The day before their 1965 UK tour began in Glasgow, The Beatles and their equipment were driven to Berwick-upon-Tweed on England’s border with Scotland.
As they travelled up the M1 motorway, a passing lorry signalled to The Beatles’ chauffeur Alf Bicknell to pull over.
I went back to this great big articulated vehicle and the driver said to me, ‘I think you’ve dropped a banjo back down the road.’ I couldn’t believe it. So I went back to my car and Neil [Aspinall] and I just stood there looking, we both couldn’t believe it. We just stood there, staring at the back of my car, noticing that the straps were broken. There were two guitars there, but now there was only one. I remember thinking, ‘I can get a lift home,’ I thought that was it. I said to Neil, ‘You’d better tell them.’ He said, ‘No, you tell ’em.’ So I went round to the car and said, ‘I think we’ve lost a guitar.’ In the darkness, a voice comes out, ‘Well if you can find it, you’ll get a bonus.’ This was John. I was always frightened of John more than anyone else, so I said to him, ‘Well, what’s the bonus then?’ He replied, ‘You can have your job back!’So anyway, we got back in the car and we got to the end of this 12-mile stretch of motorway to turn round to come back. We are coming back on the other side in the fast lane, and I’m going along as slow as I can, and if anyone came, I had to move over to let them pass, and then go back out into the fast lane. But I couldn’t see a thing, nothing. It was raining and it was dark. I told them, ‘I want to go home now.’ We got right to the other end where we started from and we started to come back, but there was nothing. The roads were clear as anything. Then, we started finding little bits of wood, and then a guitar string. We ended up with a little piece of the guitar each. Anyway, there was no more said about it, and I was quite pleased. But I was very sorry it happened, believe me.
The guitar was a Gretsch Country Gentleman belonging to George Harrison, who later recalled the incident in a slightly different way.
Fourteen of our guitars were strapped to the roof of our Austin Princess and the only one lost was my Gretsch. It fell onto the road and into the path of the oncoming traffic. About thirteen lorries went over it before our chauffeur could get near it. Then, one of the lorries stopped and the driver came up with the dangling remains of it and said, ‘Oi, is this banjo anything to do with you?’ Some people would say I shouldn’t worry because I could buy as many replacement guitars as I wanted, but you know how it is, I kind of got attached to it.
Also on this day...
- 2017: Paul McCartney live: nib Stadium, Perth
- 2009: Paul McCartney live: Color Line Arena, Hamburg
- 1991: George Harrison live: Osaka-jō Hall, Osaka
- 1979: Wings live: Brighton Centre, Brighton
- 1974: US single release: Walking In The Park With Eloise by Paul McCartney
- 1969: George Harrison live: Colston Hall, Bristol with Delaney & Bonnie
- 1969: Mixing: Lady Madonna, Rain, Octopus’s Garden
- 1969: Television: 24 Hours: The World Of John And Yoko – day one
- 1969: John Lennon is interviewed for Man Of The Decade
- 1968: US album release: Wonderwall Music by George Harrison
- 1966: Mixing, editing: Pantomime: Everywhere It’s Christmas
- 1964: Ringo Starr’s tonsils are removed
- 1963: The Beatles live: Grosvenor House, London
- 1963: Television: The Morecambe And Wise Show
- 1962: The Beatles live: Embassy Cinema, Peterborough
- 1961: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
“Fourteen of our guitars were strapped to the roof of our Austin Princess and the only one lost was my Gretsch. It fell onto the road and into the path of the oncoming traffic. About thirteen lorries went over it before our chauffeur could get near it. Then, one of the lorries stopped and the driver came up with the dangling remains of it and said, ‘Oi, is this banjo anything to do with you?’ Some people would say I shouldn’t worry because I could buy as many replacement guitars as I wanted, but you know how it is, I kind of got attached to it.”
i remember reading this years ago!
one of the beatles left behind an accoustic guitar after their 1963 caird hall dundee show
What would that guitar have been worth today?
Wow I have an original 1963 Gretsch country gentleman that’s worth$9500 it’s a shame that George’s Gretsch got the shore that good service so famous it was featured in the ed sullivanl show with more than 70 million people
gerorge had 2 gretsch country gentlemen one a 1962 the other a 1963… george brought his 1962 into the shop for repairs while he waited they gave him a 1963 country gentlemen to use george preferred this one because it featured flip up mutes instead of dial up (the only difference between the two) when the beatles were on the road for their last tour of Britain their car hit a bump the 1962 gretsch fell of the car and was ran over by several cars …. how ever his 1963 country gentlemen the one that was on the ed Sullivan show is still around Ringo Starr is the owner of the guitar
‘Some people would say I shouldn’t worry because I could buy as many replacement guitars as I wanted, but you know how it is, I kind of got attached to it.’
As a matter of fact, I do know how it is. Poor George. :/
Poor George indeed.
The one Ringo ended up with was not the ’63. The ’63 was either stolen or given away and it remains a mystery to this day.
Does anybody have the serial number of the one that was stolen in Kansas City during their first American Tour. It was also damaged after the Ed Sullivan Show and the neck was broken off.
Which guitar had the neck broken off ? Do you remember where you heard or read about it ? I remember reading about John Lennon sitting on a guitar (possibly one of George’s )that was left on a chair and breaking it ! If any of this rings any bells for anyone I would be very interested in hearing from even the slightest memory !!!
I have an original 1965 Gretsch country Gentleman just like George had, It sounds so sweet and the playability is unbelievable !!!
So much to clear up here:
Harrison had 2 Gretsch Country Gentleman guitars. One fell off the car and was destroyed as described, the other was given to Brian O’Hara of The Fourmost, subsequently traded. I’m expect that a serial number is recorded somewhere but would remain secret to identify should the instrument appear.
I surmise the ‘acoustic guitar left behind in Dundee’ might in fact refer to Lennon’s Gibson J160E lost at the Astoria theatre Christmas ’63 that resurfaced a few years ago and sold for 2.41 million pounds.
Ringo didn’t have a Country Gent but did have George’s Gretsch Tennessean which he auctioned off last year.
Guitar with a damaged neck: that sounds like Lennon’s second 325 (BD122). Dropped and a crack around the nut repaired Christmas ’64.
Not aware of an instrument lost at Kansas City.
For the facts try Andy Babiuk’s book Beatles Gear, but even the latest edition is out of date following Ringo’s auction.
You should change the photo of the guitar in this article. George’s Country Gentlemen were mahogany, not black.
So, if I understand the comments above; George’s Ed Sullivan Show Country Gentleman Gretsch guitar was the one destroyed on the highway? The other Country Gentleman (with the single string mute knob) is the one he traded away to the guy in The Formost?
ok latest news as of 2024. George gave away his first 62 gent to brian o hara from The Fourmost who traded it years later, in australia probably.This guitar has a rare flame top and is still out there somewhere.as for the 63 gent and tennessean and 2nd country gent (both destroyed after falling off the roof rack) check out this video. The 62 tennessean that ringo got off georges family after the concert is not the original one,also rings country gent has 1 flip up mute so is not georges.