Beatles manager Brian Epstein dies - Aug 27, 1967 - HISTORY.com Beatles manager Brian Epstein dies Share this: Beatles manager Brian Epstein dies Author Beatles manager Brian Epstein dies URL Publisher A+E Networks On August 27, 1967, Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles, was found dead of an accidental drug overdose in his Sussex, England, home. The following day, the headline in the London Daily Mirror read “EPSTEIN (The Beatle-Making Prince of Pop) DIES AT 32.” Brian Epstein was, by all accounts, the man who truly got the Beatles off the ground, and in John Lennon’s estimation, it was difficult to see how they’d manage to go on without the man who had managed every aspect of the Beatles’ business affairs up until his unexpected death. “I knew that we were in trouble then,” John later recalled. “I didn’t really have any misconceptions about our ability to do anything other than play music. I was scared. I thought, ‘We’ve ******* had it.'” The relationship between Brian Epstein and the Beatles dated back to Liverpool in late 1961.

Entirely self-managed and without a recording contract, the Beatles had just recently returned from Hamburg and begun playing Liverpool’s Cavern Club. Epstein was then running his family’s record and musical instrument shop on Walton Road, just blocks away from the Cavern, but as he would later tell the story, he hadn’t heard of the Beatles until he had two young customers in quick succession enter his store looking for a copy of a record they’d made in Hamburg as the backing group for vocalist Pete Sheridan. Based on this rather modest “buzz,” Epstein arranged to go see the future Fab Four several weeks later. The band that Epstein saw the first time he laid eyes on the Beatles was very different from the one that would soon conquer the world. They dressed in black leather, they played only cover tunes and they would freely eat and drink onstage during and between songs. Yet Epstein was immediately taken with their charisma and the crowd’s response to it. On January 24, 1962, he was officially hired by John, Paul, George and drummer Pete Best in a deal that gave Epstein a 25 percent cut of the band’s gross earnings for the next five years.

As a business deal, that management contract may seem to have been tilted very much in Epstein’s favor, but it is fair to say that the world might never have heard of the Beatles were it not for their manager and good friend. Epstein put the Beatles in suits, had them bow in unison after each number and, just a few months after being hired, got them their first recording contract with Parlophone Records. Related Videos BBC ON THIS DAY | 27 | 1967: Beatles' manager Epstein dies 1967: Beatles' manager Epstein dies The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, has been found dead at his Belgravia home in London. It is not yet clear how he died. Friends found his body in bed after his housekeeper raised the alarm. Mr Epstein, 32, was due to travel tomorrow to Bangor in north Wales to join the Beatles at a meeting of the International Meditation Society. Paul McCartney and his girlfriend, Jane Asher, drove back to London in a chauffeur-driven car after hearing the news. 'Terrible and stupid accident' The other Beatles were also returning to London.

Before leaving Bangor, John Lennon said: "Our meditations have given us confidence to stand such a shock." George Harrison said: "There is no such thing as death, only in the physical sense. We know he is ok now. He will return because he was striving for happiness and desired bliss so much." Brian Epstein's housekeeper became worried when she did not get an answer after knocking on his bedroom door in the middle of the afternoon. Friends, who had called round to see him, broke into the room and found him dead. The police were called. One of his business colleagues, Don Black, described his death as "a terrible and stupid accident". Another colleague said: "He has been unwell for some months. The reason for his death is at present unknown, but there were no untoward circumstances associated with it." A concert at the Saville Theatre, London, headed by Jimi Hendrix, was cancelled tonight in tribute to Mr Epstein. He owned the theatre's lease. Mr Epstein brought a number of singers to fame. Apart from the Beatles, his other prot�g�s included Cilla Black, Billy J Kramer, The Dakotas and Gerry and the Pacemakers.

Mr Epstein discovered the Beatles when they were still performing in blue jeans and leather jackets at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. He encouraged them to smarten up their image, wear suits and stop swearing and smoking in public - in order to broaden their appeal. In January 1962 the band agreed a five year contract with Epstein, although he refused to sign it, saying their mutual regard for one another was enough. He got them their first record deal with EMI in October 1962 and by autumn 1963, Britain was engulfed by Beatlemania. Mr Epstein was a director of Northern Songs, the company which owned the copyright to McCartney and Lennons' songs. He was also a major shareholder in Nems Enterprises, which in turn was a big shareholder in Northern Songs. Brian Epstein - Biography - IMDb Brian Epstein Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (1) | Trade Mark (1) | Trivia (16) | Personal Quotes (5) Overview (5) Mini Bio (1) Brian Epstein was the original manager and the mastermind behind the success of The Beatles .

