Brian Samuel Epstein was born on 19 September 1934 on Rodney Street, Liverpool. His parents were Harry and Malka Epstein. Before his death in 1967 he would make his fortune as manager of The Beatles, as well as Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black and Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas.
Harry and Malka (known to all as Queenie, as Malka is the Hebrew word for 'queen') owned a furniture store in Liverpool. Later the family business expanded and they bought the North End Road Music Store (known as NEMS) next door.
In 1950, at the age of 16, Brian began working at the family's Walton Road store, although he wanted to become a dress designer – a move opposed by his father. He was conscripted to the army at 18, but was discharged after 10 months for being emotionally and mentally unfit.
In his autobiography A Cellarful Of Noise, published in October 1964, Epstein claimed he was caught impersonating an officer. The hidden truth was that he had asked a tailor to make an officer's uniform, which he wore while cruising the bars of London. He was arrested by the military police, but avoided a court martial by agreeing to see an army psychiatrist who uncovered Epstein's homosexuality.
Upon his return to Liverpool in 1954 he was put in charge of Clarendon Furnishing, a branch of the Epstein family business in the Hoylake district. He proved a successful salesman, but persuaded his parents to let him train as an actor at the Royal Academy for Dramatic Arts.Brian passed the RADA audition, and became a classmate of Susannah York, Albert Finney and Peter O'Toole. However, he dropped out after the third term.
He returned once more to work for his parents, and in 1955, at the age of 21, he was made a director of NEMS.
When Harry Epstein opened a new NEMS store on Liverpool's Great Charlotte Street, Brian was put in charge of managing the ground floor. He expanded from selling pianos and wireless radios to gramophone records, and the shop became one of the biggest music outlets in the north of England.
The record department was such a success that he was put in charge of a new NEMS branch which opened at 12-14 Whitechapel. Around this time he asked Bill Harry – the editor of Mersey Beat magazine, which Brian had sold since its first issue in July 1961 – if he could write a music column. His first article, under the heading 'Record Releases, by Brian Epstein of NEMS', appeared in the third issue on 3 August 1961.
With The Beatles
Mersey Beat was where Epstein first noticed the name The Beatles, who were featured on the cover of issue two. His curiosity is said to have been was piqued when a customer, Raymond Jones, entered NEMS and asked Epstein for a copy of My Bonnie, the single recorded by the band with singer Tony Sheridan in Hamburg.
At about three o'clock on Saturday, October 28th, 1961, an eighteen-year-old boy called Raymond Jones, wearing jeans and black leather jacket, walked into a record-store in Whitechapel, Liverpool, and said: 'There's a record I want. It's "My Bonnie" and it was made in Germany. Have you got it?'Behind the counter was Brian Epstein, twenty-seven, director of the store. He shook his head. 'Who is the record by?' he asked. 'You won't have heard of them,' said Jones. 'It's by a group called The Beatles....'
Prologue to A Cellarful Of Noise
The Whitechapel store was a short walk from the Cavern Club in Mathew Street. On 9 November 1961 he watched The Beatles play a lunchtime concert, after which he entered the dressing room and met the group.
Despite his lack of experience, Epstein became their manager in January 1962, and quickly asserted his influence over their dress and onstage performance.
After hawking the band around a number of London labels, Epstein eventually secured an audition at EMI's Abbey Road studios, where George Martin decided to sign them.
Epstein was key to the success of The Beatles – Paul McCartney later said: "If anyone was the fifth Beatle, it was Brian". He also managed a number of other Liverpool acts, including Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black and Billy J Kramer and The Dakotas.
As The Beatles retired from live performance in 1966, Epstein found his influence on the group waning. He had used amphetamines from the earliest days with the band, but his use of pills became an increasing problem as he became more involved in the London drug scene of the 1960s.
During the recording of Sgt Pepper, Epstein spent time trying to kick his drug habit, including spells in the Priory in Putney, London.
Brian Epstein died of an accidental drug overdose on 27 August 1967. His death was most likely due to a build-up of the sedative Carbitral, mixed with alcohol.
At the time The Beatles were in Bangor, north Wales, for a meeting with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. They did not attend the funeral, in order to not attract the media and fans, but were present at a memorial service at the New London Synagogue.
Epstein is buried at the Kirkdale Jewish Cemetery in Liverpool.
Thank you for the great information you gave us here.
Is it true he had a crush on John?
Sorry, no… it was Ringo.
Actually it was John….as the rumour goes. In April of 63′, John and Brian went on holiday to Barcelona Spain….together ….just the two of them. After they returned, the story started getting around that they had a homosexual encounter with each other.
p.s…..Also, it’s said that John wrote the song, “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” about Epstein.
One of the best outlines of Brian’s life that really appears authentic!!!
There was a movie made about the early 60’s music revolution within the U.S.A. & it’s called “That Thing You Do!”
It was a comedy drama film written, directed by, and co-starring Tom Hanks.
