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BRIAN EPSTEIN (Room 116)
Allan Williams, The Beatles’ first manager, had organised their initial trip to Hamburg. They quickly had a falling out regarding the non-payment of Allan’s commission. The Beatles needed a new permanent manager, and fate decided that the person to fill the void was Brian Epstein.
Brian was homosexual at a time when most in his position endeavoured to keep their sexual preferences as private as possible. Homophobia was rife, and indeed homosexuality was illegal in Britain. Brian came from a relatively wealthy Jewish background and managed NEMS (the family business), an electrical and record store in the city centre. By the early 1960s, the store marketed itself as having the ‘finest record selection in the North’.
Brian became increasingly aware of the demand for an imported German record, ‘My Bonnie’, by Tony Sheridan, who was backed by a Liverpool combo called The Beatles. He was further intrigued when it became apparent the band had a residency at The Cavern Club, no more than a few hundred yards from his store. Upon seeing them for the first time, he was transfixed, especially by John.
He became their manager and instilled a new professionalism into the band, even getting them out of leathers and into stage suits—a move initially resisted by John. His network of contacts, coupled with his drive and ambition, led to the signing of a record contract with Parlophone EMI. He was a meticulous planner and spent the rest of his life, from November 1961 until his untimely death in August 1967, managing the day-to-day affairs of The Beatles.
Many believe that The Beatles, in their search for a new manager, ‘discovered’ Brian; others believe that Brian discovered The Beatles, and without him, they would never have made it. What is not open to debate is his pivotal role in transforming the band from obscurity into the four most recognisable faces on the planet—a role that can never be underestimated.
Painting ©SHANNON
BRIAN EPSTEIN (Room 116)
Allan Williams, The Beatles’ first manager, had organised their initial trip to Hamburg. They quickly had a falling out regarding the non-payment of Allan’s commission. The Beatles needed a new permanent manager, and fate decided that the person to fill the void was Brian Epstein.
Brian was homosexual at a time when most in his position endeavoured to keep their sexual preferences as private as possible. Homophobia was rife, and indeed homosexuality was illegal in Britain. Brian came from a relatively wealthy Jewish background and managed NEMS (the family business), an electrical and record store in the city centre. By the early 1960s, the store marketed itself as having the ‘finest record selection in the North’.
Brian became increasingly aware of the demand for an imported German record, ‘My Bonnie’, by Tony Sheridan, who was backed by a Liverpool combo called The Beatles. He was further intrigued when it became apparent the band had a residency at The Cavern Club, no more than a few hundred yards from his store. Upon seeing them for the first time, he was transfixed, especially by John.
He became their manager and instilled a new professionalism into the band, even getting them out of leathers and into stage suits—a move initially resisted by John. His network of contacts, coupled with his drive and ambition, led to the signing of a record contract with Parlophone EMI. He was a meticulous planner and spent the rest of his life, from November 1961 until his untimely death in August 1967, managing the day-to-day affairs of The Beatles.
Many believe that The Beatles, in their search for a new manager, ‘discovered’ Brian; others believe that Brian discovered The Beatles, and without him, they would never have made it. What is not open to debate is his pivotal role in transforming the band from obscurity into the four most recognisable faces on the planet—a role that can never be underestimated.
Painting ©SHANNON