Cynthia Lennon Said the Beatles Were Almost Crushed by a Mob Because of Beatlemania
The Beatles are the rock band behind “Please Please Me,” “Love Me Do,” and “Twist and Shout.” They found success in America, sparking the phenomenon known as “Beatlemania.” Here’s what Cynthia Lennon said about the band’s popularity — and some scary moments with large crowds.
The Beatles sparked the music phenomenon — ‘Beatlemania’
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr formed the chart-topping rock band The Beatles. In her 2005 memoir John, Cynthia Lennon detailed her experience growing up adjacent to the rock group. That includes her perspective on the group’s first tour — a six-week stint in Germany.
Since the release of their first official single, “Love Me Do,” the Beatles experienced a whirlwind of success. They performed on Sunday Night at the London Palladium, with fifteen million people watching.
“The next day, the story was on the front page of every paper,” Cynthia Lennon wrote, “and ‘Beatlemania’ was the word used to describe the hysteria of fans who screamed, burst into tears, became totally overwrought, and fainted as they attempted to get closer to the Beatles, swearing undying love for the Fab Four.”
History.com describes Beatlemania similarly — with the Fab Four taking over the music scene in England and abroad. One of the most notable instances was their performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. Even as they exited the plane in America, they were greeted by screaming fans.
“Seeing thousands of kids there to meet us made us realize just how popular we were there,” Harrison later said, according to the same source.
The Beatles were almost crushed by fans, according to Cynthia Lennon
The popularity of the band was hard for Cynthia Lennon to grasp. That is — until she saw pictures of the crowds. The Beatles were often followed by dozens (if not hundreds) of listeners.
“Watching TV in Liverpool and looking at the photos in the papers of the crowd scenes I was a little alarmed — John and the others had almost been crushed by the mob as they tried to get to their car that night,” Lennon continued in her memoir. “What on earth was going on?”
Fans and reporters even followed the Beatles to their homes, according to Cynthia Lennon. Her husband would often stop and sign autographs before entering his flat.
A Beatles fan even attacked Ringo Starr’s then-girlfriend
There were other scary (and dangerous) fan interactions noted by Cynthia Lennon. While she was pregnant with her first son, Julian, Ringo Starr’s then-girlfriend, Mo Starkey, waited for the band outside the venue. A crazed fan reached into the car and scratched her face.
“She managed to lock the doors and wind up the window before the girl could do anything worse, but it shook her,” Lennon added.
