Who Was The 5th Beatle Anyway?
Brian Epstein was a fan of the Beatles who eventually became their manager. He served in this capacity from January 24,’62 till his death on August 27,’67 of a drug overdose. Brian also managed other acts (i.e.: Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, and the Remo Four), but the Beatles were by far his most famous band.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 entered into the world on September’,’34 in the port city of Liverpool, England. When he was 16 he expressed his desire to become a dress designer, but his father was having nothing of it. Mortified at this suggestion, his father ordered him to “report for duty” at the family’s furniture shop. Selling furniture was not Brian’s idea of a great career, but he did show up at the furniture store.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…
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