Allen Klein's fierce reputation
A look at the life of the 'brash music mogul' who once managed the Beatles and the Rolling Stones
Allen Klein, left, with Yoko Ono and John Lennon in 1977 (AP)
"Brash music mogul" Allen Klein, whose lengthy career "included stints" as the business manager for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, said Geoff Boucher in the Los Angeles Times, died on Saturday at the age of 77 after battling Alzheimer's disease. The former New Jersey accountant became "a firebrand figure who worked with some of the biggest names in music but also made enemies out of many of them."
In "rock myth," said Neil McCormick in the Telegraph, Klein "will be remembered as the prototypical untrustworthy and self-serving manager." He proudly displayed a plaque on his desk that read, "Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of evil, I have no fear, as I am the biggest bastard in the valley." And "somehow," Klein "ended up owning the rights to many" recordings by the bands he worked with, "and almost always ended up in litigation" with them.
Klein was "reviled by many," said BBCNews.com, but "others admired his ability to negotiate with record labels." John Lennon reportedly hired Klein "to protect his interest in the Beatles because he wanted what he called 'a real shark—someone to keep the other sharks away.'" Perhaps Klein's early life contributed to his fierce instincts: He "spent several years in an orphanage after his mother's death during his infancy."
Show: Oldest | Newest
2 Comments
Posted by jacob, Monday, July 6, 2009, 1:43 pm Allen Klein's role and influence upon The Beatles should not be underestimated. However, if one gains a good understanding of all the The Beatles accomplished while together, it is possible to put each individual that was involved with The Beatles in a more understandable perspective.A new book has been written that proves that John and Paul were the two witnesses that appear in The Bible in Revelations 11:3. This very profound and symbolic account of the last 1,260 days of The Beatles can be read for free at thegoodguise at wordpress.com.
Posted by what the f jacob, Monday, July 6, 2009, 2:23 pm Dear Jacob: You are an idiot.
Post a Comment