Brian Epstein honoured with blue plaque in London

A blue plaque to honour Beatles manager Brian Epstein has been unveiled in London.

The plaque was placed outside Sutherland House, 5-6 Argyll Street, next to the London Palladium. From 1964 to his death in 1967 Epstein ran his NEMS Enterprise management company from offices on the fifth floor of the building.

Epstein would have turned 80 on 19 September 2014, and was recently posthumously inducted into the USA’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The plaque was unveiled by the Heritage Foundation in association with SongLink. The event was hosted by Allo Allo actress Vicki Michelle, president of the Heritage Foundation.

Among stars present were actors Andrew Lancel and musician Adam Ant, whose mother was Paul McCartney’s cleaner in the 1960s.

Also present were Geoffrey Ellis, who became chief executive administrator of NEMS Enterprises; Tony Bramwell, who worked at NEMS and Apple Records; Mersey Beat editor Bill Harry; Epstein’s former business partner Joe Flannery; and Rod Davis of The Quarrymen

Lancel, who has played Epstein in the play Epstein – The Man Who Made The Beatles, said: “I’m honoured to be part of the unveiling party and I’m thrilled to be playing Brian in the West End.”

Paul McCartney sent a message of goodwill:

I know Brian would have been very proud to think that he had earned a blue plaque in the West End of London. He played a very important role in guiding the career of us Beatles and more than that he was a lovely man whose friendship we all valued and who I will always remember with great fondness. Congratulations Brian.