. He was at a familiar teenage crossroads, craving attention from the opposite sex but painfully shy and lacking confidence to engage the world in meaningful ways. His teachers mocked him, and Mal overcompensated for his awkward demeanor by resorting to wisecracks and tomfoolery. To win Fred's affections, Mal attempted to develop a liking for sea fishing, the sport his father had enjoyed since boyhood.

Mal's father's good-natured, friendly outlook contrasted with Mal's paralyzing shyness. Their father-son trips revealed a key difference in their personalities, with Fred's easy, outgoing nature being exposed in a strange pub. Mal hoped to adopt Fred's easy, outgoing nature one day.

In May 1951, Mal turned sixteen and considered leaving Holt High School, following his father's advice. His father, Fred, believed Mal was ready for a career in the civil service rather than academics. Mal was accepted into the Youth in Training Program, the General Post Office's apprenticeship scheme, which offered technical courses and internship opportunities. Mal began his first romantic relationship with Audrey, but the experience left him heartbroken. Mal found solace in music, particularly Hank Snow's country-and-western style.

Mal also sought physical fitness, transforming his stocky frame into a more lithe physique through cycling. His increasing physical exertions led to an ingrown toenail that had to be surgically removed. His newfound love for fitness and his studies with the Youth in Training Program led to an exponential increase in Mal's appetite. His mother would make sandwiches for him, and his sister June recalled that his mother would make a plate-size pie just for Malcolm.

In summary, Mal's journey to a career in the civil service and his love for music helped him achieve his goals.

Mal Evans, a working man, found himself at a mental crossroads with his father, Fred, who associated denim jeans with dockhands. As the situation escalated, Mal countered Fred's anger by pointing out that he was old enough to make his own decisions. Fred, however, struck out and punched Mal on the jaw, leaving him stunned.

In 1953, Mal turned eighteen, living under his parents' roof and struggling with emotional maturity. He was dealing a personal blow when he was rejected from the National Service Act for mandatory conscription. His childhood mates Ronnie and Spud were accepted into the army, but Mal was turned down. His national service card listed him as Grade IV, meaning he was "unsuitable" and dismissed from service due to his missing toenail.

Mal's Grade IV classification was disappointing, especially given his vigorous personal fitness program. His missing toenail was the primary reason for his rejection, suggesting he would be unable to withstand the physical exertions of marching and other military practices. Not being selected on medical grounds might have been a welcome result for many recruits during World War II, but Mal was not "swinging the lead," as the practice was known in the nautical world.

Mal, a young man, faced rejection from the Medical Board and continued his pursuit of the opposite sex through the GPO's Youth in Training Program. His virginity was kept hidden from others, and he began dating a telephone operator. His lack of sexual experience led to an overarching fear of physical intimacy. Mal learned that certain telephone numbers could engage in obscene conversations and accidentally eavesdropped on one of these conversations.

In 1954, Mal joined the ranks of the GPO as a full-time telecommunications engineer, earning a £15 weekly wage. He worked alongside Billy Maher, a three-year GPO veteran, and they bonded over a shared love of music, especially rock 'n' roll. They spent most of their time away from Lancaster House, installing automatic telephone and telex exchanges in governmental and commercial buildings.

Gordon Gaskell, a six-year veteran of the GPO, became Mal's first supervisor. He taught him how to be a good engineer and responsible member of society. Gordon's tutelage buoyed Mal's self-esteem, and he felt competent in his job.

Shortly before settling into his new position with the GPO, Mal joined a friend for a Saturday night in New Brighton, where he met 18-year-old Lily White. They enjoyed a relaxing stroll among the fairgrounds, and when Lily complained of feeling ill, Mal escorted her on the ferry ride across the Mersey before depositing her at the tram shed bound for Allerton.

A CELLARFUL OF NOISE

Mal White, a man who had grown up in suburban Liverpool, finally found a genuine girlfriend in Lily White. Born in 1936, Lily was the youngest of five siblings and had a vivacious, outgoing personality. She was working as a secretary for a shipping firm in the Cunard Building and enjoyed sunbathing but didn't enjoy swimming or cycling. Mal spent his early teen years at Holt High, while Lily studied at Morrison Secondary Modern School and Anfield Secretarial College.

Lily's sisters were fascinated by their brother's and his new girlfriend's contrasting proportions. As Mal and Lily's relationship progressed, they often joined the family for day trips to the beach at New Brighton. Mal quickly ingratiated himself with Lily's family, who marveled at his outsize appearance and good-natured demeanor. He was especially fond of Lily's niece, Shirley Ann White, whose uncle Ken nicknamed her "Shan" because of her penchant for drinking the dregs out of his glasses of Shandygaff beer.

In Shan's memory, Mal "adored children—being a sort of big child himself.” On one unforgettable occasion, Mal attempted a handstand in the Whites' rear garden in Woolton and broke his arm. However, he never left Woolton in a cast, and he could always be counted on to show off his three-foot model schooner at the Sefton Park Boating Lake.

