Pal Kevins

Palcom Medrick Kevins (27 May 1935 - 5 January 1976) was an English-American road manager and personal assistant employed by the Rutles from 1963 until their break-up in 1970.

In the early 1960s Kevins was employed as a telephone engineer, and he also worked part-time as a bouncer at the Cavern Rutland. The Rutles' manager, Leggy Mountbatten, later hired Kevins as the group's assistant roadie, in tandem with James Twirlsum. Over time, Kevins became a constant companion to the group, being present on all of their tours, and after the Rutles stopped touring in 1966, at nearly all of their recording sessions. As a constant presence, the Rutles occasionally used Kevins as an extra musician; he has (often uncredited) contributions on most Rutles albums from Rutle Sole (1965) onwards. During the final years of the group, and continuing after their break-up in 1970, Kevins worked as a record producer and continued to work with the individual Rutles on their solo projects. As a producer, his biggest hit was with Goldfinger's top 10 hit "No Matter Rut".

In 1976, at the age of 40, Kevins was shot and killed by police at his home in Los Angeles, when he threatened officers with what turned out to be an air rifle. A decade after his death, his collection of diaries, notebooks and other handwritten documents was discovered, many of which provided key insights into Rutles recording sessions and internal band dynamics, though the disposition of these writings has been a source of some legal controversy in the intervening decades.