On This Day in 1961: Brian Epstein Officially Became the Beatles Manager—and the Rest Is History

Brian “The Fifth Beatle” Epstein was as important as any other of the four Beatles. He wasn’t only the manager of The Beatles, but also their friend, confidant, and behind-the-scenes fearless leader. If it wasn’t for Epstein, it is very well possible The Beatles never would have reached the height of musical influence that they did.

For a bit of context, Brian Epstein tragically passed in 1967, just two years before The Beatles broke up. Following his death, The Beatles replaced Epstein with Allen Klein. As a matter of fact, Epstein’s death is one of the many reasons attributed to The Beatles’ break-up. That being so, it is without question that Epstein was a major influence on the band’s chemistry and camaraderie. And it all started on this arbitrary day in 1961.

Brian Epstein’s Original Proposition for The Beatles

Epstein first saw The Beatles at the infamous Liverpool venue, The Cavern Club, in 1961. Upon first seeing them, he was completely taken aback by their talent and seemingly identified their potential right off the bat. Given his immediate affection for the band, Epstein swiftly approached them and made them an offer they could not refuse.

Epstein’s original proposition for The Beatles was a dream for a start-up band such as themselves. In short, Epstein wanted 25% of their weekly revenue and promised to never book them for less than 15 pounds. The only exception to the latter was when they played the Cavern Lunchtime slot. In addition to those promises, Epstein also majorly changed the general aesthetic of the band.

Epstein changed the demeanor and character of The Beatles by enforcing a dress code, preventing them from eating on stage, and holistically, just teaching them how to become more professional than they originally were. Thanks to his deal and vision of The Beatles, Epstein was able to score the band their first major record deal in 1962 with EMI Records based out of the UK. Subsequently, some other major accomplishments Epstein scored the group was booking them on CBS’s Sunday-night television show and The Ed Ed Sullivan Show.

When Epstein took on The Beatles in 1961, he drastically changed everything about them. And for the better that is, because if it weren’t for Epstein, The Beatles very well might have remained four chaps from Liverpool, England. Thanks to Brian Epstein’s intuition and innate understanding of the musical public pulse, he was able to transform them into larger-than-life figures.

Photo by John Rodgers/Redferns