Famous faces of the English Riviera: the iconic visitors who shaped Torbay’s story

BRIAN SAMUEL EPSTEIN - (Part Two of two).

Having settled into his dream job at the family store (NEMS) Brian now turned it into the

largest music store in Liverpool while becoming an authority on “pop” music. Working

hard from his small office at the store he eventually started “Nems Enterprises his

Agency. Having he left Liverpool and moved back to London his Whitechapel Offices

ultimately held twenty six employees not including those Brian named “his people in the

field”.

His career as Agent & Promoter for the music industry had started through. It started

when customer came into the store Nems to order a record saying “you will not have

heard of them yet they are called the Beatles and they play at the Cavern Club. On

learning the group were performing on November 9 th 1961 Brian decided to attend and

on being recognised entered without having to pay or join the huge queue. In watching

the Beatles play he also noted their popularity on stage. He said “I was struck by their

music, it’s beat and their sense of humour which I found astonishing. Before leaving .

He said “they had real personal charm” but held back as he had only recently signed up

other groups and the “Rustiks” in Torbay as their Managing Agent.

The following May he returned to the Cavern Club having learned the Beatles had just

returned from a successful tour of Germany. He also knew their latest latest record

“Love Me Do” just released was already rising in the Top 20 pop charts. He now said

“they certainly have something different about them” and though he was already

managing six groups and two solo artists, he produced a contract and then became their

Manager/Promoter/Agent. His decision saw “Beatlemania” taking off over the following

months. Brian made mistakes - like failing to negotiate higher Royalties from EMI and

Theatres nevertheless his contract was secure for five years. During this years he became

and so did he “boy’s” (all then under 21) slowly became multi-£millionaires.

Initially, the boys had dressed “wearing scruffy blue jeans and leather jackets” and Brian

knew he must change that image. Now Agent and promoter he insisted they wore suits

and ties and never smoked or ate, on stage. It took him time until master-tailor Beno

Dorn designed special suits mirroring some the boys had previously seen. With the five

year contract intact from January 24 th 1962, fans everywhere would watch and scream as

the Beatles slowly at first became the most successful “pop group” witnessed anywhere

in the Western World. Brian as Managing Agent looked after all bookings and

promotions while his fee ranged from 10% to 25% dependent on what the band earned.

His lifestyle being a gay man or the fact he Managed many other top groups never

became a problem. During the period 1962-1967 he also Managed Gerry and the

Pacemakers, Billy Kramar and the Dakota’s, Cilla Black, The Moody Blues, Remo Four,

Tommy Quickly and yes Torbay’s “Rustiks” group.

His autobiography “A Cellerful of Noise” was published in 1964 and especially

references John Lennon, the older boy noting him “the more sarcastic member of the

group”. Yet he was undoubtedly the genius in the group and clearly “you cannot contain

a talent like that” wrote Brian. John would later say of him “in my opinion we almost had

a love affair but not quite”. Al hough the “genius writer” John still adored Paul “and his

catchy tunes”. When the four split Paul asked a friend “does John still love me” - the

relationship being always complex. Yet the fans all adored the Beatles “they could do no

wrong said Brian”. All became wealthy although Brian eventually sold off half of his

Northern Songs Company in order to purchase the Savil Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue.

Eventually the Beatles tired of doing any more touring work in the UK or abroad and

chose instead to retreat and “only do studio work”. The image the suits and live

performances had gone forever and they made their final public appearance in Britain on

May 1 st 1966 at the Empire Pool Wembley Park in London.

It took until July 1967 before the “Sexual Offences Act” legalised homosexual acts

between two consenting men lawful. But the strangest oddity of all was Brian Epstein

was found dead in his flat at age 32 on August 27 th 1967 just a month after the Act

became lawful. The coroner ruled “death was accidental - continuing - through an

incautious self overdosage brought about by a build up of Carbrital combined with

excessive alcohol”. The era of the Beatles died with him.