On January 24,’62 the Beatles started to be managed by Brian Epstein. His role in the group was cut short by his sudden death on August 27,’67 of a drug overdose. Along with the Beatles, Brian managed other groups and artists, such as: Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, and the Remo Four…but the Beatles were by far the most popular.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 is commonly believed that Brian first heard of the Beatles via the issues of the Mersey Beat, and on the various Beatles posters that were displayed all around Liverpool at the time. He actually went to hear them play at the Cavern Club in Liverpool on November 9,’61. He was immediately taken by their unique sound, and the sense of humor that they exhibited on stage. Everything started to develop from this one meeting, and on January 24,’62 the Beatles signed Brian 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.Brian made a lot of trips to London in the early years to try and secure a recording contract. This was to prove to be a tough sell, as the Beatles were refused by many record labels, such as Philips, Pye, Oriole, Decca, and Columbia. You may have heard of the infamous Decca audition…one which we will be writing about in a future article. With his options running out, Brian eventually worked his way over to EMI, and George Martin, the manager of the Parlophone label, signed the group without even seeing the Beatles play. He was to later say that it was Brian’s enthusiasm for the Beatles that eventually 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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