George Harrison’s mum was “disgusted” at fans screaming through Beatles’ gigs
A letter written by George Harrison‘s mother has revealed that she was “disgusted” at how audiences would scream throughout The Beatles‘ live shows.
As BBC News reports, Louise Harrison made the comment in a letter she sent to a young fan of the Fab Four called Janet Gray. The pair are said to have had regular written correspondence between 1963 and 1966.
Twenty-five letters to Gray are due to go under the hammer at the Liverpool Beatles Memorabilia Auction on Saturday, August 26.
In one response, Louise said she was “disgusted at the way the so-called fans just screamed” at one of The Beatles’ gigs in Manchester.
“Nobody with any sense would pay and queue for a ticket just to stand on a seat and scream and not hear one sound from the stage,” she added. “I was really ashamed I was a female.”
The letter in question is expected to fetch £100-£150.
Offering Gray some advice regarding her home life, Louise wrote: “I hope you will try and remember that your mum is your best friend, even if you don’t see eye-to-eye on some issues.
“Thank God I get on fine with all my four children and they with each other.”
Per Beatles Story, Louise and George’s father Harold would “invite fans into their home and loved chatting to fans about their son’s success”. The late musician’s mother – who died in 1970, aged 59 – replied to thousands of letters from Beatles fans around the world.
Elsewhere in other letters, Louise expressed her concern for her famous son’s health, mentioned a minor car crash he’d been involved in, and admitted to feeling overwhelmed by all the fan mail she had received.
A letter dated August 14, 1966, reads: “I am hoping the boys will have a successful tour of America despite all the rumours we have heard.”
The historic run of concerts Louise referred to was plagued with controversy after John Lennon said The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus” during an interview with the London Evening Standard earlier that year.
You can find more information about the upcoming auction here.
Earlier this year, a playlist of Harrison‘s jukebox circa 1965 was created from an archive interview with the late guitarist.
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Tom Skinner
NME
