George Harrison Once Threw a Scotch and Coke at a Reporter
George Harrison and the Beatles had some “nasty” interactions with reporters. When one insisted on taking pictures of the band, this songwriter threw a scotch and coke at him. Here’s what the Beatles said of the moment during a 1964 press conference.
George Harrison appeared as a songwriter for the Beatles
As part of the “Fab Four,” Harrison performed in the Beatles alongside John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr. He wrote “Here Comes the Sun” and later branched out as a solo artist.
As time passed, the Beatles became the source of “Beatlemania,” earning recognition in the United States. They hosted concerts abroad, performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, and appeared in press conferences. Not every press interaction was positive, though, as stated by Harrison.
The Beatles’ George Harrison once threw a drink at a ‘very nasty’ reporter
There were some interesting interactions between the Beatles and reporters. During a press conference in Kansas City, Harrison was asked about throwing a drink at one reporter. He confirmed that actually happened, and the person was “a very nasty young man.” Ringo Starr chimed in, joking that he was an “old man.”
“Well, he had been told to leave the place, anyway, you see,” Harrison noted (via Beatles Interviews). “And he insisted on jumping and trying to take pictures. And we couldn’t see, as it was, without some idiot flashing in front of us. So I thought I’d baptize him.”
According to Meet the Beatles For Real, in the process of throwing his drink, he “accidentally knocked over a bucket of ice, soaking [actor] Mamie Van Doren’s face, who was close to the table.” He later denied this.
This wouldn’t be the only time Harrison threw drinks after getting angry. As the Beatles became more popular abroad, their schedules became more demanding. After the band’s press agent, Brian Sommerville, added extra interviews to one appearance in the United States, Harrison threw orange juice in his face.
The Beatles had ‘exuberant’ fan interactions
At the height of their popularity, the Beatles were swarmed by fans wherever they went — Lennon even signed autographs at the hospital where his son was born. In her memoir John, Lennon’s ex-wife Cynthia detailed fans and photographers waiting outside their home.
The Beatles oftentimes had “exuberant” and potentially dangerous interactions. On one occasion, Ringo Starr’s then-girlfriend was scratched by a crazed fan outside the band’s concert venue.
“Well they get exuberant, you know, but we’re uhh — We enjoy it,” McCartney replied (via Beatles Interviews). “We don’t come to any harm, [because] the policemen are equally as exuberant. The police have a great time.”
Cynthia Lennon mentioned her husband always had “respected and cared” for listeners. It was this attitude that, as she described it, might’ve led to his murder in 1980, by a crazed fan in New York City.
