The Reason George Harrison Was Scared Of Beatles Fans

The Reason George Harrison Was Scared Of Beatles Fans | I Love Classic Rock Videos

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Envision yourself as a global superstar, with hundreds of thousands of devoted followers who would do anything to catch a glimpse of your face. George Harrison of the Beatles knows firsthand how terrifying fan worship can be because his former bandmate, the late John Lennon, faced a similar fate at the hands of one.

The Beatles’ global fanbase was among the largest of any band in history. Fanaticism blossomed alongside their rising fame. The media coined the term Beatlemania to describe the frenzied fandom of the Fab Four, which included shrill cries and veneration of the band as if they were gods. This was also a part of the reason why the Beatles permanently stopped touring in 1966, as they grew wearisome with the deafening screams of fans who just can’t control themselves.

Although it may sound fantastic to have such devoted admirers, it appears that George Harrison was occasionally threatened by them. Back in 1964, Harrison appeared on the TV show Roundup and admitted that he was terrified whenever thousands of fans waited outside a venue as they were leaving. But he emphasized that it was fine if only a small group of people came out to greet them.

“Only times when getting in and out of places when there are thousands of them altogether, but when you usually only meet about the most six or seven if you’re running along the road. Then there’s not enough of them to make you frightened,” Harrison explained.

There’s no wonder why the shy Beatle would be wary of his wild fans. Back in 1999, a crazed fan entered his house and stabbed Harrison, puncturing his lungs. Sadly, this resulted in his lung cancer coming back, and in November 2001, he died from the said illness.