Ringo starr eyebrow8/2/2023 Back in 1964, Bruce was the star DJ on WABC radio, which he playfully dubbed “WABeatlesC” at the height of Beatlemania. This would be the start of a mutually beneficial relationship in which Kaufman proclaimed himself “The Fifth Beatle.”Ĭousin Brucie (born Bruce Meyerowitz) is perhaps New York’s most legendary radio personality of all. He found a way to sneak into the Plaza hotel after the Beatles’ arrival and get the first in-person interview with the band in America. Kaufman began his career in the Catskills, organizing comedy shows along the Borscht Belt.īy the time the Beatles arrived in New York, Murray The K was New York’s most beloved AM radio personality (on WINS). Both were front and center during the band’s New York arrival in 1964. Pivotal in the launch of the Beatles’ popularity were a pair of New York radio personalities: Murray The K (Kaufman), and Cousin Brucie (Bruce Morrow). Sid Bernstein holding a Beatles concert poster. The exposure alone from these countless licensed products far outweighed the millions of dollars in revenue earned from worldwide sales. It was this unprecedented merchandising that enabled the Beatles to transcend mere music and traditional fandom. David Jacobs was Epstein’s top lawyer, and the man who negotiated the deals that put the Beatles’ likeness on merchandise ranging from T-shirts and dolls to chewing gum and bubble bath. In short order, he secured the band’s first recording contract, then managed their careers into unparalleled superstardom, until his untimely death at age 32 in August 1967.Įpstein’s music management company, NEMS was comprised almost entirely of Jewish businessmen. He encouraged them to amend their stage attire from leather jackets and blue jeans to suits and ties. Two months later, he became the band’s manager. They were raw and unpolished, but Epstein recognized their immense potential. In November 1961, Epstein “discovered” the Beatles at the famed Cavern Club in Liverpool. He was raised in an Orthodox, Yiddish-speaking household. That’s about as close as we get to a “Jewish Beatle.”īut as for their supporting cast … well, let’s just say that if it weren’t for an assortment of businessmen, promoters, lawyers, visionaries, and a trio of spouses, the Beatles almost certainly would not be remembered as the lasting phenomenon they remain today.īrian Epstein was born in Liverpool, UK, on Yom Kippur day in 1934, the son of Malka and Harry Epstein. His mother, Elsie Gleave Starkey was once rumored to be of Jewish ancestry, though nothing definitive has ever been proven. But the Fab Four? Ringo Starr had a Jewish step-father (Harry Graves). We can lay claim to Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan and Sandy Koufax. They are the bestselling recording artists of all time by a wide margin, with more than 600 million albums sold worldwide. Nineteen of their albums have hit the #1 position. Twenty Beatles songs have topped the U.S. And remarkably, a group of four extraordinarily talented musicians who managed to exceed overwhelming expectations from the publicity buildup. Perhaps the most hyped entertainers in the history of popular culture. More than 73 million people tuned in to experience what would be the start of a cultural revolution … and a musical love affair that has now lasted half a century. Two nights later, they made their American television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. They were met at the Pan Am arrival terminal by 5,000 screaming fans (mostly young women). 7, 1964, four charismatic, long-haired young men from Liverpool landed at the newly renamed JFK airport. Shown from left: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Bruce ‘Cousin Brucie’ Morrow, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, circa 1965įifty years ago, on Feb. This article originally appeared in The Jewish Star.
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