Brian Samuel Epstein (September 19, 1934 – August 27, 1967) was a Jewish-English businessman, best known as the manager of The Beatles. His role in their success was integral. The application of his entrepreneural and promotional skills to their immense talent was the transforming agent that propelled them from comparative obscurity to unprecedented worldwide success - and an evergreen popularity that has sustained several decades after their disbandment. September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Births 1407 - Ashikaga Yoshikazu, Japanese shogun (d. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st... Music management refers to the business of managing music acts. ... The Beatles were a pop and rock music group from Liverpool, England, who continue to be held in the very highest regard for their artistic achievements, their huge commercial success, and their groundbreaking role in the history of popular music. ...

Epstein took over management of the group at a time when they had been struggling without success for several years. They were just one of over 300 beat groups in Liverpool alone at the time. Though he had had no previous experience in artist management, Epstein revealed considerable innate abilities in presenting and promoting the Beatles. After his early death (of accidental causes) in 1967, the Beatles started to unravel as a unified entity.

Early Days

Epstein's family owned a furniture store in Liverpool, England—where Paul McCartney's family had bought a piano. Epstein attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, where his classmates included actors Susannah York and Peter O'Toole; but, when he had dropped out after his third term, his father put him in charge of the record department of the newly opened North East Music Stores (NEMS) on Great Charlotte Street, Liverpool. Eventually, a second location was opened at 12-14 Whitechapel, and Epstein was put in charge of the entire operation. On August 3, 1961, Epstein began a regular music column in Mersey Beat magazine. Liverpool waterfront by night, as seen from the Wirral. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st... Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born June 18, 1942) is a British singer, musician and songwriter, who first came to prominence as a member of The Beatles. ... RADAs theatre in London The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, and is generally regarded as the most prestigious drama school in the United Kingdom. ... The Houses of Parliament and the clock tower containing Big Ben Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London (see Wiktionary:London for the name in other languages) is the capital of the United Kingdom and England. ... Susannah York to the right together with Ilya Salkind on the set of Superman: The Movie, circa 1977 Susannah York (born January 9, 1942 in London, England as Susannah Yolande Fletcher) is a British actress. ... Roger Ebert, Peter OToole, and Jason Patric at the 2004 Savannah Film Festival Peter Seamus OToole (born August 2, 1932) is an Irish film and stage actor, who was brought up in Leeds, England and has spent most of his life in Great Britain . ... Liverpool waterfront by night, as seen from the Wirral. ... August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Mersey Beat was a music publication in Liverpool, England in the early 1960s. ...

Managing The Beatles

Epstein first noticed The Beatles' name on a concert bill, thinking it sounded "silly". In the commonly accepted version of the story, when several customers began asking for a single that The Beatles had recorded with Tony Sheridan in Germany, Epstein couldn't find it through any of his record label contacts, and decided to ask the band themselves for details. He and his assistant Alistair Taylor went to see them perform at a lunchtime concert at the crowded Cavern Club, which was just down the street from his store; his arrival was met by a V.I.P. admission, and a welcome was announced over the club's public-address system. Epstein said of The Beatles' performance, "I was immediately struck by their music, their beat, and their sense of humour on stage. And, even afterwards, when I met them, I was struck again by their personal charm. And it was there that, really, it all started." (He also recognised the band's members as regular customers at NEMS, who passed the time between shows by browsing records.) Tony Sheridan, born Andrew Esmond Sheridan McGinnity, (May 21, 1940), is an English rock and roll singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... A record label is a brand created by companies that specialize in producing, manufacturing, distributing and promoting audio and sometimes video recordings (especially music videos), on various formats including compact discs, LPs, DVD-Audio, SACDs, and cassettes. ... Alistair Taylor is the personal assistant of Brian Epstein. ... External view of the New Cavern Club, January 2006 The Cavern Club, which was opened on January 16, 1957, is a legendary rock and roll club at 10 Mathew Street, Liverpool, England, where Brian Epstein was introduced to the Beatles on 9 November 1961. ... A live sound reproduction system has two main forms: A sound reinforcement system enhances the volume of the initial sound and will be designed so that as much as possible the listener will not realise that an artificial system is being used to make it easier for them to hear...