He was born Brian Samuel Epstein on September 19, 1934 into a Jewish-English family in Liverpool, UK. Epstein's family owned a store, where Paul McCartney's piano was bought. After three terms Epstein dropped out of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, where he was a classmate of Peter O'Toole . Back in Liverpool he was put in charge of the record sales in his father's stores. He also wrote a regular column in Mersey Beat magazine, which promoted The Beatles. Epstein's store was just down the street from the Cavern Club, where he went to see a Beatles' performance, after a few customers requested their single at his store. Epstein was treated to a VIP admission and was welcomed in the club's public announcement. He remembered, "I was immediately struck by their music, their beat, and their sense of humor on stage. And, after-wards, when I met them, I was struck again by their personal charm. And it was there that, really, it all started." He also recognized The Beatles' members as regular customers at his NEMS record store.

His diplomatic way of dealing with The Beatles and with their unofficial manager, Allan Williams , resulted in a December 10, 1961, meeting, where it was decided that Epstein would manage the band. A five-year management contract was signed by the four members at then-drummer Pete Best's home on January 24, 1962. Epstein did not put his signature on it, giving the musicians the freedom of choice. At that time McCartney and Harrison were under 21, so the paper wasn't technically legal. None of them realized this and it did not matter to them. What mattered was their genuine trust in Epstein. Epstein was persistent in trying to sign a record deal for The Beatles, even after being rejected by every major record label in UK, like Columbia, Philips, Oriole, Decca, and Pye. Epstein transferred a demo tape to disc with HMV technician Jim Foy, who liked the song and referred it to Parlophone's George Martin. They passed Martin's audition with the exception of Pete Best. Being asked by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison; Epstein fired Best. Ringo Starr duly became the fourth Beatle.

Having no experience at artist management, Epstein made the right steps by bringing serious improvements to their image. They switched from blue jeans and leather jackets to suits and cleaned up their stage act. He advised them not to smoke or snack in public. Epstein directed the famous synchronized bow at the end of their shows. Overall improvements to The Beatles' image made by Epstein transformed their appearance enough to get them accepted by the mainstream media and public of that time. Detail-oriented and highly focused on maintaining their clean-cut image, Epstein called them "The Boys" and managed every aspect of their career, their everyday life, concert gigs, and media appearances. His personal friendship with George Martin was also important. By leaving the recording production and the repertoire work mainly in the professional care of Martin, Epstein made himself available for other artist management contracts. He successfully managed Gerry and the Pacemakers , Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, Cilla Black as well as other artists. His NEMS Enterprises lineup grew to include The Bee Gees , Jimi Hendrix , and Cream. He was a creative member of The Beatles, a multi-talented man with a good disposition, sharp memory, and an eye for details.

A good character reference was given to Epstein by the British Army as "Sober, conscientious, and utterly trustworthy". Though he was dismissed from service for being "incurably civilian". The Army used a different set of criteria than the entertainment industry to judge a person's character. His homosexuality and prescription drug (barbiturate) dependency in those days, with pressures from both social and legal restrictions, caused him additional stress. He died of a drug overdose on August 27, 1967. The Beatles lost their uniting creative manager and soon walked their separate ways. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Steve Shelokhonov Trade Mark (1) Posh, dapper, well-mannered, with a strong sense of the theatrical Trivia (16) It has often-- but erroneously-- been repeated that John Lennon wrote the song "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away," after rejecting one of Brian's romantic advances. No credible information to substantiate this apocrypha exists, despite being published by many mainstream publications. While he preferred listening to classical music, he had a keen sense of pop music trends.

Was dismissed from the British Army for being "incurably civilian", but was given a good character reference: "Sober, conscientious, and utterly trustworthy". Ran a record shop concession in a chain of furniture stores owned by his father. Studied for three terms at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London; his classmates included Peter O'Toole and Susannah York . Epstein at first thought the name The Beatles sounded silly, when he saw it on a Liverpool concert bill. In asking his staff about them, though, he was surprised to learn they were among his frequent customers, sometimes browsing NEMS between shows at the Cavern, and he'd liked the members he'd dealt with. Sponsored the only concerts given in England by The Monkees in the 1960s; a series of shows at Wembley. Beatles' Jewish Manager Remembered 50 Years After | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com What You Need to Know About the Top Five Jewish Beatboxers JNS.org - Jews have the gift of the mouth. Whether it’s food, talking or music, Jewish performers have rocked Hollywood to...

