Brian Epstein

Brian Epstein

Brian Samuel Epstein, born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England (19 September 1934 – 27 August 1967), was an English businessman best known as the manager of The Beatles. His role in their initial success was critical. The application of Epstein's entrepreneurial and promotional skills to the Beatles' immense talent is widely considered to have been the catalyst that propelled them to worldwide fame and popularity.

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 death from a drug overdose in 1967, The Beatles started to unravel as a unified entity.

Early days

Epstein was born into a Jewish family. His grandfather had founded Isaac Epstein and Sons, a furniture dealership in Liverpool, England, while his mother was a member of the Hyman furniture family. His parents were Harry and Malka (called "Queenie" by the family), who also had another son, Clive. Harry Epstein managed his own store in Liverpool, where Paul McCartney's family once bought a piano. Brian was educated at Wrekin College in Shropshire before attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, and his classmates included actors Susannah York and Peter O'Toole; but, when he dropped out after his third term, his father put him in charge of the record department of the newly opened North End 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 3 August 1961, Epstein began a regular music column in Mersey Beat magazine.

Managing The Beatles

Cover of the 1998 US paperback reissue of Epstein's 1964 autobiography A Cellarful of Noise

Epstein first noticed The Beatles' name on a concert bill, thinking it sounded "silly". In the commonly accepted version of the story, several customers asked for a single that The Beatles had recorded with Tony Sheridan in Germany. Epstein could not find the single through any of his record label contacts and decided to ask the band themselves for details. On 9 November 1961, 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; they passed the time between shows by browsing records.) Bill Harry (then editor of Mersey Beat magazine) claims that the famed story of Epstein's first encounter with The Beatles is apocryphal; he says that he personally introduced Epstein to John Lennon. That story is unverified, and Lennon never said anything publicly to that effect; from 1962 until his death in 1980, Lennon's published recollections of 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 Epstein's 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.

In a meeting on 10 December 1961, 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 24 January 1962. Epstein himself did not sign the contract, thereby giving The Beatles the option of withdrawing at any time. The agreement could not have, in any case, been legally binding on Paul McCartney and George Harrison, who were both still minors (under the age of 21 in England) and thus lacked the legal capacity to contract. It appears that this fact was not understood at the time. Epstein also contacted their previous booking agent, Allan Williams, to confirm that Williams no longer had any ties to them. Nonetheless, Williams advised Epstein "not to touch them with a barge pole". The contract with Epstein stated that Epstein would take 25 per cent of The Beatles' gross income after a certain threshold had been reached. James Trevor Isherwood (who worked for Epstein) was shocked that Epstein's percentage was larger than the usual ten per cent that agents charged.

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 (apart from 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 UK and U.S. of the early 1960s without Epstein's guidance.

After being rejected by every major record label in Britain, 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 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, McCartney and Harrison asked Epstein to fire Best from the band; Ringo Starr took his place. A few days after Best was fired, Epstein tried to console Best by offering to build another group around him, but Best was not interested. His place in history was already reserved as the most luckless of all might-have-beens. Over the next twenty-four months, The Beatles would gross $40 million. Best became a baker, earning £8.00 a week and marrying a girl named Kathy who worked at the biscuit counter at Woolworth's.

Evolution of the relationship with The Beatles

Although Epstein dramatically changed The Beatles' outward image from the rebellious and undisciplined group he signed in 1961, he kept true to a promise not to directly interfere with their songwriting and recording. During one "Revolver" recording session, he is quoted as pressing the control room intercom after a particular track saying, "That didn't sound quite right", evoking the curt response from Lennon, "Brian, you keep to your percentages, we'll look after the music". Over the next three years, the management relationship evolved to reflect the changing nature of The Beatles' career. Their hectic schedule of touring, television, and film work in 1963-65 kept Epstein very busy. But following the decision in 1966 to cease live performance and focus on studio recording, Epstein's role was diminished, and he expressed 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 laws against homosexuality (which, incidentally, were amended and relaxed just weeks after Epstein's death in 1967 (see Wolfenden Report)), sent him into a spiral of depression and fed his existing serious addiction to prescription drugs.

Epstein's concerns about The Beatles staying with him as artists may have been exaggerated, but were not baseless. At the time of Epstein's death, McCartney in particular had been taking a much more active interest in The Beatles' finances, and the band was becoming aware of instances in which Epstein's inexperience had resulted in less advantageous terms for them. By 1967, they had begun to disregard his judgement on some issues, such as the notorious Butcher Cover and the legally risky cover art of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. But The Beatles all recognised Epstein's importance to the group, and over the years have maintained that they had no plans to terminate his involvement. Indeed, they all point to his death as the beginning of the end of the group.

Business dealings

It was not really discovered until after Epstein's death that his business dealings were not in the best interests of The Beatles. The record contracts he negotiated, publishing contracts, merchandising deals, and film contracts earned The Beatles less money than their success deserved.

On the first flight to America Epstein and The Beatles were offered numerous samples of merchandising products (that required a licence from Epstein) including clocks, pens, plastic wigs, bracelets, games, and many more. Once they were esconced in the Plaza hotel in New York, Epstein was besieged by calls and visits from promoters, television commentators, and hustlers - all demanding to talk to him. David Jacobs, the lawyer for NEMS, had already given away some exclusive merchandising rights to Nicky Byrne in England. Capitol records sent a posh, well-spoken Yorkshire girl, Wendy Hanson, to the Plaza hotel to act as his secretary, and to filter his calls.