Mal and Lily Evans were inseparable from each other during their early years of courtship. They spent every minute together, sharing meals at the Pier Head and enjoying the music. By 1956, Elvis Presley became a popular figure in Liverpool, and Mal discovered him for the first time. He began collecting Elvis's U.K. releases and purchased his first LP in the British Isles, entitled Elvis Presley Rock 'n' Roll.

Mal's unbridled enthusiasm for Elvis was evident at the GPO, where other engineering techs mocked his devotion to the American rock 'n' roll star. Mal served as Ronnie Gore's best man at his June 1956 wedding to the former Patricia McInnes. Mal's affinity for Elvis didn't stop with the music; he also enjoyed watching Elvis's star turn in Love Me Tender and Loving You.

Mal's parents, Fred and Joan, were proud of their son, but Joan was concerned about his fitness for marriage. Mal was determined to prove his worthiness to Lily and defy his mother's expectations. On September 28, 1957, he married Lily at St. Agnes and St. Pancras Church in Toxteth Park.

The couple settled into their first home in Wavertree, a tiny row house shared with Lily's mother. As they settled into their first home, they made a pact that Mal would always leave home smiling and never allow the seeds of marital discord to fester. That Christmas, Lily presented her new husband with an acoustic guitar, which Mal considered the epitome of rock 'n' roll, Elvis Presley, and America.

Mal later tried his hand at learning guitar and performing in public, betraying a more serious, long-held secret ambition: he wanted to be an entertainer since he was a kid.

In 1958, Mal and Lily purchased a home in Mossley Hill, Liverpool, and Mal became the first member of their family to take out a mortgage. The home had three cozy bedrooms and was perfect for an aspiring family. By 1961, Lily learned she was pregnant with their first child and Mal became the first person in his family to own a car.

During this time, Mal discovered rock 'n' roll in his heart and first descended the steps of a basement club on Mathew Street. The Cavern, originally a jazz club, was rebranded as a go-to hangout for blues bands and Beat groups after Ray McFall bought it in 1959. The club's atmosphere was transformative, with the Beatles playing onstage that day. Mal was much older than the usual lunchtime crowd, but the main attraction was the music.

Mal made regular forays into the basement club to see the Beatles, befriending eighteen-year-old Roberta "Bobby" Brown. Bobby, the local Beatles Fan Club secretary, introduced him to the band and introduced him to Paul, who was a lovely, big, huggable bear of a man. Pete also took notice of Mal's presence and was first and foremost a fan.

Mal couldn't get enough of the Beatles, who had begun to recognize the towering figure among the throng of regular Cave Dwellers. He began making "rather extended" lunchtime visits to the Cavern and eventually stopping by after work to take in the Beatles' evening shows as well. Mal became particularly close with George Harrison during this period, and one night that summer, he brought George home to meet Lily in Mossley Hill.

Mal and Lily's pregnancy was marked by complications, including severe blood poisoning and a premature caesarean birth. They were hospitalized for six weeks, and their son Gary Malcolm Evans was born on October 11, 1961. Lily struggled during her hospital stay, and her family realized that she needed a break from Mal. They organized a coach trip to see the Blackpool Illuminations, an annual festival of lights.

Mal initially declined the offer, but Shan's grandmother invited him to join them. The trip was a memorable experience for Shan, who enjoyed the trip with her uncle. However, Lily's mother died of a brain tumor soon after the baby's birth. By 1962, Mal and Lily felt their new family was out of danger, and Gary Malcolm developed into a beautiful, strong, healthy boy.

Lily occasionally joined Mal for his regular trips to Mathew Street to take in the Beatles' set and service his addiction to rock 'n' roll. The Beatles began to take special notice of the outsize regular frequenting their shows, and Mal was always a Presley freak. One evening, George invited Mal to his family's home in Speke, Liverpool, where they hung out, had dinner, and listened to records. George hatched the idea of Mal working as a bouncer, as he could use the extra money and be close to the action with a new baby at home.

In summary, the story of Mal and Lily's relationship highlights the challenges faced by a family dealing with a difficult time, the importance of family, and the impact of music on their lives.

In the early 1960s, the Beatles had a successful record retail outlet in the North, NEMS (North End Music Stores). Brian Epstein, the manager of the Cavern, was a born entrepreneur with a vision for the band's future. Mal, a middle-class bouncer, was well-suited for the role, as he was known to talk people out of trouble before it started.

Mal would rarely be called upon to work alone at his post outside the club, as McFall employed a rotating cast of bouncers, including Paddy Delaney and future Olympian Wallace Booth. Booth enjoyed working the door, but preferred standing at the top of the steps due to the club's "fabulous rock 'n' roll atmosphere." John Quinn, a Liverpudlian metalworker, was struck by Mal's imposing height and quiet demeanor. John Fanning, who managed Ted "Kingsize" Taylor and the Dominoes, remembered Mal working the door along with two other large chaps, making sure all the boys that came in were going to behave themselves.