Epstein’s grandfather, Isaac Epstein, was from Lithuania and arrived in England in the 1890s at the age of 18. His grandmother, Dinah, was the daughter of Joseph and Esther Hyman, who had emigrated from Russia to England. Asked to write an introduction to Epstein’s autobiography, “A Cellarful of Noise,” Beatles scholar Martin Lewis—who emceed the Fest for Beatles Fans in New York City this month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the band’s U.S. arrival on Feb. 7, 1964—said Epstein’s death “was a major contributing factor to the breakup of the Beatles.” John Lennon himself said when the manager died, “I knew that we were in trouble then.” Lewis’s association with the Beatles dates back to 1967, when as a teenage fan he was engaged to compile the discography for Hunter Davies’s official biography of the group. Years later, he wrote, hosted, and produced the TV documentary “Re-Meet The Beatles!” “Epstein discovered the Beatles and guided them to mega-stardom, making them the most successful musical artists of all time,” Lewis told JNS.org.

“But, regrettably, the man who did so much for the Beatles, and who died tragically in 1967, has become a comparatively forgotten man since his death. Almost a ‘nowhere man.'” Lewis in June 1998 helped launch a website that became the command center for a campaign to have Epstein inducted into the non-performers’ section of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With combined online and hardcopy petitions, the site gathered more than 50,000 signatures, and in December 2013—15 years after the petition was started—it was announced that Epstein would receive the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement (formerly the non-performer award). Born in 1934 in Liverpool, England, Epstein first got involved in the music business when he took over the record department of his family’s music store, NEMS. “His devotion to making the store a success transformed it into an essential gathering place for the young people of northern England who sought to stay current with pop music.

It was at NEMS that Epstein first became aware of the Beatles,” Margaret Thresher, director of communications at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, told JNS.org. Thresher said Epstein immediately recognized the Beatles’ potential as performers and recording artists. He signed them to a management contract in early 1962 and was the driving force behind getting the band a recording contract with Parlophone later that year. “Brian’s keen eye for style and fashion helped shape a unique, charismatic identity for the band,” Thresher said. “His management style forged success for the Beatles, and he was completely dedicated to the band. Paul McCartney said, ‘If anyone was the fifth Beatle it was Brian.’ People talked about George Martin as being the fifth Beatle because of his musical involvement, but, particularly in the early days, Brian was very much part of the group.” Yet Epstein’s relationship with the Beatles was not all rosy. When the band members first told their families that Epstein would be their manager, the response to the news was mixed, according to Philip Norman’s book “Shout!

The Beatles in Their Generation.” “Olive Johnson, the McCartney family’s close friend, received a call from Paul’s father (Jim) in a state of some anxiety over his son’s proposed association with a ‘Jewboy,'” Norman wrote. “Since Olive knew the world so well, Jim asked her to be at Forthlin Road on the evening that Brian called to outline his intentions for Paul. ‘He turned out to be absolutely charming,’ Olive says. ‘Beautifully mannered but completely natural. He and Jim got on well at once.'” Epstein grew up in a post-war British society in which many people overtly and comfortably indulged in anti-Semitism. Lewis said large numbers of the British have been anti-Semitic. “It was not a virulent form [of anti-Semitism], but it was mostly in the aristocracy, bubbling below the surface,” Lewis told JNS.org. “It was a nasty tone. This was part of the British way. They weren’t fighting the Nazis [in World War II] because they were anti-Semitic.

They were fighting them because they were dominating Europe and bombing Britain.” In terms of prejudice, Epstein had to deal with two things in England that helped contribute to his personal unhappiness and fear. “One was being Jewish and the other was being gay, at a time when the word gay wasn’t even in common usage,” Lewis said. “What Brian went through is not fully appreciated but should be appreciated by the Jewish and gay world. What a great man. Without this British, Jewish, gay man, the world would never have heard the Beatles.” Lewis said Epstein “has long been the most unsung hero across the Beatles’ universe.” “First of all, to be crystal clear, everything in the Beatles’ world starts with their incredible talent,” he said. “Without their genius for music there would have been nothing.

But, as my dear friends Derek Taylor, Ray Coleman, George Martin and Andrew Loog Oldham all made clear to me over the years, without Brian Epstein’s passionate belief in them and without his Herculean efforts, the Beatles’ genius might well have gone undiscovered by the world.” Though Peter Brown, a personal assistant to Epstein and the Beatles during the 1960s, wrote in his memoir that he had once found a suicide note written by Epstein, Lewis maintains that Epstein’s death came from an accidental drug overdose. “The inquest was absolute,” Lewis said. “However, he had unhappiness. He was always fearful. Knowing the parasitic and venal attitudes of the English tabloids, he never wanted his personal life to be a burden on the Beatles. He lived in fear that if he was ever outed publicly, or involved in some upsetting circumstance where his homosexuality came to public light, that would hurt the Beatles.

