THE FIFTH BEATLE
MAL EVANS
Bought Ringo some undies for his visit to the doctor.
– Mal Evans, diary entry, 1967
Arguably one of the most deserving of the title ‘Fifth Beatle’, Malcolm ‘Mal’ Frederick Evans was born in Liverpool on 27 May 1935. A massive Elvis Presley fan, he chanced upon The Beatles during one of their Cavern lunchtime slots while taking a break from his job as a GPO telephone engineer.
A gentle giant in thick glasses, who stood over six foot tall, he was asked to become the Cavern’s doorman. He was happy to supplement his Post Office wages, as in 1961 he had a young son, Gary, and a wife, Lily, to support. He also shared driving duties with Neil Aspinall if needed.
By August 1963, with Beatlemania bubbling up, Evans was brought in full-time as a road manager and bodyguard, while Aspinall took on more of a personal assistant role with the band. The two men’s characters contrasted and complemented each other: Mal was laid-back, easy-going and unfazed by The Beatles’ demands; Neil was more anxious, driven and detail-oriented. Both were utterly loyal and exactly who The Beatles needed for support. When The Beatles split up, Evans found it difficult to adjust to a new role in life. He tried producing, and moved to Los Angeles where he partied hard, particularly when his old Beatles pals were in town. In 1976, drugged out and confused, and threatening suicide with an air rifle, he was shot dead by the police at a friend’s house. He had been working on his memoirs, Living with The Beatles Legend, at the time of his death, though they have never been published.
The ever-dependable Mal Evans dismantles Ringo’ drum kit after a show. Alamy