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Beatles' first manager dies

Timothy Jones
December 31, 2016

Allan Williams, who managed the early bookings of The Beatles, has died at the age of 86. Williams is credited with driving the legendary band to Hamburg, Germany, where they gathered formative experiences.

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Allan Williams, who worked with the legendary British band from 1960 to 1961 in Britain and Hamburg, died on Friday, according to the club he once owned in Liverpool, England.

"Today our founder and the man who discovered the Beatles passed away at the age of 86. Allan Williams, you will be missed," the Jacaranda Club tweeted.

The club also added a message on its Facebook page, saying that Williams' legacy "has allowed us to remain at the heart of the Liverpool music scene for almost 60 years and his memory will live on through every band that plays our famous stage."

Williams is credited with personally having driven the band in 1960 to Hamburg, where The Beatles were to spend several extended periods gathering invaluable professional experience up to 1961. He  managed their bookings until a falling-out with the group over finances in 1961, and was succeeded by Brian Epstein.

At the time, he reportedly warned Epstein about taking over the group, saying, "Don't touch them with a [...] bargepole, they will let you down."

He later co-wrote a memoir entitled "Allan Williams: The Man Who Gave The Beatles Away," which was published in 1975.