There is a claim by one person that the famed story of Epstein's first encounter with The Beatles is apocryphal; Bill Harry (then editor of Mersey Beat magazine) has claimed that he personally introduced Epstein to John Lennon. That story is unverified, and Lennon never said anything on public record to that effect; from 1962 until his death in 1980, Lennon's published recollections on the first meeting with Epstein always matched Epstein's. It is true that, at some point (date unverified), Harry had convinced Epstein to carry his fledgling magazine at his record store, and those magazines heavily promoted The Beatles, with whom Harry was well acquainted. Harry's openly-declared personal dislike of Epstein and his disparaging public comments about Epstein's management of the Beatles may have contributed to Harry's version of events. Bill Harry was the founder and editor of Merseybeat, a weekly pop newspaper documenting the Liverpool scene. ... John Winston Lennon (later John Winston Ono Lennon) (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980) was best known as a singer, songwriter, poet and guitarist for the British rock band The Beatles. ...

In a December 10, 1961, meeting, it was decided that Epstein would manage the band. The four members signed a five-year contract with him at then-drummer Pete Best's house on January 24, 1962. Epstein himself did not sign the contract, giving The Beatles the option of withdrawing at any time. (The agreement also wasn't technically legal, as McCartney and Harrison were still below legal age; their fathers would have had to co-sign. Nobody realised this at the time.) Epstein also contacted their previous manager, Allan Williams, to confirm that he had no remaining ties to them. Williams didn't, but advised Epstein "not to touch them with a barge pole". December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Beatles, early 1962: (l-r) Pete, George, Paul and John. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Former Liverpool businessman and promoter; original manager of The Beatles, who sent the young band to Hamburg, Germany, where they gained vital show business experience. ...

Although he had had no prior experience at artist management, Epstein became a major force behind the band's early appearance and success. When Epstein discovered the band, they were wearing blue jeans and leather jackets, performing rowdy rock 'n' roll shows. He encouraged them to wear suits and clean up their stage performance. He insisted that they not smoke or eat onstage, and suggested the famous synchronised bow at the end of their performances. Although this image evolved over time, the comparatively clean-cut appearance (with the exception of the "mop top" hairstyles) helped the band become accepted by the mainstream media and the general public—something that almost certainly would have been impossible in the U.K. and U.S. of the early 1960s without Epstein's guidance. Rock and roll - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... The Beatles, each sporting the eponymous hairstyle The Beatle haircut, also known as the mop-top (for its resemblance to a mop) is a mid-length hairstyle named for and popularized by the British rock group the Beatles. ... Motto: E pluribus unum (1789 to present) (Latin: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York, New York Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government • President  â€¢ Vice President Federal republic... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ...

After being rejected by every major record label in England, including Columbia, Pye, Philips, Oriole, and, most famously, Decca, Epstein was eventually able to get the band signed to EMI's small Parlophone label. Epstein visited a local HMV store to have a Beatles demo tape transferred to disc. An HMV technician named Jim Foy liked the recordings and referred Epstein to Parlophone's George Martin. Martin then agreed to meet with Epstein's band and scheduled an audition, which they passed - with one exception; drummer Pete Best. When the news came that Martin wanted to replace Best on their recordings with a session drummer, Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison asked Epstein to fire Best from the band; and Ringo Starr took his place. Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st... Pye Records was a British record label. ... Philips Records is the record label of Dutch electronics giant Philips. ... Oriole Records was the name of two record companies, one in the United States and one in the United Kingdom. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The EMI Group is a major record label, based in Kensington in London, in the United Kingdom. ... Parlophone Records Parlophone is a record label which was founded in Germany prior to World War I by the Carl Lindstrom Company. ... His Masters Voice, often abbreviated to HMV, is a famous trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record company. ... A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. ... His Masters Voice, often abbreviated to HMV, is a famous trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record company. ... Sir George Martin Sir George Martin CBE (born January 3, 1926) is sometimes referred to as the fifth Beatle, a title that he owes to his work as producer of almost all of the Beatles records. ... The Beatles, early 1962: (l-r) Pete, George, Paul and John. ... Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born June 18, 1942) is a British singer, musician and songwriter, who first came to prominence as a member of The Beatles. ... George Harrison, MBE (February 24, 1943 – November 29, 2001) was a popular British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer, and film producer, best known as a member of The Beatles. ... Richard Starkey, MBE (born July 7, 1940 in Liverpool, England), known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is a popular British musician, best known as drummer for The Beatles. ...

