Who in the World Was the Fifth Beatle?
On January 24, 1962 the Beatles started to be managed by Brian Epstein. His role in the group was cut short by his sudden death on August 27, 1967 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. What was the impact of Brian Epstein on the development of the Beatles? He has long been attributed to the success of the Beatles (especially in the early years). Paul McCartney is said to have uttered, “If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was Brian”. Brian Samuel Epstein was born on September 19, 1934 in the port city of Liverpool, England. At the young age of 16 he expressed his desire to become a dress designer, but that didn’t sit well with his father. His father, mortified at this suggestion, ordered him to “report for duty” at the family’s furniture shop. This was certainly not Brian’s idea of a meaningful car
