Update (6/29/04) UK Mirror: Beatles Mr. Fixit Is Dead
Update (6/22/04)
This Sheffield Today and Chesterfield Today stories about Alistair Taylor include a tribute from Yoko. (Thanks to Trini Schultz.)
Update (6/11/04) IC Liverpool: Beatles Mr. Fixit dies at 68
(6/10/04) From Martin Lewis:
Alistair Taylor - personal assistant to Brian Epstein (1960-1967) and
General Manager of Apple (1967-1969) has passed away in England. He
was an integral member of the Beatles' management team throughout their
career.
In recent years Alistair became a much-loved guest speaker at fan
conventions in the UK and USA - sharing his affectionate memories of
the Beatles and Brian Epstein.
He died peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday June 9th after a short
bronchial illness. He was just two weeks short of his 69th birthday.
He is survived by his widow Lesley - to whom he'd been married for 45
years. Alistair and Lesley did not have children.
A memorial webpage has been set up at http://www.AlistairTaylor.com/
Fans who wish to express their condolences may write to
condolences@AlistairTaylor.com. All messages will be passed directly
to to Lesley Taylor, Alistair's widow. (You can also post your memories of Alistair Taylor on a special message board here. These messages will also be sent to Lesley Taylor.)
Some Taylor trivia:
He accompanied Brian Epstein to the Cavern on Nov. 9, 1961, to see the Beatles for the first time.
His signature -- and not Brian's -- was on the first management contract between the Beatles and Brian Epstein.
You'll recall the famous story of Raymond Jones, the fan who was said
to have come into Brian's record store and requested the "My Bonnie"
record - thus triggering Epstein's interest in the Beatles? In a 1995
newspaper interview - and subsequently in his book "A Secret History,"
Alistair Taylor claimed that there was NO customer of this name who had
requested that record. He said that the story was actually a benign
piece of mythology he had created at the time - unbeknownst to Brian
and the Beatles. Some felt that it was odd that Alistair had waited 34
years - till he was pitching a new book - to make this surprise
"revelation" Now we'll never know...
He became general manager of Apple after Brian's death at the personal invitation of John Lennon.
Ironically, he was also one of 16 people fired in the first of many
purges of Apple staff by the newly-appointed Allen Klein. Distancing
themselves from the entire Apple debacle, John and Paul shirked
returning his calls after he was fired. Despite his disappointment in
their detachment - he never spoke or wrote ill of the Beatles at any
point in the following 35 years.
He was pictured in an ad for Apple, designed by Paul, as a one-man band wearing a bowler hat. A copy of the ad, signed by Taylor, was the only mention of him in the Anthology book.
On the day of his death, he had been scheduled to videotape a special
introduction for the upcoming tribute to Brian Epstein being held by
the gay-community in San Francisco. The concert will go ahead. Martin
Lewis who is to pay tribute to Epstein at the concert will also offer a
brief eulogy to Taylor at the event.
Alistair and Paul met up a few years ago at a McCartney concert and they posed for a photo together backstage.
(Sources: "The Encyclopedia of Beatles People" by Bill Harry; also Martin Lewis.)
Additional news links:
The UK Independent: Obituary: Alistair Taylor -- Mr. Fixit to the Beatles
Message from Mark Lapidos on Fest for Beatles Fans site
(Thanks also to Trini Schultz, Karen Dyson.)
This news item copyright Abbeyrd's Beatles Page
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