Personal Life

Though it wasn't publicly disclosed until after his death, Brian Epstein was a homosexual. He had a fondness for John Lennon, although there has been little evidence that he acted on this feeling. There were rumours of a brief physical sexual encounter between the two, when they went on a four-day holiday together to Spain in April 1963. Lennon (known for his unflinching candor) always denied this categorically, telling Playboy magazine in 1980 "it was never consummated, but we had a pretty intense relationship." Paul McCartney, too, stated his firm belief that there had never been any such occurrence. Lennon was an unabashed heterosexual and exhibited no curiosity to explore bisexuality. A fictionalised account of the Spanish holiday was portrayed in the film The Hours and Times. Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Bisexuality in human sexual behavior refers to the aesthetic, romantic, and sexual desire for people of both genders and/or for people of both sexes. ...

One source, longtime Lennon friend and confidant Peter Shotton, claimed in his book The Beatles, Lennon and Me that under provocation from Epstein, Lennon did partly give in: "I let him toss me off, and that was it." Biographer Hunter Davies also recalled Lennon telling him he'd consented to an encounter "to see what it was like." Writer Albert Goldman expanded on both claims in his The Lives of John Lennon, alleging a longtime affair between the two men, but this is most unlikely. In any case, throughout his management of The Beatles, Epstein was very careful to not play any kind of favourites, for fear of creating a strain in his stewardship of the group. Boyhood friend of John Lennon of the Beatles, who also attended Dovedale Primary and Quarry Bank schools. ... Masturbation or onanism (though onanism can also refer to coitus interruptus) is the manual excitation of the sexual organs, most often to the point of orgasm. ... Hunter Davies (born 7 January 1936) is a profilic British author, journalist and broadcaster, best known for his books about the Beatles. ... Albert Harry Goldman (April 15, 1927 - March 28, 1994) was an American professor and author. ... The Lives of John Lennon was a 1988 biography of Lennon by American author Albert Goldman. ...

In addition to managing the Beatles, Epstein also successfully managed Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, The Fourmost, Cilla Black and many other artists. He also socialised with George Martin and future wife Judy Lockhart-Smith, and hosted their 1966 bridal dinner. In October 1964, Epstein's autobiography, A Cellarful of Noise, was published in the UK and later in the US. It was cowritten by journalist Derek Taylor, who had served as Epstein's assistant that year, then later as publicist for the Beatles from 1968-1970. (Lennon joked to Epstein that the memoir should have been titled A Cellarful of Boys.) Gerry & the Pacemakers was a British rock and roll group during the 1960s, and one of the few groups to initially challenge The Beatles in popularity. ... Billy J. Kramer (born August 19, 1943) was a British Invasion merseybeat singer. ... The Fourmost were a British merseybeat band from the 1960s. ... Cilla Black, in a still from an interview done in 2000. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... An autobiography (from the Greek auton, self, bios, life and graphein, write) is a biography written by the subject or composed conjointly with a collaborative writer (styled as told to or with). The term dates from the late eighteenth century, but the form is much older. ... Derek Taylor (1932-1997) is best known as the press agent for the hugely popular rock band, The Beatles. ...

