Living the Beatles Legend

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The first full biography of The Beatles' friend, confidant, and roadie, Malcolm Evans, reveals his significant yet often overlooked role in the band's history. Known as Mal, he was a long-time roadie, personal assistant, and devoted friend, contributing sounds, lyrical ideas, and background music. He helped collate images for the iconic Sgt. Pepper cover, was the only inner circle member invited to Paul McCartney's wedding, and witnessed the band's final live performance on the rooftop of Apple Corps. In Peter Jackson's Get Back documentary, viewers can see Mal jotting down lyrics as new songs are created. Leaving his stable job as a telecommunications engineer, Mal became the road manager for The Beatles, despite being older, married, and inexperienced in the music industry. His dedication to the band was unwavering, and he traveled the world with them, becoming their most intimate record keeper and secret keeper. However, after the band's split, Mal faced abandonment by friends and former employers. He moved to Los Angeles to pursue songwriting, leaving his family behind, and began a memoir titled Living the Beatles, which remained unfinished after his tragic death in 1976. Kenneth Womack, a Beatles scholar, tells Mal's story with the support of his family and through extensive interviews and previously unseen materials, shedding light on this important yet little-known figure in Beatles lore.