It was constant running anxiety but not depression.” Five decades after the band’s historic appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” Lewis explains that Epstein understood how the Beatles “needed to have their rough edges polished to get on television.” “To do that he got them to wear suits and do that synchronized bow,” Lewis said. “He told them to put the focus on their music, not just telling jokes. All that polish was essential. He did this before they got on television, and then when they did get on they were polished and ready to go. They were hugely excited to be in America. The reason they looked so confident was because Brian had instilled that in them.” 27 August 1967: Brian Epstein dies | The Beatles Bible Brian Epstein dies Sunday 27 August 1967 People 11 Comments Late on the night of Friday 25 August 1967, The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein had returned from his Sussex country retreat. The following day he remained in his bedroom, and by the Sunday morning his housekeepers had become concerned by his non-appearance.

Epstein had invited his assitant Joanne Newfield, to spend the bank holiday weekend at his house in Kingsley Hill, Sussex. His assistant Peter Brown and the chief executive of NEMS, Geoffrey Ellis, had also been invited. At the time The Beatles were in Bangor, north Wales, with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi . Epstein asked Newfield to bring along a mutual friend, the Scottish singer Lulu. However, both women had prior engagements and declined Epstein's offer. Nonetheless, Epstein departed his London home in good spirits on the afternoon of 25 August, and was joined later in Sussex by Brown and Ellis. A young man whom Epstein hoped to become better acquainted did not show up. Epstein was disappointed at the prospect of having to spend the long public holiday with two friends he saw frequently, and following dinner - during which he drank a considerable amount - Epstein chose to drive back to London in his Bentley convertible. Shortly after Epstein's exit, a London taxi arrived at Kingsley Hill containing four people Epstein had invited. Although surprised that the host had left, they stayed the night at the house, partying with Brown and Ellis. After lunch on Saturday 26 August, Brown spoke to Epstein on the telephone.

He called late in the afternoon and was speaking in a woozy voice. He apologized for not coming back and maybe letting us worry. I suspect that when he went back to London he did go out, cruised the West End for a bit and then went home. I urged him to come back to the country. But there was no way he could drive back because he sounded pretty awful, and I suggested him coming on the train. It was an unlikely thing for him to do but it was the only thing I could think of at the time. Peter Brown The Brian Epstein Story, Deborah Geller Epstein's Spanish butler, Antonio, and his wife Maria, saw their employer when he returned late on the Friday, but heard nothing from him on the Saturday. By the following day they had become worried. They were unable to contact Brown and Ellis, but Antonio did speak to Joanne Newfield. She urged him not to worry, but did decide to go to Chapel Street to check in the early afternoon. Since it was Sunday, there was no one around and it was a very quick trip across town. I got to Chapel Street, let myself in, found Antonio and went up to Brian's door and knocked on it.

There were double doors leading into a dressing room and then there was a single door leading into a bedroom, so there was quite a bit of a distance between the hallway and Brian's room. I knocked on the door and I called out his name. I called, 'Answer the door. Are you there?' And then I went up to my room and I tried the intercom, and there was no reply... I knew I didn't want to be there on my own. Antonio and Maria couldn't speak very good English and they were a very shy couple. I needed someone nearer, that could be a support system. So I called Peter back and I told him that Dr Cowan wasn't there and Peter suggested I call his doctor, John Galway. He was there so I told him that I was concerned about Brian and asked if he could come over to the house. He would. And in the meantime I also called a few other people but I couldn't find them. Then I found Alistair [Taylor] and asked him to come to the house. Then John Galway arrived and we went up to Brian's room, up to the outside doors. Antonio and John Galway broke the doors down.

I think in the meantime I'd called Peter back and left the line hanging. Then I went up as they broke the doors down. Antonio and John Galway were in and I followed them. Maria was staying behind. The curtains were drawn and John Galway was directly ahead of me. I could just see part of Brian in the bed and I was just totally stunned. I knew that something really bad had happened. Then I think John Galway told me, 'Just wait outside.' I stood in the doorway. A few minutes later John Galway came out. I've never seen a doctor so white. We were all white and we knew that Brian had died. Joanne Newfield The Brian Epstein Story, Deborah Geller In the meantime, Brown was waiting on the telephone line. Galway informed him that Epstein had died, and Brown called David Jacobs, a lawyer and friend to Epstein who lived in Brighton. He and Ellis then left for London. Epstein's personal assistant Alistair Taylor arrived at the house. Those who found Epstein's body were still in a state of shock, and went to the study to have a brandy. They delayed calling the police as they wanted to first make sure there were no illegal substances in the house.