I speculate that this is the closest Tom Hanks could put himself (within his star-power) to the Beatles
and so he chose to himself to become Brian Epstein.
What was the house number in Rodney Street where Brian lived
Epstein didn’t live on Rodney St, but was born in a private hospital that was No 4 Rodney St
If you read “The Beatles Anthology” by The Beatles, John and Brian’s holiday to Spain is explained thoroughly… Somewhere. And yeah, John talks about how Brian came on to him some.
According to Pete Shotton, John’s childhood friend, John told him he had had an experience with Epstein. But according to Pete, who swears he doesn’t care whether people put him down for saying so, John’s first, confused (and more loving) encounter was with the obvioiusly “metrosexual” Stu Sutcliffe, where Stu came on to him as they talked and they just kept going. It makes sense because John was embarrassed, confused and afraid of being a gay from one encounter. Epstein had power and affection but was not into being the dominant sexually; John had to fend him off for a while, then one way or another gave in and became in a way a dominant. In the long run, once the “Satyricon” of girls and boys and trans-gendered in Hamburg and later parties was in full swing, John would very likely, while preferring women, also seek out other males if need be or if available. In Goldman’s book (too-often shunned as if everyone were merely making things up to get publicity), where about a thousand people were interviewed, some very detailed content about Brian and John surfaces, rather plausible in context. One way or another, John knew different types of people sexually.
Where is the evidence for your load of bullshit? What are your sources?
Goldman’s “book” was a POS.
Bullshit John NEVER had anything w a man.Just lots of Girls
Ever, neither did Stuart, says Paul, & everyone that was there.
Just normal friendships w many of the gay people around at the time.
Stop trying to dig dirt on dead people please
“dig dirt” ??? Is it dirty to have a sexual encounter with a same-sex person? Hello…. Let’s just take it easy please. Who cares? Love is love.
Like lennon epstein was a tortured soul, which brought them close but i believe that brian was primarily always going to look out for lennon first and foremost. By all accounts brian was hopelessly infatuated with him.
In terms of the band as a whole, epstein had a great knack of massaging all the individual members ego’s and smoothing over arguments that helped projects get done. Because of the unity he promoted paul tolerated brian’s management a bit longer than maybe he would have normally. Both he and john had started to smell a rat with some of the groups commercial deals,royalty rates and business matters where epstein had been not only incompetent but also more than a a bit naughty with the groups earnings. When klein exposed the full details of what brian had been doing after his death the band were deeply shocked.
So while “eppy” was integral to making the beatles a more professional act, and vital to projecting the bands influence to a wider audience he also had lost them an inestimable amount of money. Brians strengths were working with people but in matters of negotiation and planning he was woefully neglectful. I guess in his defence it was very early days in terms of pop music but the likes of elvis had long shown the way – colonel tom always made sure his act got the best deal. Brian could have done with someone like him to help him out instead of the hangers on and his buddies at NEMS.
Alan Klein the con man that stole all the rights to the Rolling Stones records exposed Brian Epsteins wrong doing ?? Without Brian the Beatles NEVER would have made it out of Hamburg or Liverpool. You must be joking?
Always these dumb gay suggestions about Brian being infatuated w John get old.He admired John as we all do.
To be truthful most of the world is still ‘ infatuated w John Lennon, for good reason because he’s the man that started the greatest rock group of all times
Why was Brian buried at Kirkdale cemetery ? And not greenbank or woolton. I live about a mile away from where Brian is buried .
It is stated the Beatles appeared four times at the Grafton Ballroom West Derby Road and on an unknown earlier date as The Quarrymen (Date ?). From internet researching the first Beatles performance at the Grafton was on the 3rd August 1962. Was this organised by Albert Kinder and Brian Epstein as it is stated Brian became their manager in January 1962? Does a contract exist?
The second Beatle’s Grafton performance was on Thursday 10th January 1963 when tickets 504-606 were stolen. A contract still exists between Albert Kinder Limited and signed by Brian Epstein with a possible Beatle’s contract fee of £62 – 10 – 0. This may be auctioned next year.
The third was a Jeffrey Archer NSPCC concert in February 1963 (date?).
The fourth and last concert was on Friday 2nd August 1963 with a contract fee of £100, the contract sold by Sotheby’s some years ago. On Saturday 3rd they secured £300 at the Cavern, another last venue performance.
Welcome any more news you may have on these Grafton performances and Albert Kinder Limited promoter of Trad Jazz throughout the North West in the 50’s and early 60’s, including Louis Armstrong at the Liverpool Stadium in 1956.
I think a lot of gay stuff went on with Epstein like how the Beatles first contract was gotten with sir Joseph Lockwood at EMI, they were both gay, put 2 and 2 together, if it wasn’t for 2 gay guys making out, the Beatles may have never been.
I’m sorry, but a lot of the sexual stuff Epstein did seemed kind of predatory.
Like what exactly?