Brian Epstein was the long-time manager of the Beatles. He started in this role on January 24,'62, but it was cut short by his untimely death on August 27,'67 (of a drug overdose). Although the Beatles were by far his most popular band, he did manage other acts...such as Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, the Remo Four, and Cilla Black.
Paul McCartney once said, "If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was Brian". Brian has been credited with much of the success of the Beatles, especially in the early years. In this article we will be exploring the impact that Brian Epstein had on the Beatles.
Brian Samuel Epstein was born on September','34 in the port city of Liverpool, England. At the young age of 16 he expressed his desire to become a dress designer, but that didn't sit well with his father. His father, mortified at this suggestion, ordered him to "report for duty" at the family's furniture shop. This was certainly not Brian's idea of a meaningful career, but he did comply with the demand.
It was through the issues of the Mersey Beat, and the various posters around Liverpool, that Brian first heard of the Beatles. November 9,'61 was to prove to be an eventful day, as it was on this day that Brian first heard the Beatles play. It was at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, and he was immediately taken by their unique sound, and their on-stage humor. Things really started to develop from here, and on January 24,'62 Brian was signed to a 5-year management contract.
This was the first time that Brian had managed an entertainment act. Nonetheless, he made his impact known early. He was responsible for their new dress code, and the attitude that they displayed while performing on stage. At Brian's suggestion, the group started to wear suits. He stopped them from swearing, drinking, smoking, or eating onstage. It was also Brian who suggested the formality of the synchronized bow at the end of the performance.
In the early years Brian made many trips to London to try and secure a recording contract for the Beatles. Unfortunately for the labels, he was rejected by many of them (i.e.: Columbia, Philips, Pye, Oriole, and Decca). The Decca audition is a particularly historical one, and we will be discussing this in another article. Eventually Brian worked his way over to EMI, and the Beatles were signed by their Parlophone label (after the group had been rejected by almost every other company). George Martin, the manager of Parlophone never even saw the Beatles play. He said that it was Brian's enthusiasm that won the deal.
As we mentioned previously, Brian died of a drug overdose on August 27,'67. The Beatles did not attend his funeral as they wanted to give his family privacy. They felt that they would only have drawn the media and fans. Here's a bit of trivia... Years later, in 2008, the first contract that the Beatles signed with Brian was auctioned off for 240,000 pounds... - 40723
Paul McCartney once said, "If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was Brian". Brian has been credited with much of the success of the Beatles, especially in the early years. In this article we will be exploring the impact that Brian Epstein had on the Beatles.
Brian Samuel Epstein was born on September','34 in the port city of Liverpool, England. At the young age of 16 he expressed his desire to become a dress designer, but that didn't sit well with his father. His father, mortified at this suggestion, ordered him to "report for duty" at the family's furniture shop. This was certainly not Brian's idea of a meaningful career, but he did comply with the demand.
It was through the issues of the Mersey Beat, and the various posters around Liverpool, that Brian first heard of the Beatles. November 9,'61 was to prove to be an eventful day, as it was on this day that Brian first heard the Beatles play. It was at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, and he was immediately taken by their unique sound, and their on-stage humor. Things really started to develop from here, and on January 24,'62 Brian was signed to a 5-year management contract.
This was the first time that Brian had managed an entertainment act. Nonetheless, he made his impact known early. He was responsible for their new dress code, and the attitude that they displayed while performing on stage. At Brian's suggestion, the group started to wear suits. He stopped them from swearing, drinking, smoking, or eating onstage. It was also Brian who suggested the formality of the synchronized bow at the end of the performance.
In the early years Brian made many trips to London to try and secure a recording contract for the Beatles. Unfortunately for the labels, he was rejected by many of them (i.e.: Columbia, Philips, Pye, Oriole, and Decca). The Decca audition is a particularly historical one, and we will be discussing this in another article. Eventually Brian worked his way over to EMI, and the Beatles were signed by their Parlophone label (after the group had been rejected by almost every other company). George Martin, the manager of Parlophone never even saw the Beatles play. He said that it was Brian's enthusiasm that won the deal.
As we mentioned previously, Brian died of a drug overdose on August 27,'67. The Beatles did not attend his funeral as they wanted to give his family privacy. They felt that they would only have drawn the media and fans. Here's a bit of trivia... Years later, in 2008, the first contract that the Beatles signed with Brian was auctioned off for 240,000 pounds... - 40723
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Want to find out more about the Beatles, then visit Brian Nestle's site on the classic Beatles Let It Be Album.
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