Beatles manager Brian Epstein has been honoured with a new statue in Liverpool, the first of an LGBTQ+ figure in Liverpool's city centre.
Recently installed in Whitechapel, in the Metquarter, it was funded by Liverpool BID Company and championed by the Beatles Legacy Group. It is hoped that the statue will help contribute to Liverpool's multi-million pound Beatles tourism industry.
The Brian Epstein Legacy Project has led the statue campaign for the last five years and their goal was made a reality after the success of their Crowdfunding.
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Born in Liverpool in 1934 to Jewish parents, Epstein also played a key role in the city's wider music scene and the development of Merseybeat in the mid-60s. As well as becoming manager of The Beatles, he made his name through the likes of Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black and Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas.
In 1950, aged 16, Epstein worked at the family’s Walton Road store. He was conscripted to the army at 18, but was discharged after ten months for being emotionally and mentally unfit.
He returned to work for his parents until 1955, when at the age of 21, he was made a director of NEMS. He expanded the shop from selling pianos and wireless radios to gramophone records, and it soon became one of the biggest music outlets in the north of England.
Despite his lack of experience, Epstein became The Beatles’ manager in January 1962 after seeing them perform in the Cavern Club, and he quickly asserted his influence over their performance and looks, moving them away from their edgy black leather to a more clean-cut look.
After a hugely successful music career, Epstein died of an accidental drug overdose on August 27, 1967.
Although his sexuality was not publicly known until after his death, it was an open secret amongst his friends and associates.
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