Tributes to Astrid, the girl who gave Beatles their look
HER unforgettable images captured the early days of The Beatles and she introduced them to the ‘mop-top’ hairstyle which would become their trademark.
And last night tributes were paid to German photographer Astrid Kirchherr, who has died at the age of 81 in her native Hamburg, where the Fab Four first tasted success.
Ringo Starr said: ‘God bless Astrid a beautiful human being. And she took great photos. Peace and love.’ Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn tweeted: ‘Her gift to the Beatles was immeasurable.’ John Lennon’s son Julian said simply: ‘Rest in peace, Astrid…’ with a heart emoji.
Kirchherr met the band in 1960 at the Kaiserkeller nightclub where they were playing. ‘It was like a merry-go-round in my head, they looked absolutely astonishing,’ she recalled. ‘My whole life changed in minutes. All I wanted was to be with them.’
She fell in love with then bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, and they became engaged. She cut his hair into the mop-top, which Lennon and Paul McCartney copied.
Sutcliffe left the band, but suffered a brain haemorrhage aged 21 in 1962, and died in her arms en route to hospital.
She remained friends with the rest of the band and documented their work.
Former Beatles drummer Pete Best tweeted: ‘Absolutely stunned to hear the news of Astrid passing ... God bless you love. We shared some wonderful memories and the most amazing fun times.’