George Harrison’s mom, Louise, spent much of her time corresponding with Beatles fans. She answered letters and even received a plaque for her dedication to Beatles fans everywhere. Still, she didn’t agree with all their behavior. In a letter to a fan, Harrison’s mother expressed her disgust with concertgoers.
George Harrison’s mom grew frustrated with some Beatles fans
After watching The Beatles perform at a 1963 concert, Louise Harrison could hardly believe the behavior of some audience members. At this point, The Beatles were exploding in popularity and their fans reacted fervently to their performances.
“Last Wednesday I went to Manchester and I was really disgusted at the way the so-called fans just screamed right through the whole of the Beatles act,” she wrote in a letter to a Beatles fan, per the BBC. “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 that the behavior of her fellow audience members embarrassed her.
“I was really ashamed I was a female,” she wrote.
She went on to remind the fan, Janet Gray, to be kind to her mother. The letter, among others from Louise, went up for auction in 2023.
George Harrison’s mom typically enjoyed Beatles fans
While Louise found the behavior of the concertgoers repulsive, she didn’t hold it against all Beatles fans. For the most part, she enjoyed corresponding with them in letters and answered fan mail whenever she could. She invited fans in when they came by and kept their gifts around the house.
The Beatles fans recognized her efforts and sent a plaque in thanks.
“Presented to Harold and Louise Harrison for the time and effort they have shown towards Beatle People everywhere,” it read. “United Beatles Fans. Pomona, California, 1965.”
How did George Harrison feel about The Beatles’ fans?
While Louise Harrison found fans of The Beatles charming, her son had a different opinion. He recognized their importance to his career, but he never enjoyed fame. More than his bandmates, Harrison was private and didn’t appreciate the constant intrusions on his personal life. He also felt that their desperate efforts to see the band were dangerous.
“Every time we went to Texas, we nearly got wiped out,” he told Rolling Stone in 1987. “The first time just by the police not listening to our advance man tell them how to handle the situation. We landed on the runway in Houston; they put about four police at the airport, and so there were thousands of kids. They were actually running along the runway, and the pilot just turned the engines off and let the plane coast to a stop. Within a few minutes, they were all over the plane. They were on the outside of the plane, knocking on the windows and all over the wings. It was ridiculous.”
When The Beatles broke up, he expressed his displeasure with fans requesting that they get back together. He believed they wanted the band to work themselves to death for their enjoyment.
