January 5 Beatles’ road manager and friend, Mal Evans, died

Mal befriended the Beatles while working part-time as a bouncer at the Cavern Club and was hired as the band’s assistant roadie. After the Beatles stopped touring in 1966, Mal carried on assisting them until their break-up in 1970. He also found work as a record producer (most notably with Badfinger’s top 10 hit “No Matter What”).In January 1976, Mal was working on a book of memoirs about his years with the Beatles. He was separated from his wife and living with a new girl friend in a rented motel apartment in Los Angeles. His wife asked for a divorce before Christmas and he was required to deliver the memoirs to the publisher in one week. On January 5, Mal’s co-writer John Hoernie described him as despondent and “really doped-up and groggy”. During an incoherent conversation while Hoernie helped him up to an upstairs bedroom, Mal picked up an air rifle. They struggled but Mal, who was much stronger than Hoernie, held on to the rifle. Mal’s girlfriend then phoned LAPD and told them that Mal was confused, had a rifle, and was on Valium. Four police officers arrived and went up to the bedroom. They later reported that as soon as Mal saw them he pointed a rifle at them. The officers repeatedly told him to put down the weapon but Mal refused. The police fired six shots, four hitting Evans and killing him.None of the Beatles attended his funeral, but Harry Nilsson, George Martin, Neil Aspinall and other friends did. George Harrison arranged for Evans’ family to receive £5,000, as Mal had not maintained his life insurance premiums, and was not entitled to a pension.In an odd twist, Mal’s ashes were mailed to England and the only copy of his manuscript, “Living The Beatles’ Legend” were mailed to the publisher. Both were lost! The package with Mal’s ashes were finally found (to which John reportedly remarked “They should look in the dead letter file.”). The manuscript was never found and the book was never published.