Within literally very few minutes of the police being informed, there's a ring on the doorbell and it's a reporter I knew. He just looked at me and said, 'What are you doing here? I hear Brian's ill.' And I said, 'No, he's fine. He's gone out. He just called me over, actually. You know what he's like, you know, typical Brian. I've come over specially on a Sunday morning and he's gone out in the car.' Then I wondered if the garage door was closed because if the car's sitting there the reporter's going to say, 'Which car?' I was concerned that, before this news broke, somehow we had to get hold of [Epstein's mother] Queenie, and we couldn't find her. Alistair Taylor The Brian Epstein Story, Deborah Geller Joanne Newfield was surprised at the reactions of Geoffrey Ellis and Peter Brown when they arrived at Chapel Street. Peter and I were good friends, and I was really wanting him to get back. I remember the first thing I asked was why did Brian come back from Kingsley Hill? Neither of them answered. They just started to go up the stairs.

And I remember thinking that they seemed weird and I knew there was something wrong. They appeared distant when I expected them to be grief-stricken. I expected that Peter would give me a hug, but he didn't. He was just cool and I'm not sure that it was shock. I've asked myself many times what happened in Kingsley Hill. It's just one of the question marks I have about Brian's death. Joanne Newfield The Brian Epstein Story, Deborah Geller An inquest found the cause of death to be accidental, resulting from 'incautious self-overdoses' of the drug Carbitral, a drug taken to assist sleep. I don't think there was anything sinister in his death. There were rumours of very sinister circumstances, but I personally think it was a drink-and-sleeping-pills overdose. I think what happened - and there's no evidence whatsoever expect people I talk to - was that Brian was going down to his house in the country. It was a Friday night, and there were going to be friends there. Brian was gay and I think there were going to be young men at the house.

Brian went down with one of his friends, but no one had showed up - so he thought: 'Ugh - it's Friday night! I've got time to get back to London if I rush. Then I can get back to the clubs.' It seems feasible to me, knowing Brian. Then he drove back up to London and went to the clubs, but they were all closing and there was not a lot of action. So he had a few bevvies, then to console himself had a sleeping pill or two before to bed Brian always did that, he was quite into the pills. And then I think he woke up in the middle of the night and thought: My God, I can't sleep. I haven't had a pill.' Then he had a few more pills, and I think that could have killed him. I went round a couple of days later and saw Brian's butler. He didn't seem to feel there was anything suspicious, nor that Brian was in any kind of black mood. My feeling was that it was an accident. Beatles’ Jewish manager remembered 50 years after band’s American debut — JNS.org World Beatles’ Jewish manager remembered 50 years after band’s American debut Click photo to download.

Caption: The Beatles wave to fans after arriving at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on February 7, 1964, marking their first appearance in the U.S. Credit: Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons. By Robert Gluck/JNS.org Amid the celebrations and hoopla surrounding the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ arrival in America and their appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” the man Paul McCartney called “the fifth Beatle” is not often mentioned. But experts say that without him, the Beatles as we know them would not have existed. That man is Brian Epstein, the band’s Jewish manager, who died of an accidental drug overdose in 1967. Epstein’s grandfather, Isaac Epstein, was from Lithuania and arrived in England in the 1890s at the age of 18. His grandmother, Dinah, was the daughter of Joseph and Esther Hyman, who had emigrated from Russia to England. Asked to write an introduction to Epstein’s autobiography, “A Cellarful of Noise,” Beatles scholar Martin Lewis—who emceed the Fest for Beatles Fans in New York City this month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the band’s U.S.

arrival on Feb. 7, 1964—said Epstein’s death “was a major contributing factor to the breakup of the Beatles.” John Lennon himself said when the manager died, “I knew that we were in trouble then.” Lewis’s association with the Beatles dates back to 1967, when as a teenage fan he was engaged to compile the discography for Hunter Davies’s official biography of the group. Years later, he wrote, hosted, and produced the TV documentary “Re-Meet The Beatles!” Click photo to download. Caption: Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles, receives the Edison Award for the Beatles at the Grand Gala du Disque in 1965. Credit: Eric Koch/Anefo via Wikimedia Commons. “Epstein discovered the Beatles and guided them to mega-stardom, making them the most successful musical artists of all time,” Lewis told JNS.org. “But, regrettably, the man who did so much for the Beatles, and who died tragically in 1967, has become a comparatively forgotten man since his death.

Almost a ‘nowhere man.’” Lewis in June 1998 helped launch a website that became the command center for a campaign to have Epstein inducted into the non-performers’ section of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With combined online and hardcopy petitions, the site gathered more than 50,000 signatures, and in December 2013—15 years after the petition was started—it was announced that Epstein would receive the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement (formerly the non-performer award). Born in 1934 in Liverpool, England, Epstein first got involved in the music business when he took over the record department of his family’s music store, NEMS. “His devotion to making the store a success transformed it into an essential gathering place for the young people of northern England who sought to stay current with pop music. It was at NEMS that Epstein first became aware of the Beatles,” Margaret Thresher, director of communications at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, told JNS.org. Thresher said Epstein immediately recognized the Beatles’ potential as performers and recording artists.

