NOVEMBER 9, 1961, LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND: NEMS Store Manager Brian Epstein and assistant Alistair Taylor (many times a special guest at our FESTS) decide to check out what all the excitement was at The Cavern Club, just a short walk from the store. It was a lunchtime concert and The Beatles were playing. When Brian saw and heard them, he had a vision and had to become their manager to get them to the ‘toppermost of the poppermost’! He promised he would get them a recording contract and refused to take no for an answer, finally getting a receptive George Martin to give them a go, after being rejected by every other record company. Guitar groups are out!, was the most famous rejection, from Decca. I would rank this as the number two most important early moment in Beatles history, just behind July 6, 1957, the Day John met Paul. It is incomprehensible that Brian Epstein hasn’t yet been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This needs to be remedied. If you want to sign a petition to have him inducted, CLICK HERE.