August 27, 1967 proved to be a pivotal day for the Beatles. Their longtime manager, Brian Epstein, was found dead in London from an overdose of sleeping pills combined with alcohol. He was supposed to join the group that week in Wales as they met with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to study transcendental meditation. Epstein ran his family's Liverpool record store when he heard of a local band making a single in Germany. He became the Fab Four's manager in November 1961, and was instrumental in turning them from a scruffy bar band into the most famous rock group ever. He tightened up their act by ridding them of leather jackets and blue jeans, dressing them in suits and ties, and giving orders to no longer smoke and drink on stage. He arranged their audition with EMI Records in 1962, working with staff producer George Martin. The rest is history. Epstein also cut a unique deal to get the group on "The Ed Sullivan Show," considered the most influential vehicle to introduce them to America. He accepted a bottom dollar fee for the band, but negotiated appearances for three consecutive weeks as well as the Fab Four opening and closing each show, a first. Although he'd felt less appreciated, his death truly was the beginning of the end for the Beatles. The group pressed on and ran their own affairs for a while, but they became rather directionless which led to considerable acrimony, especially between John and Paul. The world's greatest rock band finally called it quits in 1970.
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