The mother of the Beatles’ George Harrison said she was “really ashamed to be female” after she watched screaming fans at one of the band’s concerts.
Louise Harrison told teenager Janet Gray about her disgust at ‘Beatlemania’ scenes at a gig in Manchester in November 1963.
Ms Gray sent a series of fan letters to the Harrison family home in Woolton, Liverpool, on a weekly basis from 1963-1966.
In a series of 25 letters, recently put up for sale, Mrs Harrison regularly responded to Ms Gray, taking a keen interest in her personal life, as well as sharing the exploits of her son as his fame skyrocketed.
The teenager was one out of thousands of fans around the world, who Mrs Harrison wrote and replied to.
Manchester fans
“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,” Mrs Harrison wrote in 1963.
“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. I was really ashamed I was a female.”
Addressing the teenager’s quarrels with her mother, Mrs Harrison wrote: “I do hope my writing to you is not the cause of any trouble at home. For if so, I will definitely not write any more.
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“Now Janet 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 4 children and they with each other.
“Anyhow I shall pray that everything will be just fine for you in the very near future. Lots of love, Louise Harrison.
“PS I have about 90 letters not opened yet and hundreds opened awaiting replys (sic).”
In another letter, dated July 1964, Mrs Harrison appears to mention a minor road accident that the Beatle was involved in after crashing his E-Type Jaguar in Fulham, London.
“George was home for two days, or rather nights – out all day rehearsing at Blackpool. George was not hurt, thank God, in a crash,” she wrote.
(L-R) Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. Pic:AP
A few months later in September, Mrs Harrison said she had “3,000 letters to answer at least,” describing her son as “very thin but okay”.
Nearly two years later, in August 1966, Mrs Harrison wrote: “Dear Janet, I have just been away on holiday touring around France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and now I am back to about 500 letters and so I am afraid this will have to be rather short.
“I am hoping the boys will have a successful tour of America despite all the rumours we have heard.”
The pair’s letters will be among items listed at the Liverpool Beatles Memorabilia Auction which is taking place on Saturday 26 August.