He signed them to a management contract in early 1962 and was the driving force behind getting the band a recording contract with Parlophone later that year. “Brian’s keen eye for style and fashion helped shape a unique, charismatic identity for the band,” Thresher said. “His management style forged success for the Beatles, and he was completely dedicated to the band. Paul McCartney said, ‘If anyone was the fifth Beatle it was Brian.’ People talked about George Martin as being the fifth Beatle because of his musical involvement, but, particularly in the early days, Brian was very much part of the group.” Yet Epstein’s relationship with the Beatles was not all rosy. When the band members first told their families that Epstein would be their manager, the response to the news was mixed, according to Philip Norman’s book “Shout! The Beatles in Their Generation.” “Olive Johnson, the McCartney family’s close friend, received a call from Paul’s father (Jim) in a state of some anxiety over his son’s proposed association with a ‘Jewboy,’” Norman wrote. “Since Olive knew the world so well, Jim asked her to be at Forthlin Road on the evening that Brian called to outline his intentions for Paul.

‘He turned out to be absolutely charming,’ Olive says. ‘Beautifully mannered but completely natural. He and Jim got on well at once.’” Epstein grew up in a post-war British society in which many people overtly and comfortably indulged in anti-Semitism. Lewis said large numbers of the British have been anti-Semitic. “It was not a virulent form [of anti-Semitism], but it was mostly in the aristocracy, bubbling below the surface,” Lewis told JNS.org. “It was a nasty tone. This was part of the British way. They weren’t fighting the Nazis [in World War II] because they were anti-Semitic. They were fighting them because they were dominating Europe and bombing Britain.” In terms of prejudice, Epstein had to deal with two things in England that helped contribute to his personal unhappiness and fear. “One was being Jewish and the other was being gay, at a time when the word gay wasn’t even in common usage,” Lewis said. “What Brian went through is not fully appreciated but should be appreciated by the Jewish and gay world. What a great man.

Without this British, Jewish, gay man, the world would never have heard the Beatles.” Lewis said Epstein “has long been the most unsung hero across the Beatles’ universe.” “First of all, to be crystal clear, everything in the Beatles’ world starts with their incredible talent,” he said. “Without their genius for music there would have been nothing. But, as my dear friends Derek Taylor, Ray Coleman, George Martin and Andrew Loog Oldham all made clear to me over the years, without Brian Epstein’s passionate belief in them and without his Herculean efforts, the Beatles’ genius might well have gone undiscovered by the world.” Though Peter Brown, a personal assistant to Epstein and the Beatles during the 1960s, wrote in his memoir that he had once found a suicide note written by Epstein, Lewis maintains that Epstein’s death came from an accidental drug overdose. “The inquest was absolute,” Lewis said. “However, he had unhappiness. He was always fearful. Knowing the parasitic and venal attitudes of the English tabloids, he never wanted his personal life to be a burden on the Beatles.

He lived in fear that if he was ever outed publicly, or involved in some upsetting circumstance where his homosexuality came to public light, that would hurt the Beatles. It was constant running anxiety but not depression.” Five decades after the band’s historic appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” Lewis explains that Epstein understood how the Beatles “needed to have their rough edges polished to get on television.” “To do that he got them to wear suits and do that synchronized bow,” Lewis said. “He told them to put the focus on their music, not just telling jokes. All that polish was essential. He did this before they got on television, and then when they did get on they were polished and ready to go. They were hugely excited to be in America. The reason they looked so confident was because Brian had instilled that in them.” Download this story in Microsoft Word format here .

15 celebs who died of drug overdoses - NY Daily News On International Overdose Awareness Day, 15 celebs who died of drug overdoses 15 celebs who died of drug overdoses NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Monday, August 31, 2015, 12:43 PM Sigmund Freud and Keith Moon may have lived completely different lives — and were even born a century apart — but they had at least one thing in common: They died of drug overdoses. Annually, more than 40,000 people die of drug overdoses in the U.S. alone. On Monday, the 15th annual International Overdose Awareness Day commemorates those losses with dozens of events across the globe. In keeping with the day's theme of awareness and remembrance, here are 15 drug-related overdoses that you may have forgotten: Lenny Bruce One of the trailblazers of edgy comedy, Lenny Bruce struggled with legal problems and drug problems throughout his abbreviated career. Born Leonard Alfred Schneider, the Long Island native got his start in comedy in Brooklyn at 22.

