In memory of Ken Mansfield

 

Ken Mansfield being interviewed at the Fest for Beatle Fans in Chicago 2019
photo by Sara Schmidt 

Ringo and Ken, 2006

Best buddies - Mal and Ken

Paul and Ken in 1968

Mal, Ken, and George in 1968

George and Ken in the 70s

Ken in his white coat on the rooftop 

I am very sad to say that Ken Mansfield passed away on November 17, 2022.  Ken worked with Capitol Records in Los Angeles and had many interactions with The Beatles.  He was then promoted to the head of Apple Records in the United States.   

Most Beatle fans remember him as the guy in the white coat on the rooftop during the concert.   He was the only guy sitting with Yoko, Maureen, and Chris.   

Many people might not realize that Ken and Mal Evans became best friends, and they hung out together a lot.  Actually, Ken was supposed to meet Mal for lunch the day after he died in 1976.   Ken knew that something wasn't right with Mal and that something had to be bothering him and so he and Mal made plans to have lunch the next day because Ken had to go to the Billboard Music Awards.    He always spoke of Mal with such kindness, and I think he might have felt guilty because he should have done something sooner.   

Ken was a very soft-spoken, kind man.   He answered my email in the early 2000s when I wrote to him about I was being bullied online about being a Beatles fan.   He always showed kindness towards Beatles fans and was an all-around great man.   

I hope that Ken has now reunited with his friend, Mal, and they finally got to have that lunch.