Evolution Of The Relationship With The Beatles

Over the next three years, the management releationship evolved to reflect the changing nature of the Beatles' career. Their decision in 1966 to cease live performance caused Epstein to express some concerns that they might not renew his management agreement, when it expired in 1967. This growing concern, coupled with the pressure of having to keep his sexuality closeted because of England's then draconian laws against homosexuality (that incidentally were amended and relaxed just weeks after Epstein's death in 1967: see Wolfenden report), sent him into a spiral of depression and addiction to prescription drugs. Epstein's concerns about the Beatles staying with him as artists were almost certainly needless. This was made clear in statements over the years after Epstein's death by the band members - especially Lennon and McCartney; a view reinforced by producer George Martin. The likelihood was that they would have wished him to stay as their manager - but perhaps with a reduced role to reflect their retirement from live perfomance. 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... For the small enclosed storage space, also known as a cupboard, see closet. ... The Report of the Departmental Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution (better known as the Wolfenden report, after Lord Wolfenden, the chairman of the committee) was published in Britain on September 3, 1957 after a succession of well-known men were convicted of homosexual offences. ... Clinical depression is a state of sadness or melancholia that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an individuals social functioning and/or activities of daily living. ... Addiction is a compulsion to repeat a behaviour regardless of its consequences. ... Sir George Martin Sir George Martin CBE (born January 3, 1926) is sometimes referred to as the fifth Beatle, a title that he owes to his work as producer of almost all of the Beatles records. ...

Death

Newspaper headline: Epstein dies at 32.

Epstein died of a drug overdose on August 27, 1967, the weekend the Beatles were in Wales meeting with the Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. At the statutory inquest, his death was officially ruled accidental, and was deemed to probably have been caused by a gradual buildup of barbiturates (Carbitral and/or Seconal) in his system, possibly mixed with alcohol. There has been some unfounded speculation that Epstein committed suicide, but those close to him were emphatic that Epstein was not the type to commit such an act. Additionally, his beloved mother, Queenie, had just been widowed, and they make the point that he would never have inflicted the pain his own death would cause his mother—especially so soon after she had lost her husband. Image File history File links Brian Epstein newspaper headline. ... A drug overdose occurs when a chemical substance (i. ... Births 1407 - Ashikaga Yoshikazu, Japanese shogun (d. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... For an explanation of often confusing terms such as Great Britain, Britain, United Kingdom and England, see British Isles (terminology). ... References ^ Tirha, B. B. A Taste of Trascendence, (2002) p. ... Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (born Mahesh Srivastava January 12, 1917) is the founder of the TM Movement. ... Barbiturates are drugs that acts as central nervous system (CNS) depressants, and by virtue of this they produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to anesthesia. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Seconal is a trademark name for the barbiturate sodium quinalbarbitone. ... In chemistry, alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl group (-OH) is bound to a carbon atom, which in turn is bound to other hydrogen and/or carbon atoms. ... Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of willfully ending ones own life. ...

Wild rumours circulated at one point, that Epstein had been poisoned as part of some undefined conspiracy, but absolutely no evidence has ever emerged to support such a notion. The rumors sprang up at the same time as the equally ludicrous 1969 Paul Is Dead hoax and such conspiracy theories were not uncommon in Western society in the post-JFK era. Paul McCartney Dead: The Great Hoax, a magazine cashing in on the rumors concerning McCartney. ... A conspiracy theory is a theory that defies common historical or current understanding of events, under the claim that those events are the result of manipulations by two or more individuals or various secretive powers or conspiracies. ...

Epstein held the group together by developing the strategies and campaigns to launch each new record, resolving the inevitable petty differences between members, managing every aspect of the Beatles' career, including helping found the company that became Apple Corps. When he died, each of the band members started taking their separate ways, quarrels intensified and their business affairs unraveled. Lennon summarised the impact in a 1970 interview: "When Brian died I knew that was it. I knew we'd had it." Apple Corps Ltd. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...

Legacy

While The Beatles were among the earliest entrants into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the man almost universally regarded as having been responsible for guiding them to their success finds his place in popular history less assured; he has never been considered for membership in the Hall's "Non-Performer's Section", just as he was overlooked for an MBE medal—an award that The Beatles received in 1965. Beatles scholar and producer Martin Lewis, a protege of Derek Taylor, has become a vocal champion of Epstein's memory, and has created "The Official Brian Epstein Website", which includes an e-petition to request consideration that Epstein be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, showing Lake Erie in the foreground The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and institution in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, dedicated, as the name suggests, to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand Cross... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... The front page of the English Wikipedia Website. ... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, showing Lake Erie in the foreground The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and institution in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, dedicated, as the name suggests, to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential...

External links

• The Official Brian Epstein Website