Beatles fans hope to raise £100,000 to honour Epstein

BEATLES fans are hoping to raise £100,000 for a statue to honour the group’s manager, Brian Epstein (pictured).

The Brian Epstein Legacy Project would see a statue of the music entrepreneur created and additional money dedicated to developing a wider legacy in his memory, campaigners say.

Epstein, who discovered The Beatles in the Cavern Club in Liverpool while on a lunchtime visit, also managed Cilla Black, Gerry And The Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, The Chants, The Scaffold and The Moody Blues.

Sometimes referred to as the “fifth Beatle”, he died in 1967, aged 32.

A campaign for a statue was originally launched in 2019 but put on hold due to the pandemic and organisers have now teamed up with the Iowa Rock ‘n’ Roll Music Association Hall of Fame and Museum.

About a third of the original £60,000 target has been raised, thanks to an anonymous donation of £10,000 and other contributions from all over the world, but the group now hope to raise a minimum of £100,000 to honour Epstein’s “energy and vision”.

Campaigner Tom Calderbank said: “We now need £40,000 to complete the statue. Once completed, however, the sculpture will be only phase one of the wider project. Phase two aims to raise at least another £40,000 to establish a musical instrument library, to give access to music to underprivileged young people across the Liverpool City Region and help develop the next generation of talent.

“Phase three will then look further afield to see what can be achieved to celebrate and develop Brian’s legacy.