'He’s terrified, panicked, can’t sleep’: the tragic, lonely death of Beatles manager Brian Epstein
Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp paid £10k at auction for Epstein’s address book. He then used it to co-author a thrilling account of the swinging 60s – and an intimate portrait of a tormented man whose life was unravelling
TL;DR
- Gary Kemp purchased Brian Epstein's 1967 address book for £10,710 at auction.
- The address book contains 404 entries and lists many prominent figures of 60s London.
- Kemp collaborated with Simon Halfon to create the book '1967: The World of Brian Epstein and the Beatles,' which chronicles Epstein's life through his contacts.
- The book explores Epstein's challenges managing the Beatles, his personal struggles, drug use, and his feelings of isolation.
- It highlights Epstein's relationships and the volatile affair with John 'Dizz' Gillespie, who stole from him.
- Epstein died at 32 from an accidental overdose of sleeping pills.
- The book details Epstein's network across music, theatre, business, and bohemia in London, New York, and Hollywood.
- The Beatles themselves are notably absent from the address book's entries.