In 1961, Brian Epstein met the Beatles self-managed and without a recording contract. After hearing about the band, Epstein went to see the band for himself. While they were a little rough around the edges, Epstein saw the appeal and potential of the group. He signed on as manager and helped skyrocket their career as one of the biggest bands in the world. It also helped bring a little more polish to their daily lives. According to George Harrison’s first wife, Pattie Boyd, Epstein made the group more sophisticated.
The Beatles met Brian Epstein in 1961
In the early 1960s, Epstein was working in his family’s shop when he started hearing about The Beatles. Curious, he goes to one of their performances and immediately notices their talent and charm.
“I was immediately struck by their music, rhythm and sense of humor on stage,” he said, per biography. “And even afterwards, when I met them, I was still struck by their personal charm and that’s where it all started.”
Although he had no experience as a manager, he convinced the band to hire him. He firmly believed that the rest of the world would fall in love with the group as he had. With Epstein’s help, they became one of the greatest musical groups in the world.
George Harrison’s wife Pattie Boyd said he made the band more sophisticated
According to Boyd, Epstein “made everything possible for us; all glorious. She explained that he introduced the group to luxury like fine wine.
“George was not a wine drinker until he arrived in London, where Brian introduced him,” she wrote in the book. beautiful tonight. “When we went to places like Annabel’s, I would write down the names of some of the wines Brian ordered that we enjoyed, like Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Clos de Vougeot, and Nuits-St.-Georges.”
She said that although Epstein grew up in the same place as the Beatles, he was more sophisticated and passed that on to the group. It also helped that he was a bit older than the band members.
“Brian changed things for all the Beatles, taught them more sophisticated ways,” Boyd wrote. “He was also from Liverpool, but a posh area – his parents owned an established furniture store in which he had opened a music department, called NEMS, North End Music Store – and was privately educated. He was also older than them – twenty-seven when he started leading them – and more experienced in the ways of the world.
The Beatles struggled to cope after the death of Brian Epstein
In 1967, Epstein died of a drug overdose at the age of 33. The group had relied on Epstein for everything up until then and feared they could not fend for themselves.
“I knew we had issues then,” John Lennon told History, adding, “I didn’t really have any misconceptions about our ability to do anything other than play music. I was scared.” “
The group fought more after Epstein’s death and generally felt rudderless. They stayed together for another three years before breaking up in 1970.
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