He later did a stint in the merchant marines before settling down to marry stripper Honey Harlow. Judy Garland as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz." (AP) In the early '60s, he began getting arrested repeatedly both for drug possession and for obscenity in his comedic performances. The legal fees from the obscenity trials left him bankrupt and in August 1966, the day he found out he was going to lose his home in Hollywood Hills, he was found naked on the bathroom floor, a syringe still hanging out of his arm. At 40, he'd died of a morphine overdose. Judy Garland While Bruce was kicking around on New York's comedy scene, Judy Garland was clicking the heels of her shiny red shoes and siccing her little dog on mean witches. Sigmund Freud in 1921. (max Halberstadt) She signed a contract with MGM at the ripe age of 13, but by her late teens she started using amphetamines to keep her weight in check. She continued using drugs throughout her career and eventually died of a barbiturate overdose in 1969.

Sigmund Freud The Father of Psychoanalysis is known for his experiments with — and heavy personal use of — cocaine, but in the end it was a morphine overdose that killed him. Unlike the others on this list, Freud's death was quite clearly an intentional overdose. Years of chain-smoking led to oral cancer and more than 30 related surgeries. By the end, Freud wore a prosthesis to separate his sinus and jaw and he smelled so badly of necrotic bone that even his dog wouldn't come near him. Bradley Nowell of Sublime. (Steve Eichner/Getty Images) The Austrian neurologist died in 1939 when his personal physician fulfilled his patient's last request and administered three high doses of morphine. Bradley Nowell Bradley Nowell, lead singer of the alternative ska band Sublime, had a longstanding drug problem, which he referenced in hits like "Garden Grove" and "Bad Fish." While his use inspired popular music, it also wreaked havoc on his personal life and in 1996 he OD'd on heroin in a San Francisco motel room. Actress Dorothy Dandridge.

Dorothy Dandridge The first black woman to snag an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, Dandridge got her start as part of a 1930s musical trio. Later she began appearing in films, including the 1954 film that prompted her Oscar nod, "Carmen Jones." Due to her race, she found it difficult to find more lead roles. Eventually she did land a lead role in 1959's "Porgy and Bess," but that year also marked the start of her downfall. Her 1959 marriage to Jack Denison proved disastrous both emotionally and financially. Dandridge's career began to fail as well, and by the time she died of a barbiturate overdose in 1965 she had just $2 left in the bank. Manager Brian Epstein (far r.) with the Beatles. (dan Farrell) Brian Epstein Unequivocally, Epstein's claim to fame is discovering the Beatles. "The Fifth Beatle" was managing a Liverpool record store in the early '60s when he first heard the Fab Four play.

He became their manager in 1962 (under a contract guaranteeing him a phenomenal 25% of their gross earnings for five years) and is generally credited with catapulting the quartet into international superstardom. While the band enjoyed unimagined success, Epstein quietly suffered from depression. Then, in 1967 he accidentally overdosed on sleeping pills in his London home — and two years later the band broke up. Layne Staley of Alice in Chains. (Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images) Layne Staley Throughout the most successful years of Alice in Chains, Layne Staley's drug addiction and personal problems plagued him and affected the band. At times, the band didn't tour because of Staley's condition. The band had not been active for a number of years by the time Staley died of heroin and cocaine overdose in 2002. Mexican painter and surrealist Frida Kahlo. (Anonymous/AP) Frida Kahlo The Mexican artist best known for her graphic paintings and her bizarre marriage to Diego Rivera led a deeply troubled life. She had a slew of major medical problems, but also may have suffered from Munchausen Syndrome.

As a child she survived polio only to be impaled by a steel handrail in a streetcar accident during her late teens. In the years that followed, she had more than 30 surgeries. One of those surgeries led to a fungal infection and gangrene and eventually the amputation of her right leg. She died less than a year after losing her leg. Officially, the cause of death is listed as a pulmonary embolism, but Rivera had the body cremated before an autopsy could be performed. However, there are signs — a disturbing diary, previous suicide attempts — that her death may have been an overdose. Jean-Michel Basquiat, the youngest artist to exhibit work at Germany's Gesellschaft Gallery. (Handout) Jean-Michel Basquiat Born in Brooklyn in 1960, Basquiat first became known in the '70s for his graffiti adorning Manhattan buildings. A decade later, his Neo-Expressionist paintings sold for $50,000 a pop. He collaborated with Andy Warhol and, at 25, became the youngest artist to exhibit work at Germany's Gesellschaft Gallery.