Personal life

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Brian Epstein smiles between George Harrison and John Lennon in a 1966 photo from the cover of Debbie Geller’s 2000 biography.

Epstein was gay, a fact not publicly revealed until after his death, although it was an open secret among his friends and business associates (including The Beatles themselves). Male homosexual relations were illegal throughout UK until 1967, when gay male sexuality was legalised in England and Wales (remaining illegal in Scotland and Northern Ireland until 1980 and 1982, respectively); and the danger of anti-gay violence and scandal shadowed Epstein's life. Additionally, and seemingly despite his soft-spoken manner and dapper appearance, Epstein was strongly attracted to "rough trade", often seeking illicit encounters with abusive partners. He was reported to have been the object of blackmail, battery, and threats by a number of these partners. McCartney knew Epstein was a homosexual, but McCartney didn't care, because Epstein used to take them to late-night drinking clubs they had previously never had access to, and encouraged them when record companies turned them down.

Epstein's initial interest in The Beatles was fueled by his attraction to their rowdy image. While he was strongly attracted to Lennon, there has been little evidence that he acted on his feelings. There were rumours of a brief sexual encounter between the two when they went on a four-day holiday together to Barcelona, Spain in April 1963. Lennon (known for his unflinching candour) always denied this, telling Playboy in 1980: "It was never consummated, but we had a pretty intense relationship." Lennon's first wife Cynthia also said that Lennon's relationship with Epstein was platonic. A fictionalised account of the Spanish holiday was portrayed in the film The Hours and Times.

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 had 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. In any case, throughout his management of The Beatles, Epstein was very careful not to play favourites for fear of creating a strain in his stewardship of the group.

In addition to managing The Beatles, Epstein also successfully managed Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas, The Fourmost, The Cyrkle, Cilla Black and many other artists. He also socialised with the band's producer 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 co-written 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 a friend that the memoir should have been titled A Cellarful of Boys.)

Having relocated to London with an office in Monmouth Street in Seven Dials in 1965, Epstein bought a controlling interest in the Saville Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. Initially he promoted new works by writers such as Arnold Wesker in productions that occasionally fell afoul of the Lord Chamberlain by including 'obscene' content or nudity. Epstein changed the programme to that of a music venue in 1966, presenting various US acts.

Death

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Newspaper headline: Epstein dies at 32.

Epstein died of an accidental prescription drug overdose on 27 August 1967, the weekend The Beatles were in Bangor, Wales meeting with the Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. At the statutory inquest, his death was officially ruled accidental and was deemed probably to have been caused by a gradual buildup of barbiturates (Carbitral and/or Seconal) in his system, possibly mixed with alcohol. There has been some speculation that Epstein committed suicide; he had in fact made a suicide attempt with barbiturates in late 1966. But the circumstances of his death were more consistent with accident than intent. Epstein's father had recently died, and his associates make the point that he would never have inflicted additional pain on his beloved mother, Queenie. Beatles biographer Philip Norman claimed later that she and Brian's brother Clive found two undated suicide notes in his home study, which they withheld from the inquest. If such letters did exist, they would not in themselves prove suicide, but could certainly have affected the outcome of the inquest, by reflecting a suicidal state of mind. Peter Brown, excutive director of NEMS Enterprises, the Beatles' management company, in his biography of The Beatles, "The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of the Beatles", wrote that he personally found a suicide note from Brian and actually spoke with him about it. According to Brown, the note read in part, "This is all too much and I can't take it anymore." a short will and testament followed, in which Brian left his house and money to his mother and his brother. Brown himself was a small beneficiary. When confronted with the note, Brian told Brown that he was grateful Brown had not told anyone about it. Epstein told him he was sorry he made Brown worry. He simply had taken one pill too many and that he didn't intend to overdose and promised to be more careful from now on. Brian promised to dispose of the note. Brown wrote that he wondered if he was really doing Brian a favor by not giving the note to Brian's doctor, Norman Cowan, fearing Brian had plans to use it another time.

None of The Beatles were in attendance at Epstein's funeral, wishing to give his family privacy and not draw the media and their fans, but all four did attend a public memorial service for him at the New London Synagogue in St. John's Wood (near the EMI studios), approximately two weeks later.

Rumours circulated at one point that Epstein had been poisoned as part of a conspiracy, after a major Beatles-related merchandising deal went sour. No evidence appeared to support this speculation. The rumours sprang up at the same time as the 1969 "Paul Is Dead" urban legend.

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 increasingly moved in separate ways, quarrels intensified and their business affairs unraveled. Lennon summarised the impact in his 1970 Rolling Stone interview with Jann Wenner: "When Brian died I knew that was it. I knew we'd had it."

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 protegé of Derek Taylor, has become a vocal champion of Epstein's memory, and has created "The Official Brian Epstein Website", which includes a petition to request consideration that Epstein be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

References

• Lennon, Cynthia (2006). John. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-89828-3. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)
• Miles, Barry (1998). Many Years From Now. Vintage-Random House. ISBN 0-7493-8658-4. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)
• Spitz, Bob (2006). The Beatles: The Biography. Little, Brown and Company (New York). ISBN 1-84513-160-6. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)

External links

• The Official Brian Epstein Website
• Brian Epstein biography and sound clips
• Brian Epstein at IMDB
• Brian Epstein's Gravesite
• "The Fifth Beatle" Website (Website relating to a proposed movie about Epstein by an aspirant first-time filmmaker)
• Gay Greats - Brian Epstein