John Lennon was "was under immense psychological pressure" and worried for his bandmates safety when his remarks that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus led to death threats. Worried for the safety of his bandmates he "put his head in his hands and wept", according to a new book John & Paul A Love Story In Songs by author Ian Leslie.

In March 1966 during an interview with The Evening Standard, John claimed that the public were more infatuated with the band than with Jesus Christ, and that Christian faith was declining to the extent that it might be outlasted by rock music. Although his remarks raised no eyebrows at the time, they were reprinted in the US in July that year, leading to angry reactions from Christian communities. They triggered a wave of protests against the band when they returned to the country for a tour and overshadowed press coverage of their newest album Revolver.

John was forced to issue and apology to ateempt to quell the anger of protesters over fears for the the physical safety of his fellow band members, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Manager Brian Epstein and press officer Tony Barrow had to work with John to figure out wording to ensure sure the public knew he was sorry.

“[Brian] Epstein, barely recovered from the last tour, was forced to fly to the US with Barrow to quell the controversy. When the Beatles arrived, six days later, protests and record bans were still rumbling on.

“Beatles haters across the country finally had a cause to rally around. It wasn’t that they found the remarks blasphemous so much as arrogant and hubristic; this was a political and cultural protest as much as a religious one….

"Death threats were made. There were concerns of a sniper infiltrating one of the gigs,” Ian wrote.

“Before the Beatle’s first press conference, in Chicago, Epstein and Barrow took Lennon aside to brief him on what to say…Lennon was under immense psychological pressure.

“He felt he had made not just himself but also his friends vulnerable to attack…As Epstein and Barrow spoke, Lennon put his head in his hands and began quietly weeping.

"He was worried by the physical threats but also by the threat to the group’s career,” he continued.

The band were already unhappy with touring and the controversy only exacerbated this ensuring they never toured again. John also refrained from touring during his solo career.