The Beatles’ former roadie Mal Evans wrote his last will and testament on 3 January 1976.
He was living in Los Angeles with his girlfriend Fran Hughes, in a rented motel apartment at 8122 West 4th Street. Evans was estranged from his wife Lily and their two children Gary and Julie, and depressed at his situation.
On the afternoon of 3 January, Evans telephoned Badfinger’s Tom Evans. During the conversation he asked Tom, “If something happens to me, can you look after Lily?”
That evening, Mal hand wrote his will, asking Hughes to witness the document.
3rd January 1976Being of sound mind & healthy body this is my last will and testament. All my guns and books to go to Gary, my Elvis autographs and Elvis records in fact all my records to go to Julie Suzanne.
All moneys from royalties past present and future to be divided in the following
manormanner: 20% to my wife Lily, 20% to Gary Malcolm, 20% to Julie Suzanne, 20% to Francine and 20% to Jody Melissa.
According to Hughes, Evans was “coked-up at the time,” and the document became less coherent as it progressed. Towards the end it sounded more like a suicide note. “Please forgive,” it read. “I loved the world, but I can’t cope.”
I lost my son and daughter and never stopped loving Lil. Forgive me. I only wanted to be happy and please everybody, but I suffered from so much guilt, I never stopped loving Lily – remember the Pier Head. And loved a photograph of Fran… John, George, Ringo, Paul, please think kindly of me. I’ll be back to look after you.
Mal Evans died the following day.