Mal became aware of the comings and goings of other acts, along with the road managers, or "roadies," who lugged bands' gear, prepped their stages, and ensured their timely transit from place to place. Mal was drafted by fellow Liverpudlian Mal Jefferson to transport Paul's new QUAD, or "Quality Unit Amplifier Domestic," into the Cavern.

Mal's time at the door was fantastic, giving him the chance to get to know all the musicians because they often helped them hump their gear in and out of bandwagons. In this capacity, he first met twenty-year-old Neil Aspinall, an accounting trainee who had left his job the previous July to work as the Beatles' full-time roadie.

ROADIE?

Mal, a part-time bouncer at the Cavern, experienced a series of challenges as the band's reputation grew. One night, he was accosted by a drunk outside the Cavern, causing him to lose his jaw. However, Mal stood his ground and continued to bounce around the club. Brian Epstein, who was dedicated to making the Beatles a success, invited Mal to serve as head bouncer for NEMS Enterprises, overseeing the band's interests.

Mal enjoyed working as the Beatles' bodyguard and supplementing his family's income. He attended the Wavertree Mystery celebration in July and took Paul on a jaunt, daring each other to perform nerve-taking displays. They also attended the "Riverboat Shuffle" package tour, which was a three-hour voyage along the Mersey River.

Lilly, who had mixed feelings about Mal's part-time bouncing efforts, enjoyed getting to know the bandmates. She enjoyed spending time with George, who would come back to their house for bacon and eggs after gigs. Lily fondly remembered pushing the bangs from Harrison's face, but George combed his hair forward, telling her it was the Beatle cut.

Despite the challenges, Mal's role as head bouncer allowed him to continue his work at the Cavern and continue to support his family. His increasing duties were not lost on his wife, Lily, who was disappointed by his husband's absence from home.

Mal, a part-time bodyguard for the Beatles, gained a close-knit circle that included John, Paul, George, Pete, Brian, and Neil. Neil, born in 1941, had known the Beatles since the Aspinalls' departure from Liverpool air raids. He had been ferrying the Beatles around in his old Commer van, charging them five shillings per gig. Mal and Neil had become invaluable assets for the band members, organizing equipment and negotiating daily life.

On August 16, Pete Best was dismissed from the band after two years of service and replaced by veteran Liverpool drummer Ringo Starr. Pete was Neil's best mate and had given birth to his son, Roag, a few weeks earlier. Brian and the Beatles were concerned about their roadie's loyalty, but their worries were for naught. Neil had no intention of shirking his duties, and the Beatles promptly rewarded him with a raise, increasing his weekly wage to £10.8.

Mal was uncertain of the reasons behind Pete's dismissal, relying on the rumor mill to satisfy his curiosity. Bobby Brown attributed Pete's sacking to his dour demeanor, but Mal soon learned that he was correct. The seeds of Pete's demise had been sown back in June when George Martin expressed displeasure to Brian over the drummer's musical abilities.

Ringo made his Cavern debut on August 19, 1962, and Mal would never forget the night. The evening was fraught with feelings of anger and disapproval from many Pete Best supporters. George, one of Ringo's strongest supporters, received a bloody nose during a scrape outside Mal's sphere of protection.

Mal Evans, a head bouncer for the Beatles, was limited by his GPO obligations and could only travel with Neil and the boys on weekends. He joined them for an evening gig at Manchester's Oasis Club, where he met Little Richard, who was headlining a twelve-act show. Mal enjoyed the privilege of being head bouncer and had access to all the dressing rooms. However, things started to get dicey when a fight was imminent at the New Brighton Tower Ballroom. Mal stepped in between two young lads squaring up at each other, glaring and threatening to kill each other.

As a result, things became even more heated. Mal adopted an "ardent coward" persona and beat a hasty retreat. A few months later, after witnessing a beer-fueled skirmish outside the Cavern, Mal registered his ever-growing doubts about his fitness for the role Brian had assigned him: "Am I forceful enough for a bouncer?"

On a personal level, Mal couldn't imagine being happier, as his family life was exceeding expectations and his work-life balance had begun to improve precipitously. On January 1, 1963, he wrote in his new Post Office Engineering Union diary that 1962 had been "a wonderful year." He had a beautiful wife, a son, a house, a car, and even a puppy. Mal was elated, as he knew he was born with a silver canteen of cutlery in his mouth and wanted a part-time job for a long time. As events would come to show, Mal would likely not be working as a bouncer as much in 1963.

Mal, a young musician, began compiling his diary to track the growth and development of his firstborn son, Gary. He was fascinated by Gary's progress and was particularly fond of him. As the New Year progressed, Mal spent time at the Cavern, attending shows with Lily, and listening to Elvis's music. With Lily's support, Mal enlisted in the Royal Army Emergency Reserve, aiming to correct his character and manhood.