Despite — or because of — his success, Basquiat developed a heroin habit and died of an overdose at 27. The Who drummer Keith Moon. Keith Moon The Who's drummer had legendary party habits. By some accounts he drove his car into a pool on his 21st birthday and lost a front tooth sometime during the drunken revelry. His on-stage persona was legendary as well; he was known for strange stunts, like filling his drums with explosives. Tragically, the madcap drummer died at 32 after overdosing on Clomethiazole, a sedative used to treat alcohol withdrawal. The Who bassist John Entwistle. (PAT VASQUEZ-CUNNINGHAM/AP) John Entwistle The Who was always a band known for its excesses, so perhaps it is not surprising that two of its members would make this list. While Moon died young, Entwistle made it all the way to 57 before succumbing to a cocaine-induced heart attack in 2002 while partying with a stripper at the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas. Evangelist Aime Semple McPherson.

Aimee Semple McPherson In the 1920s McPherson was a household name. She was a Pentecostal evangelist with tens of thousands of followers and, later, tens of thousands of mourners. She stirred controversy when she disappeared for five weeks in 1926, only to return with an unlikely claim she'd been kidnapped. Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon. (Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images) Best known for founding the Foursquare Gospel Church, she died in California in 1994. Seconol was found in her hotel room and the coroner categorized her death as a likely drug overdose. Shannon Hoon The lead singer of '90s band Blind Melon died of a cocaine overdose in 1995. He'd had a history of legal problems, including arrests for assault, indecent exposure, and being drunk and disorderly. He'd been public about his drug problems and had also been public about his intention to get clean. David Kennedy, son of Sen. Robert Kennedy. (FELICE QUINTO/AP) Nonetheless, on Oct. 21 he was found dead on the band's tour in a New Orleans parking lot.

David A. Kennedy The Kennedy family is known for seeing more than its fair share of tragedy, but one of the less-well-known tragedies was the untimely death of David A. Kennedy, brother to RFK and JFK. In 1984, Kennedy overdosed in a Florida hotel room after ingesting cocaine, Demerol and an anti-psychotic called Mellaril. Paul Gray of Slipknot. (MARK J TERRILL/AP) Paul Gray The bassist for the masked and strangely clad metal band Slipknot died of an overdose of morphine and fentanyl. Before his death he'd had legal problems, including a 2003 arrest for pot, coke and drug paraphernalia. Seven years later, he OD'd at 38 in an Iowa hotel room. Later, Gray's widow sued his doctor for careless prescribing practices. Brian Epstein | The Beatles Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Brian Epstein was born on September 19, 1934, to Harry and Queenie Epstein. Brian had been raised in Liverpool throughout multiple locations during his childhood. It was after his 16th birthday that he had asked his father to allow him to design dresses.

Harry opposed this idea, and demanded that Brian work in the family’s furniture store. Despite being unhappy with the job, Brian excelled at being a salesman. A famous example is selling an expensive table to a woman who asked for a mirror. Later, the National Compulsory Service drafted Epstein. He served for two years, until he was discharged for being mentally and emotionally unfit. Epstein revealed to a psychiatrist, that he had wanted to be an actor. It was after this that he joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He remained in the school until his third term. When he returned, his father placed him in charge of NEMS music store. It was with Epstein’s exhausting work that the store became the success that it did. It wasn’t until a customer had asked him for a copy of “My Bonnie” played by Tony Sheridan and a new group known as the “beat brothers”, that he learned about the Beatles. Influence on The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show and tours Brian was the one who brought up the idea of The Beatles bowing in unison after each song when they performed live. He also came up with the idea to wear suits and jackets. Death Brian died of a drug overdose in late 1967.

Many speculate, however it was a suicide, because at that time, the Beatles were taking meditation lessons with the Maharishi , and were growing farther away from him. Sexual Orientation Edit Brian Epstein was a closeted homosexual, however this wasn’t because his choice; rather, it was illegal at the time for a man to be gay in England. He always had an attraction to strong dangerous men, often soliciting sex in less than reputable places. His choice in men, and orientation, had led to speculation of taking advantage of John Lennon during a vacation in Spain. Although John adamantly denied any type of interaction, he later admitted to questioning Brian about his preferences. It was rumoured Brian had developed a slight crush on Paul , but always favouring John. John also frequently assaulted Brian’s orientation. Most notably during the outtakes of “ Baby You're a Rich Man ”, in which he sung the lyrics with a slight alteration to jab Brian “Baby You’re A Rich Fag Jew.” He was also the inspiration of " You've Got to Hide Your Love Away ." Blue Plaque for Brian Epstein There is a campaign called Statue for Eppy to have a Bronze statue of Brian made in Liverpool for £70,000. Members

Question: What was the name of The Beatles' manager who died from a drug overdose in 1967?
Answer: Brian Epstein