Living the Beatles Legend: On the Road with the Fab Four – The Mal Evans Story

On the Road with the Fab Four – The Mal Evans Story

By: Kenneth Womack

**MiCannes Award Music Book of the Year**

The first full-length biography of Mal Evans, the Beatles’ beloved roadie, assistant, confidant and friend

A towering figure in horn-rimmed glasses, Malcolm ‘Mal’ Evans was an invaluable member of the Beatles’ inner circle. Serving as their long-time roadie, personal assistant and protector, he was a sometime lyricist, occasional performer and regular fixer at the height of the group’s fame and beyond.

But Mal’s dedication to his beloved ‘boys’ and his own desire for stardom took its toll, leading to the dissolution of his marriage and his untimely death in January 1976.

Until now, Mal’s extraordinary life has remained shrouded in mystery. Drawing on hundreds of exclusive interviews and with full access to Mal’s unpublished archives – including his personal diaries, manuscripts and memorabilia – renowned Beatles scholar Kenneth Womack paints the first complete portrait of this complicated figure at the heart of the Beatles’ story.

Living the Beatles Legend is a fascinating but ultimately tragic tale about life at the edges of superstardom.

©2023 Kenneth Womack

Critic reviews

'Exhaustively detailed … captures Beatlemania up close' Observer

‘A meticulously researched job in not only piecing together the roadie’s viewpoint of the Beatles’ story, but also in depicting the tragedy of a man who was so in love with the group he destroyed his own life’ Daily Mail Book of the Week

‘Womack has woven a portrait full of complex threads that lead everywhere and, near the end of Evans’ life, nowhere … This book is just amazing’ Q

‘A celebration – not just of Evans, but of all the unsung supporting characters who make creative life possible … It removes the cloud of mythology that often shrouds the Beatles’ story and reminds us that their superstardom was by no means predestined’ Guardian

‘A Holy Grail for fans’ People

Kenneth Womack is an excellent Beatles historian

This book continues the collection of excellent books and audiobooks about the Beatles, and the people around them.
I learned so much about the inner workings of the band and their relationships, and never realised till now that Mal was such an integral part of what happened. It's amazing that he rubbed shoulders with so many of the musical elite of the 60's and 70's, and was regarded as a trusted friend by them. It's a warts-and-all account, and certainly shows both Mal's big, friendly side as well as the sorry way in which he often treated his family, and also the often selfish way in which the Beatles themselves treated him. The book is a definite recommendation.
Womack's historical accuracy and writing style are top-notch, but the only criticism I would give is that the pronunciation of English place names is sometimes quite incorrect. This is jarring to someone familiar with the UK, and of English descent. A small point, and the narration is really good otherwise, but it was noticeable.