It is well - known that The Beatles were a quartet also known as the " Fab Four . " But debate has been raging for ten about the fifth Beatle – an unheralded , unknown person who was somehow instrumental to the ring ’s astonishing succeeder . Who merit the title of respect ? lots of hangers - on and associates have adventure out the name , but there are six man who are most often refer in fifth Beatle conversations : two who were members of the stripe in its early days as a quintet and four who were longtime behind - the - scenes collaborators .
Stuart Sutcliffe perhaps has the most claim to the title – he was the 5th member of the band from 1960 to 1961 , and he was n’t replaced after he left . A acquaintance of John Lennon ’s from the Liverpool College of Art , he was more artistically than musically inclined , but he became theBeatles ' original bassist and played clubs with them in Hamburg , Germany . His " mop - top " hairdo , sunglasses and skinny trouser influenced what would become the Beatles ' signature style . When the rest of the group went back home to Liverpool in 1961 ( and subsequently made it crowing ) , he stayed in Hamburg , and Paul McCartney take aim over as bassist . Sutcliffe die out of a brain aneurism only a few month later at the eld of 21 .
Pete Best was the Beatles ' original drummer , a member of the band along with Sutcliffe . He returned to Liverpool with the group in 1961 but was raise a twelvemonth later and interchange by Ringo Starr . The official story is that the lot ’s firststudio producerswanted to chuck Best for a more experienced drummer , but rumors suggest he was let go for getting more than his fair percentage of attention from female fans . By all accounts , the sack was not handled well , and he successfully sue the Beatles in 1968 for libel because of a Playboy article in which Starr claimed he abuse drugs .
Producer Sir George Martin was the mastermind behind almost all of the Beatles ' albums ( although John Lennon retrieve he got too much credit ) . He had years of musical experience and education – and the band members did not – so he had a massive influence on their sound by act close with them and develop their innovative music .
Brian Epstein discovered the Beatles in 1961 at the Cavern Club in Hamburg . He was the band ’s first managing director , and under his direction , the group contract to arecord labeland booked its iconic performance on " The Ed Sullivan Show . " He give way of a drug overdose in 1967 . Thirty years later on , McCartney called him the fifth Beatle – as has George Martin . Epstein was commemorate in the 2013 graphic novel " The Fifth Beatle . "
In a 1997 audience , Paul McCartney dubbed Derek Taylor and Neil Aspinall the fifth Beatles ( but would n’t that make them the fifth and 6th Beatles ? ) . Taylor , a journalist and critic who took an other liking to the band , eventually became the Beatles’public relationsguru and the public press ship’s officer for Apple Corps , the Beatles ' multimedia corporation . Aspinall began as the group ’s driver in 1960 , later became its route manager and was ultimately the CEO of Apple Corps for 37 years . He ’s universally accredit for making the Beatles the biggest musical stain ( and by far the ample player ) in the world .
So , take your choice . Should one of these men be officially acknowledge as the fifth Beatle , or should there be no argument ?
