On This Day, Aug. 27, 1967 …
The Beatles manager Brian Epstein died at the age of 32.
Epstein died from a drug overdose and was found by his butler in his London home, although his staff removed any drug paraphernalia from the house before calling the police. His death was officially ruled an accident. None of The Beatles attended Epstein’s funeral in order to avoid any unnecessary media attention.
Epstein, known as The Fifth Beatle, managed the band from 1962 to his death. He met them in December 1961 when they performed at The Cavern Club in Liverpool and was the one who was tasked with firing original drummer Pete Best, who was later replaced by Ringo Starr.
Epstein managed other artists during his career, including Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cila Black and The Moody Blues.
A movie about Epstein, Midas Man, recently premiered at the 2024 Toronto Jewish Film Festival. It stars Jacob Fortune-Lloyd as Epstein, with a cast that also includes Emily Watson, Eddie Marsan, Jay Leno and Eddie Izzard.
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