Fame and Family: A Beatles Book Review

 by Theresa Gauthier 

My Kid Brother’s Band by Louise Harrison

I've been meaning to read Louise Harrison's book, My Kid Brother's band a.k.a. The Beatles, for a long time now, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. was privileged to meet the author on a number of occasions, and I adore her stories of her brother. It's a dimension to The Beatles Story that would be missing otherwise. Louise knew George best, of course, but she did know all of The Beatles--and she knew them as only family could. Louise’s book starts with her own life before her youngest and most famous brother was born. She was a good bit older than George, and tells stories of World War II—from a child’s perspective—while also painting a good picture of the morals, choices, and family life that would shape George Harrison.

With a straightforward, no frills, no nonsense voice, she describes her home life as the eldest child and only daughter, her education, her rebellion and its consequences—and her views on world issues, politics, climate, and more.

She touches on the effort (not her own) to have the Illinois house she once lived in and which George Harrison once visited declared a historical building, and on the details of George’s pre-US Fame visit to that Illinois home.

She goes into some detail of how she was put in charge of nursing George back to health when he came down with a fever of 104 when he and the other Beatles arrived in New York to be on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964. Times when she and George couldn’t meet as planned because the screaming fans made it impossible for him to leave his hotel room, when they had to devise other plans in order to meet before a concert, and her own efforts to create a non-profit organization.

George, all the while, stood by her offering advice or money as the situation demanded, but Louise earned her own money and supported herself for the most part, never taking advantage and never living in the lap of luxury.

I had always wondered when she and George might last have seen each other, and I was heartened to learn it was just two weeks before George’s death. They talked and reminisced, and Louise explained George’s preference that people don’t focus on the negative but celebrate a person’s life when that person passes. 

George’s spiritual journey has been well-documented elsewhere, but the small mentions of it here hint that the rest of the family was equally as open-minded, positive, and optimistic.

The book does take the occasional turn into the issues of the times. Written in 2014, there was a lot going on at the time that was precursor to what’s happening now. Not at all shy about sharing her opinions, she spends not a few pages urging Beatle People to get involved and “Save the World” —which is, of course, the name of the song George Harrison donated for her use when she ran her non-profit company dedicated to doing just that.

Determined to Restore Our Planet, and the We Care Global Family, were Lou’s attempt to make people see and understand that the planet is damaged and that there’s a lot we can do about it. 

Her own passing in January 2023 at the age of 91 reminded me of the times I’d spent talking to her at Beatles events, asking questions about George and the other Beatles, and singing songs her brother had made famous. Auntie Lou, as most of us referred to her, shared some wonderful tales when appearing at conventions, and in

Well worth a read for any true George Harrison fan.